Parker Jotter Bp/mp Lead Cartridge Style

[MLKirk]

I was perusing my Parker Jotter pen/pencil set tonight and wondered about the production years of this particular set.

 

This set sports the pencil with the lead cartridge. There is a printed banner in the box that says "Now with Revolutionary CARTRIDGE PENCIL. Ends messy lead handling forever!". The box is #139/227 dated 10/67. The box is likely original to the set, however, I cannot be absolutely positive because it was found in the wild, likely NOS. The set has the rounded button caps so I know they're pre-1973.

 

The cartridge is identical to the refill being offered on ebay at the moment. See that item 130303368221 here. Even the script font on the hang package is the same as the banner in my box.

 

I suspect 1967 is probably correct for a release year or close to it. Can anyone confirm what the production years are for the pencil lead cartridge style?

This is a timely question because I understand that Geoffrey Parker is collaborating on yet another book; this time it's on the famous JOTTER.

Edited September 24, 2009 by MLKirk

[streeton]

I was perusing my Parker Jotter pen/pencil set tonight and wondered about the production years of this particular set.

 

This set sports the pencil with the lead cartridge. There is a printed banner in the box that says "Now with Revolutionary CARTRIDGE PENCIL. Ends messy lead handling forever!". The box is #139/227 dated 10/67. The box is likely original to the set, however, I cannot be absolutely positive because it was found in the wild, likely NOS. The set has the rounded button caps so I know they're pre-1973.

 

The cartridge is identical to the refill being offered on ebay at the moment. See that item 130303368221 here. Even the script font on the hang package is the same as the banner in my box.

 

I suspect 1967 is probably correct for a release year or close to it. Can anyone confirm what the production years are for the pencil lead cartridge style?

This is a timely question because I understand that Geoffrey Parker is collaborating on yet another book; this time it's on the famous JOTTER.

 

Hi MLK,

 

Sorry to bump an old thread without giving a direct answer, but I have a similar problem. BTW finding information on older jotter sets is harder than pulling teeth, so between us and the many Parker experts on FPN we may just find an answer. Anyway my box like yours dates from 10/67 with the box number being 189. This is a mid blue set Cartridge lead/BP. I think the cartridge lead sets were first sold in 1968 and probably ended in cartridge lead form at least in the early 1980's. I have a parker jotter MP lead cartridge NL(1979)in 0.9mm and a parker jotter MP cartridge lead Q1(1980)in 0.7mm which would add weight to this theory, although it dosen't confirm the production ending date. Now what muddies the waters for me at least is I have seen an online ad from March, 1970 for a Parker Jotter Pardners set with the shorter "writefine" pencil(for clarity,not the old Parker 51 writefine). When did Parker stop selling the Pardners jotter combination (with writefine pencil) given they already had the lead cartridge version since 1968. Either this 1970 ad was older stock (pre 1968) or Parker were selling/producing concurrently 2 types of jotter sets (same pen but different MP). Now a lot of this detail is not only necessary to explain my story but I'm also using it as a "prodding stick" to get someone to tell us the real story - PLEASE, PLEASE.

Edited February 28, 2010 by streeton

[FarmBoy]

Try contacting Parkercrazy (Francis). A good resource for all things Jotter.

 

Todd

[streeton]

Try contacting Parkercrazy (Francis). A good resource for all things Jotter.

 

Todd

Thanks todd, I do occasionally contact Francis directly but I'm hoping he will set us straight publicly so that we can all benefit from this information.

[parkercrazy]

Sorry Guiys,

 

I do not have the answer to that question, have not done much research on the pencil refills. :embarrassed_smile:

 

Fracis

[parkercrazy]

Sorry Guiys,

 

I do not have the answer to that question, have not done much research on the pencil refills. :embarrassed_smile:

 

Fracis

 

It's early, my typing is terrible this morning :embarrassed_smile:

 

Francis

[streeton]

Sorry Guiys,

 

I do not have the answer to that question, have not done much research on the pencil refills. :embarrassed_smile:

 

Fracis

 

It's early, my typing is terrible this morning :embarrassed_smile:

 

Francis

 

Thanks Francis, your honest response was appreciated.

