The Parker 105 was launched in 1980, although it was available for christmas of 1979. It was a very expensive pen and did not sell well so was discontinued in 1982, a very short production run for a Parker but good news for later collectors.
With it's revolutionary design, the 105 was very different from all previous Parkers although 30 years later the Parker Premier Mk.III echoed many elements of the 105, particularly the clip.
The deep engraved 'bark effect' surface is particularly attractive and has the advantage of not showing fingerprints as the pen is used. The smooth rolled gold clip is innersprung, as are the 'tags' that serve as a clutch to engage the cap. Although not obvious, these are high end, expensive to produce features.
Althogh the filling system is identical to the other Parker cartridge/converter arrangements the pen was marketed as a cartridge filler and was not sold with a converter. This was because Parker realised that, due to the gold finish on the section,and the design of the nib assembly, there was a possibility that the surplus ink from a converter may result in discolouration of the gold filling on the section. Nevertheless, a Parker ink converter fits and works well so would be fine with careful use.
The pen is in first class condition throughout and is supplied with two cartridges. The 18Ct Gold nib writes with a super smooth, medium line with the pleasing 'soft' feel associated with top end Parker nibs.
The 105 is a very high quality, uncommon pen. It is much sought after and is highly collectable, likely to become even more so in the future.