[Pen/Pencil Review] Parker Urban Rollerball
This one’s been a long time coming. I bought the Parker Urban in navy blue at Pen Place in Kansas City when we went in April for Spectrum. I did get this one on clearance, but it’s still really nice.
The Urban rollerball is an elegant design with an ergonomic, bullet-shaped barrel – which means wider at the grip and narrow where it hits the thumb webbing. This is a navy enameled barrel with bright chrome metal accents and the trademark arrow-fletched metal clip.
The barrel runs about 5.5″ long capped and nearly 6.5″ with the cap posted. The cap posts securely and is has a decent weight. There is a ridge where the smooth black grip meets the enameled barrel that can dig into the fingers if you grip it just right. The smooth grip could also become a bit tiresome.
The pen comes with a 0.7mm black gel ink refill – which is marked “M” for medium (which in my brain is the correct designation). The ink is dark, rich and dries quickly. The roller moves smoothly and is refillable. The pen is a professional and investment pen. It’s not cheap. But if you need a gift pen or a pen that looks really good for professional reasons, this one isn’t bad.
The numbers:
1. How does it work? – 1 – This is a decent pen. The ink works for me. Nice, rich, black.
2. Grip and feel – 0.5 – The grip is shiny black plastic that can be tiresome. It’s hard but well-balanced in the taper even with the ridge. The length and weight are good.
3. Material – 1 It’s a solid pen with a lot of metal. The refill lasts a goodly while.
4. Overall Design – 1 – It’s solid. It’s very good looking with an elegant feel.
5. Price Point – 0.5 – It’s not cheap. These run easily $50 – $80 depending on where you get it or if it’s on sale. I wish I could remember how much I paid for it. It’s an investment that you want to refill and use for years.
4.0 out of 5 Bronze Pencils
