Parker Jotter Stainless Steel Gold Trim Ballpoint Pen

The pen body itself feels great compared to the plastic Parker Jotters that I've been using, but the refill isn't that great. I like to use the Ohto Flash Dry Gel refill in the all-plastic version of this pen, but that refill doesn't fit in this stainless steel body.The Ohto refill is listed as one that's compatible under JetPens' recommended refills list for this pen. I'm not sure if there have been manufacturing changes along the years but that refill currently doesn't seem like an option with this pen.

I have been using Jotters since college in the late 1970's. Now, as a lawyer, I write extensively with one every workday. A Jotter stays in my shirt pocket all the time.These well-designed, well-made (buy the French made ones) pens will last for decades and always provide reliable service. I periodically buy an extra one to have on hand in case I lose one and sometimes I give one away. The Parker refills write smoothly but the Schmidt refill is also nice. I prefer the stainless ones, as I think they look classier, and your ownership of it is more likely to be respected if someone walks by your desk and sees it laying there and has an urge to "borrow" it.

Though I can't speak to previous generations of Jotters, the bottom two reviews are puzzling. I find this to be a fine pen with an excellent mechanism for an extremely good price.Though I'm not a fan of ballpoint ink, the flexibility of being able to choose from dozens of different refills (including gels and hybrid inks) makes this pen very versatile. If you don't like the included ink cartridge (as ballpoints go, it's not bad), you can easily switch it out for something you like. It's a mix-and-match pen you can tailor to your style of writing, and there's a great assortment of G2-compatible cartridges out there.As far as form and function go, I don't think you can find a better-looking pen — certainly not for the price — and despite its small size, I find it ... MoreThough I can't speak to previous generations of Jotters, the bottom two reviews are puzzling. I find this to be a fine pen with an excellent mechanism for an extremely good price.Though I'm not a fan of ballpoint ink, the flexibility of being able to choose from dozens of different refills (including gels and hybrid inks) makes this pen very versatile. If you don't like the included ink cartridge (as ballpoints go, it's not bad), you can easily switch it out for something you like. It's a mix-and-match pen you can tailor to your style of writing, and there's a great assortment of G2-compatible cartridges out there.As far as form and function go, I don't think you can find a better-looking pen — certainly not for the price — and despite its small size, I find it to be quite comfortable. The sweeping shape and stainless steel imparts a modernist style that is beautiful but not ostentatious, and the balance, mechanism and weight are just about perfect. There's a reason this pen model has been in production for 65 years, largely unchanged: the design is well-considered and timeless.I did vacillate a bit between the brushed stainless steel (this model) and the full chrome 'premium' model. Contrary to expectations, the brushed is the better-looking pen. Not only does it not show fingerprints and scratches, it's much easier to hold without slipping.If you like gel refills, I recommend the Ohto Flash Dry (PG-105NP) as a great fine-point option. At such a great price for pen and ink, I plan to buy a few more of both.

A revelation.

