Parker Jotter Fountain Pen Review

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The Parker Jotter has been around in ballpoint form for decades, and you may even have one. But Parker recently refreshed this classic pen and updated their fountain pen version. Do the improvements make this entry-level pen a potential modern classic?
I bought mine here (there is also the Jotter Originals available): amzn.to/39L9cle
You can follow me on Instagram: @jg3_reviews
If you've got a pen or related items you would like to submit for review, you can contact me at JG3Reviews@gmail.com.
As an Amazon associate & eBay affiliate, I may earn from qualifying purchases.

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Опубликовано:

16 янв 2020

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Комментарии : 120

@TheNightowl001 4 года назад

I have a Parker Jotter Flighter, all stainless steel, with a black plastic section. It was only available in medium here in the US, but I bought a fine point nib from a company in England! Very nice, utilitarian pen! Works well!

@bikkies 3 года назад

I don't have the flighter version of this yet but I can imagine it would work well. I love my Parker flighters but slender pens such as the 25 (a wonderful pen) tend to feel slippery and vague in my hand. The weight actually seems to work against itself. Perhaps if the Jotter flighter is more lightweight then it won't have this issue. I must make a note (with a fountain pen of course) to check them out sometime.

@jamesaritchie1 4 года назад

No doubt these are good pens. Every pen lover should own one. . .or ten. because they have a habit of turning up missing.

@DerrickMims Год назад

For those who may not know: Aurora cartridges fit Parker pens perfectly. They only come in black, blue, and blue-black. But all three Aurora inks are superb, and it's nice to have the option.

@emm_arr 4 года назад

I had an old model jotter version of this for years at school and college - with a converter unit - lovely stuff. I think I enjoyed it more than the Montblanc. It's a seriously good pen.

@JG3Reviews 4 года назад

I've found that I appreciate the Jotter and Vector for their nibs more every time I use them. Very smooth.

@fabriziodutto7508 4 года назад

I use the Parker Quink a lot with my fountain pens, it's amazing! Thank you for this review! I will definitely buy this pen for me.

@wernervdwesthuizen 6 месяцев назад

I have a few of these and they are just consistent and reliable, a very underrated pen.

@lunsj 3 года назад

Thanks for doing such a nice review of the Parker. I am excited to get mine and "get back into" fountain pens. I hope I don't regret it. I remember getting fed up with stained fingers. Going to give it another go. I probably overpaid for my Parker FP but I'm excited to get it regardless. It's due to be delivered tomorrow and I'll fill out a few postcards for Postcrossing to break it in.

@abc-wv4in Год назад

Very helpful review; thanks! I like those older pen styles, too. May have to have the royal blue one. I like bottled inks but I might use the cartridges with this one. I like that the Parkers hold a lot of ink. I also love the Pilot Metropolitan and have several of those. Subscribed and I appreciate the God bless; you as well.

@hawkeyedave 4 года назад

Great review! I really admire your penmanship!

@barbarah-p8661 4 года назад

I have two Jotter fountain pens. I really like them. They are very consistent and write well. One of them has Waterman Absolute Brown in it, using the converter, and the other still has the blue cartridge. My only negative is that they don't have a fine point nib for this pen. I do wish they did. I would recommend this pen to anyone who wants a reliable, nice writing pen at a very reasonable price, especially when they are on sale. tna I am happy that you reviewed the Jotter. Somehow, I think people are not aware of how nice it writes. It's a great starter pen and also a good, all-around reliable pen for anyone. Thanks for a good, useful review.

@leandro6255 3 года назад

Thanks for the accurate translation to Spanish. I have a Vector and I really enjoyed your review about it, Greetings from Argentina.

@abrusticrelics5808 4 года назад

Parker originates from my hometown Janeville Wisconsin. Best pen company ever.

@LANCSKID Год назад

Available now from my local U.K. supermarket (along with long cartridges). Currently discounted! Placed one in my online shopping basket with a pack of 10 cartridges this week … total £13.50. It’s a wait and see! Thanks for the review, James, enjoyable as always.

