Duofold Ballpoint Pen

Much better than expected. I have an extensive collection of great pens but no Parkers. Like another reviewer I was biased against their modern pens preffering vintage ones. This big red duofold has changed my opinion, above all the nib is a dream and the build quality is sound. Very happy with my purchase maybe I won't be as sniffy towards modern parkers anymore.

Beautiful design, really smooth writing, comfortable grip and reassuringly solid design. The colour looks fantastic.

It's orange. An expensive ballpoint at over £200, but well worth it. It is precisely made and oozes quality. Parker at their best. I've used it for months now and it's a joy to use.

This is a beautiful ballpoint pen. I’ve already got the matching fountain pen so this makes my collection complete.

I decided to amend my review as after using it for a while I think I was a bit overcritical of it. Lookswise it's nice but there's just something I can't quite put my finger on which makes it look a bit cheap to me. Screwing/unscrewing the cap doesn't feel great, the thread feels a bit rough and it can squeak a bit, I've had far better experiences with £5 fountain pens. It's a cartridge/converter and the converter was very stiff but worked fine. The nib looks fantastic. Now the most important bit, the actual writing! I went for a medium nib and although slightly broader than I expected it's a really nice writer. There's a little bit of line variation and just the right combination of smooth/feedback, the section is comfortable and not slippy at all, it's great for long writing sessions, we'll balanced and weighty without being overly heavy. I got mine from Amazon Warehouse with about 40% off the normal price (pen perfect condition, box a bit ripped) and I'm happy with it but don't think I would pay the full price, there are better alternatives out there for that price.

The Vintage Big Red is a very nice pen overall with some genuine heft and a feeling of luxury - it’s actually surprising how nice a “resin” pen can feel. The fine nib writes close to a medium, and the two-tone colouring is lovely. I can definitely see myself being nervous about scratching the resin in the long-run, but such is life - I don’t have these fears with my metal Parker Premier. Unfortunately I had to return the duofold because the ink converter was damaged at the top - like someone had pushed it in before it was properly aligned, and so I couldn’t draw up ink. A shame. I don’t think the pen is worth more than the £263 Amazon was selling it for, and I think if you’re paying £300-£500, you’ll certainly question the value of what you’re getting. The materials aren’t worth that and in my case neither was the quality control. You also don’t get the larger presentation box as described.

The resin is solid and beautiful. You don't feel it like a cheap plastic nor less precious than other high end resin. The nib is artistic and gorgeous. It writes perfectly even when reverse writing.

A beautifully engineered metal pen that feels great to write with. I opted for medium nib and am not disappointed. The finish and craftsmanship are excellent and the pen does exactly what is says on the tin! A premium price for the pen that definitely says 'luxury', however, that said, a pen that will last several lifetimes if taken care of.