75 Mechanical Pencils

[Craigtbone]

I have had a 75 fountain pen, sterling cisele, since 9th grade, about 50 years now.  My favorite pen of all time.  I always planned to buy the matching pencil & ball pen set as well but just never did.

 

Maybe in my retirement I will now purchase a 75 pencil.  As I search for a pencil now I see that there are two types: one with a button on top, seems to use a changeable cartridge with leads, and one with a tassie and clip just like my fountain pen.

 

Do any of you folks know the details of the 75 mechanical pencils?  Presumably the button style is a button to advance the lead. 

 

Is the other style a twist action?  And not replaceable lead cartridge? 

 

Some of the ads for used pencils mention 0.7mm leads.  What lead sizes were used?

 

Does one style work "better" than the other?

 

Any other info would be most helpful.  I looked in "Parker75.com" but did not find any info on the pencils.  Are there any other info sources?

[FarmBoy]

Get a twist pencil. 
 

You will want to match the tassie style. 

[Craigtbone]

While doing more research I see that there seems to be 2 types of 75 pencils with tassie & clip like the fountain pen.  One appears to be a twist action and the other looks like the entire upper section is pushed to advance the lead.

 

Is that correct?  Does one function better than the other?

[Ueno808]

I use the Schmidt Feinminen System refills that convert my cap-actuated 75 ball pens into pencils.  They come in both 0.5mm and 0.7mm and work great, with the benefit of being able to switch back to ball pen when needed.  Available on Amazon.

[Number99]

14 hours ago, Ueno808 said:

I use the Schmidt Feinminen System refills that convert my cap-actuated 75 ball pens into pencils.  They come in both 0.5mm and 0.7mm and work great, with the benefit of being able to switch back to ball pen when needed.  Available on Amazon.

Thank you for the information. 

I did not know of its existence.

I am very curious if it is possible to fit it as a substitute for 0.9 or 0.10 mm cartridge pencil refills such as Jotter, PARKER45, etc.

Could you please elaborate on this?

1.

Can it be fitted without requiring any modification to the pen?

2.

Is it possible to fit any ballpoint pen that uses PARKER G2 refills?

3.

There seems to be a DMS 2006 and a DMS 2007, which will fit?

4.

If it can be attached to these devices, is there anything else I should be aware of when attaching and using them?

 

From Vintage Pen News.

https://vintagepensblog.blogspot.com/2014/11/parker-pencil-converter.html?m=1

 

P.S.

Pencils with a cartridge pencil refill can also be used as ballpoint pens, so I think the structure is the same as a ballpoint pen.

I would appreciate it if you could tell me if it is theoretically possible, rather than the result of individual verification.

 

Edited December 3, 2023 by Number99

[Mangrove Jack]

On 11/22/2023 at 12:10 AM, Craigtbone said:

I have had a 75 fountain pen, sterling cisele, since 9th grade, about 50 years now.  My favorite pen of all time. 

I haven't had one for 50 years but I must say that it is an all time favourite of mine too.

[FlighterGuy]

WHOA!!  Back the train up!!!!

 

There is a Parker Classic and Insignia that come in sterling Cicele and are button actuated.

The BPs came in twist and cap actuated.  You could put a pencil cartridge in a cap actuated BP.

The pencils came in twist.  Have never heard of a button 75 mechanical pencil.

 

The Flighter Guy

[inkstainedruth]

@Craigtbone Greetings from Pittsburgh!

Sadly I don't know of a good place to send you -- there wasn't much information about pencils on my usual go-to site for all things Parker Pens, www.parkercollector.com, in the article there about 75s.  Of course I didn't even know about such things as Parker 75s back a half century ago....  Although I can't fault you for liking the sterling ciselé ones -- I have one but had to educate myself about them in order to know what a good price for one of the FPs would cost, after seeing one at an estate sale a few years ago (turned out that the pen I saw at that was a decent price).  But spent the next six months or so educating myself, including to a pen show and having every person who had one for sale tell me what the differences were (French production vs. US, early flat top vs. dished tassie, etc).  Lost out on one on eBay that had a fine nib, only to then get one with a B nib for the minimum when I realized NOBODY was watching that listing but me (go figure).  Paid a bit more than I might have at the estate sale, but roughly $50 US less than the one I got outbid on, so I'm okay with that.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Number99]

5 hours ago, FlighterGuy said:

WHOA!!  Back the train up!!!!

 

There is a Parker Classic and Insignia that come in sterling Cicele and are button actuated.

The BPs came in twist and cap actuated.  You could put a pencil cartridge in a cap actuated BP.

The pencils came in twist.  Have never heard of a button 75 mechanical pencil.

