Fountain Pen History

June 16, 2015

Scientific American magazine

June 13, 2015

 , from the 1927-29 catalogues.

[Posted on L&P on Nov 3, 4, 2007, and revised in 2015.] 
        Here are the Parker Duofold catalogue numbers that I mentioned before, the ones that Derek Lepper posted on L&P in 2007. These turned out to be merely the color designations in the 1927-
to-1929 catalogues. When I re-arranged the list by placing it in numerical order, in groups of four lines, certain patterns emerged. The ones place stands for the size of the pen or pencil, and the higher the digit, the bigger the pen or pencil, and it also stands for the clip-or-ring-top appointments. But the tens and hundreds places seem to stand for the color groups. The first four numbers stand for the red-with-black-tips color scheme, and the rest of the quatrains, in their growing tens and hundreds places, seem to correspond to the chronological or sequential appearance of the various models of pens and pencils in their various colors, first the red, then the black, and then the colorful celluloids. There may be some exceptions to the correct order, but it seems okay. Also, two numbers were left out, 131 and 631, so I re-inserted them.
        I had seen similar lists of numbers for Duofolds, Black and Golds, Pastels, Moires, Challengers, and Vacumatics, but Derek’s list added the True Blue and some depression pen numbers as well, which I have left out. I didn’t know what to make of these numbers at first because many of them repeated, or duplicated the numbers in both model and parts number lists. It was probably just a color numbering scheme used in the catalogues sent out to the dealers. This catalogue numbering scheme constitutes yet another numbering scheme that is not compatible with the other two, which at first seemed to be continuous and compatible with one another. Where the early model numbers left off, the later repair parts numbers seemed to pick up and carry on, but they were inevitably irreconcilable. The problem with this Grand Unification Theory is this crossover period of the Duofolds and the Vacs and the depression pens, which had their own, separate numbering schemes. Here are just the Duofold numbers.

 Duofold Numbers 

1 Duofold Black-Tipped Lacquer Red, Lady, flat-top pen, De Luxe, 3 cap bands, clip
2 Duofold Black-Tipped Lacquer Red, Lady, flat-top pen, De Luxe, 3 cap bands with ring-top
3 Duofold Black-Tipped Lacquer Red, Jr., flat-top pen, 2 cap bands
5 Duofold Black-Tipped Lacquer Red, Jr., flat-top pen, De Luxe, 3 cap bands
7 Duofold Black-Tipped Lacquer Red, Sr., flat top pen, 2 cap bands
9 Duofold Black-Tipped Lacquer Red, Sr., flat top pen, De Luxe, 3 cap bands

11 Duofold Flashing Black and Gold, Lady, flat-top pen, De Luxe, 3 cap bands, clip
12 Duofold Flashing Black and Gold, Lady, flat-top pen, De Luxe, 3 cap bands, ring-top
13 Duofold Flashing Black and Gold, Jr., flat-top pen, 2 cap bands
15 Duofold Flashing Black and Gold, Jr., flat-top pen, De Luxe, 3 cap bands
17 Duofold Flashing Black and Gold, Sr., flat-top pen, 2 cap bands
19 Duofold Flashing Black and Gold, Sr., flat-top pen, De Luxe, 3 cap bands

37 Flashing Black and Gold over-sized pen, lined, #7X nib

71 Duofold Black-Tipped Lacquer Red, Lady, pencil, clip
72 Duofold Black-Tipped Lacquer Red, Lady, pencil, ring-top
73 Duofold Black-Tipped Lacquer Red, Jr., pencil
77 Duofold Black-Tipped Lacquer Red, Big Bro., pencil

81 Duofold Flashing Black and Gold, Lady, pencil, clip
82 Duofold Flashing Black and Gold, Lady, pencil, ring-top
83 Duofold Flashing Black and Gold, Jr., pencil
87 Duofold Flashing Black and Gold, Big Bro., pencil

