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The other brand sections have this kind of thread, and I couldn't believe we don't have one for Parker. So here we go. What Parkers have you added to your collection lately? We have 100 years worth of pens with the Parker name, and some of us are addicted to gathering them up. I have a number of items on order, both vintage and modern, and I will mention those as they arrive over the next few weeks. But to get us started, here's the ebay photo of a P45 I just scored: Burgundy Parker 45, 14k Medium - described as NOS. In fact, that's how I found it. I was searching for gold P45 nibs. I had to grab this one because: 1. I don't have this color yet. (I am hoping it's not the same color as my red one.) 2. A gold Medium nib is my P45 sweet spot. (I do have a 14k broad nib unit on the way, too, to upgrade one of my two steel Fines.) 3. That squeeze converter alone could cost half of what I just paid for this pen, and I only have one of those. My other P45s use carts or one of the modern twist converters. So, now it's your turn. Let's keep this one going, shall we?

What is this pen? What is the brand / producer / origin? What model is this? This is a pen given to me by my father in early 80-ties. I used it for a couple of years as my every day pen. I cannot identify the producer nor the model. Must be produced somewhere in 1970-ties ot late 1960-ties? Much likely to be from China ? Maybe Japan? Maybe someone is able to read the signature on the nib?

Hello I have both a Parker Victory MKIV and a Slimfold, both with Newhaven nibs. I took them completely apart, cleaned the nibs, feed, and section... Resacked both. Both of them squeak when writing, it not quite annoying and actually amuses me for the most part but is this normal for these nibs? Thanks

For the Parkers using the pliglass sacs, I have seen two different adhesives recommended when replacing the sac, Shellac or clear nail polish.... Which is correct, or better if either can be used? I have a slimfold that well best non technical term for the sac is gooey. No idea what caused it to be that way but when I took the pen apart I peeled that sucker right off and chucked it... and a Parker 21 that looks like they used some sort of permanent black ink in it, so for esthetic purposes I wish to replace. Thanks

I have a Parker 65 whose cap was extremely tight to put on and remove, and looking inside, I couldn't see the traditional metal clutch prongs, so with the help of a Dycem sheet, I took it apart only to find a rather interesting clutch mechanism: The inner cap has slits towards the opening and there's a spring wound around that "waist," creating the pressure needed to secure the section when the pen is capped. To adjust, I simply took the spring off, wound it around the barrel of another pen and stretched it with a letter opener: I ended up overdoing it a bit, but it's still usable: Sharing in case someone else runs into the same problem. Alex

Hello everyone! I recently acquired my first vintage fountain pen from a family friend. After some research, I found it was a Parker Challenger Deluxe and needed a new sac. I've managed to replace the sac, however upon reinserting the nib section into the barrel, I found it did not fit in all the way. The cap can still screw on, and the filling mechanism seems to be working fine (using water to test!), however I cannot get the section to go down all the way. It seems very stuck, and even after heating did not budge upwards or downwards. Any advice on how to get it unstuck would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

I have a Parker Vacumatic from 1944. The cap jewel is metal (stainless maybe) The clip is lose but I can't get the jewel to come out. Is it possible this isn't the original cap jewel? I see references to a parker 51 with a stainless cap jewel. Is this jewel supposed to be black and perhaps that's why it's so difficult to get out? I have seeped some of the Pensbury PENatrate potion in the space between the clip and the jewel and will let that seep for a bit. Then Ill retry some heat and see if it helps.

I've been at a few vacumatics lately. Some have been as easy as can be. I have this one however that has been quite the battle. I can not for the life of me get the nib section to thread out. In fact I gave up and soaked the back end in naptha so I could get the pump out which was its own battle. I did get it out and cleaned up when what happens next? I since out the barrel and in doing so the breather tube has decided to drop out. Or it's broken off but I think it's just slid out. Next step is to tap out the nib and feed and get that back together. If it isn't broken off then I suspect that's my only choice. Second question though. In the picture of the pump (which is a straightline as I understand it) I think that the flat price is intended to be right through to the other side so it shows on both sides. Can anyone correct me on that? I'll be pleased once I have this one back together and working. Thanks everyone for your help on this and the other questions I have had on these vacumatics In then pictures below you won't see the breather. It's soaking in pen flush at the moment

Hello This Parker was bought in England and gifted to me. I am pretty much clueless as to the model. Could the all knowing Parker Gurus help me identify it? It is dark Blue, The cap merely says Parker and Made in England. The converter screws in. It appears to never have been inked and has only some very light scratching on the barrel. Thanks in advance!

Well I struggled for a while with this. I tried all the advice I could find here. Heat cycles Took out the old sac Soaked over night Soaked overnight with pen cleaner Soaked over night with rapido-eze Naptha on the threads Patience patience patience I also use The Inky Nib collet extractor. Alas the pump finally broke unfortunately. I don't think it was my fault on the end but who knows. More experience will help as I try and restore others. Is this a common problem? I do knok that it is possible to drill it out however I think that's above my comfort level at the moment. Any advice? I have attached a picture of the result

Need help with the ID of this Parker button filler pen. I have looked at the Parker website and am not sure at all of the model. We're in the process of sac replacement on it. The writing on the clip has a Patent date of Sept. 10, 1916 or 1918. Any help from the knowledgeable experts would be most appreciated. Thanks very much!

