What Parkers Have Joined Your Collection Lately?

[Heinkle]

The check designs run very high prices on that site, suggesting they're both rare and in demand. Then again, I always think sellers on that site grossly over-estimate the value of their pens when the condition isn't always mint. I would always insist on looking at the metal ring just below the nib, which is prone to wear and is a good indicator of how the pen was cared for.

[sansenri]

On 6/21/2021 at 7:56 PM, IThinkIHaveAProblem said:

It's really nice.

 

It's a really good thing that

a) Modern Duofolds are way out of my price range and

b) I have sworn off modern Parker (in general)

 

Or I'd have an all new obsession to track down...  (as if I need another one...)

 

I like these too. The Olive seems to have been discontinued before the others.

Similarly to the modern Jade, modern Green Duofolds seemed to have had less appeal than other colours... (admittedly the Jasper red and Lapislazuli blue were out of this world...)

[Paul-in-SF]

4 hours ago, sansenri said:

The Olive seems to have been discontinued before the others.

Yes, and the Citrine started a little after the others.

 

Of all the colors especially in the MkII/Ace period, the blue marble seems to be the cheapest/most common. Followed probably by red marble. The presentation boxes also add a fair premium, so if you don't care about those you can save some. 

[sansenri]

infact... I own a few centennials/internationals but really never cared for the boxes and bought most of them used in mint or near mint condition mostly without the boxes.

Besides collecting appeal, which the do have, they are really nice pens to use, as long as you are not expecting flex nibs (and if you exclude that, the nibs are really good). Ergonomically the Centennial is one of the most ergonomic designs out there (at least for my hand).

[como]

1 hour ago, sansenri said:

...

Besides collecting appeal, which the do have, they are really nice pens to use, as long as you are not expecting flex nibs (and if you exclude that, the nibs are really good). Ergonomically the Centennial is one of the most ergonomic designs out there (at least for my hand).

+1. Parker Duofold Centennials are just really good solid writers, very comfortable to hold and generally smooth without any flow issues. Sometimes I dream a little: only if they can have even just a little semi-flex😀.

[Carguy]

An English Parker Duofold AF with what appears to be a stub nib!

[JotterAddict62]

These

 

[sansenri]

3 hours ago, JotterAddict62 said:

These

disorienting!

 

21 hours ago, como said:

+1. Parker Duofold Centennials are just really good solid writers, very comfortable to hold and generally smooth without any flow issues. Sometimes I dream a little: only if they can have even just a little semi-flex😀.

would probably feel strange, a modern Centennial with flex!

[como]

4 minutes ago, sansenri said:

would probably feel strange, a modern Centennial with flex!

Well, strange but would be nice. Not many vintage Duofolds have flex either (DUOFOLD, Duh!!)😀

[cabbie]

Just got a French Plexor in the mail today. Licenced by Parker to be made in France. Similar in size to a Vacumatic and English Duofold.

[IThinkIHaveAProblem]

6 minutes ago, cabbie said:

Just got a French Plexor in the mail today. Licenced by Parker to be made in France. Similar in size to a Vacumatic and English Duofold.

 

 

 

neat.

 

good looking pen... but then again, it's a vac

 

[Mr Gutsy]

A parker 61 in teal, unfortunately it's had to be benched for repairs due to the hood being porous in multiple places. 

 

Such a shame - it's quite nice and had the arrow intact on the hood which was a pleasant surprise given how often they fall out. Why Parker cheaped out on the plastic for this model I'll never understand.

[mitto]

These.

 

The clips on 1-3 from left (long tapering feathers) are very early English aerometric cap clips. 

[TheRedBeard]

36 minutes ago, mitto said:

These.

 

The clips on 1-3 from left (long tapering feathers) are very early English aerometric cap clips. 

Great addition  

If the 2nd from right is blood-red?

[mitto]

18 minutes ago, TheRedBeard said:

Great addition  

If the 2nd from right is blood-red?

Both the two on the right are BBB (British Blood Red). 

[IThinkIHaveAProblem]

Mmm. Navy Grey and bbb.  Two colours i need…

[TheRedBeard]

20 hours ago, mitto said:

Both the two on the right are BBB (British Blood Red). 