101 Duofold Black-Tipped Green Jade, Lady, flat-top pen, De Luxe, 3 cap bands, clip
102 Duofold Black-Tipped Green Jade, Lady, flat-top pen, De Luxe, 3 cap bands, ring-top
103 Duofold Black-Tipped Green Jade, Jr., flat-top pen, 2 cap bands
105 Duofold Black-Tipped Green Jade, Jr., flat-top pen, De Luxe, 3 cap bands
107 Duofold Black-Tipped Green Jade, Sr., flat-top pen, 2 cap bands
109 Duofold Black-Tipped Green Jade, Sr., flat-top pen, De Luxe, 3 cap bands

111 Duofold Black-Tipped Lapis Lazuli, Lady, flat-top pen, De Luxe, 3 cap bands, clip
112 Duofold Black-Tipped Lapis Lazuli, Lady, flat-top pen, De Luxe, 3 cap bands, ring-top
113 Duofold Black-Tipped Lapis Lazuli, Jr., flat-top pen, 2 cap bands
115 Duofold Black-Tipped Lapis Lazuli, Jr., flat-top pen, De Luxe, 3 cap bands
117 Duofold Black-Tipped Lapis Lazuli, Sr., flat-top pen, 2 cap bands
119 Duofold Black-Tipped Lapis Lazuli, Sr., flat-top pen, De Luxe, 3 cap bands

121 Duofold Black-Tipped Mandarin Yellow, Lady, flat-top pen, De Luxe, 3 cap bands, clip
122 Duofold Black-Tipped Mandarin Yellow, Lady, flat-top pen, De Luxe, 3 cap bands, ring-top
123 Duofold Black-Tipped Mandarin Yellow, Jr., flat-top pen, 2 cap bands
125 Duofold Black-Tipped Mandarin Yellow, Jr., flat-top pen, De Luxe, 3 cap bands
127 Duofold Black-Tipped Mandarin Yellow, Sr., flat-top pen, 2 cap bands
129 Duofold Black-Tipped Mandarin Yellow, Sr., flat-top pen, De Luxe, 3 cap bands

131 Duofold Moderne Pearl & Ebony Lady, flat-top pen, De Luxe, 3 cap bands, clip
132 Duofold Moderne Pearl & Ebony Lady, flat-top pen, De Luxe, 3 cap bands, ring-top
133 Duofold Moderne Pearl & Ebony Jr., flat-top pen, De Luxe, 3 cap bands
137 Duofold Moderne Pearl & Ebony Sr., flat-top pen, De Luxe, 3 cap bands

171 Duofold Black-Tipped Green Jade, Lady, pencil, clip
172 Duofold Black-Tipped Green Jade, Lady, pencil, ring-top
173 Duofold Black-Tipped Green Jade, Jr., pencil
177 Duofold Black-Tipped Green Jade, Big Bro., pencil

181 Duofold Black-Tipped Lapis Lazuli, Lady, pencil, clip
182 Duofold Black-Tipped Lapis Lazuli, Lady, pencil, ring-top
183 Duofold Black-Tipped Lapis Lazuli, Jr., pencil
187 Duofold Black-Tipped Lapis Lazuli, Big Bro. pencil

191 Duofold Black-Tipped Mandarin Yellow, Lady, pencil, clip
192 Duofold Black-Tipped Mandarin Yellow, Lady, pencil, ring-top
193 Duofold Black-Tipped Mandarin Yellow, Jr., pencil
197 Duofold Black-Tipped Mandarin Yellow, Big Bro., pencil

631 Duofold Moderne Pearl & Ebony, Lady, pencil, clip
632 Duofold Moderne Pearl & Ebony, Lady, pencil with ring-top
633 Duofold Moderne Pearl & Ebony, Jr., pencil
637 Duofold Moderne Pearl & Ebony, Big Bro., pencil

And later, in the early ’30s, there would also be
the Moderne Green & Pearls,
the Burgundy & Blacks,
the Sea Green Pearls,
and the Vest Pocket pens and pencils.

