I recently published two Parker 100 Fountain pen posts. I have now tested each of them thoroughly and can report the results. One pen is a Smoked Bronze GT pen and the other a Diamond Blue version:
Much has been written about the tendency for the Parker 100 to be a little erratic in performance but I found nothing untoward in either pen, quite the opposite. Each pen was tested using an ink cartridge and an ink converter, the only difference was that, using the cartridge with a dry pen a little time was needed on the first use to allow the ink to fill the collector and reach the point, no problems starting up after first use.
The Parker 100 is quite a heavy pen, the cap contributes a fair proportion of the weight, or so it seems. However, if the cap is posted, it does post securely, and the pen is held in the writing position and then 'let go of' the pen balances perfectly in the 'V' formed by the thumb and index finger. The fulcrum is close to the cap ring, it has obviously been engineered this way.
Despite the lacquered surface on the section there was no noticeable 'slippage' of the pen between the fingers. The pen is long enough to be used comfortably without the cap being posted, probably the best option for a pen with such a fine lacquered finish.
Both pens write very well, the nib is of 18Ct. Gold and, although there is no flex the nib gives a very pleasing, and forgiving, soft feel. Ink flow is good, providing a consistent line, a little on the 'wettish' side. the diamond Blue pen wrote with a medium line and I would describe the Smoked Bronze nib as being on the broad side of medium.
The Parker 100 writes very much as expected from a high quality pen with an 18Ct. Gold nib and a well designed and tested ink delivery set up. It is a very 'easy' writer with none of the idiosyncrasies sometimes associated with fountain pens. Added to that the unmistakable but hard to define feeling of quality is evident in abundance.