Parker
Pens and Ephemera

If you wanted to be the coolest guy or girl at the office in the 1920s, you'd have sported a bright orange Parker Duofold Jr (or senior) fountain pen. We restored this Junior model with a new ink sac. There are no cracks or deep scratches, but it does have a fair amount of brassing. Its biggest blemish is a large capital "H" etched or imprinted by hand nearly a century ago. You will write a smooth medium line with its 14k gold nib. Under the nib is a classic, original Christmas tree inkfeed. Pen measures 11.3cm capped.

Parker nibs that border on "wet noodle" are rare, but this little Parker Duofold Moderne (more commonly called the True Blue) has a stunner of a flexi nib. You will write from extra-fine to roughly 1mm wide with its easy-going 14k gold nib. Fully restored, this vintage pen comes with a fresh ink sac. No cracks nor deep scratches. Its biggest flaw is obviously the discoloring of the barrel and lower part of the cap. There's also a little brassing on the ball of the clip. However, that nib is second to none for hardcore Parker fans and those who love to write Spencerian script. 11.3cm capped.

Parker 51 fountain pens are the corner stone of any vintage pen collection. This is likely a married combination. While there are plenty of black 51s with gold-filled caps, as best we know the gold-filled caps with amber jewels only went with the cordovan-color pens. This pen is in great working order, but it has its share of wear and scratches. We restored it with a new diaphragm. Clearly this was someone's well-loved writing companion. You will write a very nice, smooth fine line with its 14k gold nib. This pen is 80 years old according to its 3rd quarter date code from 1944. 14.3cm capped.

In the second quarter of 1942, the United States was getting its tail kicked pretty hard around the Pacific and U-boats were making a mess of our shipping efforts in the Atlantic. Nevertheless, this Parker Duofold was made and has persevered ever since. We found it in a well-cared for collection in good working order, so we didn't replace the diaphragm. Its blue-and-grey stripes really stand out as an art deco beauty. The pocket clip and clip ring are pretty chewed up, but the celluloid is in very good shape. Nice aluminum speedline filler. You will write a smooth medium line with its 14k gold nib. Slightly smaller and more slender than some Duofolds. 12.3cm capped.

We like to call these nibs "farmers' specials." Click the headline for close-ups. When I was just getting started, I bought a Parker pen with a custom ground nib from the 1930s. All the tipping was gone and the nib had likely been broken in a drop. The farmer or handyman fashioned the remaining nib into a smooth writing affair, as it was too expensive to get the pen fixed during the Great Depression. This nib looks just like that. It is a smooth, wet and triple-broad firehose. The pen is a fully restored Parker Challenger Deluxe from 1935. No cracks, some wear and brassing. We gave it a new ink sac. Slender. 11.8cm capped.

New to vintage pens and looking for a reliable daily user? Old to vintage pens and looking for a reliable daily user? Either way, this Parker 51 Special is a reliable daily user. Burgundy with a polished steel cap, it is a handsome pen with only light wear from use and neither cracks nor dents. Its aerometric filler is original and working well. Specials are different from standard 51s in that they have steel nibs. However, this pen writes as smooth an extra-fine to fine line as any gold nib. There is a black jewel in the top of the cap. 13.9cm capped.

Few cheap pens really impress us much, but our Parker Reflex definitely surprised us. We found its steel nib to be a very smooth fine-point writer. The wider rubberized grip made for easy holding and writing, too. The 1990s successor to the Parker Vector, this pen is in great condition with minimal wear. It takes Parker cartridges or converters, but it comes with neither. Ya can't beat the price, though. 14.1cm capped.

Made in the late 1940s or 1950s, we believe this to be a Danish Parker Duofold. Not the most common of finds here in the U.S., it is a fully restored pen with a new ink sac. It has a button filler just like the Parker VS pens in the U.S. It feels like a Vacumatic Maxima in size. No cracks. There is some wear from use and brassing on the clip. You will write a smooth nib that just when we think it writes a fine line...it writes a medium line. Whatever it is, we love writing with it. 13.6cm capped.