Trade Parker Duofold Intl. For Lamy 2000 Or Pilot Vp?

[JerryC]

If given the opportunity, would you trade a current Parker Duofold Intl. for either a Lamy 2000, or Pilot VP? I rarely use the Duofold. It is a good writer, but I am always concerned about dropping it or scratching it. When I bought it in 1996, I was a desk jockey. Now I work in the furniture trades, repairing and finishing wood.

 

My work environment is not as pristine as my office was. Many times I need to take notes for a phone call while I am in the middle of staining wood. I always wear nitrile gloves, but still run the risk of mishandling my pen after removing the gloves. I also do not like the threaded cap of the Duofold. Currently, I carry my Lamy Safari, or Pilot Mertopolitan.

 

Thanks for any input.

[Glenn Atkins]

Assuming the conditions of the pens are ~ equal I would not trade the Duofold for either the 2000 or the VP. The Duofold used is probably worth twice the 2000 or the VP new.

 

Glenn

[Charles Rice]

No way

[rochester21]

I would have said yes, but i don`t have a VP or Lamy 2000

 

Sell the Duofold and buy the VP and the Lamy, that`s the way to go.

Edited March 10, 2015 by rochester21

[jar]

Nope. Had several Lamy 2000s and gave them all away. Great pen to introduce a kid to fountain pens.

 

I have three Pilot/Namaki VPs. Every few years I might get one out but they see very little pocket time.

 

The modern Duofold International is a great small (classic standard) size pen with one of the best filling systems ever devised.

[Wolverine1]

I would say that maybe you should sell off the Parker, and then with the proceeds buy your self a Pilot VP to use when you are building stuff at your workshop. You will have the pen which you can work with you in the workshop, and have some moey left over. Heck you can then buy the Lamy 2000 too !!!!:)

Seriously the Parker is worth more than either of the pens you have asked about.

[doggonecarl]

I'm not sure I'd carry my Lamy 2000 or Pilot VP into the work environment you describe. The Vanishing Points have nice finishes. I'm careful not to abuse them.

[gerigo]

Jar, could you qualify "best filling system"? Isn't it a converter filled pen?

 

Nope. Had several Lamy 2000s and gave them all away. Great pen to introduce a kid to fountain pens.

 

I have three Pilot/Namaki VPs. Every few years I might get one out but they see very little pocket time.

 

The modern Duofold International is a great small (classic standard) size pen with one of the best filling systems ever devised.

[Charles Rice]

Jar, could you qualify "best filling system"? Isn't it a converter filled pen?

 

Do you really want to go there?

[jar]

Jar, could you qualify "best filling system"? Isn't it a converter filled pen?

 

 

 

Yup, cartridge/converter, my personal favored filling system. Other folk will like other systems which is fine. But they are wrong.

[JerryC]

Thanks to everyone for your input. I thought I would get some input from FPN'rs if I was riding off the rail on this idea. I thought my Duofold fountain / ball point pen set is worth in the $200-250 range used. On ebay, it is worth what ever that high bidder is willing to pay that day. I'm a little concerned to list them and only get $125. I will keep them for that price.

 

I have not been happy with the Duofold since I purchased it in 1996. It was my third fountain pen, the first two being Targa's. I just was uninformed of what a $300 pen was supposed to write like. It wasn't until I saw other FPN posts about the dry writing problem's they too were having with their Duofold's, that I sent it back to Parker for a nib feed adjustment.

 

It come back performing much better, but still has a dry nib if left unused for a week. My $4 Hero performs much better than this pen does if left for a week unused. I saw another post on FPN about the vent hole under the cap clip allowing nibs to dry out. I put scotch tape over the hole to test out the theory, and the pen performed like it had be just inked after setting for a week. The xf nib writes very smooth.

 

Right now I have removed the tape, cleaned the pen, and returned it to its box for storage. I also have a Duofold ball point pen to go with it. The ball point Duofold is one generation earlier, but if you do not know the difference, they look like a matching set.

 

I would love to sell the pair if anyone is interested. I know I will never get the use of them, as I have little reason to carry such an elegant writing instrument in the public arena, except maybe to church. It is too good of a pen for my everyday use.

 

Thanks

[Ernst Bitterman]

 

 

Yup, cartridge/converter, my personal favored filling system. Other folk will like other systems which is fine. But they are wrong.

Some of us are even wicked enough to revel in our folly.

I've got VP and 2000, and they are VERY DIFFERENT pens. The question about what sort of environment they're coming to is a very pertinent one. I think if I were to choose between them, I'd plump for the 2000 on the grounds of capacity and built-in filler, but sometimes it's nice to have that one-handed deployment ability.

[ac12]

In a workshop environment, where the pen is subject to chemical and physical abuse, I would carry a wood pencil or a disposable pen.

