Parker
Pens and Ephemera

Big Reds dominate the discussion about Parker Duofolds, but we are partial to this jade green Parker Duofold Junior. We restored this vintage pen with a new ink sac and a new pressure bar. The cap looks good, but the barrel is heavily discolored. Some brassing is evident. Crisp imprint. Click the headline for close-ups. You will get semi-flex action out of its 14k gold nib. Just go slowly and gently. It normally writes an extra-fine line but you can get close to 1mm wide. It has a little scratch but not too distracting on smooth paper. 11.5cm 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.

As World War II came to a close, the Parker Pen Company wanted to mark the occasion. As such, this 1945 Parker Duofold was fitted with a 14k gold "Victory" nib. Click the headline to see the large "V" imprint. We restored this vintage pen with a new diaphragm. Showing only a little wear from use, we think this blue-and-grey art deco pen is still a handsome edition. No cracks or deep scratches. There's a little ring around the tail, where the cap posted. You will write a smooth, fine line with its special nib. This is the larger size version of the pen at 13.6cm capped.

Vintage pens are the heroes of communication from yesteryear to today. Our Parker 51 is pretty heavily worn and scratched, but it is still in great working order. A proven work horse, it still makes for a great daily writer more than 70 years after its birth. The pli-glass ink sac still works well. You will write a nice fine to fine-medium line with its 14k gold nib. 13.6cm capped.