Review – Parker Classic Pen and Pencil Set (GT)

Have your eyes ever glanced over something where you “knew” what it was but had to double take because something was just “wrong” about it? That’s what happened to me when I first came across the Parker Classic pens. I thought they were Jotters, Parker’s very popular, least expensive pen, but something was just… “off”. And indeed it was, after purchasing it and comparing it to my Jotter at home I discovered that it is a bit different (mainly in thickness), but does that improve anything?

My version (the GT, which I think stands for “gold trim”) is a super simple design. The barrel is a cylindrical piece of stainless steel that screws together in the center. The front third tapers down to a hole, through which the nib protrudes when activated (on the pencil there is a small lead pipe here, extending the length slightly). And the back section of the pen ever so slightly tapers down to the click mechanism. Both the top clicker and the arrow-shaped clip are done in a gold-colored, chrome-like finish, and “Parker – Made in U.S.A.” is very minimally engraved at the separation (on the back half).

The clip does a very good job, being more detailed but just as strong as the clip on the Jotter, and actually affixed to the metal and not on its own separate (if unremovable) band. The clicks on both the pen and pencil are quite satisfying, the pencil more so because it is slightly shorter (thus having less traveling distance) and more firm (it also has rings near the top to help distinguish between the two in the pocket). Because of its length, the pen one does seem a bit floaty. The pencil’s click button also pulls off to reveal a usable pink eraser (it’s nothing special), and when that is removed, the lead reservoir (for .5mm leads). The design of the pencil here means that the mechanism is fully attached to the front part of the pencil, and unscrewing the back does nothing to hinder the operation (other than making it less comfortable) or allow for any maintenance.

I haven’t mentioned the ink/lead yet because there isn’t really much to talk about. The black, fine cartridge (standard Parker type) and HB .5mm lead the two come with is exactly as you’d expect. Relatively smooth, almost dark, and mostly break-and-water-resistant. The main difference in handling comes from the size. They are a bit longer than the Jotter, at 5¼” (pen) and 5 3/8” (pencil) long, but it’s really the diameter that makes the difference, being 1/8” smaller at their widest of ¼”. This doesn’t make them much lighter, but it does make them nicer to use for someone like me who likes smaller barrels on their pens, or is trying to store things more efficiently.

It is an upgrade from the area of 3rd tier pens (like the Jotter, which is above semi-disposable pens, which are above fully disposable pens). It has more refined, nicer feeling, and is just as durable. But it isn’t too much of an upgrade unless you really like the slim dimensions (like me). The fact that it’s apparently been discontinued is a hint at whether or not people really thought it was worth upgrading, but I’m a fan, and at a decent price I think they are serious competition for the Jotter in the pencil case. I’m keeping mine around, and it’ll probably last me a lifetime.

Review- Ritepoint Chromatic

Every once in a while I like to take a look at something vintage and see how well it stacks up. Plus I’ve got a soft-spot for slim, fine (line) writing pens. Now I’m not entirely sure as to the status of the Chromatic (or Ritepoint, or whoever) but it does seem these pens (and refills) are discontinued, but easy to find online. Is it worth it to snag one?

The pen body is very slim and stylish, reminiscent of the Cross Century. It’s a smooth cylinder, with a gold-banded break for the twist mechanism and tapers at the back and front. At the fron,t a third of the taper is in the form of a gold-colored metal cone, from which the point extends when the mechanism is engaged. The back taper terminates more abruptly and affixed to it is a fairly solid, basically flat clip that runs almost the length of the back section.

The action of the pen is strange enough that I’m not sure it’s working properly. Turning the back half of the pen clockwise a quarter turn will extend the ballpoint and lock it into place. From there twisting will do nothing until enough force is applied counter-clockwise and the pen “clicks” at which point the tip will slowly retract completely. It’s an interesting compromise system and it works quite well. It’s just that everything feels a bit still and awkward. I can’t quite tell if it needs oil, is broken, or that’s just how it’s supposed to be.

As for the writing, it’s quite good. My pen has a blue “microtip” cartridge installed. The ink is smooth enough coming out that I can write in cursive, though the lines themselves have some start-up and shading problems (oddly reminiscent of fountain pens). The line width is equivalent to, or slightly thinner than, most “fine” points and the ink properties are fairly standard. The only other function; the clip is better than average but nothing to write home about.

It’s a decent little interesting piece of history, but I wouldn’t say it’s essential for any collectors. And the impracticality of having to hunt down new-old-stock or second-hand refills or fashion your own out of whatever might fit makes it not a good choice for the regular user. If it sounds interesting to you I’d say go for it, but it’s nothing to run out and hunt down.

Suit EDC – Every-Day Carry 2016-17 Part 2

While my regular EDC works well for standard “civilian” clothes (though not quite standard, as I’m rarely in anything “less” than a button down shirt and slacks) I do wears suits as often as I possibly can (especially now in the winter), and it doesn’t work nearly as well for them. I can’t wear anything on the belt (for the most part) without having it look ridiculous, and my pants pockets would bulge since I carry mostly in the front. So I have to shift where I carry things and adjust a few usage scenarios (I probably won’t be using a full-sized multi-tool when in a suit). Fortunately, suits have a ton of pockets for me to spread my gear out in while looking nice and “fashionable”. Here’s the stuff I carry.

