Sunday, November 22, 2009

Parker Frontier medium nib review




Hello everybody! Yes, I'm a tad nervous and very excited since this is my first review! I hope to write an informative review, one that helps people here. Please comment, not only regarding the pen but also on my review and whether I've missed any important point or not. So here it goes.

First Impression: This pen has an understated appearance and gives an impression of being sturdy and functional with its looks. It comes in a black coloured box.
Score: 7/10

Appearance: This pen has a steel body, a steel cap and a black grip section which is made of(I think, I'm not sure) hard rubber.
Score: 7/10

Size/Weight/Design: This pen is what one would probably call a small to medium size. It is smaller than my Lamy Safari. It is not particularly heavy even with the cap posted. The grip section is standard and is comfortable.
Score: 7.5/10

Nib: Now I come to the section I consider to be of utmost importance. Since I purchased it at a store, I had the luxury of trying out the nib. The nib is of stainless steel and has a medium sized rounded tip. The nib is considerably smooth. It is quite rigid; I read somewhere on the net that this nib is very sturdy, which I think it is. This pen turned out to be a dry writer with Aurora blue, Sheaffer Skrip blue and Pelikan Royal blue though now it is laying down a less dry line after having been inked with Private Reserve Naples blue. It is a dry writer compared to my Lamy Safari broad nib. This feature of being a dry writer takes something away from the smoothness of the nib, I'm sure it'd have been much better had it been laying down a wetter line. I don't exactly know the brand of paper I have been using but it is of 70 gsm. The medium nib writes down a line which is broader than a Pelikan medium nib(I have the M200 in mind).
Score: 6/10

Filling System: This pen uses a cartridge/converter system. I've come across better converters in almost all other pens by other brands.
Score: 6.5/10

Cost/Value: I purchased this pen in October 2009 for 1400 INR (approximately 30 US$) which is not much. It is reliable and I think is what one calls a beginner's fountain pen but I guess there may be or are some better pens within its price range (to be specific I have the Lamy Safari in mind, I have one with a broad nib), especially when it comes down to the writing experience.
Score: 8/10

Overall: Finishing off, I think this a reliable inexpensive pen that can conveniently be reserved as a backup option. I myself don't write much with it, except when I feel like using this pen specifically. If I had to keep only one pen between this and my Lamy Safari, I'd keep the Safari. It is far from being a bad pen but it is also not the best one either in its price range when it comes to writing with it. Of course the construction of the pen is solid. It is a decent pen and a decent writer.
Overall Score: 42/60=70%
Here is a link to its official webpage:

1 comment:

Luís Santos said...

Nice review! Thanks for your opinion. Luis (Portugal)