Has anyone ever attempted to convert a Parker Vacumatic (Second Generation) into a cartridge-converter? I love the material of the Vacumatic but am not a huge fan of the filling system. Any tips or photos would be immensely helpful. Thanks in advance!

Pen Pit Stop : Parker Sonnet SE18 Atlas / Journey Welcome to the Pen Pit Stop. Here you will find reviews of pens that already have some mileage on them. More specifically, these reviews are of pens that are in my personal collection, and that have been in use for at least a year. I thought it would be fun to do it this way – no new & shiny pens here but battered vehicles that have been put to work for at least a year. Let’s find out how they have withstood the ravages of time. The fountain pen that enters the pit stop today is the “Parker Sonnet Atlas / Journey”, a 2018 Special Edition. The Parker Pen Company is a manufacturer of luxury pens, founded in 1888 by George Safford Parker in Janesville, Wisconsin, United States. The Sonnet model was introduced around 1994. It was designed by Geoff Hollington of Hollington Associates in London, who describes it as: “The Sonnet was intended to be ‘the classic Parker’, a truly timeless product, with a really well-proportioned cigar shape, clear but updated arrow clip, a generously sized nib and state of the art writing experience.” Much more and definitely interesting information about the Parker Sonnet can be found at parkerpens.net/sonnet.html. The Atlas is a special edition pen from the 2018 “Discover the Uncharted” series. This is a collection of unique pens that celebrates man’s curiosity and desire to discover the unknown – a mindset that embodies the intrepid nature and passion for travel of founder George S. Parker. Each pen is inspired by the experiences of travel: “Stratum / Explore” is etched with geological forms on the polished steel cap with rose gold-plated accents and grey lacquer barrel. “Metro / Challenge” is inspired by city maps, laser engraved with street patterns on the black matte cap trimmed with palladium and anchored with a black lacquer barrel. “Impression / Reflection” is engraved with passport and stamp designs on the polished steel cap, trimmed in gold plate with a black matte barrel. Personally, my preference went to the Atlas design which is based on a map of the world. With a distinguished deep blue lacquer barrel, reminiscent of rolling oceans, the look is completed with delicate brass map lines. Completed with a sterling silver cap, laser engraved with a pattern inspired by a view of the Earth from the poles, this pen has a true premium feel. The model designation on this pen is unobtrusively engraved on the side of the cap, and states “Parker France IIE”. The “E” designates the last digit of the production year. The numbering scheme used takes the word QUALITYPEN, and designates the numbers 0..9 to each of these letters. So E=8, meaning that this pen was produced in a year ending on a 8 (and more specifically in Q3 of that year). That fits with the release year of this special edition pen – 2018. Pen Look & Feel This is an elegant, slender fountain pen with a very classic feel to it. I particularly like the interplay of materials and engraved geographic patterns, that give the Atlas its distinctive looks. Parker produces lots of other pen models, none of which appeal to me. But for some reason I’ve always liked the look and feel of the Sonnet, flaws and all. And yes, I mean that ill-designed cap with its breather-hole that lets air in. As a result, water evaporates from the feed, increasing the ink’s saturation. It’s not that the nib dries out – never had a problem with that – but the first few lines of the day always write a lot darker and more saturated. After these first few lines, the normal ink colour and behaviour re-appears. Annoying, but a fingerprint feature of the Sonnet. The Atlas documentation states that the cap is made from Sterling silver. For years I’ve had my doubts. But while preparing for this review, I examined the cap very carefully with a magnifying glass, and lo-and-behold, there is a silver mark present! Well hidden, right under the arrow shaft of the clip. The pen has a push-cap mechanism and can be used unposted or posted (and it posts securely). I actually prefer to use this pen unposted (posted, it feels a bit top-heavy to me). The pen is very comfortable in the hand. When using it unposted, care should be taken when putting it on your desk – being completely round, the pen has a tendency to roll away. The 18K gold nib (AU 750/1000 purity) on this particular pen is a Fine, but one that writes very wet and leaves a very saturated line (especially when you compare it with the rather dry-writing Lamy Safari). I like this nib a lot. The pictures above illustrate the size of the Parker Sonnet in comparison with a standard Lamy Safari. Capped, both pens are roughly equal in size. I prefer to use both pens unposted – the Parker pen is a bit smaller than the Lamy but is still really comfortable to use. The posted Parker is a bit too large for my taste and feels top-heavy. Pen Characteristics Build Quality : the pen is well build, and still looks great after almost 6 years. The pen also has some weight to it (owing to the metal parts used in its construction). I had some fears that the engraved map pattern on the barrel would deteriorate with time, but that hasn’t happened. Overall the pen has aged gracefully. Weight & Dimensions : about the same size as a Lamy Safari when capped. Uncapped and unposted it is definitely a smaller pen, but still very comfortable in the hand. This is also a slender pen, especially compared to the much bulkier Lamy Safari. The pen has some heft to it – it is substantially heavier than a Lamy Safari, with most of the weight concentrated in the cap (making the pen a bit top-heavy when posted). Filling System : this is a cartridge convertor pen, that uses Parker proprietary cartridges. My pen came with a Parker convertors. But you can just as easy syringe-fill Parker Quink cartridges with your bottled ink of choice. Nib & Performance : the rhodium-plated 18K gold nib is well-proportioned for the size of this pen. In size, it sits right between a Lamy Safari and a Pelikan M200 nib. The F-nib on my unit writes like a dream and produces a wet and well-saturated line. Replacement nib units in different sizes can be found online (just do a Google search on “Parket Sonnet nib replacement”, and be sure to take a look at S.B.R.E.Brown’s excellent disassembly line youtube video for the Parker Sonnet. Price : I paid a solid 380 EUR for this pen, which is fairly expensive. But I still consider it a reasonable price for a special edition pen with an 18K gold nib. And more importantly, I really like the Atlas design, and still find it a joy to write with it – that is enough justification for me. Conclusion My Parker Sonnet Atals is a slender and elegant pen with a distinctive “geography-themed” design, that really speaks to me. I love writing with this particular pen – it always make me feel a bit of an armchair explorer, day-dreaming about these adventurers from the early 1900’s when the world was a lot bigger with lots of unexplored corners. I use this pen on a regular basis and never get tired of it. This one is definitely a keeper.

