For anyone not aware, Aurora Cartridges fit in Parker pens, too. (and Parkers fit in Auroras) Blue, Black, and Blue-Black are all superb inks and offer a nice upgrade over the Parker Quink cartridges (which are also great inks to use, though, and a little less expensive). Or you can pick up a modern Parker twist converter for about $12 and use any ink you want.
Thank you for this review of a pen which is too often overlooked! I have been using 45's since I was at school as an 11 year old in 1970. I still use that very pen.
Good review. I have several of these; one of which I have used since the late 1970s for intensive note taking. Effortless writing pen. My 51s are great but too heavy for constant use; better for formal use, signature sort of thing. The 45 is as perfect a pen as I have used.
Thank you for the review and the history of the pen. The 45 does not get the praise it should when compared to the 51. They should still be available in the aftermarket for a reasonable price.
Hey, thank you for your reviews of these legacy US pen brands. My first pen as a kid in the 70s and 80s was a Sheaffer no nonsense fountain pen. You could buy them in blister packs for less than $5.00.
I have a parker 45 which is like your red one with the steel cap. It writes very well and has the 14k nib in a medium but for some reason it writes really broad. If i encounter a fine nib in the future id probably enjoy that better
What a great review! Thanks. FWIW I don't think it is expected that the stainless steel nib should be more scatchy. Both nibs most likely have a tip made of the same material. But as you say you've gone down a couple of nib widths. Quite frequently I find a few seconds on 0.5 super fine micromesh reduces an excessive feedback. I'm assuming the tines are properly adjusted. Anyway - to get line variation out of a P.45 nib takes some skill - Bravo! These are so cheap on eBay now and $25.00 buys a barely used one and the quality of writing is well up to a $100 - $150.00 pen. Anyway - this video is so well done and a pleasure to watch. Cheers.
Thank you! I agree with you about scratchiness not being a reflection of the nib material but the quality of the tipping material (alignment, size and polish). I have a nib tuning video where I go into the details. Some micromesh can help, but thinner nib sizes will naturally have more feedback. I think this is probably one of the best vintage value pens out there, and a fairly straight forward one to maintain/repair!
45 is the most affordable 14K nib pen (of course used/NOS) I guess.. I’ve a Flighter version made in 1989.. But I don’t seem to be able to unscrew the tip of the section (along with the nib and feed) like you did on yours !
Thanks for the comprehensive review. The way you ordered the steps for disassembly made me think you are an Engineer. Almost saw a diagram while you were doing it! I am afraid I have passed on several pens due to ignorance. Now knowing how easy it is to maintain I will be looking for them in the wild.
@@fortheloveofpens Chemical Engineer here with a Master's Degree in Materials' Engineering (Metallurgy). You could say that I recognized the mindset 😊 BTW love your work here. Showing how to disassemble a fountain pen properly is a first step to troubleshooting then repairing it.
@@FGBFGB-vt7tc thank you! I felt like that was missing from our community and one of the reasons I decided to start the channel. I’m trying to give viewers a more full view of what it’s like to own these pens.
@@fortheloveofpens That is why I subscribed after just one video (this one) Yes, tons of other channels do a review which is nice, but those that teach how to disassemble, care and repair are almost non-existent. You could say that these channels points you out on the right direction to get a good pen, yet information about how to live everyday life properly with your choice are scarce.
Hey guys, Should I conserve the original converter from the Parker 45 Made in USA pen I have by maintaining it or replace it with a modern Parker converter?
@@davidjevis I’ve been working to maintain the original that I have. Nothing major, just occasionally applying silicone grease to the inner walls. Unfortunately, it isn’t easy to disassemble. But I enjoy the retro style.
@@davidjevis I don’t have one with an ink sac but a piston filler shown at 4:24. I haven’t been able to disassemble, but put a little silicone crease on the end of a toothpick and paint the inner walls.