Pens are designed to do one thing: write.Unfortunately, every single pen I've ever owned has failed to manage this seemingly monumental task. Each of these pens are ill-fated to suffer an ink aneurysm mid-stroke at some point in its brief, wretched existence. There are so many pen-shaped holes in my wall that a hive of bees have begun reproducing in them. I firmly believed I was cursed to forever rinse through pens one bulk bag at a time.That is, until now.I recently stole a pen from Kevin. I'm pretty certain Kevin stole it from Peter, but regardless I've not forgotten the time Kevin seized my last krispy-kreme from the break room. You know, back when they were essentially a form of currency? Inconceivable. Anyway, it's a nice looking pen that I made sure to ... MorePens are designed to do one thing: write.Unfortunately, every single pen I've ever owned has failed to manage this seemingly monumental task. Each of these pens are ill-fated to suffer an ink aneurysm mid-stroke at some point in its brief, wretched existence. There are so many pen-shaped holes in my wall that a hive of bees have begun reproducing in them. I firmly believed I was cursed to forever rinse through pens one bulk bag at a time.That is, until now.I recently stole a pen from Kevin. I'm pretty certain Kevin stole it from Peter, but regardless I've not forgotten the time Kevin seized my last krispy-kreme from the break room. You know, back when they were essentially a form of currency? Inconceivable. Anyway, it's a nice looking pen that I made sure to use openly to assert my fragile dominance. But I thought nothing of its looks, they can certainly deceive as even the shiniest of pens I've obtained have still wormed their way to the bee wall. As soon as that ballpoint first adorned my colouring book, I immediately noticed that the feel of this pen was something different. Its flow was smooth, like a flamingo elegantly gliding down to still waters. I glanced at the pen's engraving to reveal the word "Parker." I thought to myself, "Peter actually engraved Parker on his pen? What a schmuck," but I knew it was exactly the kind of thing Peter would do. It wasn't until some time later that I began to realize—I've not tossed a pen today. My eyes immediately glanced down to the instrument in my hand. It still feels... pleasant? No stutters, no sputters, no ink aneurysms. I had the insatiable urge to scrawl some more, on any and every surface. I drew on it all. In all the books and notepads, on the walls and the stalls, on the toilet paper and napkins, and on Kevin's desk; nothing faulted. Remarkable.I had to know the origins of such pen. Is this black magic? An artifact from the cursed Caribbean? Or perhaps a gift from God Himself? Fortunately, gone are the days of carrier pigeons so I did some research in the web. After a strenuous deep dive into Holy Artifacts and the like, my peanut brain finally made the connection with the "Parker" engraving and it led me here. This is exactly the pen in the picture, and I was quite surprised at the pricing. For what is the Rolex of writing instruments, this is certainly inexpensive. There's only one other review, a 1 star reviewer that speaks blasphemy. The reviewer must have giant hulk appendages, as the Parker fits adequately in my modestly sized man hands. Though, most things look big in my hands, so it's all down to preference I guess. I dare say they never even attempted to put words on paper with it, otherwise they'd be bestowed with the same revelation as I.So I've been using it for several weeks now and it still performs exactly how it did on Day 1.The Parker pen will be there for you. It'll laugh at your jokes. It'll please your wife. It'll nurse your children. This is such a revelation that I'm not so sure what the meaning of life is anymore. It's bittersweet, really, as I'll most certainly miss unleashing my anger on those bulk pens. Perhaps I'll direct it at my wife again instead.And Kevin, I forgive you. But I'm keeping this pen.

Beware

I bought his pen due to my experience with Parker. I'm not sure what happened to their quality standards. The first pen I purchased was writing sporadically. I hadn't used it often, so should have had plenty of ink. I went to Office Depot and they replaced the pen. The replacement writes consistently, but the smoothness of the writing is terrible. I have a Zebra F-701 that's writes much smoother and costs half as much as the Parker. This might be the last Parker pen added to my collection.

Feels Cheap; Ink Cartridge Doesn't Fit Properly.

I take alot of notes in my job and was looking for a quality pen to use daily. I've had several Parker pens over the years, but this does not live up to expectations. This is lightweight, but feels cheap in the hand. The clip is too long on the pen body, hitting my hand at an awkward point. I could live with that, but the biggest issue for me is that the ink cartridge moves within the pen when you're writing causing an impression of instability and feels like it's too small for the pen body. I exchanged for another refill thinking perhaps it was an off cartridge, but the same thing happened. Overall, this misses the mark. I'll be returning it.

Great pen

The Parker Jotter line of pens have always been favorite. I get a stylish looking instrument that writes smoothly at a good price. The Jotter XL provides the same qualities with a longer barrel. I'm a larger guy, so the longer barrel feels better in my hand when I'm writing for long periods of time. This is now my daily "goto" pen whether I'm meeting with customers or taking notes.

Nice Pen

I had read a raving review of the Parker Jotter, extolling its superiority as one of the first (1954!) reasonably priced steps up from generic disposable pens. There were no try-it models in the store, but I stepped up, selected a medium point (I prefer wide, but none were available), paid the nearly $20.00, and took it home. It does write quite smoothly, doesn't skip, and, though rather narrow, feels good in hand. It is definitely better than the free advertising pens at the bank. But, $20.00? I'm not sure it is any better than the several-for-$20 disposables. It does look classier, but if that's important to you, you should probably be spending even more, at least moving up to the slightly wider and visually classier Parker IM.

Works like a charm

I went in looking for a Cross pen, which Staples didn't carry so I thought I'd give Parker a try. The associate in tech saw me browsing and walked me to the area with the pad folios, which I was looking for as well. The Parker pen was affordable and writes smooth, I also bought 2 refills so it'll last. It was affordable and not as expensive as the pen which I had originally come in for. Great customer service, affordable products and great alternatives.

Wow!?

This pen does not disappoint as far as a being a solid, ballpoint Jotter. The "orange" finish on the lower half is beautiful, but in person, it is less orange, and more copper. It's not a deal-breaker for me, but the orange in the online photos is what initially caught my eye. If the pen catches your eye in person, you will love it. If, however, you were expecting more of a burnt orange, you may be disappointed.