What Parker Are You Using This Day?

[HalloweenHJB]

 

What makes it a "For Men" pen? I've got a 1941 Laidtone in this color and while I've marked in my inventory that it's a "For Men", there's nothing that I see about it that's overly masculine (maybe the green or brown color models, but not the blue, particularly). Heck, at the moment I've got J Herbin Rose Tendresse in it and that's probably about as girly as it gets....

 

 

 

 

Sheaffer used to sell a pen specifically for men:

 

 

Perhaps Parker did the same in their advertising to counter Sheaffer.... Don't know.

[pajaro]

It's a large pen, stereotypically thought in those male chauvinist times as being for men. Today women use big Pelikans, Montblancs and big Chinese pens, so why shouldn't a woman use the PFM?

 

I am using today a Parker 51, midnight blue and Lustraloy cap, with a Minuskin stub. It's smaller than a PFM, but it's my favorite type of pen. With blue black ink. A man's pen, mine.

Edited January 25, 2016 by pajaro

[northstar]

- Parker 51 Aerometric MKIII loaded with Montblanc Mystery black.

- Parker 75 loaded with Waterman Audacious red.

[Eduardo]

Parker 61 and Parker 65, both Flighter GT

[newkid12]

A green Parker 45 with a fine nib, a Lustraloy cap and gold clip. Filled with Diamine Emerald Green ink.

[mikelesq]

 

Sheaffer used to sell a pen specifically for men:

 

Sheaffer-PFM.JPG

 

Perhaps Parker did the same in their advertising to counter Sheaffer.... Don't know.

 

From what I've read, the Ladies' and Mens' models were identical, except that the Mens' had three narrow bands, while the Ladies' had a wide jewelers band. What made them distinct from the other Duofolds was that they were cheaper button fillers instead of vacumatics.

 

http://parkerpens.net/duovac.html

 

 

 

So, what's the nib on yours?

It reads "Parker Pen Made in U.S.A." and has the date code (0 with two dots, so I think that's 2nd quarter; the barrel has a zero with one dot).

[Mercian]

Today I am using my UK-made (Q1 1994) Vector.

It has a black plastic body and a typical UK Medium nib of that period (i.e. it writes a fairly wide and rather wet line).

It is the first fountain pen that I bought, and so I have a sentimental attachment to it.

I don't use it very often - because it is too narrow for my ape's paws to write with it for any length of time without discomfort - but in my experience it always writes very smoothly. I have also always found it very easy to get all residual ink out of this pen.

I am using this Vector at the moment because yesterday I received my first bottle of Rohrer & Klingner •Scabiosa” dusky purple iron-gall ink.

The ink has a reputation for being extremely dry-writing, so I am using this pen to find out exactly how dry that is.
And also to find out whether or not it is difficult to get residual Scabiosa out of a pen.

 

For now, I am enjoying the ink (though it is very dry-writing), but my strongest impression of the experience so far is that I had forgotten how well-put-together this pen feels.

Still, as it was (is?) a pen designed for use by teenaged schoolchildren, robustness was probably a design requirement

Edited January 29, 2016 by Mercian

[linearM]

A Parker Duovac (1944) blue, black and gray striated with Waterman Mysterious Blue Ink. A beautiful pen.

[Witsius]

I've been carrying a 45 Flighter loaded with Aurora Black for the past few days

[northstar]

Parker 51 Vacumatic 1945 Cordovan brown loaded with Parker Penman Sapphire

 

 

http://s5.postimg.org/koig1u1wn/P51_PPS.jpg

[LWJ2]

Today's Parker is a grey Parker 51 with a T-6 imprint; Lustraloy cap, 14K fine nib, inked with Pelikan's Edelstein Sapphire. It's the second from the top in the photo.

 

http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/lwj2/5626446/373519/373519_900.jpg

 

 

[Parker_S]

Parker 21 with Black Quink (I know its a little mundane)

Parker Urban with Noodler's General of the Armies

[inkstainedruth]

For me, today, it was the Silver Pearl Vac Major (1st quarter 1946), filled with De Atramentis Silver Grey. Thought it was supposed to the same ink as Tchaikowsky (or, rather, that Tchaikowsky was relabelled Silver Grey), but it seems to be a tad darker, and have even better water resistance. Could it be slight variations between batches (my bottle of Tchaikowsky is about three years old at this point)?

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[TeaHive]

I'm repairing a black Vacumatic Long Major from 1937 today, so I WILL be using it later on tonight, so long as all goes as it should.

 

I'm still using my Duofold Jr. in Mandarin, with Diamine Wild Strawberry It's a bright and sunny combo!

[Tom Heath]

nice choices

 

Today I will pick one or more of these

 

Showing off my new Vintage Parker 51 mirror " World Most Wanted Pen "

[Flounder]

An English Parker 51, black with rolled silver cap, lovely cheerful Diamine Royal Blue bringing summer out the business end.

[mitto]

First year English black aero 51 with the broadest nib I have ever seen on a 51. Loaded with quink blue black.

[TeaHive]

Duofold Jr. Mandarin with Diamine Wild Strawberry. Man, I LOVE this pen!

 

Striped "Man" Duofold in Blue/Silver/Black with a replacement Vacumatic nib. Still needs some nib adjustment and tweaking. Diamine Sepia!

[pajaro]

Plum 51 with a blunt fine nib. A grotesque wet pen that seldom leaves its $300 pen case shared with the Carenes.

 

The plum is like a box on a bucket list. Checked that one off.

Edited February 8, 2016 by pajaro

[Manalto]

1930 Duofold streamline, burgundy and black, with the nicest, juiciest, silky-smooth medium nib, just back from repair.