@galaxycraft0075 11 месяцев назад

I got mine from Tesco

@LANCSKID 11 месяцев назад

@@galaxycraft0075 I changed my mind when I subsequently saw the cheaper priced, wider colour range models (B, B, R, G) at Amazon at the time. 👍🖌

@countduckula9977 3 года назад

Hi James, Great pen review. I never knew Parker did FP version of the Jotter, I knew of the Vector & some other versions. I have known Parker for over 40 years in one form or another. Actually I prefer the cartridge to the converter in this particular instance as cartridge holds more ink than converter [& with a long blunt needle syringe to refill it you're laughing].

@crouserm 3 года назад

I found mine a year or so ago at our local Staples. Had to pilfer a converter from the Parker Vector Calligraphy set I've had for a quarter century or more (too cheap to order a new converter); but totally satisfied. Not afraid to take it anywhere. Everyday pen? Well, it rotates in occasionally. I have plenty of totally fine pens, according to practical persons.

@andreasfilis9001 Год назад

This is my workhorse pen. It writes perfectly.

@donseglio 3 года назад

Thanks for the review, you tend to be very positive. I recently saw a review on this pen and they were all negative due to the pen's basic design, which looks fine to me. I have this pen on order and will arrive next Monday so I'm looking forward to its arrival. I owned a Parker 51 when I was 7 and it was stolen when I was 24 so I'm looking forwards to trying out a new basic Parker, I also have a Wing Sung 601 on its way and I hope it works out too. Keep the reviews coming.

@JG3Reviews 3 года назад

I hope you enjoy them both (601s can be addictive).

@MorbidMystique 2 года назад

Never thought I would watch a review video about a pen.

@JG3Reviews 2 года назад

I was there once, so be careful, it can be a rabbit hole. lol

@sharonoddlyenough 4 года назад

I just picked up a Royal Blue one a few days ago. The size took some adjustment, since my edc is a Lamy Safari. Works reasonably well, looks good, and is a nice size to tuck into my purse. It's very close in size to my vintage Parker Jotter ballpoint pen. Overall, a good pen. I paid $25 Canadian at my local Staples store, with no regrets.

@simongrajales7135 4 года назад

What tipe of nib use the lamy abc? in muy country they advertise the nib is more easy to learn or something like

@sharonoddlyenough 4 года назад

@@simongrajales7135 the Lamy Safari comes in a variety of nib sizes, from extra fine to broad. It might be easier to learn how to use because of the three sided grip that encourages proper holding. Some people find that uncomfortable, though.

@WilliamParmley Год назад

Thanks! I guess I need to get the stainless steel model to match my stainless steel Jotter ball point and pencil.

@bikkies 3 года назад

I have a few Jotters. Each time I ink one up, I find myself asking why I don't use them more often. They're not remotely exciting writers and feel generic in the hand, but they absolutely get the job done every time without fail. They're good solid workhorses for when you need a pen to just sit up straight and do the whole pen thing.

@ToniaZarifopoulou 3 года назад

Do they come with the cartridge ? Or should i buy one?

@JG3Reviews 3 года назад

It should come with one blue Parker ink cartridge. It won't come with a converter.

@boof1606 3 месяца назад

Great informative video. Thanks

@humanfirst11 3 года назад

Parker inks are extremely well behaved inks, good viscosity and flow at the same time! But my only grime is that the only available colors are blue and black! I want them to have other colors to be available easily! Thanks for the review.

@johngcahill9583 4 года назад

used a fountain pen jotter all the ways through Law school...great pen

@Critic224 3 года назад

I find a Parker Jotter very nice pen to write with. It is just about right size for my hand, light and well balanced with a nice flowing nib. Also it's cartridge has a good capacity hence affords long writing sessions.

@martinarg101 Месяц назад

I had one of these when I was at school in the 80's and it was the way to write properly. I have purchased one of these new versions since it's hard for me to use a regular pen to hand write and it's beautiful, easy to use and got that old memories back to me, even the smell of the ink is the same.

@MyName-pf5zo Год назад

I have a number of Parkers and two Jotters I got lately. Parker pens are apart from Pelikano's my favourite.

@jeffcon123 3 года назад

I like it.. I been using itoya blade and lamy safari.. both are incredibly good.. and the Thorntons are good too cheap pens that work great. I’m just gettin into pens I’m normally crazy for knives

@t0dd000 3 года назад

The Parker Jotter Gel is my favorite pen of all time. For whatever reason, that small-ish pen size just fits so perfectly and is balanced so nice. I have a few fountain pens, but not this one. I should pick one up. But no converter? Come on, Parker.