Hello and as usual I am looking for help, in this case to identify the finish on a Parker 88. The pen was made in the UK and has a IIL date code, so second qtr 1993. The pen has a green lacquer finish over a metal barrel and the gold splash is sitting on top of this finish and is not, as has been suggested to me, breaking through from underneath the green. This is not 'brassing' as the gold is three dimensional and under 10X magnification this can clearly be seen. If anyone knows what the finish is called or has seen it it before I would be very pleased to be advised Many thanks in advance for any information you may have.

Hi, I hope someone can help please. I have a Parker Duofold Greenwich Millennium fp which I want to change the nib from a medium to a fine. Can I do this myself and, if so, where can I buy a fine nib or headpiece please? Many thanks!

I recently acquired an emerald pearl streamlined standard second generation vacumatic. At first I thought the blindcap jewel was black, but on a closer look it’s machined from the emerald pearl celluloid, but not in the usual orientation. Is this a common thing? I'll attach some photos, but it’s difficult to capture and it’s visible only from a shallow angle.

Manufacturer: Parker Series, colour: Super Chrome Blue-Black Pen: Waterman Hemisphere „F” Paper: Image Volume (gramatura 80 g / m2) Specifications: Flow rate: good Lubrication: good Bleed through: unnoticeable Shading: noticeable Feathering: unnoticeable Saturation: very good A drop of ink smeared with a nib The ink smudged with a cotton pad Lines Water resistance Ink drying time Ink drops on a handkerchief Chromatography Sample text in an Image Volume (80 g / m2) Sample text in an Oxford notebook A5 (90 g / m2) Sample letters in a Rhodia notebook No 16 (90 g / m2) Sample letters in a Clairefontaine (120 g / m2) Palette of shades

My sincerest apologies if somebody has done this already, but I would like to inquire about the definitions of the commonly used terms Vintage and Modern. 1: Is there a certain commonly-accepted year of delineation, like 2000? Or is there a more general and broad period of time, such as Sheaffer´s abandonment of their traditional US manufacturing sites in the early 2000s? 2: does it vary per the type of pen in question? For example, an original mid-century Parker 51 VS the modern attempt at a remake? 3: does it vary per whether the pen is discontinued or still in production? For example, the now-discontinued TWSBI 530, VS the modern replacement, the 580? Does this make my particular variant of the Platinum Preppy WA from the 2021 release a “vintage” pen? Obviously, there is probably no real universal answer to this question. I am simply looking to collect some opinions, pointers, and useful information as I start gearing up to enter the vintage fountain pen world. If you know of any particularly interesting “vintage VS modern” case studies, I would be delighted to read about them. Moderators, if you know about an older thread that this would merge well into, *please* do it. In a bygone era, I was once a forums moderator, and I know how ridiculous redundant threads can get. I am simply at present not able to find a thread that explicitly discusses this topic. (I could also just be blind)

Hello, I have a parker vacumatic twist type pencil that I recently received as part of a Vacumatic FP/Pencil set (though.. they don't look like an original set as the bands don't match). The body is in excellent condition but the mechanism doesn't seem to be working. I can twist it either direction without reaching any stop and I do not see the clutch or anything extend from the tip to grip the lead. I have tried slipping lead in it but do not feel anything in the barrel to clear out so I don't think it's a lead jam. I don't see a way to take the mechanism apart for further inspection. Does anyone have any experience with these and advice on how to try to get it working? Or is there some place to buy a replacement mechanism/send it for repair? I've attached some images of the pencil and mechanism.