Dating A Parker 45

[Starcrafty]

Hi there everyone,

 

I recently picked up 3 used Parker 45's I was wondering is there anyway to determine a date of manufacture on these pens by any chance?

[OcalaFlGuy]

Probably some of the hardest Parkers to date accurately. The best info I've seen on them in general is on Tony's site (of course) Parkercollector.com and Richard Binder's site (search for Parker 45).

 

The ones you want to lean towards other than the Harlequins and Texas and specialty finishes are the ones from the 60's and early 70's with the gold nibs. Those are often the deluxe models with the gold filled clips/Lustraloy caps.

 

I would personally avoid the last rendition models with the domed cap jewel. They are perfectly usable but to me the jewel is oooogly and quality wise the pen pales to the vintage ones.

 

You should send one of your gold nibs to either Tyler Dahl or Pendleton Brown and have it ground into a CI or Stub. Trust me on that.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

[icardoth]

The best way I've found to narrow the production date is through the clip screw. According to my research the sequence was:

 

Conical recessed

Dimpled

Flat (with black plastic disc)

Conical raised

Domed jewel

 

Certainly this analysis is just empirical and I cannot associate years with them, but it's a beginning. Probably any other member can enlight us in a better way.

[ray501]

The best way I've found to narrow the production date is through the clip screw. According to my research the sequence was:

 

Conical recessed

Dimpled

Flat (with black plastic disc)

Conical raised

Domed jewel

 

Certainly this analysis is just empirical and I cannot associate years with them, but it's a beginning. Probably any other member can enlight us in a better way.

This site is always interesting ! Can you upload some pictures to show what you mean - I thought that there were only three types of cap top, and I am not sure of Flat (Bl plastic disc) and conical raised. I thought the final domed jewel caps followed straight on from the Dimpled caps (around 2002).

 

From my own collection of UK made pens the Harlequins, TX etc. in 1980 co-incided with a move from the conical recessed to the dimpled, and at the same time time the flighter abandoned the tassie on the barrel for a one piece stainless steel barrel. UK dating also started in 1980.

Edited February 21, 2012 by ray501

[icardoth]

A really quick picture to illustrate what I wrote:

 

http://i939.photobucket.com/albums/ad236/icardoth/P2210003_45s.jpg

 

 

 

The black plastic disk is teal here, but I have other examples with black and dark gray discs. The conical raised is exactly the same as seen in Parker 21s.

[OcalaFlGuy]

That was very helpful. Thank you.

 

I try and lean towards the first two (I thought they were the first two). I think those are also the ones you are most likely to find the original gold nibs in too.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

[Mike 59]

Hi, If it's any use, this is the info from the one '45' I own. So it was made in the first quarter of '88, unless I am mistaken.

[OcalaFlGuy]

I am sorry. I have tried and I just can't resist when I see threads titled as this one is.

 

I would suggest just one very nice flower of some sort (orchid maybe) and a quiet dinner somewhere.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL-who is crawling back under his rock now

[Starcrafty]

Hi icardoth and Mike thx for the pics. I have included a pic of my pens here.

 

 

Zebra V-301 (my first fountain pen)

 

Parker 45 Blue - Medium 10k nib, with a rubber bulb cartridge (don't know the right terminology for that cartridge)

 

Parker 45 Flighter? / Stainless steel - Fine 10k nib, with a rubber bulb cartridge

 

Parker 45 Red - Broken Extra Fine 14k nib , with no cartridge

 

 

Judging from the parkercollector site it seems I have some of the original P-45's. The jury is out on the flighter but the Burgundy has a recessed conical cap screw, while both the flighter and the blue one have a dimpled cap screw.

 

Also I will probably get the XF nib in the burgundy (atm) repaired at some point.. cant afford it atm looking at the prices. Would a grinder / nib repairer be able to keep it as a XF though? I like my thin lines.

 

I am sorry. I have tried and I just can't resist when I see threads titled as this one is.

 

I would suggest just one very nice flower of some sort (orchid maybe) and a quiet dinner somewhere.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL-who is crawling back under his rock now

 

Hmm... what kind of inks do you think she would enjoy? should I go with a vintage Quink or a more Contemporary Noodler's?

[OcalaFlGuy]

I think I hear the Maroon one whispering "Binder Burgundy"...

 

I like (duh) Parker Penman Sapphire in them cause I think the nibs shade nice

but if you don't have that, PR DCSSB.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

[Happy Harry]

Of those only the red could be an early pen as neither blue nor the all steel where in the original line up. Early carried a 14ct nib but as these are screw out and replaceable it's a guide only, another guide to early production can be the presence of a Parker/Eversharp converter (that's the thing that hold the ink ) but as these fit all 45s only an indicator

[Starcrafty]

Of those only the red could be an early pen as neither blue nor the all steel where in the original line up. Early carried a 14ct nib but as these are screw out and replaceable it's a guide only, another guide to early production can be the presence of a Parker/Eversharp converter (that's the thing that hold the ink ) but as these fit all 45s only an indicator

 

Well.. according to this The blues where made in the 60's and 65's as well. also whats a parker / eversharp converter? The blue and red had different ones so that may help. Also the broken nib used to be on the All steel one. while the blue had the med nib and the red had the fine nib.

