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Thread: Parker 45 vs. Jotter?

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    Junior Member Warren's Avatar
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    Default Parker 45 vs. Jotter?

    Can anyone tell me - or even better, show me - any difference in the bodies of Parker 45 and Jotter pencils? There doesn't seem to be much in the photos I manage to drag up. Any other information is hard to come by, comparison photos even more so.

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    Senior Member silverlifter's Avatar
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    Default Re: Parker 45 vs. Jotter?

    I recently hunted down an early 45 Flighter pencil (the ones with the knurled barrel). What I learned on the way was that the Jotters are push/click activated, whereas the 45s turn. So the obvious difference is the knock on the Jotter.

    I'm also pretty sure that the Jotters never had a knurled barrel. However, this is complicated by sellers labelling most of the pens Jotters (especially the UK ones which did not afaict have the 45 engraved around the cap).

    Hopefully someone who actually knows about this stuff can correct me and fill in the actual details.
    Vintage. Cursive italic. Iron gall.

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    Junior Member Warren's Avatar
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    Default Re: Parker 45 vs. Jotter?

    I worded that badly. I should've said 'dimensions'.

    After playing with a great Parker 51 pencil, I thought I'd keep an eye out for a matching pencil for my olive P45. Trouble is, a lot of the ebay and image results look like Jotter pens with a longer tip collar. Which is exactly how the Jotter pencils look, too. Something with the diameter of a Jotter would be slightly less usable to me.

    On ebay there's only a single pencil sold as a P45 that has any kind of texture on the barrel or tip, grooves like a P51, but that's being sold in a P51 case so pffth. I'm curious what your knurled pencil looks like.

    Also plenty of supposed P45s with retractable sleeves and 0.5 - 0.7mm leads, like modern clicky Jotters. It's pretty confusing. Makes me wish Tony Fischier included pics of pencils on his site.

    Thanks, though!

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    Default Re: Parker 45 vs. Jotter?

    Here is my two 45 Flighters. The pencil (bottom) is definitely slim, but the knurling is quite grippy and comfortable to use. It takes 0.9mm leads.

    P45s.jpg
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    amk (November 25th, 2020), Chuck Naill (November 24th, 2020), Warren (November 23rd, 2020)

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    Default Re: Parker 45 vs. Jotter?

    That's an enormous help, thanks! And a very nice looking set. I can see what you say about the pencil. I'd say graphite might need less of a vertical deathgrip than ballpoint, too.

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    Default Re: Parker 45 vs. Jotter?

    My experience and YMMV, the P45 flighter took some time to get use to. And, the P51's were a PITA to load lead. This lead me to Autopoint and a much superior, IMHO, mechanism. However, the Parker Jotter/45 filled with gel refill continues to please.

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    Default Re: Parker 45 vs. Jotter?

    A side note: Parker 21 pencils are great. They take 0.9mm lead and load from the front. They have a nice weight and twist to advance the lead.

    Pencils top to bottom:
    • P21
    • Jotter
    • P45


    The 45 pencil twists, and it looks exactly like the matching ballpoint. Ironically, while the pencil twists, the ballpoint's entire top half is the clicky bit. Of the three styles, the 21 is by far my favorite to use.


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    Default Re: Parker 45 vs. Jotter?

    The Jotter, the P-51, and the P-45 ballpoints were all about the same. The 51 and 45 had push-down caps, while the Jotter has always had the button. Best I remember the 45 pencil, it had a cap-twist advance, unlike the full-price Parker 51 aerometric pencil. That one loaded lead -- .036, ahem, and none of this European millimeter stuff -- from under the eraser. You press the cap to advance the lead. The 51 vac and the 51 special pencils used the twist action.

    Looks like you have the original Parker 51 [meant P-21] pencil, without the arrow clip. Same clip as the original Parker T-Ball Jotter, as best I remember...Dad got one about 1955, so its a foggy memory.

    When I bought P-51 pencils, I found that most were broken. Lesson: a loan 51 push-down aerometric pencil is a risk. My hunch: people kept working pencils as a set with their 51 fountain pens. Many "orphan" pencils are rusty. Nobody seems to fix them anymore. (And Autopoint made better pencils, anyway)
    Last edited by welch; January 16th, 2021 at 04:20 PM.

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    Default Re: Parker 45 vs. Jotter?

    Quote Originally Posted by welch View Post
    The Jotter, the P-51, and the P-45 ballpoints were all about the same. The 51 and 45 had push-down caps, while the Jotter has always had the button. Best I remember the 45 pencil, it had a cap-twist advance, unlike the full-price Parker 51 aerometric pencil. That one loaded lead -- .036, ahem, and none of this European millimeter stuff -- from under the eraser. You press the cap to advance the lead. The 51 vac and the 51 special pencils used the twist action.

    Looks like you have the original Parker 51 pencil, without the arrow clip. Same clip as the original Parker T-Ball Jotter, as best I remember...Dad got one about 1955, so its a foggy memory.

    When I bought P-51 pencils, I found that most were broken. Lesson: a loan 51 push-down aerometric pencil is a risk. My hunch: people kept working pencils as a set with their 51 fountain pens. Many "orphan" pencils are rusty. Nobody seems to fix them anymore. (And Autopoint made better pencils, anyway)
    I’ve found two early 51 pencils which were a pain to get to the point where they were functional, but once there, a worthwhile endeavor I now believe.

    I agee that the Autopoint mechanism was better if you don’t mind them not retracting.

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    Default Re: Parker 45 vs. Jotter?

    Parker once made a lead cartridge that fit the Jotter...mine came in the P-75 style (don't know the exact name) silver MP/BP that takes the Jotter refill also.

    My whole life I wasn't into MP's until I tried my old Pelikan 450 some 4-5 years ago. For the next six weeks I didn't use a fountain pen...until it ran out of lead and it took me a few days to figure out how to re-load. By then I was back to fountain pens.

    I have twist Flighter ball points (Always thought of them as Jotters), but none in MP....unless I want to try that cartridge. Have a MP & BP in Jotter.
    Last edited by BoBo Olson; October 16th, 2021 at 03:31 PM.

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    Default Re: Parker 45 vs. Jotter?

    I had one of those pencil lead cartriges about ten years ago. It worked OK to do newspaper crosswords. When it quit I put a ballpoint refill in the Jotter ballpoint. It was much better than the Liquid Lead pencil. I usually use a Parker 51 pencil. The lead cartridge in the BP was OK. I did use a bit for drawing.

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    Default Re: Parker 45 vs. Jotter?

    Quote Originally Posted by Warren View Post
    Can anyone tell me - or even better, show me - any difference in the bodies of Parker 45 and Jotter pencils? There doesn't seem to be much in the photos I manage to drag up. Any other information is hard to come by, comparison photos even more so.
    It's been a while since you posted this but I found a Blue Parker 45 pencil recently and here's a picture with a Jotter (0.5mm)
    I used Jotters for a long time, and they were very nice pencils and ballpoint/gel point pens
    The P45 pencil I had never used before and the thick lead is not my favorite.

    Jotter-P45-Pencils.jpg

    They feel about the same diameter and material in the hand, and they are both well balanced.
    The Jotter uses 0.5mm leads while the P45 uses 1.0mm leads
    Jotter advances the lead by click-pressing the top, P45 by rotating
    Last edited by titrisol; November 22nd, 2021 at 07:46 AM.
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