PenHero 365: Parker Sonnet Flighter
by Jim Mamoulides, January 16, 2010
Parker Sonnet Flighter fountain pen open
Parker introduced the Sonnet line in 1993 as the "writer's pen". The pen has many of the same visual characteristics and size as the landmark Parker 51, introduced in 1941. These include a slip on cap, a modernized, narrower and longer Parker Arrow clip with a cap top ring and plastic jewel, and a similar streamlined shape. Sonnets are all metal construction with a multitude of finishes, where the typical Parker 51 was a metal cap pen with a plastic barrel. Only a few Parker 51 models were all metal construction, including an all gold filled model and a solid 14 karat gold Presidential model.
Parker Sonnet Flighter fountain pen closed
Pulling the cap off reveals a big difference from the 51. The Sonnet is an open nib pen, with both stainless steel and 14 karat gold nibs available in eight different nib types. If you remove the nib and feed unit out of the section, you will see a large and densely finned feed unit, which echoes the feed unit used in the 51. This feed contributes to the Sonnet being a wetter writer, as I have experienced with the Sonnets I have used.
Parker Sonnet Flighter fountain pen cap stamping and nib detail
The all stainless steel Flighter Sonnet was introduced in 1994 in two versions, one with 23 karat gold plated trim and 23 karat gold plated stainless steel nib, as shown here, and the other with chrome plated trim and a plain stainless steel nib. The stainless steel finish is brushed and polished to a satin texture that resists fingerprints and is very nice in the hand.
I find a stainless steel pen feels very different in the hand that any other material. It starts off cold and gradually warms up as you use it. The bare metal finish gives the pen more of a fine tool feeling than as a fancy writing instrument, and also makes it seem a bit less vulnerable to daily use. I also think Flighter pens are cool, and have one from nearly every Parker model that offered at least one type.
Parker Sonnet Flighter fountain pen nib detail
The Parker Sonnet Flighter is a medium weight pen, weighing 0.8 ounce and being 5 3/16 inches long with the cap on and 5 5/8 inches with the cap posted on the end of the barrel, a little shorter than the Parker 51 Flighter. The cap posts very securely, but take note, as this pen shows, posting the cap will eventually lead to scuffing on the barrel. I like it posted, and bought this pen used and already scuffed, so I don't worry about this too much.
My Sonnet did not come with a converter (or box, or anything else), so initially, I just bought Parker cartridges when I wanted to use this pen. The good news is that just about any Parker converter from the early 45s to the present will work in this pen, so over time, as I have had many Parker cartridge / converter pens pass through, I have been able to also use a converter and bottled ink. Either way, this Sonnet, with its very, very wet writing medium nib, is super reliable. The nib is a very nice writer, but has a very small sweet spot, which means that if I don't keep the pen within a particular angle, I pick up some drag. This is something that I can have tweaked, as it is at the edges, and not an alignment issue, and I don't run into it a lot.
The Sonnet is still in production and Parker has made a slew of finishes on this exceptional pen line, making the Sonnet a treat as a collector's focus. If you like a standard size modern Parker that has a more traditional look and feel, the Sonnet may be the pen for you.
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