Man I wish I had a better photo of me… But you can see how little the pockets bulge in this one.

  • Inside Jacket Pocket 1
    • Pocket Notebook (Field Notes Expedition) (It always impresses people when you pull a notebook out of your jacket pocket)
    • Pocket Planner (Brownline)
    • Pen (Zebra F-301) (Sleek, dependable, and it fits a lot of styles)
    • Flashlight (Coast A5) (Goes better with most suits and that “classy” look than a “tactical” looking light)

  • Inside Jacket Pocket 2
    • Maxpedition Micro Pocket Organizer (This bulges a bit, but that’s because of the phone, which is the only thing I need, but otherwise fits surprisingly well in a common inside jacket pocket)
      • Work Phone
      • Lighter** (I run into people who want to light something more often in a suit, as strange as it is. This one is a Bic, but I sometimes have a Zippo elsewhere)
      • Multi-tool (Leatherman Style CS)** (or) (Gerber Dime Travel) (It depends on which I think I will use more that day: scissors or pliers. And if I’m going though a checkpoint)
      • Pocket Comb (always need one when I’m wearing a hat)
      • 2 Lens Wipes (Nikon)
      • Knuckle Bandage
      • Fingertip Bandage
      • 4 Alcohol Swabs
      • 1 Alcohol Towel-ette
      • Electrolyte Tablets
      • Mini Med Bag
        • 3 Diphenhydramine
        • 2 Acetaminophen
      • 2 Ricola Original Cough Drops (don’t want to have a problem when meeting people, especially in the cold)
      • GUM Soft Picks in Case (usually don’t have to use these, but they can be “life-saving”)

  • Outside Jacket Lower Pocket (Sometimes)* (When you need a USB stick you need a USB stick, and it doesn’t bulge much at all, so it’s there when I remember to put it there)
    • EDC Altoids Small Tin** (hopefully most of this is self-explanatory)
      • Flash Drive (Patriot Tab)
      • Knife (Opinel #2)**
      • Cord
      • Cotton Ball
      • Ziplock Bag
        • Matches**
        • Striker
        • Kleenex
      • Nail
      • 4 Straight Pins
      • Paperclip
      • Electrical Tape
      • 2 Migraine Medications
      • Butterfly Bandage
      • Cash (≈$10)

  • Belt
    • CRKT SPEW (Sometimes Around Neck)** (my one exception to the belt rule. It’s a bit harder to get in and out of its sheath, but it’s easy to access and super slim)

  • Pants Pockets (I went over most of these items in my previous post about my regular EDC, you can check that out if you want more info about my personal usage case)
    • Wallet (Austin Leather Tri-Fold Wallet) (I’m not sure the company even exists any more)

And that’s the suit carry. Not quite as much stuff, and a bit more limited in use than the standard EDC, but it all fits very slimly into the pockets and keeps me looking nice. Hopefully I won’t be doing too much down and dirty work in a suit anyway. I’ve also excluded a few of the regular trappings that may go along with a suit like: shoes, ties, tie bars, cufflinks, hats, etc. because those things change more frequently (by the day usually) than the gear I carry does. This has been a very good working system for me for about a year, but I’m always looking for a way to slim it down, and that gets harder ever time.

Next I’ll be returning to more of a “regular” “EDC’ set, my bag, which has probably seen the most change since my last update. Hopefully you’ll join me there.

(Amazon Links provided may not be the cheapest one’s around. If no Amazon link is available another one will be provided so long as I think the item is of enough importance)

* Items that are carried on a conditional basis or can be one of a few like items

** Items that will need to be specially treated when going into restricted areas (read: airports) (i.e. liquids and pointy things)

Review – Faber-Castell Lux 034

Last week I talked about a Faber-Castell ballpoint pen that was made in Peru, the 033. And this week I will continue my talk of Peruvian pens with the Faber-Castell 034 in all of the standard colors: black, blue, and red. And these seem much more like a Faber-Castell version of the inexpensive Bics and Paper:Mates that are used all the time.

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The body is as simple as it can be. It’s a straight cylinder with a small bit of fluting on the end that allows to cap the grip when posted. There is also some fluting on the slight step-down that is the section, and it is surprisingly comfortable and grippy. From there, there is a fairly standard looking cone that leads to the metal tip. As far as I can tell this is not removable and thus the pen is not refillable. The cap is a single piece of plastic with the same fluting on the top, and it has a slight taper to catch the section. The clip is molded in and does work, but not very well since it doesn’t ever meet the cap or barrel.

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Writing is fairly smooth and nice. There is globbing and occasionally startup issues. Red seems to have more problems with the former while black the latter. All tips are on the fine side of medium, and aren’t shielded from air by the cap so they will have startup problems if left out for some time. The ink is water-resistant and office-friendly,with a grayish, warm black, a dark-ish blue, and a deeper red. They are pretty similar to a Bic Stic/Cristal and a Paper:Mate Write Bros. The main differences are a darker red color, and a smoother writing experience.

Overall, I’m happy with them, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to find them. The writing is as good or better than most of the pens of comparable price in the US, but the bodies are made of what feels like a much more brittle plastic and they are very light weight and get float-y when writing. They are a good, solid, cheap office pen.