My New(-Ish) Parker Ellipse In Blue

[KBeezie]

So I got this in trade for one of my pens. A Parker Ellipse with an 18K Fine Nib, in the Blue color even though it looks a bit more marine/green to me.

 

I don't know much about the pen, just that they were made from around 2000 to 2002 and they weren't very popular with the mainstream crowd (probably because it looks so different than what I'd expect of Parker).

 

http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/parker/ellipse/full.jpg

 

Wanted to give it a good cleaning so got it all disassembled, cleaned the individual pieces in the USC. Really put the shine back on the nib (I did dip the nib into the USC before the pic above, but wanted to get at all the components when I noticed some trapped red ink that didn't flush before).

 

http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/parker/ellipse/disassembled.jpg

 

http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/parker/ellipse/nib.jpg

 

I noticed a couple of markings that I would be curious to know the history of.

 

Base of the Nib : Eaglehead engraving

On Nib just under "Parker", not seen when installed : P over W, arrow going right between them, inside a Diamond

On base of the cap : Square with P over W and a line going between them.

 

I'm wondering if the Eaglehead has anything to do with gold being minted in France.

 

http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/parker/ellipse/nib_close.jpg

 

http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/parker/ellipse/eaglehead.jpg

 

I initially inked it with Parker Penman Sapphire, but seemed a little too dry, so went with Iroshizuku Tsuki-yo. Can see them both on this write sample. (The Taccia Momenta is the other one I got today/yesterday).

 

http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/parker/ellipse/write.jpg

Edited November 15, 2014 by KBeezie

[The Blue Knight]

It looks like a nice pen. Some of the modern Parker are underrated however extremely reliable. Is it a keeper?

[Matlock]

P over W is sponsor (or maker) mark for Parker Waterman. The Eagle head is the French assay mark for 18k gold.

[KBeezie]

It looks like a nice pen. Some of the modern Parker are underrated however extremely reliable. Is it a keeper?

So far it seems fine, got it cleaned up, checked the nib, made sure it was aligned, and it's pretty smooth and hasn't skipped since changing the ink. Only had it for about a day so time will tell. But so far no immediate concerns or discomforts.

 

It posts securely, the cap clicks on and stays on, feels firm so it doesn't like rotate or wiggle. Thumb does touch the little gold ring before the section when holding, but it's not sharp or uncomfortable. It posts deeply so it puts half of the cap within the cup of your hands which is a good thing considering that the cap is the same weight as the pen itself (together it's about 40G, 20 for the pen, 20 for the cap).

 

Also looks to be my tallest pen currently in the collection, 144mm tall, barely beating even my Taccia Momenta by 1mm. (My previous tallest before I sold it was the Jinhao 159 at 149mm tall and 50g in weight, and my Faber-Castell BASIC Leather is 140mm and 34g).

 

But I'm going to give it about a week to decide, The Taccia Momenta I Also got today appears to be nicer and much lighter (and I have a Masuyama needlepoint nib coming for that one).

 

P over W is sponsor (or maker) mark for Parker Waterman. The Eagle head is the French assay mark for 18k gold.

Thanks for that. Now I know

Edited November 15, 2014 by KBeezie

[Eccles]

I like them, and think they're a nice pen, but apparently they didn't sell well enough and were discontinued, which makes them a bit scarcer than some. Hence they don't come up for sale all that often, even on eBay, and generally it's just the FPs that appear.

 

I was surprised that the last blue FP in the FPN classifieds may not even have sold, despite a couple of price reductions. I'd have been tempted, but I already have all 3 colours.

 

The blue is by far my favourite; I've been extremely lucky and managed to find a matching example of the pencil, BP and RB, the last courtesy of Dutchpen here on FPN. It only took 3 or 4 years to do that!!

 

I'd not be game to disassemble one like you have.

 

Regards,

Glenn.

.

[KBeezie]

I'd not be game to disassemble one like you have.

