Parker 45 Flighter Review

[rochester21]

First of all, i would like to thank Rita Lott from Five Star Pens for being so kind and understanding- without her, I wouldn`t have this pen in front of me now.

And now, to the actual review. The 45 that i`m reviewing is a flighter version, 1970s production, fitted with a fine octanium nib.

 

 

Appearance/Finish 4.5/5

 

The pictures of the 45 flighter that i`ve seen online gave me the impression of a solid, streamline, fountain-pen, with a design that reminded me of the early jet-fighters and, fortunately, this impression doesn` change a bit while actually holding the pen. Although there is nothing spectacular about it(not a luxury pen), I find it very pleasing to look at and to hold. It feels sturdy in the hand, it gives me the confidence that this pen will endure years of daily use. The brushed metal is not very smooth to the touch, a bit rough, which somewhat underlines the idea that this pen is made to be used, not kept somewhere, under a glass window.

 

 

Design/Size/Weight 5/5

 

 

I should probably mention that I generally like smaller, rather than big ones. For me, the shape and size of the 45 flighter are just about right. Didn`t putted to the real life test, but it feels comfortable in the hand, easy to grip, easy to control. The weight is just about right- I generally like heavy pens, but I guess that a medium weight is more fitted for use during extended periods of time. Also, the balance is very good, posted or not- I use it with the cap posted, and i`m quite happy with it.

 

 

Nib design and performance 4.5/5

 

The nib on my 45 is a fine, and i`ve noticed that it lays down a thinner line than my vector and reflex pens, both with fine nibs. Still, that might change after I use it more, because I noticed that the nib needs a bit of time to adjust before starting to write properly-this also happened to my other parker pens.

The hooded nib is rigid(he way i like them), very responsive. it doesn`t skip at all, can write even if the angle of the nib is slightly modified.

Still, it has a small issue- it “sings”. I can clearly hear the pen while I write with it, and I can also feel a kind of “harshness” of the nib. It`s not toothy, but a bit rough. To be honest, i would have preferred the silky feel that the nibs on the waterman carene and l`etalon fountain pens gave me. Still, i`m pretty confident that this is something that a Nib meister can resolve(If i ever get to one).

 

 

Filling System 4/5

 

I`m a cartridge fan. Why? Because they are easy to replace during use, and I consider that this sistem gives you a more reliable fountain pen, on the long run, because it does`t involve any mechanism or part that can brake in time. Maybe the cartridge filling system`s biggest advantage is the fact that you can always buy a Converter, and replace the actual cartridge.

What I don`t like about the parker cartidges is their proprietary form, and their high price(I personally use a ink bottle and a seringe). In the same time, I would have prefer bigger cartridges- I always imagined that, I I were a fountain pen producer, I would have found a way of fitting cartridges with a huge capacity, making the pen capable of writing for weeks without a refill .

 

 

Cost 4.5/5

 

The 45 that I have, with the chrome trim, was on sale for 42 usd. I find the price to be very good for such a well engineered fountain pen. Anyway, this impression concerning prices will always be very subjective, since there are people in the world who earn 100 usd per month, and others who work for 1000 usd per month, so that`s a decisive factor in judging the price.

 

 

Conclusion

 

If it wasn`t for that “singing” nib issue, I would have said that the parker 45 flighter is a wordy competitor for the best all round, low priced fountain pen ever. And, if I take into consideration the fact that some folks don`t mind to hear what they write, it` safe to say that one can`t go wrong when buying one.

From the moment I first saw it, I thought it is a modern classic, with a design that, at least for me, reflected the period in which it was actually built(beginning of the 70s).

As a final compliment, i can say that i have sold sold more beautiful, more expensive, more appreciated pens than the parker 45, but I will definitely keep this one.

 

 

p.s. I`m sorry about the lousy pictures that i took. This review was written during the night, and i had to use the flash when taking the pictures, which reflected the light away from the pen. the lens on my camera didn`t help either

Edited June 23, 2011 by rochester21

[sfs1965]

My Flighter 45 is my favorite pen I own.

 

Simply a classic. I have a XF nib. Such a smooth fine line.

 

But I do have a question

 

Im not sure on the year.

 

Mine has a gold accents on the clip and the base of the pen but other than that just like the pictures

 

Any ideas on the age??? Or how I could find out?

[lovemy51]

thx for showing it, R21! mine is US made and came with a gold color (not real gold) M nib. if i remember correctly, i paid around $30-35 USD for it; not bad for a great classic.

 

enjoy it!

[Taurean]

Nice review. The 45 Flighter does look good.

I have one with a date code of 1982.

[kazoolaw]

Your 45 Flighter looks terrific.

It should last nearly forever, as the nib is likely to stay aligned absent a point first fall.

A 45 got me through 3 years of intense note taking and never hiccuped.

If I remember back over 30 years ago, mine had an aerometric converter. These are just about bullet proof, as similar original fillers are still in use in many 51's and 45's. They are fast fillers, and flush the pen to some extent as you fill.

I don't think the 45 gets enough respect as a bulletproof, economical pen with enough variations to find one for many different tastes.

Thanks for sharing.

gary

Edited June 26, 2011 by gary

[piembi]

  On 6/26/2011 at 1:06 AM, gary said:

It should last nearly forever, as the nib is likely to stay aligned absent a point first fall.

A 45 got me through 3 years of intense note taking and never hiccuped.

 

Had one as my school pen and still have it. Back then my local stationery shop sold replacement nibs and I have switched between different nib sizes. Last year I found a 14K nib for my good old schoolpen. Pen got a nib upgrade and is back in use after some 25 years in the drawer.

[contaxrts2]

Parker 45 - a great review of a wonderful pen.

 

I discovered this classic lowcost - but longrunning pen from Parker very late, after decades of using almost exclusively Pelikan fountainpens (Pelikan in general really great design, engineering and handcraft).

 

The Parker 45 also is a classic, not only from period of production and number of sales but also from design and engineering.

A marvelous example of simplicity in design, usability and function at its best at a very fair price. And you can even easily change the nibs, too.

Not a hero but a good example of modern design and quite "simple" but sometimes just this is the quality of an (writing) instrument.

This pen will never get the attention of its more famous siblings, but good tools in good quality are just a class of their own.

 

At the moment: 4 Parker 45 Flighter, because classic authentic tools are so rare in these times.