The Numbers:
Weight: 12g
Length (capped): 135mm
Length (uncapped): 123mm
Price: 144 Indian Rupee from Amazon India
Body Material: Plastic
Nib Material: Stainless steel
Filling Mechanism: Cartridge / converter
Colours: Various
Intro:
Parker Beta is an Indian made fountain pen by Parker. It is only available exclusively in India. It costs SGD$3 and is geared towards the student market.
Packaging:
The Parker Beta comes in a normal blister pack. I wonder if they sell these in packs of 6 like how ballpoint pens are sold. The packaging is nothing special it just serves as a way for the product be displayed on racks.
Performance:
The Parker Beta has a simple flat top design. The body is straight and of a single diameter throughout. The cap is slightly wider and snaps on and off with a click. Mine has a white and purple polka dot pattern on the body accented with a black clip and rings around the top of the cap and end of the pen body. Unlike most pens where you will find the logo stamped or etched onto the finial of cap, instead the Parker logo can be found at the bottom of the pen.
The black clip is in the traditional Parker arrow shape. It isn’t the tightest clip and it does have quite a bit of side to side play on the clip too. The cap comes off easily and posts to the back of the pen with a click. I found the Parker Beta to be a light weight and balanced pen. Personally I prefer using it unposted but posting it wouldn’t change the balance too much.
The grip is a faceted textured black plastic. It tapers slightly towards the nib. The section is long enough to accommodate a variety of grip styles. It has enough texture for my fingers to maintain my grip on the pen. The barrel twists open to reveal the converter. It is a push / pull style converter, the first I’ve seen so far. I quite like the push / pull style converter as this would make quick work of flushing the pen.
The Parker Beta comes only in two nib sizes namely fine and medium. Mine is a fine stainless steel nib. It writes well with a slightly hint of feedback. The nib is a very boring affair but for a pen of this price I am not expecting any scroll work on the nib.
Conclusion:
Personally I am impressed by the amount of value you can get out of the Parker Beta. It is not a fancy pen but it works. It does what it is designed to do. It provides a no frills reliable writing experience without fuss. Plus it comes equipped with a converter right in the pack. I would say this would be able to rival the value for money aspect of some China made fountain pens.
Pros:
- Very cheap
- Reliable writing experience
Cons:
- Only available in India
- Comes in F and M nibs only