After my father passed, I ended up with a bag of his old pens. A handful of new-in-package T-ball jotters and a couple of very well used fountain pens. It turns out they are identical to the burgundy 45 in your video. One has a "45" stamped in the cap, the other does not. I wonder if that helps date them? Both are... in need of cleaning. Any suggestions for cleaning, restoring and finding ink cartridges to restore them? One seems to have an aftermarket cartridge "quikink"(?) and the other has a squishable metal cage around a soft fill cartridge.
I’m sorry for your loss. Dating these pens before the 1980s is pretty difficult because Parker didn’t use date codes, but there are a few websites that show how they’ve changed over the decades. In terms of cleaning and restoring, try removing the cartridge/converter and soak the pen’s body in warm water with a little mild detergent. After 20-30 minutes I’d try disassembling in the way I showed in this review. If it doesn’t come apart, you could try using an ultrasonic cleaner (commonly used for jewelry). And for refilling, parker still sells cartridges and converters that fit the 45. Hope this helps
@@fortheloveofpens thanks. I'll see about finding the proper cartridges for them. The nibs look... well used. Let's see if some soap and water does the trick.
@@jordanharkness If the nibs turn out to be gold, some jewelers polishing clothes can make a huge difference. Also here’s a link to Parker’s converter - amzn.to/49u3D9n
@@fortheloveofpens I took the time to take these apart, soak and clean them over the weekend. I noticed a couple things; one tip is a copper-ish colour, not quite yellow enough to convince me it's gold and there are no karat markings on them. The other nib is silver in colour so I doubt it's gold. Also, the one pen has a "Parker 45 Made in Usa" in the metal cap, and it has a hole in the tip of the body, as your video showed. The other pen does not have a "45", but just says "Parker Made in USA" and does not have a hole at the tip of the body. I have ordered some cartridges and will see what I can do about taking a quick video of them to share after the ink arrives. Thanks for the inspiration to look into reviving them.
@@jordanharkness glad you are working to get them writing again! It’s a unique bonding experience being able to write with someone else’s pen. I hope you enjoy them when you get them inked up!
Have you used any 45 with a gold and not gold plated or steel nib ? Do you know if they have any noticeable difference between a 14k gold 45 nib and typical steel and gold plated 45 nibs?
In this video I show a stainless steel X, 14k M and 14k A nibs. I haven't tried the same nib size in both stainless steel and gold. But in general on this model I find gold nibs to have a little more bounce than stainless steel.
@@fortheloveofpens yes i saw it later, i had written that comment before i see the whole video. I was searching for a 45 and i saw some differences, at least in photos, between normal 45 like the ones that you used on this video and a 45 custom rolled gold made in England. The nib was looking better in the 45 custom rolled gold. Do you know anything about those?
@@nikossiotas To my knowledge they still use the same type of nib, but I haven't personally used one. This is a great resource if you are researching this model...parkerpens.net/parker45.html
@@fortheloveofpens I was talking about quality, of course there aren't any differences in shape. But maybe it was just because it was barely used or it was just the lights of the photo that made it look better.
@@nikossiotas I’m not aware of major changes to the nibs besides steel vs gold, grind sizes and manufacturing location. I believe they were made in the USA and England. The ones I show here are a mixture of both.
For anyone not aware, Aurora Cartridges fit in Parker pens, too. (and Parkers fit in Auroras) Blue, Black, and Blue-Black are all superb inks and offer a nice upgrade over the Parker Quink cartridges (which are also great inks to use, though, and a little less expensive). Or you can pick up a modern Parker twist converter for about $12 and use any ink you want.
Thank you for this review of a pen which is too often overlooked! I have been using 45's since I was at school as an 11 year old in 1970. I still use that very pen.
Thanks! I love how easy these are to maintain
Nice review. Cheers👍
@@wilberfloss832 thanks!🍻
Good review. I have several of these; one of which I have used since the late 1970s for intensive note taking. Effortless writing pen. My 51s are great but too heavy for constant use; better for formal use, signature sort of thing. The 45 is as perfect a pen as I have used.
Thanks! I really love these pens for knock around use.
Thank you for the review and the history of the pen. The 45 does not get the praise it should when compared to the 51. They should still be available in the aftermarket for a reasonable price.
Thanks! I find it to be a more affordable and easier pen to maintain.