 

The Flighter Guy

Yes, I understand that @Ueno808 is suggesting to operate the cap-actuated 75 ball pens as a mechanical pencil. (Not the classic 75 BP.)

And silly me, off topic subject, asking for tips on how to revive 0.9mm cartridge lead refill mechanical pencils.

 

But now I am confused. He says he uses Schmidt Feinminen System refill for the cap-actuated 75 ball pens, so I thought it was not a refill specifically for button-actuated ball pens (pens with pushrods.).

 

BTW, I think the Sterling Silver 75 0.5mm pencil had a push cap to release the lead.

But I like 0.9mm twist pencils.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/266548140117?hash=item3e0f81d855:g:vhgAAOSwXI5kiln5

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/145422497552?hash=item21dbdb3710:g:4W0AAOSwBG5lS7nN

 

P.S. has been deleted. 

I mistakenly thought it was explained that the 75 ballpoint pen was also only available in twist type.

 

 

Edited December 6, 2023 by Number99

[joss]

23 hours ago, FlighterGuy said:

The pencils came in twist.  Have never heard of a button 75 mechanical pencil.

 

But from circa 1971 to 1975 the Parker 75 line of pens included a button actuated Parker 75 Classic pencil in Sterling silver Ciselé . It had a pencil cartridge but it came like that from the factory. 

[Bo Bo Olson]

Back when I got my P-75 cisele set @ 1971, the silver mechanical pencil wasn't called a Classic but a P-75 BP/MP. I still have mostly filled Parker Jotter style mechanical pencil filler.

I didn't care for MP's then. Now I may give the MP filler a chance.

 

Bad photography makes the P-75 Thuya BP look darker than it is.

 

Many years ago, I had won a Thuya body...and the owner made a mistake sand sent the nib section (whole pen). I notified of that, and he refused to sell me the section, so I set it back.

That sort of gutted me from chasing that pen again.

 

I gave a widow I knew from work a good middle price for her set

[FlighterGuy]

Parker introduced the International Classic pushbutton ballpoint pen and pencil set in 1967. The look and the three finishes offered closely followed the flagship Parker 75 line, with Sterling Silver Cisele, Vermeil Cisele, and Imperial gold electroplate finishes. The clip on the International Classic has a more pronounced "V" at the base of the "feathers" and the feathers lay flat against the cap top giving the clip a stepped look.

 

The International Classic line allowed Parker to have an upscale ballpoint and pencil offer up the line from the Jotters and separate from the fountain pen lines. The 1960s was the decade where ballpoints became dominant in everyday use, and the International Classic line positioned Parker with a high line product to capture the top end. Parker advertised the line heavily and separately from the Parker 75, but used the same upscale approach.

 

PenHero.com - PenGallery - Parker Classic

[Number99]

On 12/10/2023 at 10:17 AM, FlighterGuy said:

Parker introduced the International Classic pushbutton ballpoint pen and pencil set in 1967. The look and the three finishes offered closely followed the flagship Parker 75 line, with Sterling Silver Cisele, Vermeil Cisele, and Imperial gold electroplate finishes. The clip on the International Classic has a more pronounced "V" at the base of the "feathers" and the feathers lay flat against the cap top giving the clip a stepped look.

 

The International Classic line allowed Parker to have an upscale ballpoint and pencil offer up the line from the Jotters and separate from the fountain pen lines. The 1960s was the decade where ballpoints became dominant in everyday use, and the International Classic line positioned Parker with a high line product to capture the top end. Parker advertised the line heavily and separately from the Parker 75, but used the same upscale approach.

 

PenHero.com - PenGallery - Parker Classic

The article you quoted describes how to identify both pens, but I cannot distinguish the difference between the International Classic and the 75 Classic...

 

Product page on ebay. A 1971 ad for a button-actuated Parker 75 classic ballpoint pen.

 

Another ebay product page. A 1968 ad for a Parker International Classic ballpoint pen.

 

Please tell me... what's the difference...?

😅

 

P.S. to this thread.

I'll add an explanation in case the link disappears. To me they both look the same or almost the same. The latter is a Parker International Classic, as you know the shape. Both pens in both ads are Sterling Silver Cisele.

Edited December 11, 2023 by Number99

[Bo Bo Olson]

I hadn't paid any attention to it being called the Classic when I bought the MP/BP...and it's FP.

I had been on my way to buy a every expensive $8.00 matt black thin high status Cross ball point when I got ambushed by the P-75 brothers in the BX.

Jotter was $3.75, so that Cross was expensive....and there I was with money in my pocket...if I remember correctly and it was in the BX so cheaper than out on Civie Street. It was $22 (in blue-back silver money) for the FP and $18 for the MP/BP.  I have seen higher prices listed for that era from adds by folks listed on the com.

