Parker 45- more finishes than i thought

[rochester21]

It has come to my attention recently that the Parker 45 had, among other finishes, at least 3 different gold plated versions, so the Insignia was made first with the black "tassie" as they call it, then with the gold tassie to match the body, then no tassie and in between them there is also a version where the tassie is replaced with a tiny black cap while the section slims down towards the end, basically altering the final look of the pen. 

 

The most common among these are the early ones featuring the black tassie(some had the gold filled denomination while most are "rolled gold" which is like plating but ticker). 

 

I was lucky enough to be able to recently order a Insignia with the gold tassie to match my flighter with chrome trims, but also the rarer version with a tapered barrel and no tassie at the end(this also comes with a XF nib, which interests me). This is because i love the Parker 45 and i love gold pens. 

 

Interesting to note that although the slim end version is pretty rare i only paid 37 euros for mine because i was the only bidder. 

 

I think the early black tassie Insignias are even more common and easy to obtain, further more they are better because some of them(not all) are made using the gold filled technique, which is just basically a thick layer of gold which should make these finishes very durable in time. 

 

To top things off, as far as i understand it, most Insignia models also come with 14K nibs, despite them not being any different in writing than the regular steel nibs it's still interesting to have, especially at this price point. 

 

So, to recap- dirt cheap Parker 45s with thick gold plating and gold nibs? YES PLEASE. 

 

Why didn't i discover these versions sooner, i love them but in my country I've only seen the more common versions for sale. 

 

For some reason even the Arlequin series seem to be more common where i live than these Insignia models.

 

I would like to thank the Parker Penography website for clearing up the confusion regarding these versions, like usual it's my main source of info for parker pens. 

 

Please take the opportunity to mention your favorite Parker 45 finish and why you like it best. 

[Number99]

  On 11/6/2022 at 4:32 AM, rochester21 said:

It has come to my attention recently that the Parker 45 had, among other finishes, at least 3 different gold plated versions, so the Insignia was made first with the black "tassie" as they call it, then with the gold tassie to match the body, then no tassie and in between them there is also a version where the tassie is replaced with a tiny black cap while the section slims down towards the end, basically altering the final look of the pen. 

 

The most common among these are the early ones featuring the black tassie(some had the gold filled denomination while most are "rolled gold" which is like plating but ticker). 

 

I was lucky enough to be able to recently order a Insignia with the gold tassie to match my flighter with chrome trims, but also the rarer version with a tapered barrel and no tassie at the end(this also comes with a XF nib, which interests me). This is because i love the Parker 45 and i love gold pens. 

 

Interesting to note that although the slim end version is pretty rare i only paid 37 euros for mine because i was the only bidder. 

 

I think the early black tassie Insignias are even more common and easy to obtain, further more they are better because some of them(not all) are made using the gold filled technique, which is just basically a thick layer of gold which should make these finishes very durable in time. 

 

To top things off, as far as i understand it, most Insignia models also come with 14K nibs, despite them not being any different in writing than the regular steel nibs it's still interesting to have, especially at this price point. 

 

So, to recap- dirt cheap Parker 45s with thick gold plating and gold nibs? YES PLEASE. 

 

Why didn't i discover these versions sooner, i love them but in my country I've only seen the more common versions for sale. 

 

For some reason even the Arlequin series seem to be more common where i live than these Insignia models.

 

I would like to thank the Parker Penography website for clearing up the confusion regarding these versions, like usual it's my main source of info for parker pens. 

 

Please take the opportunity to mention your favorite Parker 45 finish and why you like it best. 

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Your Amazing non-tassie insignia is very interesting.

I am interested in the Italian warranty card shown in the image. Is the anti-counterfeiting stamp (6630) also on your non-tassie insignia?

 

I am also curious as to what country the Non-Tassie Insignia is produced in, whether it is marked rolled gold or gold filled, and whether it has a date code.

It looks like there is a black disc/jewel on the barrel end, but is it actually not there?

 

There are cases where rare pens are commonly distributed locally (e.g. flighter with rage red, burgundy, navy blue barrel end pieces), and some versions are very difficult to find locally. (e.g. Harlequin).

