Parker
Pens and Ephemera

In 1987 modern Parker struck gold with its Parker Duofold Centennial pen line to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Parker Pen Company in 1988. In many respects, this pen revitalized the company as a luxury brand. Plus, by basing the new design on vintage Parker Duofolds, it was the perfect touchstone for vintage and modern pen collectors. This marble blue pen is a Parker Duofold Centennial MKI. It likely isn't the 1988 model, as only 50 were made and given to notable individuals. However, it was a very early one as evidenced by its short pocket clip and 18k gold nib markings on the nib. Under the nib is an 83 on the feed, which means this was a medium nib. Click the headline for close-ups. Only light surface wear from use. Includes converter. You will write an insanely smooth medium line. 13.5cm capped.

Trying hard to stay afloat during the Great Depression, the Parker company wisely diversified its offerings to more affordable options for the cash-strapped public. Enter the Parkette Deluxe. It sported a handsome art deco design and a two-tone 14k gold nib with a cheaper material used for the cap, barrel and lever filler. Nevertheless, it writes like a Parker! We restored this vintage pen with a new ink sac. It has some wear and a lot of brassing. No cracks. You will write a nice, wet fine line. It is smooth when you find the sweet spot on the nib. Click the headline for close-ups. 12.6cm capped.

For the past several decades Parker Sonnets have been the company's old reliable for everyday writing. Some models get a little special extra treatment. This is a Chinese lacquered model that was only released for a limited time. We find it especially attractive. This one appears to be new old stock. No ink on the nib or in the converter. Minimal if any wear from sitting around for the past couple decades. It comes with a box and papers. We haven't written with its 18k gold nib, but it is marked "M" for medium. Click the headline for close-ups. 13.3cm capped.

Some fountain pen marriages are a very happy and blessed event. This Parker 75 cap and barrel have an earlier Parker Premier section and nib. This 1970s/early '80s variant of the Premier was to replace the 75 and only really barely updated the design. What we find especially remarkable about this barely vintage pen is its factory stub nib! We like the way it writes with good line variation. It comes with a modern Parker converter. You also can use Parker cartridges. The silver cap and barrel are free of dents. Made in France. Click the headline for close-ups. 12.8cm capped.

Rollerball pens are nice because they use water-based fountain pen ink with a ballpoint writing tip. Our Parker Sonnet is a lovely blue and gold-plated pen with a box. The refill still writes a nice blue ink, but we have no idea how much ink remains. The pen saw a lot of action. The golden trim show a lot of light surface wear. The blue cap and barrel are still pretty nice. It would appear that the cap ring fell off at one point and was glued back on. You can see just a tiny line of glue puffing out between the cap ring and the blue cap. Nice, strong cap click action. 13.2cm capped.

Its imprint is faded, but we think we spy a 1951 date code on this Parker 51 fountain pen. There's a burgundy barrel with a gold filled cap. The cap looks pretty darned good, but you can see some big scars on the pen's hood. Click the headline for close-ups. Happily enough, the aerometric filler is still working great with its original pli-glass sac. You will write a nice smooth medium line with its 14k gold nib. There's a pearl-grey "jewel" on top of the cap. 13.7cm capped.

Parker 51 Specials were the pen of the every day person. They were everything that a standard 51 was, but they had a more affordable steel nib. Octanium, we believe is the correct word they used...but still basically steel. Our vintage pen is in great condition. Its lustraloy cap is dent-free, and there is minimal wear on the hood and barrel of the pen. Its original aerometric filler is still in good shape. We flushed some stubborn blue out of it, but there might still be a trace. We love the way it writes a nice medium line. It is firm with a bit of genuine feedback, but we don't find it to be scratchy. 13.7cm capped.

Many might consider the Parker 45 as the last Parker fountain pen for the everyday person of the golden age of fountain pens. Ours writes beautifully, but it has some surface wear on its blue pen barrel and hood. The golden cap has some wear, too, but no dents. It doesn't have its original filler, but these still take modern Parker cartridges and some Parker converters. We believe this pen has a 14k gold nib. You will write a nice, smooth fine line with it. 13.6cm capped.