What Do You Think About The Parker 85?

[pennut]

I would like to know what folks think about the Parker 85. Quality? Feel in the hand? Compared to other Parkers? etc.

 

Dennis (aka Pennut)

[mitto]

Basically a P75 in somewhat new attire. But I like the long Parker arrow engraved on the clip of the 85.

[Sasha Royale]

Unpopular + 35 years = RARE .

 

I never handled one personally. Other users say they don't like the balance. Of course, that is entirely subjective. How do you like yours ? The Parker 85 did not last on the market but a few years. I hope you have a nice one.

[hood]

Nice quality, feels substantial, and more so than a 75 does. It never seemed unbalanced to me, though I have also heard that opinion, and it's true to say there is more weight towards the back end than a 75 has. I like the looks, in particular the silver Florence GT. But I didn't really get on with the section, visually it seems too plain for the look of the rest of the pen, and functionally that same lack of features makes it feel like you haven't got a good hold of it, and I think that's due to both the shape being flat-sided and the texture being so very smooth. I've actually wondered if that is the source of the feeling many have of a balance issue.

 

Overall I like it more on display than I do in use, and in use I like the ballpoint more than the fountain pen I'm afraid to say. I actually think it makes a nice ballpoint, and my 85 BP has been filling the solitary ballpoint slot in my carry-around line up for a while now. So don't think that I dislike it, I'm glad I picked one up, and if it was the only FP I had then I'd be happy using it, but there are other Parkers that I enjoy much more.

 

[FrankB]

I am glad to see this thread, and I hope a few more folks comment here. I never even knew the 85 existed until one came up for sale in the FPN classifieds. If it was a short lived model, I might well have missed it as I was stationed overseas for several years in the "35-years ago" time frame. I am not going to rush out to buy one just to have it, but I am curious how people react to the model.

[TheRedBeard]

P85 is a beautiful pen, which, in my opinion, was unfairly forgotten and underrated.

I've been lucky enough to purchase Silver-plated GT one in NOS condition just a few weeks ago :)

[senzen]

Just got one, I've been trying not to buy more pens but at 49 Euros it was just too good to pass: Silver Florence gold trim, medium nib; it may never had been used, there were no traces of ink. The nib is slowly coming back to life after swapping a few inks.

 

 

It does feel more substantial than the 75, the section is comfortable. The cap snaps in more strongly but then my 75 were all bought used, I quite like the clip. It produces a medium ink hue, currently seeing if it dries out as quickly as the 75.

[TheRedBeard]

On 10/12/2024 at 12:13 AM, senzen said:

Just got one, I've been trying not to buy more pens but at 49 Euros it was just too good to pass: Silver Florence gold trim, medium nib; it may never had been used, there were no traces of ink. The nib is slowly coming back to life after swapping a few inks.

 

 

It does feel more substantial than the 75, the section is comfortable. The cap snaps in more strongly but then my 75 were all bought used, I quite like the clip. It produces a medium ink hue, currently seeing if it dries out as quickly as the 75.

Congratulations! The beautiful pen, and the price paid is unusually low for the pen in almost mint condition