You mean you "dare not" disassemble one? It's actually quite easy, the gold insert that holds guides the cartridge is just screwed onto the back of the nib/feed casing. In between that and the section is just the ring which can only go on one way (the little tab puts it in place, and the 'wings' fit into a slot of the rings). Once that is just removed (comes right off once unscrewed), you can pull the nib/feed/collar forward. The feed/nib inside that is a simple friction fit. The 'shield' or cover on the bottom of the feed just slides off forward.

 

Sounds like you got a nice matching collection. It's probably not the direction I would have gone, but I'll give it some time to see how well it works and how reliable it is.

[Chrissy]

I think it's a great looking pen and I would buy one if I saw one available

[KBeezie]

I think it's a great looking pen and I would buy one if I saw one available

Where you gonna be in a week or two? lol.

[icardoth]

I have a FP/MP set in the same color as yours. I bought it uninked, and it was dry and scratchy in the first use. But after opening the tines a little and doing some Micromesh on the nib, the pen works like a charm. I've used Waterman Red and Waterman Florida Blue on it, both with excellent results. Mine has a Q. (2000) date code.

[OcalaFlGuy]

I think the Bedazzler thang on the cap is a bit much for me and probably others. I think the P-100 was also afflicted with the Bedazzler.

 

I can appreciate Parker trying to think outside the box style wise with both those pens, perhaps even, some of their last efforts at really doing so with FPs.

 

Perhaps if both pens had been a bit Less stylish and that effort expended on QA/QC, the models would have sold better.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

[KBeezie]

I think the Bedazzler thang on the cap is a bit much for me and probably others. I think the P-100 was also afflicted with the Bedazzler.

 

I can appreciate Parker trying to think outside the box style wise with both those pens, perhaps even, some of their last efforts at really doing so with FPs.

 

Perhaps if both pens had been a bit Less stylish and that effort expended on QA/QC, the models would have sold better.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

Yea. The clip/jewel or whatever they want to call it makes me think more of ...

 

[OcalaFlGuy]

Precisely.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

[Eccles]

You are right... 'dare not.'

If I don't know what I'm doing, it's safer not to... I prefer not to experiment with an expensive pen that I could regret stuffing up.

Expensive?.... well this one is http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/PARKER-ELLIPSE-BLACK-GOLD-MEDIUM-PT-18K-GOLD-FOUNTAIN-PEN-NEW-IN-BOX-59112-31-/131345422227?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e94cc1793

Cheers,

Glenn.

[KBeezie]

You are right... 'dare not.'

If I don't know what I'm doing, it's safer not to... I prefer not to experiment with an expensive pen that I could regret stuffing up.

Expensive?.... well this one is http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/PARKER-ELLIPSE-BLACK-GOLD-MEDIUM-PT-18K-GOLD-FOUNTAIN-PEN-NEW-IN-BOX-59112-31-/131345422227?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e94cc1793

Cheers,

Glenn.

Yea I noticed all the ones you can find tend to be new in box, and the average selling price isn't that high, it's around 225 or so for actual sales for new in box (seller can ask any price they want, but it's only worth what they can actually sell it for). Being used if I sold it 8 likely would not go over 150-175 (ie: typical 20 to 30 % for used).

 

Thus far it's working fine. Smooth writer, starts right up.

 

Far as disassembly, I consider it easy because aside from the nib itself it's a tool-less disassembly, and I'm not going

To remove the nib since an ultrasonic clean did the trick with just those two parts. ;p least I won't need to do that again for a long while provided I don't leave ink in there for months/years without use.

 

I might change the ink up again later this week to something a little more saturated/colorful like maybe Diamine syrah, or kon peki. And see how that goes. I would try liberty's elysium, but that tends to be picky in certain pens especially if they dry a little too easily (it's partially bulletproof plus pretty saturated, at least syrah comes out easier).

[mitto]

A great looking pen. Would definitely buy one if I come across one.

[dinkaz]

I just bought it NOS from Parker indonesia, they have 70% discount for this model. I got it for equal to 90 USD. Mine is too dry to write. How do you disassemble this beauty?