Filling Mechanism: Button Filler

Parker Televisor pens were the first pens Parker made exclusively in Canada. This vintage pen has been fully restored with a new ink sac. We love its striated burgundy coloring. This is the slender model. We find that it is super smooth to write with when you find the sweet spot on the 14k gold nib. You'll write a nice medium line that some people might think leans on the broad side. No cracks, but it has some wear and brassing. The black tail cap seems to be made from an inferior plastic and has shrunk a little. It would appear that the black topper has been replaced with a Moderna topper and clip. There's a weak barrel imprint but you can still tell it is marked Parker Televisor. 11.8cm capped.

Some pens are just difficult to define. Our Depression-era Parker looks a lot like a Parker Challenger in a demi size. However, it is the Parker Thrift Time pen. We restored this vintage pen with a new ink sac. A little of the nickel-plated trim is worn away, and there are some bite marks on the blind cap. Yet, the marble design helps to hide the wear. You will write a nice extra-fine line with its 14k gold nib. We don't find the line to be scratchy, but it isn't buttery smooth, either. A slender pen that measures 12.2cm capped.

A shiny vintage pen can brighten anybody's day, and we think this Parker Deluxe Challenger Jr. might brighten your's. We love the vibrant green and black marble design. This pen has been fully restored with a new ink sac. There are no cracks or deep scratches, but there is significant brassing, a little wear and a couple bite marks on the blind tail cap. Nice crisp imprint. You will write a nice fine to fine-medium line with its 14k gold nib. It is on the shorter and slender side. Click the headline for close-ups. 11.8cm capped.

In an effort to remain relevant during the early days of the Great Depression, Parker made some basic button-filler pens at affordable prices. There remains some debate as to their names. We think this is a Parker Premier, though some might argue it is a Moderne or Duette. As we are more into the aesthetic and writing experience, we say you can call it anything but late for dinner. The gold flecks really stand out on the cream coloring that is a bit discolored. It is brassing on top of the clip and on the ball of the clip. We restored this pen with a new ink sac. You might love the 14k gold nib best! It is a reasonably smooth semi-flex that goes from fine to just under a millimeter. 11.3cm capped.

Easily one of our favorite vintage pen designs of all time: the Parker Duofold Geometric! Who doesn't want a pen covered in flying toothbrushes?! Fully restored and ready for action, the fountain pen has a new ink sac. No cracks in the cap or barrel but significant brassing on the trim. You'll also find some wear from use and that the barrel is discolored a couple shades darker than the cap. You'll write a nearly buttery smooth fine line with the 14k gold nib. Cracks won't effect the performance of the nib, but there is a short sideways crack on each side of the nib just above where it enters the section. Click the headline for close ups. The matching pencil shows brassing and wear, but it is in good working order with spare 1.1mm leads.

Parker mastered marketing during the Great Depression. Instead of reducing the price of flagship Vacumatics and Duofolds, Parker Thrift Time pens were essentially Parker Duofolds with bargain-basement pricing. Barely even advertised, these pens were actually decent sellers at stationary and pen shops and helped keep Parker afloat during the darkest days of the Depression. On the collector market, they can be a little difficult to come by. Here is a fully restored green marble Parker Thrift Time with a still-working grey-marble pencil. Click the headline for close ups.

It is the height of the Great Depression. Parker's annual sales have crashed from $5M a year to just over $1M. Most of the competition has folded under the strain. Unwilling to discount the flagship luxury Duofold pens from $10 to a much more affordable $3.50, Parker created a new "thrift" pen for those who still want a good pen but cannot afford the opulent Duofold of just a year or two ago. Thus was born the Parker Duette. This is a Parker Duette Jr. set that has been fully restored with a new ink sac. Parker barely even advertised these pens, and they are a little harder to find than Duofolds. Brassing and discoloration detract from the vintage pen. However, it comes with a very flexi 14k gold nib that goes from extra fine to roughly 2mm! It is scratchy, but a worthy sacrifice for 2mm flex. Pencil works and has spare leads. Each is engraved with "Buster Brown Shoes." We suspect this was set for a top shoe salesperson or from corporate headquarters. Pen measures 11.2cm capped.

Juicy, fat nibs are far too few in our opinion. However, if you like wet, broad nibs the way we do, you will love this streamlined black Parker Duofold Jr. Our fully restored vintage pen comes with a fresh ink sac. Click the headline for close-ups of the nib and shiny black goodness of this streamlined beauty. It isn't in mint condition, but it is pretty stunning if you don't mind some cap marks above the threadline and around the tail from posting. No cracks. No engraving. No deep scratches. The photo shows the deep imprint pretty clearly. 12cm capped.