@sankaranunnitharakkal460 3 года назад

I just yesterday bought a parker jotter ballpoint pen. It's a really good pen, wheather it is the fountain pen or ballpoint pen or rollerball pen.

@WilliamParmley Год назад

And yes, I did order the stainless version!

@Hai-tj9sv 12 дней назад

I used to buy a Jotter in 2018,and buy agin yesterday, superise me that the material of barrel has been transferred to cheap plastic from steel 😅

@mohamedelmourabit3087 Год назад

Lovely Parkers jotter pens

@stargazer1359 4 года назад

A good , reliable, smooth and wet writer....I really don't use mine...Although I did ink it with Monteverde Ocean Noir. Just a wee bit too small for me.

@kan-zee 7 месяцев назад

I have the Parker Vector Med nib~ Black ($22cad) and 5x Quink Black ink Cartridge refills (8$). Total w/taxes= $35 ...the same price as my Parker Ballpoint pen. I like the Parker Brand scribbing tools and chose this as my very first budget Fountain Pen. Thin like a Pencil & has a good weight in the hand. PARKER PEN HISTORY --------------------------------------- The Parker Pen Company is an American manufacturer of luxury writing pens, founded in 1888 (136 yrs ago) by George Safford Parker in Janesville, Wisconsin, United States. In 2011 (13 yrs ago) the Parker factory at Newhaven, East Sussex, England, was closed, and its production transferred to Nantes, France.

@amoledzeppelin 9 месяцев назад

Where I live, Lamy/Kaweco/Pelikan/etc are almost unavailable physically. I mean, you need to know where to even start looking for those brands. Parkers, on the other hand... No problem, available in every color you can imagine in multiple places (maybe this has something to do with the Parker brand itself being a kind of "businessman meme" for 30+ years here), and only Pilot V-Pen and full-Chinese brands/no-names are cheaper than them. So, when ordering a ballpoint Jotter with 6 G2 black refills (to fit into some tactical pens I also have for the same format), I thought: "why not give it a try?" and bought a full-black plastic FP version with a steel cap (also comes with a black cartridge) and the F nib, and, on top of that, I had to put a converter into the same order, and the converter costs almost like the pen itself, but at least with Parker you know which one to use. Well, the fine nib here is really fine, I spotted no visible issues whatsoever. The pen itself is very simple to use and maintain, and, most importantly for me, quite compact, not significantly larger than the ballpoint version. Because I really don't like most fountain pens for how *thicc* they are. This one seems to give more of an EDC feeling I'd expect from any pen to start with, to be honest.

@pensane 2 года назад

I just recently got one of these. However, mine has a plastic barrel which is a huge disappointment. For a little more money, I prefer my Parker IM. And for less money, my Jinhao 51A looks much better. Knowing Parker, though, I’m sure it’s going to write really well.

@RattlerDNA 3 года назад

hi, You do very nice and well detailed reviews, thanks. I purchased this jotter pen, but want to fit fin nib to it. Does the pen use friction fit nib? can i change it? thanks.

@JG3Reviews 3 года назад

I'm sure you could, if you can obtain one. I don't think they sell the nibs apart from the pens, though.

@stevehuffman7453 2 года назад

Been thinking of getting the Jotter FP to carry with my Jotter ballpoint. Unfortunately, the FP isn't available (yet) in a color that matches my ballpoints

@JG3Reviews 2 года назад

Hopefully, they bring the color you're after back and you can complete the set.

@marcgasper8226 2 года назад

I bought the all silver, metal version, medium nib. At full price, a bit pricier than Pilot Metropolitan. I would agree with the reviewer on most points. I do like that it says "France" on the cap, although these days I would not be sure it is really made in France. But if it is, that alone is big plus in my eyes. Anyway, regarding the build quality, it has not changed much since Made in UK, the pen I also have for years now. The pen is so light it gives an impression it is made of plastic, not metal. The metal is so thin you can practically see through it. But the cap on my UK pen is the same, so not much has changed here. The click when closing the cap is satisfying, the cap snaps securely. But it wobbles a bit on the body. The nib is ok, on the thicker side of medium but still not too thick. A bit thicker than the Pilot Metropolitan. It writes smooth, no surprises here, which is good. But the nib is made of dull metal, not shiny as I would expect. Overall build quality and looks gives impression of more cheap than luxury product. Pilot Metropolitan (I have a few) is noticeably better in build and looks than Jotter, and a bit cheaper too. I like Parker from times when they were luxurious products, so I will keep this one in collection. Most importantly, it writes good, and that is what matters.