Nice  I have got only one of that colour so far... 

[inkstainedruth]

On 6/26/2021 at 10:25 AM, Mr Gutsy said:

A parker 61 in teal, unfortunately it's had to be benched for repairs due to the hood being porous in multiple places. 

 

Such a shame - it's quite nice and had the arrow intact on the hood which was a pleasant surprise given how often they fall out. Why Parker cheaped out on the plastic for this model I'll never understand.

Yeah.  Agree with you 100% on that.  I love the capillary fill system, but the plastic they used was just garbage.  Worse than on 21s (even if it was the same stuff).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[TheRedBeard]

23 minutes ago, inkstainedruth said:

Yeah.  Agree with you 100% on that.  I love the capillary fill system, but the plastic they used was just garbage.  Worse than on 21s (even if it was the same stuff).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

I agree on that point , too. 

It is still a mystery for me why Parker decided to compromise on quality of P61 using that poor plastic... And I do not find lower production cost to be a reasonable justification. 

P61 was intended to replace P51 targeting the same customer segment, where appreciation of P51 sturdiness was one of the keys to its commercial success. 

And 50s were the times when high-quality products were in high demand...

 

 

[IThinkIHaveAProblem]

49 minutes ago, TheRedBeard said:

I agree on that point , too. 

It is still a mystery for me why Parker decided to compromise on quality of P61 using that poor plastic... And I do not find lower production cost to be a reasonable justification. 

P61 was intended to replace P51 targeting the same customer segment, where appreciation of P51 sturdiness was one of the keys to its commercial success. 

And 50s were the times when high-quality products were in high demand...

 

 

I tend to believe that Parker at the time was facing two things:

1) ballpoints were the future, so production costs had to be cut since the fountain pen market was shrinking; and

2) I honestly don't think anyone knew the plastic was going to be so bad long term.

 

If you look back, you can find paperwork (the internal news letter) that Sheaffer had, bragging about Forticel being used in their pens, how 2nds could just be ground up and used again, instead of wasted, how it was more consistent and how they thought it was a great plastic! ... BUT as people who own touchdowns know; it also shrank, especially around the tail, where it would break and render the barrel unusable  

I honestly, in this case, don't think they knew that it was not stable, in fact, in the newsletter, they brag about how its MORE stable than Radite (celluloid)

http://www.richardspens.com/ref/gloss/R.htm

 

it's right there on the second page, under "new plastic" :

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OeD_fqks-QQVYANniA7NhrZh1Q10522c/view

(this link is from the PCA archive: https://pencollectorsofamerica.org/reference-library/sheaffer/ )

 

I think Parker was likely under the same impression WRT Polystyrene.

 

Re. the "high quality" argument: Marketing can make anything seem high quality. (NG51 anyone?...)  And since the fit and finish on the 61s is excellent, people had no reason to doubt the quality of the pen. It strikes me that the 50s was also a time when "science" was going to save us all, and was the most used buzz word in marketing of the time. It seems as though everything was "scientifically developed" in the 50's. 

So, if "science" designs a NEW plastic... it must be superior to the old one right?... or so the logic would likely have gone.

 

In this rare instance, I am willing to give Parker the benefit of the doubt. I don't think they knew that the 61s would self destruct over time. Generally I am EXTREMELY cynical when it comes to businesses, but in this case? I don't think that 1950's Parker would play games with their flagship.

 

TODAY's Parker gets no such pass. TODAY's Parker I assume KNEW about the problems with the NG51, and didn't care. They have their money, and QUARTERLY earnings reports are all they care about. No long term view for the future, just the next bonus cycle. 

 

All that said, I DO wish 1950s Parker had just used Lucite... 😕 

1 out of my 2 of my 61s has a barrel that is cracked at the threads due to shrinkage, and is therefore basically useless.

Too bad too, 'cause otherwise, it's a great pen. Fills fast, writes great.

And no, I'm not really looking for another barrel, the same thing will just happen again.

And another barrel would likely cost more than I am willing to pay to save the pen, so if I can't get one locally for real cheap, then eventually that pen will become a donor. Sad really.