@@fortheloveofpens I only have one Parker fountain pen - the 180.
@@paulmchugh1430 that is a very unique one!
I just ordered a park 45 burgundy from 1983. Mint condition.
Congrats! I’ve been very happy with these pens
@@fortheloveofpens thank you
Hey, thank you for your reviews of these legacy US pen brands. My first pen as a kid in the 70s and 80s was a Sheaffer no nonsense fountain pen. You could buy them in blister packs for less than $5.00.
Thanks! My first fountain pen was an entry level Scheaffer I picked up on whim at an antiques shop, been hooked ever since ❤️
Hey, I also had a Sheaffer No Nonsense, in fact I still have the two that I used to write with in school.
I have a parker 45 which is like your red one with the steel cap. It writes very well and has the 14k nib in a medium but for some reason it writes really broad. If i encounter a fine nib in the future id probably enjoy that better
I do see spare nibs listed on eBay from time to time.
There's a desk pen version for Parker 45. Its a rare find
Haven’t seen that one, is it shaped similar to the Lamy joy?
@@fortheloveofpens no just a longer P45
What a great review!
Thanks.
FWIW I don't think it is expected that the stainless steel nib should be more scatchy. Both nibs most likely have a tip made of the same material.
But as you say you've gone down a couple of nib widths.
Quite frequently I find a few seconds on 0.5 super fine micromesh reduces an excessive feedback. I'm assuming the tines are properly adjusted.
Anyway - to get line variation out of a P.45 nib takes some skill - Bravo!
These are so cheap on eBay now and $25.00 buys a barely used one and the quality of writing is well up to a $100 - $150.00 pen.
Anyway - this video is so well done and a pleasure to watch.
Cheers.
Thank you! I agree with you about scratchiness not being a reflection of the nib material but the quality of the tipping material (alignment, size and polish). I have a nib tuning video where I go into the details. Some micromesh can help, but thinner nib sizes will naturally have more feedback.
I think this is probably one of the best vintage value pens out there, and a fairly straight forward one to maintain/repair!
@@fortheloveofpens Yes
This is the first video of yours I have seen - will check out some more.
👍
@@kevinu.k.7042 I hope you enjoy them!🍻
45 is the most affordable 14K nib pen (of course used/NOS) I guess..
I’ve a Flighter version made in 1989.. But I don’t seem to be able to unscrew the tip of the section (along with the nib and feed) like you did on yours !
You may want to try soaking it in warm soapy water and then use some rubber to grip the pieces.
Thanks for the comprehensive review. The way you ordered the steps for disassembly made me think you are an Engineer. Almost saw a diagram while you were doing it!
I am afraid I have passed on several pens due to ignorance. Now knowing how easy it is to maintain I will be looking for them in the wild.
Thank you so much! You are spot on with your feeling, I’m a mechanical engineer. I work in the automotive industry as a day job.
@@fortheloveofpens Chemical Engineer here with a Master's Degree in Materials' Engineering (Metallurgy). You could say that I recognized the mindset 😊
BTW love your work here. Showing how to disassemble a fountain pen properly is a first step to troubleshooting then repairing it.
@@FGBFGB-vt7tc thank you! I felt like that was missing from our community and one of the reasons I decided to start the channel. I’m trying to give viewers a more full view of what it’s like to own these pens.
@@fortheloveofpens That is why I subscribed after just one video (this one)
Yes, tons of other channels do a review which is nice, but those that teach how to disassemble, care and repair are almost non-existent.
You could say that these channels points you out on the right direction to get a good pen, yet information about how to live everyday life properly with your choice are scarce.
@@FGBFGB-vt7tc thank you so much! Today I released a long form video, ranking each current production pen I’ve reviewed. You may find that insightful.
Hey guys, Should I conserve the original converter from the Parker 45 Made in USA pen I have by maintaining it or replace it with a modern Parker converter?
@@davidjevis I’ve been working to maintain the original that I have. Nothing major, just occasionally applying silicone grease to the inner walls. Unfortunately, it isn’t easy to disassemble. But I enjoy the retro style.