@marcgasper8226 2 года назад

An update: Jotter is a consistent performer with very good ink flow. The nib is stiff like a nail, but after some getting used to that, it is maneuverable. Writing with it leaves somewhat crude feeling, not as sophisticated as one would like it to be. It is a nice looking small fountain pen and that is what I like about it. I still can not justify the price I paid, which is the price of Pilot Metropolitan, but it it is a decent performer.

@markcaldwell2831 Год назад

There's no better pen than a Parker. I've got the exact same one with a Penman Sapphire cartridge.

@acmramon 4 года назад

Very nice fpen👍

@usr45129 3 месяца назад

Hello! Thank you for the video. Sorry if it's a noob question, I'm pretty new to fountain pens. You mentioned this pen has a proprietary cartridge. Does that mean I can't use international cartridges when that one runs out?

@JG3Reviews 3 месяца назад

Yes, that's correct. It requires Parker or compatible cartridges. I don't have my Jotter handy, but I'll check this evening. I think that some of the "Chinese Standard" 3.4mm bore cartridges ought to work (Hongdian, for ex.). Some Parker pens will accept Lamy cartridges as well. I'll check those two and get back to this comment.

@ekaanshikapoor9313 3 года назад

Do a compare with Parker frontier. It looks exactly the same but it’s 1/6th the price.

@fizbany 4 года назад

I found Parker Jotter is quite similar to Parker Sonnet apart from the feed. Are there any more differences between the two?

@danihazeleger5539 3 года назад

Well i have both and the sonnet is a bit wider so i find it easier to hold. My jotter also dries up faster when the cap is on in comparrison to the sonnet. But i love them both

@luciapaiva4853 Год назад

I have a black one for about 20 years, made in England. Don't like mine. It's a very light weight and the ink tends to leak. I end up with dirty fingers. I've always used the Sheaffer ink. Some times i wonder if that is an incompatibility between the ink and the pen.

@jamesteggelaar8272 Год назад

Hi, Yes, Parker pens are only supposed to be used with Parker cartridges.

@manojvits Год назад

Hello - Nice review. Can I replace the cartridge with a converter?

@JG3Reviews Год назад

Yes, you sure can. Parker's converters are a bit high (can be as much as the pen). BUT, you can also buy a Lamy Z27 converter for this pen, and it will be half or less the cost of the Parker. That's what I use.

@munkhp232 4 года назад

A new subscriber here,

@starsiegeplayer Год назад

I have a Parker Vector. Does the Jotter write similarly?

@JG3Reviews Год назад

Very similar, they use the same nibs. It just the ergonomics and weight that are different.

@archismanmukhopadhyay1327 27 дней назад

I am very much pumped to purchase one ...but i have really big hands..is it a bit short and thin ?

@JG3Reviews 21 день назад

It's a relatively thin pen, yes.

@patpatrizio98 4 года назад

How is the finish holding up after being posted several times?

@JG3Reviews 4 года назад

No issues so far.

@ayushsharma7998 Год назад

I wished it came in fine - feels a bit more with M, though it's quite smooth

@terreza8130 Год назад

I found an F nib for this type of pen. You have to replace the nib yourself. I just bought it so I hope it goes well.

@lunstee 9 месяцев назад

It does come in fine. Parker offers a nib exchange service; if you don't like the nib you bought, they will exchange it for free as long as the pen still is in pristine condition and you make the request within 28 days of purchase. Otherwise, they can give you a quote for the nib exchange and return you your original nib.

@ToniaZarifopoulou 3 года назад

Do they come with a cartridge or should i buy one?

@gordoncan 3 года назад

They come with one, in blue quink

@QPrince2024 10 месяцев назад

Hello🙂 What is the difference between this Jotter and the Parker Frontier ?

@JG3Reviews 10 месяцев назад

I've not owned a Frontier, so my impressions are quite limited. The main difference I see are ABS (Frontier) vs metal barrel (Jotter), the Frontier is a larger diameter, and the nibs are of a different style and size. (I should add that I'm comparing US to US models. The Frontier produced now under license in India may or may not be different in some ways?)

