Parker 135th anniversary Duofold Centennial limited edition

[Heinkle]

In case anyone missed it, Parker has announced (released?) a 135th anniversary edition of the (Mk 4) black Centennial (in silver and gold trim), with a special anniversary imprint on the barrel. One pen retailer is already selling them for £850! It is part of a gift set that comes with some ink, a pouch etc.

 

Conclusion: like the 2021 100th anniversary Duofolds, this is further evidence of Newell's elitist vision for the Centennial line, i.e. to permanently limit standard model choice and kid themselves their limited editions command the cache of Montblancs.

 

 

[FarmBoy]

So you probably won’t be getting one?

[Heinkle]

 

33 minutes ago, FarmBoy said:

So you probably won’t be getting one?

ha, no, I won’t.

 

As a general observation, it’s getting harder to find standard Duofolds at anything like a reasonable price. So when I see an RRP of £850 for a lazy “135 YEARS” stamp on a standard barrel, I am of course disappointed. How has the brand ended up here?

 

I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that the vast majority of people in the Parker section of the forum are here to discuss  historic/vintage rather than contemporary pens. Can the same be said of Pelikan, Montblanc, Lamy, etc?
 

Newell would do well to look to their peers, the likes of Aurora, for how to offer heritage pens that warrant the premium price. That’s if they really care, of course.

[VacNut]

A MB is reasonably priced? As are Auroras?

That’s great news.

[Heinkle]

Well a standard Duofold is now in the £400-600 bracket (depending where you go, model, colour etc), which is comparable to other brands’ flagship standard pens. But I’m saying compare the more limited editions, and Parker offers you very little for what is upwards of double the price.

 

In any case, if you disagree with me and want to defend Parker/Newell, I’m all ears.

[FarmBoy]

Are the MB Van Gogh LEs already below $1000?

 

[Heinkle]

So much for a friendly forum. More sarcastic questions thrown back at me.

[VacNut]

Many on this forum would never pay more than $100 for a pen.

 

The monetary value of a pen is based on the individual buyer’s willingness to pay for the pen and their desire to own the pen. $500 for a Centennial would be considered very frivolous to many people. For others the $1000 price tag may be worthwhile for a pen that took 135 years to develop.

 

Geoffrey Parker attends pen shows throughout the world. I have met him and he is a very patient, kind, sincere, and conscientious man, who is well aware of his family’s legacy. To dismiss his and Newell’s efforts because you do not agree with them is a bit over-reaching on your part, particularly when the pen was likely developed during the COVID epidemic - at a time when there was worldwide economic uncertainty with various industries unable to guarantee deliveries. The pen was likely a huge financial gamble for Parker to commemorate the 135th anniversary of the brand name.

When was the last time the owners or family members of Aurora or MB made themselves available at a pen show to speak to collectors?

 

Is there a Mr or Ms Mont Blanc? I will have to Google that…

[Heinkle]

You may well have met him, and are entitled to your opinion of mine, but as a Parker consumer I can’t say I look at the direction the company has been heading in for the last 5-10 years and view it as anything other than a gradual decline of the Parker legacy.

 

Call it over-reaching if you like, but if people like me, who do buy Duofolds and would buy more in the right circumstances, feel increasingly secondary to the casual masses who either buy Jotters or (God forbid) knock-off Jinhao’s for a fraction of the price, they’ve taken a commercial misstep.

 

Maybe one to pass on to Mr Parker when you next speak to him.

[FarmBoy]

I’m confident your concerns have been discussed with Geoff and others at Parker. 
 

 

[VacNut]

Yes, you are entitled to your opinion. You can make your opinion known by not buying Parker Products and choosing other pens. I personally prefer Omas to Aurora and MB.

I wouldn’t be so dismissive of other pen models as a pen ultimately is about writing and both of those pens you mentioned perfectly fulfill the role.

You and I would have preferred the higher end pen, but we are not trying to predict the market and commit to a decision years ahead of a debut. There are plenty of other Parker pens to buy.
 

I look for to seeing the 150th Anniversary Pen. It could be spectacular.

 

[ZeroDukE]

14 minutes ago, VacNut said:

 I personally prefer Omas to Aurora and MB.

 

I do agree

[Paul-in-SF]

I have more than a few modern Duofold Centennials, I think they are solid and reliable writers. I prefer what I think is the MkII era that started in 1996 and seems to have ended in 2015. The variations available since 2016 I don't find interesting at all, especially the combined cap ring(s) and the unadventurous and uninspired materials choices.

 

4 hours ago, VacNut said:

the $1000 price tag may be worthwhile for a pen that took 135 years to develop.

 

I don't see much development recently. They are the same pen, really, since the more streamlined version that started in 1996, just different trim and occasionally different materials. 

 

4 hours ago, VacNut said:

the pen was likely developed during the COVID epidemic - at a time when there was worldwide economic uncertainty with various industries unable to guarantee deliveries. The pen was likely a huge financial gamble for Parker to commemorate the 135th anniversary of the brand name.

 

Again, I'm not seeing much in the way of development. Is this not the same black pen that they normally sell, with the same nib, different trim and some extra engraving on the barrel? That doesn't look like much of an investment that would constitute a huge financial gamble. It seems more like playing it safe.

 

I have no wish to criticize Parker particularly, they are at least still seriously in the game. I didn't like the previous anniversary pens and I don't like this one. I probably won't be around for the 150th, or at least not buying pens, but I truly hope it is dazzling. It would be nice to see that their best years aren't behind them. 

[lionelc]

dont get the significance of their 135th year in particular - any opinions?  their pen description sounds very montblanc this time - 'precious resin' indeed

[Mags]

Parker would be better served if the imprint was gold embossed on the black and frankly a larger pen in the oversized family that serves as man jewellery for the suit and boardrooms.  Just my 2 cents.

[FarmBoy]

1 hour ago, lionelc said:

dont get the significance of their 135th year in particular - any opinions?  their pen description sounds very montblanc this time - 'precious resin' indeed

Parker’s born on date is 1888. 

[Heinkle]

1 hour ago, Mags said:

Parker would be better served if the imprint was gold embossed on the black and frankly a larger pen in the oversized family that serves as man jewellery for the suit and boardrooms.  Just my 2 cents.

 

So it seems that is one of the two options (gold or chrome trim), but ofc is an otherwise standard (Mk 4) Centennial body / nib:

[VacNut]

17 hours ago, Mags said:

Parker would be better served if the imprint was gold embossed on the black and frankly a larger pen in the oversized family that serves as man jewellery for the suit and boardrooms.  Just my 2 cents.

“..man jewelry” what an apt description for oversized pens. Well said. 
I will have to pull out my Parker Giant during my next meeting. 
 

The gold trim version is a good looking pen.

[jchch1950]

The Parker 135 Anniversary has a high price because  it is a limited edition .If you compare it with other limited editions the price is not so high. Wait until you see the price of the Waterman  Man 140 Anniversary.

[Heinkle]

3 hours ago, jchch1950 said:

Wait until you see the price of the Waterman  Man 140 Anniversary.

 

Just seen the price (wow) - did enjoy this rubric justifying it: "Supplied in a luxurious, hand-crafted, black Man 140 limited edition gift box with a pack of black ink cartridges, a certificate of authenticity and a user guide".