Even to those uninitiated, the Parker Jotter has got to be one of the most recognizable and iconic pens to have ever existed. With its sleek, diminutive design, its often bicolored appearance, and its legacy within the pen world, it’s as classic as they come.
Dotting the desks of Japanese students today and Mad Men-era executives of the past, the Jotter has a cult following that’s nearly unparalleled in the world of pens. It’s a pen that’s easy to use, compact for taking on-the-go, and relatively inexpensive so a wide variety of people can enjoy.
The word may be overused today, but the Parker Jotter is, truly, an icon.
But, how did this pen come to be? For me, the history and growth of the pen is almost as exciting as the product itself.
The story of the Jotter begins in 1954. By the 1950’s, Parker had began production of ballpoint pens, which, in the early years, were referred to as Parkets. From the beginning, the Jotter set itself apart from its competitors. It was produced from nylon (in red, green, grey, and black) with a metal “upper”. Unlike other ballpoints on the market that used a cap, the Jotter used a retractable mechanism, creating a one-piece unit that became popular over the years.
Throughout the next decade, the Jotter went through many changes. One that’s obvious when looking at early Jotters is the change from the “trough” clip (which is rather plain) to the more infamous arrow-shaped clip. All-metal versions were soon created, in both stainless steel and rolled-gold. Later material changes included moving away from nylon and utilizing plastic, which was cheaper and quicker to mass produce. By 1957, the T-ball refill overtook the previous refill model, making for a smoother writing experience for the user.
Over the years, Jotter’s prestige has hardly–if ever–waned. This is, in part, due to the subtle, yet important, changes that Parker has taken to ensure that the Jotter has remained a top-of-class pen at a reasonable price point. Given the minimal real estate of the pen, it’s important to make small tweaks while not taking away from the overall integrity of the iconic pen itself. Changes over the years have included new colorways, actuating the cap and retracting button, expanding the Jotter for rollerball and fountain pen varieties, and changing the threads from brass to plastic. Each change over its six-decade history has only improved the quality of the writing utensil and, ultimately, keeping its status as one of the top-selling pens of all-time.
The full range of current Jotter offerings can be found via their website. If you’re looking for vintage pens, eBay and Pentooling are great assets for any collector. Either way, a Jotter is a must-have been for those looking to have a piece of writing history without breaking the bank.