@hocineDH 2 года назад

Nice video! Thanks, can you refile that cartage with a syringe? Thanks again for all the videos, they are amazing!

@JG3inTX 2 года назад

Thanks! Yes, the catridge can be refilled with a syringe. That's what I do pretty much all the time with this Parker & my Vector.

@hocineDH 2 года назад

@@JG3inTX thanks so much for the answer I wish you all the best !

@palashchoudhury5565 11 месяцев назад

My Parker Pen's filling syst (Converter) got Spoil Can i use non Parker Cartridge

@JG3Reviews 11 месяцев назад

Lamy cartridges should fit.

@palashchoudhury5565 11 месяцев назад

I might give it a try

@elbeefo748 4 года назад

Have you thought about putting links to where I could get the pen in the video description?

@fabriziodutto7508 4 года назад

I find mine on Amazon, hope it helps.

@MamoonShaker-fy7yv Год назад

I think Parker 25 is the best .

@yominrak7975 2 года назад

Sighs, it is a shame that converter is not included, how much will Parker lost to include with a jotter? Anyway it is the seller and buyer choice, definitely not a pen for me, perhaps a pen more recognised by my father since at his time he only knew Parker as the sole brand for fountain pen.

@humanfirst11 2 года назад

Which ones do you prefer?

@lukew2194 4 года назад

Long international cartridge holds 1.4ml, this Parker long holds 1.2ml.

@lloydgarland4667 4 года назад

Good and honest review, but in my experience Parker pens made today are nowhere near as good as the USA made pens of yesteryear. Lower quality control, less precision and a lousy customer service

@jamesaritchie1 4 года назад

Maybe, but while I love vintage Parker pens, I owned a number of those that were junk, too. No company has perfect quality control. It just can't happen. Other than the Parker 51, which probably saved the company, Parker had some real stinkers early on. As for customer service, I've only dealt with it three or three times in the last ten years, but each time was very good.

@nanjappa42 3 года назад

I agree with you. They now make some models in India- price suits us but the quality is quite unsatisfactory. These are small, lightweight and really look and feel like toys- not the majestic writing instruments that we knew as Parker. And I do not want to bow before their proprietary cartridges and converters.

@hukes Год назад

My Jotter is as smooth as my two gold nib pens.

@mohamedelmourabit3087 Год назад

Way Parkers pens ist very expensif in Morocco.

@Daveaconklin Год назад

Bc they are a 3rd party company called Luxor which only sells in the India/Nepal market. They garbage ngl.

@Alexander-vm2ox 3 года назад

is it better than lamy safari?

@JG3Reviews 3 года назад

Very different pens. It is smaller, thinner, and rounded (no ergonomic grip). I like the medium nib in the jotter just as well as the Safari's. The Safari is more substantial in size. The Jotter is more discreet in size and design. I like the Jotter better for carry, the Safari better for writing a lot of notes.

@CyrilViXP 3 года назад

Definitely not. Can be compared to Pilot MR (still Metropolitan feels much better). It's not a bad pen, if it is cheap.

@drashishmishra965 2 года назад

Hello brother can you ship me this pen I will pay ? I’m from India it’s very difficult to buy original parker pen

@deusimperator 2 года назад

It is about $20 on Amazon

@TheNightowl001 4 года назад

The "British Flag" as you call it is also referred to as the "Union Jack."

@JG3Reviews 4 года назад

You are correct.

@jonnyboy2128 4 года назад

JG3 Reviews The flag is actually called the Union Jack when flown at sea. Otherwise it’s the Union Flag. A technicality!

@soresgerdevrim 4 года назад

What's the notepad you're using?

@JG3Reviews 4 года назад

It is an art store market pad. It is smooth and takes fountain pen ink well.

@soresgerdevrim 4 года назад

@@JG3Reviews thanks for answering my question. I like how spacious it is.

@WaqasAhmad-wz2wm 3 года назад

I bought Parker jotter black for 9 dollars....😄

@07kimly 3 года назад

Where to get such deal I saw one Amazon for $20

@WaqasAhmad-wz2wm 3 года назад

@@07kimly I live in Pakistan and my local dealer of pens bought this and I got an original pen. On Amazon or any other such website price are extremely high. So I never buy from online stores. Try to find a dealer in your area and then I hope you get it at discounted price.. these jotters are France made.

