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The "under $100" market for fountain pens has always been an important one. Of course, it's not the one that has all the gloriously embellished limited editions, or the status symbol business jewelry pieces... But it's very often the market segment that provides the most "real world" fountain pen use. Pens priced in this range tend for the most part to be good, reliable writers. Sometimes they throw in good looks and classic design as well!
The Latitude is a simple, clean looking design. In terms of overall profile, it looks very similar to the Insignia line of a few years ago, with a slight taper to the cap and barrel, with squared off ends. The cap is a click on style, and the section is plain black plastic. Trim is either chrome or gold plate, depending upon the model. The stainless steel version sticks to a simple, unembellished cap and barrel. Following in the footsteps of a long line of Parker Flighters, the stainless version is an instant classic in looks. The bright chrome trim matches well with the brushed steel of the cap and barrel, and it's a pen that looks as though it would be easily at home in your pocket during a conference meeting as well as at a construction job site. Brushed steel is a versatile finish in this regard. As long as the cap and barrel are simple in shape, as they are here, it comes across as a "modern minimalist" design. At the same time, it's rugged enough to leave you unworried about dings and scratches in "real world" use.
The lacquer model follows suit as far as the overall design goes. The same shape is clad in a smooth matte finish lacquer. Additional accents are provided in the form of thin lines running around the cap. These are really set off on the black version as they are done in gold to match the plating of the trim. The blue version has the accent lines in a darker shade of blue, which gives it a much more subtle look. The Latitude is a slim pen, at only 7/16 of an inch across the barrel, but this probably just makes it all the more palatable to a person new to fountain pens and used to the skinny disposable rollerball pens. In terms of overall size, the Latitude comes in at 5 3/8 inches long closed, and just barely under 6 inches long with the cap posted. It's a fairly lightweight pen as well, at only 3/4 ounces.
It's a shape similar to that used on the Parker Inflection, a sort of gently curving shape that bridges the gap between the traditional nib shape and the more modern conical style. It's decorated with a few simple liens engraved, and the Parker logo. The Latitude is not going to be anyone's idea of a "luxury writing instrument", but it is a very nice pen, and should make a great introduction to the world of "real pens".
Actually, with a little thought, I can see that the above line is simply not true. For someone coming form the world of disposable ballpens, this is a "luxury writing instrument". Given that, it should serve Parker well as an introduction to finer writing for a whole new group of customers! Copyright 2005 William Riepl All images copyright 2005 William Riepl
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That
is definitely the case with the new Parker Latitude. Classic simple
design is a Parker hallmark, and the Latitude holds to that standard.
It's available in two versions: stainless steel and a lacquer version.
Both versions are definitely "user friendly" considering
their likely role as everyday pens. The stainless steel has a rugged
brushed finish that should hide slight scratches easily, while the
lacquer model has a smooth matte finish.
The
nib is steel, and follows the line of most, if not all of Parker's
entry level pens in being smooth, but very rigid. It doesn't provide
much tactile feedback from the paper, but then again, it's unlikely
to be damaged by a former ballpen user new to the world of nibs, either!