Jr Gent vs Navigator

[DurocShark]

I thought I'd take a couple comparison pics of a gold Jr Gent from Rockler (my daily driver) next to a sterling silver Navigator from Woodcraft.

They're REALLY close.

One interesting thing is that the Navigator here DOESN'T have the faceted grip. It's round and looks a lot like the Jr's grip.

 

[Russianwolf]

Is the navigator a Fountain or a Rollerball? Only the Rollerball has the faceted grip, so that may be the reason you aren't seeing it.

Size wise, yep, they are very similar. But the Jr. tapers down the length of the lower barrel, the navigator is straight when turned bushing to bushing.

Now the two biggest differences to me are the threaded couplers. The Jr's a triple start and the navigator/baron are quad starts. I like the quad better. But the baron/navigator only come in enameled coupler, while the higher rated plating on the Jr's have metal plated couplers. I like the metal plating better due to wear issues.

 

[DurocShark]

Forgot the open pic:

 

[DurocShark]

Is the navigator a Fountain or a Rollerball? Only the Rollerball has the faceted grip, so that may be the reason you aren't seeing it.

Size wise, yep, they are very similar. But the Jr. tapers down the length of the lower barrel, the navigator is straight when turned bushing to bushing.

Now the two biggest differences to me are the threaded couplers. The Jr's a triple start and the navigator/baron are quad starts. I like the quad better. But the baron/navigator only come in enameled coupler, while the higher rated plating on the Jr's have metal plated couplers. I like the metal plating better due to wear issues.

Ahhh... The only Navs I'd bade before were rollerballs. That makes sense. This one is a FP.

The Gent tapers, but the Jr Majestic doesn't... Screwed me up the first time I made one with Gent bushings. LOL! Turning close to the bushing then putting the caliper on there to find I'd already overturned it wasn't fun.

:mad-tongue:

 

[DurocShark]

BTW: The Nav is made in Alumilite white. The Jr is PR. That's the reason for the difference in shine.

 

[rjwolfe3]

Both look great!

 

[jleiwig]

So what are you saying? That Rockler calls their baron/navigator a Gent Jr.? Or that the Navigator is not a baron, but really a Gent Jr.?

 

[DurocShark]

So what are you saying? That Rockler calls their baron/navigator a Gent Jr.? Or that the Navigator is not a baron, but really a Gent Jr.?

Neither. Just that they appear to be copies of each other. Dimensionally different (and different threads), but close enough that a photo of one could easily be mistaken for another.

 

[ed4copies]

I used to do both pens. The Navigator threading has given my customers "issues" both at the centerband and the nib "screw in". The Jr. Gent has not had these problems.

Anecdotal, not a "market survey".

When I had both, I learned their nibs screw into each other's housings, but the cap doesn't fit quite right, if you do this. So, if you choose to do both bodies, keep them separate for "swapping out ends" if you are at a show.

FWIW

 

[maxwell_smart007]

The Navigator is a Baron clone - the Baron doesn't have the faceted grip in the fountain version, but does in the rollerball version.

 

[jleiwig]

The Navigator is a Baron clone - the Baron doesn't have the faceted grip in the fountain version, but does in the rollerball version.

How can it be a clone when they are both sourced from the same supplier?

 

[rjwolfe3]

Baron is only allowed sold by one supplier in America I believe.

 

[lazyguy]

I know I am resurrecting the dead here but how does the plating stack up between the two? My 10k Navigator has already shown wear after only a few weeks.

 

[DurocShark]

I don't have an apples to apples, as my Nav's are Sterling Silver plated. That plating has been much more durable than any of the gold plates I've worked with.

 

[jskeen]

Ed, what specific problems did you find swapping nib assy's between baron's and Jr's, just out of curiosity? I've traded around fp sections both ways and never detected any problems. Was it just a RB section issue by chance? I've also swapped the fp section from berea flat top and euro's onto the baron or jr body, and they work fine, but the jr fp sections are too big for the ft or euro cap to fit over (and they get scratched trying).

Another difference is that the cap finial on the baron/nav is more sharply angled and has a smaller finial insert than the jr's. Just a cosmetic difference, but I find the more obtuse angle from the cap blank to the side of the finial on the jr's less visually jarring. It's still not really feasable to make the cap blank fat enough to really match the line of the finial without discarding the metal alltogether and making a semi hidden clip style of cap though.

It's the matching plating on the threads of the higher end juniors that really seals the deal for me though.