Parker
Pens and Ephemera

Orange hard rubber just looks so much better than the later "Permanite." It is more vibrant on this Parker Lady Duofold, and we love it. Better yet, this vintage pen almost looks new. Nice crisp imprint. No brassing on the wide cap band. Only a little brassing on the ball of the pocket clip. Really sharp milling on the ends of the pen. The tail cap is as black as the day it was made. The top of the regular cap has a little chocolate hazing but not much. We restored the pen with a new ink sac. In some different lighting situations the cap and barrel show a degree or two of contrast with each other. You will write a smooth fine line with its 14k gold nib. Also present is its original Christmas-tree inkfeed. 12.1cm capped.

One could argue that the Parker 75 was the last of the golden era fountain pens Parker made with the intention of it being a daily luxury pen. Our preowned pen is a later model that was made in France. No dents mar the sterling silver cap and body. The top and bottom element looks like a dinner plate. We fitted this pen with a more modern Parker converter. It also takes Parker cartridges. The cap has a tight closure. You will write a nice, fine line with a little feedback while engaging its 14k gold nib. 12.9cm capped.

Due to their unique filling systems, Parker Vacumatics remain a perennial favorite for us. We restored this World War II era vintage pen with a new ink sac and really went to town wet-sanding it to restore its factory luster. No cracks. No brassing. No deep scratches. The only imperfection is an impression on the cap where the pocket clip dug into the celluloid. The blind cap aligns with the barrel about 99% of the way it should. You will write a wet, fine line with its 14k gold nib. The lighter your touch as a writer the less feedback you will feel. We can get it to be almost feedback free, but if you are more heavy handed you will feel a little more. Made in 1944, this one is a beaut that should work well for decades to come. Click the headline for close-ups. 12.8cm capped.

Whether you are filling in a museum worthy collection or stepping up your pencil game at the office, we think you will love this burgundy Parker "Vacumatic" pencil. It does not appear that Parker actually called the pencils Vacumatics, but they were designed to match the Vacumatic pens. We believe this near-mint condition pencil to be an oversized model from 1937. Aside from a little mark under the imprint, it looks close to perfect. Included is the original spare lead cartridge with a hardened eraser under the tail cap. In excellent working order with spare 1.1mm leads. Burgundy is among the rarest colors for this pencil, and Parker reported way fewer sales of these pencils compared to the pens. 12.7cm.

Some vintage pens work perfectly well, but their cosmetics turn-off some collectors. This is one of those pens in a Parker 51. The cap is dented, rusted, stained and imperfect. The fountain pen still works well with its original "pli-glass" ink sac. The hood and barrel have some wear and scratches. There's a little rust staining where the cap rested against the barrel. Clearly, this pen can survive Hell, and it is still ready to write. You'll write a firm, fine line with a little feedback using its 14k gold nib. 13.7cm capped.

Blue Parker Vacumatics seem more difficult to find these days, but we lucked out with this Debutant-size double-jewel model from 1941. We restored its aluminum speedline filler with a new diaphragm. The barrel is too dark to see the ink, but it is working well. The pen has some wear from use and visible brassing on its cap band and jewels. Click the headline for close-ups. We tuned the nib after shooting the nib photo. You will find it writes a smooth medium line. The clip is on tightly. A great vintage pen daily user. 11.9cm capped.

We don't often get excited about ringtop fountain pens, but this Parker Lady Duofold is something else. It is pretty close to mint for a 100-year-old pen. Really crisp milling on the top of the cap and blind cap. Deep, sharp imprint that is kinda uncommon for Lady Duofolds. Our vintage pen has been fully restored with a new ink sac. The only real imperfection with the pen is that the cap is several shades lighter than the barrel. Yet, it has a raised cap band, which is often desired. Click the headline for close-ups. Its 14k gold nib writes a smooth fine line with a hint of feedback. It has a "Christmas tree" inkfeed. No brassing. 12cm capped.

Its the one and only Parker 51, titan of the vintage pens. Certainly the best-selling vintage luxury pen of all time, this is the 1950s version with an aerometric squeeze-bar filler. Black with a gold-filled cap, it is a go-to crowd pleaser. The cap has a couple little dings and scratches from use. The hood and barrel of the pen likewise show wear from use. Nevertheless, the original "pliglass" ink sac still works great. You'll write a smooth medium line with its 14k gold nib. The blue diamond on the pocket clip indicates this might be an earlier cap or an older replacement clip for the pen. The barrel part of the pen was made a few years after the clip/cap. 13.8cm capped.