George Kovalenko. 

.

Addendum, posted on FPN Jan 10, 2005, on L&P Aug 3, 2005, and added on Jan 16, 2016.
    Parker Duofold Nib Codes
        Parker had an arcane system of letter codes on their Duofold nibs in the 20s and early 30s, but no one seems to have cracked that code, yet, not even Michael Fultz, and Daniel Zazove, and all the other Parker experts.
        At the height of the Duofold’s popularity, Parker probably couldn’t keep up with the demand for parts produced by their factory, so they had to out-source their nib production. This is just a theory, but Parker must have had to have had a way to distinguish between Duofold nibs made by Parker in Janesville and those made in their foreign factories, and by secondary suppliers. Here’s my list of guesses about this broken English.

P = stands for Parker-made nibs
P-C = Parker Canada (or Pfanstiehl Chemical ?)
C = Canada, the factory in Toronto
N = the factory in Newhaven, England
D = the nibs made in Denmark
B = a nibmaker such as Barrett, or Beyer & Hayes (?)
Z = maybe a supplier located in Zanesville, Ohio, in the industrial triangle (?)
Y = and this one stumps me, maybe a company with a name like Yale, or a factory or supplier in New York, since “N” was already taken (?)

     Alternatively, the nib letters may refer to different types of nib tipping alloys on the different batches of Duofold nibs. John Mottishaw in his online article “Where’s The Iridium?” mentions at least 4 or 5 different nib tipping alloys tried out by Parker.

        This is all conjecture, you understand. Maybe it’s only coincidence. I’m just setting the cat amongst the pidgins.

June 09, 2015

Parker Model Numbers, 2

Pen parts envelopes

, the second series.