[OcalaFlGuy]

You never know what you'll find.

 

I'm cleaning up a last model domed Flighter, they clean up nicely. This one started out looking rough and is shinning now.

 

I'd tested it out and it's (I figured) gold plated XF nib wrote pretty nice, I was surprised.

 

It turns out to be a 14k nib. Those did not come in this pen. Someone swapped it along the way.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

[Happy Harry]

Of those only the red could be an early pen as neither blue nor the all steel where in the original line up. Early carried a 14ct nib but as these are screw out and replaceable it's a guide only, another guide to early production can be the presence of a Parker/Eversharp converter (that's the thing that hold the ink ) but as these fit all 45s only an indicator

 

Well.. according to this The blues where made in the 60's and 65's as well. also whats a parker / eversharp converter? The blue and red had different ones so that may help. Also the broken nib used to be on the All steel one. while the blue had the med nib and the red had the fine nib.

 

I believe the initial release saw black, burgundy, forest green, light and dark grey. Other colors probably followed quickly (and probably within the first year of production) and you could call them early as well and as the model remained unchanged for years you can't tell exactly when produced but you can say what has no chance of being an initial release. The Parker/Eversharp converter has a red end, is a piston type and has Parker/Eversharp written on it. When Parker purchased Eversharp they purchased the initial plans for the 45 (the original design concept being Eversharp , or so the history tells us) and when the 45 was launched a similar lower end line released as an Eversharp model, both basically the same and using the same converter.

[pathobby]

Gosh, what a relief it was to read through this topic. I saw the heading 'Dating a Parker 45' and I thought for a moment it was taking the love of fountain pens to a whole new level!

 

PH

[NathanRobbins]

Hey guys. I'm new to the forums here and was wondering if I could get some help on something. Recently, my grandfather decided to let me have all of the fountain pens and accessories from his jewelry store. The store, before he came to own it, had sold fountain pens, so all of the stuff that I got is in brand new condition. Among the pens, pencils, nibs, etc. was a Parker 45. I was wondering if someone could offer an approximation regarding the date of my 45 and the lot of accessories with it.

 

Parker 45 with Super Quink Blue/Black refill cartridges and 5 replacement gold nibs of varying point size.

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn66/nathan_rbbns/downsize1.jpg

Forest Green (I'm assuming)

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn66/nathan_rbbns/downsize_1.jpg

Conical Recessed

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn66/nathan_rbbns/0310122059.jpg

With replacement nibs that were, to my knowledge, ordered at the same time as the pen

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn66/nathan_rbbns/downsize2.jpg

 

I also found three converters that were apparently for this model (all in original packaging). I'm glad I got all of this in the original packaging; I think the original pricing is a cool bonus.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

[dickydotcom]

I am sorry. I have tried and I just can't resist when I see threads titled as this one is.

 

I would suggest just one very nice flower of some sort (orchid maybe) and a quiet dinner somewhere.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL-who is crawling back under his rock now

Well it made me laugh.

Dick D

[PDW]

Sorry to revive an old thread, but I'm trying to date my Parker 45. It's a red GT with the first type (conical recessed) cap tip. According to the seller it was bought in Hong Kong with its converter - a Parker/Eversharp red handle screw converter.

 

I'm wondering how close to contemporary it is with my Eversharp Big E with self-coloured nib collar on the removable nib (1962-4?) . Do the cap and type of converter on the 45 help pin down the date at all?

[inkstainedruth]

@ OcalaFlGuy:

+1 on what Dick D said (sorry, can't figure out how to do smileys with the iPad, so you'll just have to envision the ROFL .gif). Good thing I already had breakfast, or I'd have hot chocolate probably coming out my nose....

@icardoth:

Thanks for posting the photo of all the different caps. I will have to look at mine and see whether it's the conical or dimpled one (the 45 has one style, and my Hero 616 has, IIRC, the other one -- just can't remember which is which at the moment; and since both of them are black pens with metal caps, the only real difference unless you pull the cap off is the shape of the end of the barrel -- the Hero is shaped more like a 51, whereas the 45 has the tapered end).

@PDW:

I posted photos of mine about a year and a half ago (black GT Deluxe, from what I was told by folks at the time) -- you can probably do a search in the Parker Forum for "What have I got" threads. Mine has the squeeze converter, so I'm wondering if that is also a factor for estimating the date on them (someone said mine was probably from the mid-1960s). It was my first "vintage" pen, and also the first one with a 14K nib. Doesn't see a lot of use, now that I have several 51s and a couple of Vacs, but the writing experience was just amazing. VERY small sweet spot, but when you hit it I can only describe it as making me think of ice dancing.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Hooker56]

@ Ruth- That was the younger, wittier Bruce who made the Orchid comment. He's now older and seems to have grown more sallow.

 

@ Bruce- Like fine wine, old threads grow better with age. I'm picturing Ruth with chocolate milk coming out of her nose, and I don't 'know' either one of you except through your posts.

 

Made my day-

 

Clayton