 

I had read a generation or two later on the com, that it wasn't called the Classic when I bought the set, back in @ 1971...

Appears the fella was wrong.

I just called it a P-75 BP....after I replaced the MP cartridge with the normal Jotter cartridge.

If I recollect correctly, I was going to take it to my GI BIll collage and put on a bit of the dog.

I almost lost the FP.

 

I was three steps away from the cafeteria table, and no one called out "you forgot your pen".....like they wouldn't for a Zippo too.  Next time I took  a train home, I took both P-75's...

(In Germany we went by train....Insurance was for someone with a job, not a college or HS  student.

 

As a ball point barbarian...and in the AF, a free Skillcraft BP  user. I'd no idea abut that P-75 FP even existed. I didn't buy magazines at all much less the good ones where they were advertised.

I went from drooling over a black and gold Snorkel at the BX's pen desk, to getting mugged by the P-75 brothers....

 

I tossed the box, in I knew how to fill the fountain pen.....it wasn't until 40 some years alter I found out there had been cartridges inside the box, and the P-75 actually took cartridges!

 

Piston converters came in later.. Never thought of the squeeze gismo as a converter.

I now have a NOS sneeze gismo, so will go back to that instead of filling old Quink cartridges with this or that ink.

Could check if an odd converter I have fits my Thuya, or buy one at my B&M.

[Number99]

18 hours ago, Number99 said:

Please tell me... what's the difference...?

😅

There is probably no morphological difference between the two.

This linked thread explains that they are both the same pen and are distinguished by the time of manufacture.

There is no contradiction in what the people who posted about the button-actuated Parker 75 in this thread described. And there is no discrepancy between the timestamps of the International Classic and 75 Classic ads.

 

On 12/7/2023 at 8:42 AM, Bo Bo Olson said:

P-75 cisele set @ 1971, the silver mechanical pencil wasn't called a Classic but a P-75 BP/MP.

I thought you were calling it that to emphasize that the 75(Classic) MP/BP was not marketed as an International Classic.

Edited December 11, 2023 by Number99

[joss]

21 hours ago, Number99 said:

There is probably no morphological difference between the two.

 

I agree. There was just a name change in early 1971. The ads below show an identical pen and an almost identical text but in the left ad (Life magazine, October 1970) the pen is called "International Classic Ball Pen" while in the right ad (Life magazine, May 1971) the pen is called "75 Classic Ball Pen".

 

It seems that Parker felt the need to explain the confusion between the two models of the 75 ballpoints in this 1974 advertisement showing the 75 and 75 Classic side by side:

 

 

The "75 Classic" disappeared from the 75 pen range around 1975, but the same pen continued to exist and was simply renamed "Classic".

 

The OP's question was about the 75 pencil but advertisements almost never show pencils. It may be interesting to note though that the Parker "75 Classic" pencil also existed in two versions: the button-operated version with a pencil cartridge (shown in various Parker publications from 1971 to 1973 ) and a twist cap version with a fixed pencil mechanism (presented in a 1968 Parker catalog as "International Classic" pencil and in a 1974 Parker catalog as "75 Classic" pencil). The picture below indicates that the button on the latter pencil may be useless. This pencil survived in the Classic series of BP/pencils until at least the early 1990s:

 

 

 

[Bo Bo Olson]

Just tried...lightly to pull my P-75 BP apart and it wouldn't.

I do have two...Parker cartridge pencil refill....black...med

"ends messy lead handling"

 

I hadn't remembered I had two.

Press pen top to advance lead.

I just put it into the P-75 Thuya ball point, and it works there too.

I had had that in the back of my mind,

I'll have to run a balance test vs my Pelikan 450 MP...the first MP I liked...for 6 weeks I used it only, no FP's.

[Number99]

On 12/11/2023 at 11:29 PM, joss said:

the button on the latter pencil may be useless.

Yes, the push button (?) on the gold-plated Classic imperial 0.9mm twist pencil I have is fixed to the cap and does not move, it seems to be a decoration that makes the pen look better.

 

 

Edited December 13, 2023 by Number99
Part of the post has been deleted.

[Craigtbone]

Lots of good discussion here.  I have a "75" sterling crosshatch pencil / ball pen set in the mail, should be delivered tomorrow.  They have dished tassies & clip just like my fountain pen.  I believe the pencil is a twist mechanism.  Will find out tomorrow.

[OCArt]

Yay! Congratulations, @Craigtbone

8 hours ago, Craigtbone said:

... I have a "75" sterling crosshatch pencil / ball pen set in the mail, should be delivered tomorrow.  ...