@derbywinner6316 3 года назад

I paid $9.99 for mine at Office Depot 🤫

@darkchocolate4643 3 года назад

I got mine for 6€ here in Belgium! Bought two cause I couldn't decide on the color :)

@peterlinfield8707 13 дней назад

Why is a French pen marketed with a British logo? Seems deceitful to me they are conning the Brits.

@JG3Reviews 7 дней назад

There has been a tight connection between the English and Parker for a while. When Parker was a US company, they also produced pens in England. In the '80s, they moved their headquarters to Essex, UK and remained there until the French bought them. Queen Elizabeth tightened the connection with Parker being her favored fountain pen.

@whatsgoingonwhy9096 4 года назад

This pen is complete garbage. The worst pen I have ever held or used in my life. Save up ten dollars more and get a Lamy safari.

@STScott-qo4pw 3 года назад

could you elaborate? what were the issues? I am looking for a new pen for an everyday-carry in lieu of my antique parker 51 and would like another parker, buuut… LAMY is looking nice. What was so bad about this pen?

@whatsgoingonwhy9096 3 года назад

@@STScott-qo4pw the construction is horrible, very cheap. The body doesn't align properly with the cap. The grip is a very, very slick cheap plastic so you will always end up sliding, almost immediately, to the nib. The safari on the other hand has none of these problems and you won't be distressed if you end up losing it. If you like parker, maybe consider getting a cheaper made in the usa or uk parker. Some are pretty affordable. Parkers aren't what they used to be. I currently have two vintage parkers that are some of my favorite pens. Ive written with several new ones as well and unfortunately, the quality is just in no way the same anymore.

@stevehuffman7453 2 года назад

Initial comment sounds just like a hater who has never seen or tried one. I also notice that out of all the reviews on RU-vid (this isn't the only one, by the way) and the countless comments by people who have and use this pen, you are the ONLY one with complaints on fit and finish. If you actually have used one, was it a REAL parker Jotter or a free plus shipping from China deal off of WISH? (Parker isn't made in China by the way). Of the hundreds of Parker Jotters, and Parker pens I've used and lost or "loaned"/given away over the last 60 odd years, I have never seen one with bad fit and finish. Do I have a Jotter FP? No. I admit it would be nice to have a FP that matches my Jotter ballpoint. However, what kills the deal for me is it doesn't come with an ink converter, and uses propriatary ink cartridges. Same dealer killer for me, as the Lamy Safari. (Tho I did find a seller on Amazon with a genuine Lamy All Star (aluminum Safari) who includes 5 ink cartridges and a converter for $29.99, so I might get one of them. On the other hand, My Jinhao 599A's are "just as good" according to all the reviews and comments by those who have both, are not a copy, use a standard number 5 feed nib, and International Standard ink cartridges, come with a converter, and eight of them (each with a converter) set me back $13.35 with tax and free over $25 shipping. Hence I don't really "need" the Safari or All Star. For that call it "$30" or a couple bucks more, I can get two bottles of Noodlers ink.

@whatsgoingonwhy9096 2 года назад

@@stevehuffman7453 Im not a hater whose never seen or tried one-weird allegation as my comment clearly states thats I've owned/used one. This isn't really a jotter, a jotter is a retractable ball point pen. This is a gimmick; it is an extremely cheap pen that is not enjoyable to use that has jotter-esqe shape and a cap with an arrow clip which they are trying to peddle off on the good name of the jotter and to people like me and apparently you who thought it would be neat to have a fp that matches our ballpoint pen. The one I opened wasn't fake; bought it at staples who is an authorized parker dealer which also means not at a discount like on amazon. I don't buy fountain pens on amazon. Several (I believe most) Parker pen lines are now made in China, contrary to your belief. The only ones I know of that aren't now made in china are the jotter and the sonnet. Even if this pen cost less it wouldn't be good. You got a Jinhao, good for you. Look at places where you don't have to ship it from china and you might save some money on shipping next time. I didn't say you "need" a Lamy. No one needs a fountain pen. In a day when you can get hundreds of ballpoint pens for a few dollars, pretty much all ballpoint pens are luxury goods.