Parker Jotter Ballpoint Pen Review

I have had several different Parker Jotters throughout my lifetime and they all feel very similar. In my opinion these pens are very “eh”. I think that they look great in pictures and in person as well, but as soon as the pen is picked up one might think otherwise. When I bought my first Parker Jotter, I was extremely disappointed with the weight and overall feel of the pen. I believe that if someone is going to pay more than 5-7$ for a pen it should be special in one way or another. This pen just does not feel special to me.

The first thing that drew me to purchasing this pen was the sleek brushed silver body. I do like the idea of having a full 100% metal pen, but I’m not sure if Parker really hit it home with this one. The pen just feels cheap. Its light weight makes it feel flimsy and not super sturdy. I am by no means a strong guy, but I feel that if I wanted to, I could snap this thing in half. I think that if Parker redesigned this pen with a little more metal in the body it would be much more satisfying to hold while writing. Also, another thing that I didn’t like when I first received my pen was the clicking mechanism. It was noisy. Very noisy in fact. Not only is it noisy, it isn’t super smooth. It doesn’t necessarily feel like grinding metal, but it definitely does not feel smooth. I’m not sure if this is a lubrication issue or if its just the materials used. Regardless, that is something that makes the pen much less appealing to me. Additionally, the pen clip seems weak. I feel that if I used this pen everyday for a year the clip would eventually break off. Although it does look pretty darn cool sporting a nifty little arrow design.

Moving on from all the negativity, this pen does write very well. I think that it is extremely smooth and enjoyable. It is a thinner feeling pen, so if that’s what you’re into you will love this guy. The parker pen refill is a very popular cartridge in the ballpoint pen industry for a reason. This cartridge is a staple of performance ballpoints for a reason. The pen disassembles into two pieces that are the top piece, and the bottom piece, that’s it. Unlike other retractable pens, the clicking mechanism and the pen clip seem to be intact with the body for the rest of its life. This isn’t really good or bad, just a preference thing.

One thing I do like is the etching of Parker and France in the bottom of the top piece. I think that it adds a great little touch and makes the product look and feel much more professional. Overall, after writing with this pen for about two months now, I still don’t feel very attached to it. If I were to misplace it or lose it somehow, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. If given the opportunity, I don’t think that I would buy this specific pen again. But with that being said, I would consider purchasing the Parker pen refills for other pens that are compatible.