[ballpointpen]

From the resources I have available the cartridge pencil refill (without an eraser) was introduced in early 1968. I have attached a page from a 1969 Parker catalogue - I couldn't find an entry in 1968 catalogue [this date is also confirmed in the Jotter book.] Interestingly, the ballpoint casing of the T1 was one of the first ballpoints (with the cartridge pencil refill) to be advertised in Parker's literature as a mechanical pencil - it saved Parker from tooling up to make a specific T1 mechanical pencil given the problems they had encountered with the fountain pen (fountain pens with the integral nib removed became the soft tip [fibre tip in the UK] by the addition of a gold collar - I digress; sorry!

Regards

Graham Hogg

www.ballpointpen.co.uk

[parkercrazy]

I was perusing my Parker Jotter pen/pencil set tonight and wondered about the production years of this particular set.

 

This set sports the pencil with the lead cartridge. There is a printed banner in the box that says "Now with Revolutionary CARTRIDGE PENCIL. Ends messy lead handling forever!". The box is #139/227 dated 10/67. The box is likely original to the set, however, I cannot be absolutely positive because it was found in the wild, likely NOS. The set has the rounded button caps so I know they're pre-1973.

 

The cartridge is identical to the refill being offered on ebay at the moment. See that item 130303368221 here. Even the script font on the hang package is the same as the banner in my box.

 

I suspect 1967 is probably correct for a release year or close to it. Can anyone confirm what the production years are for the pencil lead cartridge style?

This is a timely question because I understand that Geoffrey Parker is collaborating on yet another book; this time it's on the famous JOTTER.

 

Hi Mike,

 

After your question, I started to dig around here for information on the Pencil refill, This is what I came up with in some pages about Parker History, Maybe this will help.

 

Francis

 

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b11/fjm111/scan0030-1.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b11/fjm111/000_4899.jpg

[MLKirk]

Graham

I am pleased to see you on FPN. Welcome! Thank you kindly for your response and access to your 1969 catalog page. That is solid proof.

 

Francis, I am inclined to go with 1968 as the year of introduction, however, I didn't catch where your Parker History page came from.

 

Both pieces of information pretty much tell the story of it's beginnings, gents. Thank you so much for your posts.

 

Now if we can confirm the last year of it's production (or presence in a catalog), that would complete the picture. STREETON, are the date codes you quoted imprinted on the cartridges or the cap of the pen? I've been shown date codes by Francis on ink cartridges of a certain range but wasn't aware of pencil cartridge date codes. That would at least confirm the cartridge production through 1980.

 

Graham, is your book available anywhere here in the USA?

 

Best,

[streeton]

Graham

I am pleased to see you on FPN. Welcome! Thank you kindly for your response and access to your 1969 catalog page. That is solid proof.

 

Francis, I am inclined to go with 1968 as the year of introduction, however, I didn't catch where your Parker History page came from.

 

Both pieces of information pretty much tell the story of it's beginnings, gents. Thank you so much for your posts.

 

Now if we can confirm the last year of it's production (or presence in a catalog), that would complete the picture. STREETON, are the date codes you quoted imprinted on the cartridges or the cap of the pen? I've been shown date codes by Francis on ink cartridges of a certain range but wasn't aware of pencil cartridge date codes. That would at least confirm the cartridge production through 1980.

 

Graham, is your book available anywhere here in the USA?

 

Best,

 

MLK

 

The date codes are on the caps but I am sure the cartridges are in authentic pencil/pen bodies as I've never seen a push type jotter pencil before 1980 - and that is the next consequential question, when was the push style (current type) pencil first introduced in jotters (some time in the 1980's). Thanks for all the information so far but I at least am still looking for the production cessation year for the Jotter Pardners sets with the writefine pencil bearing in mind the existence of jotter sets with cartridge lead from probably 1968. I think we are now getting somewhere. Also just checked the date code on the 0.7mm cartridge and it says QL so that confirms the authenticity of this 1980 pencil. BTW I must apologise for "barging in" on this thread but jotter pencil/set information is so rare that it is probably all better off in one thread like this than starting additional threads and thereby fracturing and possibly duplicating information. Just my thoughts anyway.

Edited March 2, 2010 by streeton