 

We are aware of at least five versions that were probably only sold on the Japanese market.

 

I don't have a particular version of the pen that I like, and I like all the 45s I have.

Edited November 6, 2022 by Number99
Spelling error correction.

[rochester21]

Thank you for your interest. 

Right now i can't present the pen as I am travelling with my work, but when I get home in a couple of months i would like to revisit this thread and add my own pictures. 

 

The warranty card is definitely interesting but it's not actually filled out. 

 

As for the pen i'm pretty sure it's french made with the rolled gold platting, it's not a super rare version or anything. 

 

[Number99]

  On 11/6/2022 at 11:15 AM, rochester21 said:

Thank you for your interest. 

Right now i can't present the pen as I am travelling with my work, but when I get home in a couple of months i would like to revisit this thread and add my own pictures. 

 

The warranty card is definitely interesting but it's not actually filled out. 

 

As for the pen i'm pretty sure it's french made with the rolled gold platting, it's not a super rare version or anything. 

 

Expand  

Depending on where we reside, very scarcity can shift in the high direction.

Often when we use ebay in our area the shipping cost approaches or eclipses the price of the pen.

 

Unfortunately and inevitably, the more affordable the pen is, the more pronounced this tendency becomes.

😅

Edited November 6, 2022 by Number99
Correction of mistranslation.

[TheRedBeard]

Thanks for starting this thread  

While I do like Parkers with full metal barrels and caps the most, for some reasons, I have completely overlooked P45 Insignia models... 

So, now I am about to fix this "mistake" and will certainly try to find and buy those Insignias for my collection  

[I-am-not-really-here]

Somewhere around here is a Gold Brocade, though its the nothing special "wood" tips variety.  Purchased solely because its clip-less, a personal preference I drift in and out of from time to time.  It was not expensive in spite of any claims of rarity amongst the P45 line.

[rochester21]

  On 11/6/2022 at 5:00 PM, TheRedBeard said:

Thanks for starting this thread  

While I do like Parkers with full metal barrels and caps the most, for some reasons, I have completely overlooked P45 Insignia models... 

So, now I am about to fix this "mistake" and will certainly try to find and buy those Insignias for my collection  

Expand  

Yes! We need more of these pens to fall in the right hands for use and preservation. 

 

And although the tipping on these 60s-70s nibs is a bit coarse for my tastes the writing part is as reliable as it gets so i have no worries ordering them, as i know they always write when you put ink in them. 

[rochester21]

  On 11/6/2022 at 5:16 PM, I-am-not-really-here said:

Somewhere around here is a Gold Brocade, though its the nothing special "wood" tips variety.  Purchased solely because its clip-less, a personal preference I drift in and out of from time to time.  It was not expensive in spite of any claims of rarity amongst the P45 line.

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What's a "wood" tip? 

 

I think many are overlooking the model in itself despite being almost half a century in production with a lot of finishes and nib varieties. 

 

It's a classy shape but also a completely functional design, that's why most are still around working just as well as when they rolled out the production line, also the fact that the nibs were extremely rigid protected them from damage. 

[I-am-not-really-here]

  On 11/6/2022 at 8:36 PM, rochester21 said:

What's a "wood" tip? 

Expand  

The cap crown and barrel butt have a wood look.  See here - Parker 45 Lady

[rochester21]

Oh, the maroon tassie. Interesting. 

[inkstainedruth]

I'll admit that the gold ones do nothing for me.  But I'd dearly love a 45 Harlequin -- just not at the prices I've seen them for....  

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[baz666]

  On 11/7/2022 at 3:20 AM, rochester21 said:

Oh, the maroon tassie. Interesting. 

Expand  

 

Both of the end tassies on the Parker Lady 45 (GP Brocade) are actually made from wood, they do not look maroon in person.

 

 

[hood]

  On 11/6/2022 at 4:32 AM, rochester21 said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

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These variants with the longer barrel and the little black disc on the end were French made. The Italian certificate of authenticity would have been supplied with a pen that had the same serial number stamped on the section, similar to this one.