[Runnin_Ute]

In a workshop environment, where the pen is subject to chemical and physical abuse, I would carry a wood pencil or a disposable pen.

at most a Pilot G2 - and I might not go there. But I think you are dead on with this in that environment. If I had an office off my workshop? Then maybe a Safari/Al Star type thing - but only there. But in the shop itself?

1. Wood pencil

2. cheap throw away (advertising pen)

 

 

 

 

3. Pilot G2

[JerryC]

at most a Pilot G2 - and I might not go there. But I think you are dead on with this in that environment. If I had an office off my workshop? Then maybe a Safari/Al Star type thing - but only there. But in the shop itself?

1. Wood pencil

2. cheap throw away (advertising pen)

 

 

 

 

3. Pilot G2

LOL, My work environment is not this bad. Believe it or not, my shop is probably as clean as most homes. Dust is a killer for a great finish. Although I do use chemical strippers from time to time, I am so covered in protective gear that I wouldn't hear a phone ring, not to mention the noise created by my 7000 cfm tube axial paint booth fan, which sucks the fumes away. Believe it or not, the OSHA rules are very strick on worker exposure to methelyne cloride paint stripper fumes. I also use a supplied air respirator, which creates a safe fresh air breathing zone.

 

Although the Duofold doesn't work well for me in this enviornment, the Pilot VP would because of the one handed click action. I will be on the look out for a good ebay deal on a used one with xf nib. If I get some stain on it, the solvent used to remove it would not be an active solvent for the materials the pen is made of.

 

Thanks for all the advice!

[OcalaFlGuy]

Jerry you seem to have answered your own question. But, another point to consider too.

 

At least a couple three times you state that you never really like the Duofold set, and never did or still do use it much. It's real value To You is only what you paid for it years ago and that's a long ago outlay.

 

If a vanishing point or L2000 were to end up being All That to you and went into full everyday use and you were assured by the seller it was an exceptional writer, then would there really be an issue with this "uneven trade"?

 

I will certainly grant you that the set is worth more in dollars than either of those two pens but that's not Always the total picture.

 

Pen peeps pay Top Dollar to the Dr. I's, El Zornos (no offense meant Ron ), and Mottishaws for the Convenience and Security of getting the exact pen and nib they want, Right Damn Now, from a source they trust. And, they are willing to pay extra for that "added value".

 

That's not the way *I* buy pens but it doesn't make them wrong, just different.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

[Lou Erickson]

As others have said, that pen is worth more than a Lamy 2k or Pilot VP. If you want to sell it for a reasonable price, try the classifieds here before eBay. I also agree with them and you that if you're not using it and don't like it, let it go and find one you do like.

 

I have both some L2Ks, and Pilot VPs. I did not expect multiples, but there you go.

 

They are both nice pens, and both write well, but are very different pens.

 

I think the L2k's Makrolon construction would be better suited to a workshop, and less likely to scratch and get beat up. My L2ks - all modern - are nails, but very smooth writers. Your modern Parker XF is probably similar to the Lamy XF.

 

On the other hand, the VP's one-handed use seems like a real plus for you, and might mean you'd prefer it. My VPs are all smooth writers with a little bit of spring to the nib - they're not flexy, but they have a little give when you write. Personally, I like that. The Pilot XF is very fine indeed; I don't have one, but have seen them.

 

Both of these pens have some real quirks about their shape. If you can, get a chance to hold both of them before you pick one up.

[JerryC]

Thanks for the suggestions. I plan to list them on FPN classifieds over the weekend. Maybe they will gain some interest. I see one on ebay now with a med nib where the bidding is north of $150. It will be interesting to see how the auction ends.

[Buzz_130]

Good luck selling your pens, and as you consider your replacement, the VP and the 2k are very different pens.

 

The VP is a great pen with a very good reputation here on FPN. The material is very durable, the clicker is a great feature, and the converter/nib set is easy to swap out if you want to try a different nib size. But, you should try one out before buying it. The clip location can be uncomfortable, depending on your grip. My wife has no problem with her VP and always has it with her. I've used my VP at work for the past two weeks, and I only use it for short notes or quick words. It's a wide and heavy pen with an interesting clip design. I find the clip location to be uncomfortable for long writing sessions, and, as a result, it's not one of my favorite pens. In Arkansas, you have a few options to head out to a store and just get a feel for the grip.

 

The L2K is also a pen with a great reputation. The design dates back to the 60s, and the pen has a large number of advocates here on the boards. The material is very tough, the semi-hooded nib is well protected, and the filling system is a smooth piston. The satisfying click when you secure the cap is a good sound. But I would also recommend a chance to hold this pen as well. That click comes from small metal tabs at the beginning of the section. I have no problem with the location, but others don't like it based on their grip. The metal section may or may not meet your needs either. This is a wider pen and one with some heft as well.

 

Good luck with your hunt.

 

Buzz