Parker
Pens and Ephemera

A little overlooked by its Big Red brother, this senior sized Parker Duofold in black hard rubber remains a classic vintage pen. We restored it with a new ink sac. You can see that it has oxidized a little with some very dark chocolate hazing. There is brassing along the edges and ball of the pocket clip and a little on the cap ring, too. The great news is that there isn't a a crack, chip or dent in the cap or barrel. No deep scratches but the imprint is worn a little thin. This comes with a "Christmas tree" inkfeed. You will write a nice, slightly dry fine-medium line with its 14k gold nib. You can feel the paper under the nib, but we wouldn't call it scratchy. Click the headline for close-ups. 14cm capped.

Parker was rather genius for resurrecting its classic Duofold design for a modern luxury pen. Our Parker Duofold Centennial in burgundy is a handsome classic. We love the way the sparkly acrylic burgundy undulates under a light as your rotate the cap or barrel. Our pre-owned luxury pen comes with its original box and papers. There's a Parker converter in it, too. You will write a nice medium line with its two-tone 18k gold nib. No monogram or significant wear. 13.5cm capped.

Streamlining gave the Parker Duofold a fancy edge in the late 1920s. These red-marble celluloid models were even hotter. We just restored this one with a new ink sac. We also got the topper to the cap much darker, as it had substantially more chocolate hazing than it does now. Heavy brassing on the ball of the pocket clip and on the bottom cap band. No cracks, but there is a wear mark around the barrel where the cap posted. You will write a firm, fine line with its 14k gold nib. Click the headline for close-ups. The pen isn't junior sized...nor is it oversized. 12cm capped.

Married sets aren't uncommon, but this set features a mixed set of stickered new-old-stock Parker 51s. The fountain pen is likely from the 1960s with its black jewel in the cap. Nevertheless, it is stickered and the ink sac is completely clear. The pencil is a click-advance .9mm variant with a grey-pearl jewel from the 1950s. We found this set in the leftover merchandise of an old general store that closed decades ago. Maybe the original shopkeeper mixed around the pens and pencils. The vintage pen's sticker is marked "M" for a medium nib made of 14k gold.

Easily mistaken for a Parker Challenger Deluxe, this appears to be a large Parker Thrift Time pen...or possibly another Depression era vintage pen from Parker. We restored it with a new ink ink sac. We find it to be a really handsome pen with some wear from use back in the day. No cracks but heavy brassing on the pocket clip. You will write a nice, wet medium line with some feedback using its 14k gold nib. These pens helped sustain Parker during the Great Depression when most people couldn't afford their premium Vacumatics. Click the headline for close-ups. 12.9cm capped.

Perfectly plated two-tone 14k gold arrow nibs on Parker Vacumatics are difficult to find. Click the headline to witness a really beautiful nib up close. You'll write a wet medium line with a little feedback. Our Parker Vacumatic Major is a nice pen in its entirety. Made in the third quarter of 1942, who knows what action this vintage pen might have seen. Yet, we suspect it mostly saw a well protected desk given its lack of cracks or deep scratches. Just some general light wear from use. It was engraved with the name John D. Parks. Decent barrel clarity. It was recently restored before we obtained it. It comes with a 1947 version of the pencil that comes preloaded with a 1.1mm lead. It is a little more worn. Pen measures 13.5cm capped.

Lapis perfection is nearly impossible to find, but we have found it in this Parker Lady Duofold. Our vintage pen looks like it just came off the assembly line. The blue is vibrant, and the little white flecks are white. The imprint start crisp on top and gets shallow toward the bottom...a factory issue not wear. If you can call it a flaw, the only trouble might be that the barrel under the cap is a slightly deeper shade of blue...but we would argue it isn't discoloration. We restored it with a new ink ink sac. No cracks, no scratches, minimal--if any--wear. No brassing. You will write a smooth medium line with its 14k gold nib and original "Christmas tree" inkfeed. Click the headline for close ups. Slender. 11.3cm capped.

We've been making Parker grail pen dreams come true all month. This offering is a 1941 Parker 51 with a sterling silver cap. Yes, it is an elusive first-year pen in dove grey. It is about as minty fresh as a 80-year-old pen can get. No dents or dings in the cap. Minimal wear on the body. The imprint on these double-jewel first year pens is on the tail cap and is crisp and easy to read. The vacumatic filler has been restored with a working diaphragm. You will write a slightly scratchy extra-fine line with its 14k gold nib. We don't really count it as a flaw, but you'll see the hood is lighter than the rest of the pen...a product of age. No aluminum jewels, unfortunately.