@@fortheloveofpens do you have a video where I can see how you disassemble the ink sac to put grease on it? Thanks for the reply,
@@davidjevis I don’t have one with an ink sac but a piston filler shown at 4:24. I haven’t been able to disassemble, but put a little silicone crease on the end of a toothpick and paint the inner walls.
After my father passed, I ended up with a bag of his old pens. A handful of new-in-package T-ball jotters and a couple of very well used fountain pens. It turns out they are identical to the burgundy 45 in your video. One has a "45" stamped in the cap, the other does not. I wonder if that helps date them?
Both are... in need of cleaning. Any suggestions for cleaning, restoring and finding ink cartridges to restore them? One seems to have an aftermarket cartridge "quikink"(?) and the other has a squishable metal cage around a soft fill cartridge.
I’m sorry for your loss. Dating these pens before the 1980s is pretty difficult because Parker didn’t use date codes, but there are a few websites that show how they’ve changed over the decades. In terms of cleaning and restoring, try removing the cartridge/converter and soak the pen’s body in warm water with a little mild detergent. After 20-30 minutes I’d try disassembling in the way I showed in this review. If it doesn’t come apart, you could try using an ultrasonic cleaner (commonly used for jewelry). And for refilling, parker still sells cartridges and converters that fit the 45. Hope this helps
@@fortheloveofpens thanks. I'll see about finding the proper cartridges for them. The nibs look... well used. Let's see if some soap and water does the trick.
@@jordanharkness If the nibs turn out to be gold, some jewelers polishing clothes can make a huge difference. Also here’s a link to Parker’s converter - amzn.to/49u3D9n
@@fortheloveofpens I took the time to take these apart, soak and clean them over the weekend. I noticed a couple things; one tip is a copper-ish colour, not quite yellow enough to convince me it's gold and there are no karat markings on them. The other nib is silver in colour so I doubt it's gold.
Also, the one pen has a "Parker 45 Made in Usa" in the metal cap, and it has a hole in the tip of the body, as your video showed. The other pen does not have a "45", but just says "Parker Made in USA" and does not have a hole at the tip of the body.
I have ordered some cartridges and will see what I can do about taking a quick video of them to share after the ink arrives. Thanks for the inspiration to look into reviving them.
@@jordanharkness glad you are working to get them writing again! It’s a unique bonding experience being able to write with someone else’s pen. I hope you enjoy them when you get them inked up!
Have you used any 45 with a gold and not gold plated or steel nib ?
Do you know if they have any noticeable difference between a 14k gold 45 nib and typical steel and gold plated 45 nibs?
In this video I show a stainless steel X, 14k M and 14k A nibs. I haven't tried the same nib size in both stainless steel and gold. But in general on this model I find gold nibs to have a little more bounce than stainless steel.
@@fortheloveofpens yes i saw it later, i had written that comment before i see the whole video.
I was searching for a 45 and i saw some differences, at least in photos, between normal 45 like the ones that you used on this video and a 45 custom rolled gold made in England.
The nib was looking better in the 45 custom rolled gold.
Do you know anything about those?
@@nikossiotas To my knowledge they still use the same type of nib, but I haven't personally used one. This is a great resource if you are researching this model...parkerpens.net/parker45.html
@@fortheloveofpens I was talking about quality, of course there aren't any differences in shape. But maybe it was just because it was barely used or it was just the lights of the photo that made it look better.
@@nikossiotas I’m not aware of major changes to the nibs besides steel vs gold, grind sizes and manufacturing location. I believe they were made in the USA and England. The ones I show here are a mixture of both.
Do you know which catridge it use?
Parker sells ink cartridges that fit these...
amzn.to/3MxZyHs
Which is finer the xf or the a nib?
The A nib is finer, basically a needle point
@@fortheloveofpens Ty
This pen price parker pen 45 Usa
Not sure if this is true, as $45 in 1960 would be over $400 today. Not very economical…
The cap is too tight, you have to pull extremly hard to open the pen.
The designer is mentally unstable.
I’m sorry you are having an issue with the cap, I haven’t had that problem with the versions I own. Maybe it’s unit variation?