Intergenerational Vacumatic??

[Mountain Man]

I have a nice emerald pearl debutante with a second quarter 1941 date (.1.) on the barrel.  The blind cap is the rounded streamlined version and the filler is a plastic stemmed wartime version.  As I understand it, pens with the streamlined blind-cap and new filler were introduced in 1942.  Do I have a frankenpen of some kind, or were 1941 parts used in some of the "new" 1942 version pens?

[Brian-McQueen]

It's possible they used a leftover 1941 barrel in 1942, but it's more likely someone's been doing some parts swapping or repair/replacement after the fact.

[Mountain Man]

Thank you Brian.  That was my thinking too, but what I don't know is whether a barrel from a lockdown filler pen (pre 1942) would be compatible with one of the '42 and later streamlined blind caps.

Stewart

[VacNut]

I believe Parker had moved away from the lockdown alum filler by the 1940’s. Were you thinking about the alum speed line filler? I think the plastic filler is appropriate. The barrel of a lockdown filler has a different taper than a speed line or plastic filler. It is likely also shorter, since lockdown filler pens were shorter with a fatter end cap.

 

The pen is over 80 years old. It would have been common to repair the pen with parts of similar vintage. Enjoy the pen as-is.

[Mountain Man]

Thank you VacNut.  I mistyped; I was thinking speed line when I wrote lockdown.  I hadn't thought of the possibility of the filler having been replaced with a newer one, but that makes a lot of sense.

Cheers,

Stewart

[VacNut]

You have a good pen. Enjoy using it. The Vacumatic was an everyday item meant to be used. The nib and the filler were commonly replaced. I don’t think it is worth any less with authentic Parker Parts. I don’t think a vintage car is worth any less with replacement tires and gaskets.

 

Some collectors like to pursue NOS, but it is unrealistic to think the pen could be used without at least a minor restoration. It also doesn’t write any better than a working used pen.

NOS pens are great but they really should be collected as showpieces.  IMHO.

 

 

 

 

[Beechwood]

5 hours ago, VacNut said:

You have a good pen. Enjoy using it. The Vacumatic was an everyday item meant to be used. The nib and the filler were commonly replaced. I don’t think it is worth any less with authentic Parker Parts. I don’t think a vintage car is worth any less with replacement tires and gaskets.

 

Some collectors like to pursue NOS, but it is unrealistic to think the pen could be used without at least a minor restoration. It also doesn’t write any better than a working used pen.

NOS pens are great but they really should be collected as showpieces.  IMHO.

 

 

 

 

 

A little like paying a fortune for an old car with zero miles, what do you do with it?