[Posted on L&P on Oct 19, and 22, 2006, Sept 29, 2007, and expanded and revised in 2015.]
        My first thread on L&P, “Vintage Pen Repair Tools”, was about a box of pen repair shop tools and parts that I found in 1993. I wrote mostly about the pen repair tools, but I also mentioned that there were “long pen boxes and envelopes full of mint repair parts...straight from the various pen company repair-part departments, some in little envelopes with the part numbers written on them”. There are surviving Parker Repair Parts Price Lists from 1937, 1939, 1942, 1944, 1948, 1958, 1960, 1962, 1969, and 1980, but only the ones from 1944 and on use the same type of part numbers.
        These Parker part numbers usually take the form xxx-xxx, with two three-digit numbers separated by a dash. I figured out that the first three digits stand for the pen model, and the second three digits stand for the type of part. Hence, the number 295-165 stands for the Parker 51 nib, and 760-270 stands for the Parker 45 nib unit assembly. The earliest model number I could find on my envelopes was 221, which was for a Sub-Deb Vac clip, and later models had numbers such as 411 for the Junior Vac, and 343, 601, and 626, all for the Parker 51, 410 for the Televisor and the Junior Vac, 576 for the Parker 21 pencil, 607 and 615 for the Parker 21 pen, 620 for the Jotter ballpoint, 626 for the Parker Super 21, 653 for Parker 61, 673 for the Parker 41, 809 for
the Eversharp Super E, and 840 for the Parker 19.
        In the early, pre-Duofold era, the model numbers seemed to refer to one model, but with many styles allowed within that number, and in the later period, there were many style numbers involved in the make-up of one model. It wasn’t just a model number, but was also a style, and finish number, so in some earlier versions of these lists I had taken to calling them “Model And Style Numbers”. Some early models were available as eyedroppers and self fillers, in long and short versions, with turban top and safety caps, and in the baby size, and the filling system, size of nib, and type of cap didn’t matter to the number. And the later models were sometimes put together using some minor parts from several existing earlier models as well as some major parts from a new number. You’ll see what I mean when you look at the price lists. 
        I still need to fill in the numbers for the pens from the late 1920s and 30s, but I’ll take anything. It all helps for cross-referencing purposes. For instance, the 1958 and 1960 repair parts manuals still have some parts for Vacs listed because they were re-used on the early models of the 51s. And many parts, such as bushing rings and cap-jewel screws, etc., were re-used on many different models, so it’s as if some pen parts were cross-pollinated. There is no single number for most of the later pens. I don’t know whether the model numbers lasted until the Parker 75, and I’m curious to find out when the numbering system petered out, and when it was discontinued. By the time of the 1980 parts price list, the part numbers had been transformed into double-hyphenated, 7-digit numbers that started with a single digit followed by two triplets, like so, x-xxx-xxx.
        The 1948 parts price list is the first one to partially bridge the gap between the early pens and the later pens through the Duofolds and the Vacumatics. It was only because these pens were still being used by some diehards that Parker had to continue to make parts with which to service and repair them. Here’s a picture of General MacArthur still using a Duofold in 1945, his wife’s Red Duofold Junior. The 1948 list also makes it explicit that the replacement part numbers for the Duofold nibs and feeds are actually the part numbers for the Senior Vac Maxima arrow nibs and comb feeds, minus the tube in the Vac feed assemblies.
        But where were the model numbers for the Duofolds, Patricians, Pastels, Moires, Vacumatics, Challengers, and the various depression pens? Perhaps there were none. There are three lists from this free-for-all period of the 1920s and 1930s that were pointed out to me by three separate pen researchers. John Danza brought to my attention a group of model numbers for #20 and #23 Jack Knife Safety Button-Filler and Eyedropper pens and matching mechanical pencils. The numbers are from the 1921 Parker catalogue, and they are a sparse, sporadic series of about 40 numbers scattered between 101 and 516 for the different types of gold, or silver, or plated overlays. But the numbers don’t seem to fit in to any kind of scheme but their own. Derek Lepper posted a list of Parker Duofold catalogue numbers, but these were just the color designations from the 1927-29 catalogues. I have seen similar lists of numbers for Duofolds, Challengers, and Vacumatics, but Derek’s list adds the True Blue and Depression pen numbers as well. It must be some sort of separate numbering scheme used in the wholesale catalogues sent out to the dealers. This catalogue numbering system constitutes yet another numbering scheme from this period that is not compatible with the other two major numbering schemes, which still seem to me like they could be continuous and compatible with one another. Where the early model numbers leave off, the later parts numbers seem to pick up and carry on. Well, it seemed so until I saw the two lists that I got from Daniel Zazove, a “Parker Pen Co. Model Identification” list for Duofolds, Vacumatics, Sacless Duofolds, and Challengers, and a Vacumatics list from 1944. Both of these lists start again at number 1, for both the Duofolds and the Vacs. They reuse the numbers up to 100, and then go past that sequence into the 400s, plus a few more numbers in the 1100s and the 1300s. They were Parker’s numbering systems to keep the different styles and colors straight for their dealers, but they were not part of a larger model numbering scheme, and they were not compatible with the other two schemes.
        So instead I dug further into the repair lists. At first it seemed that the second series started with some repetitions of a few of the two-digit numbers in the first series. But if you add the number “1” in front of them, they fit into the 100s in the second scheme almost perfectly, and seem to partially bridge the gap. I say “almost” because there’s only one conflict, between the numbers 88 and 188, so the number “1” can’t be added in front.
        The problem with a Grand Unification Theory is this crossover period of the Duofolds and the Vacs and the depression pens. I haven’t found any suitable, or compatible numbers with which to fill in this gap, and I can safely say the two major numbering schemes are not compatible and will never be reconciled. Since I first started the list, I have divided it permanently into two parts, the First Series, and the Second Series. The second series could also be called The Modern Numbers. This is an attempt to see whether I can put together a complete list of the numbers from 1 to 1000, a much expanded and revised version of the second series of Parker model numbers. This is just an interim list, and I have made many changes to it already, so remember that it might already be outdated and full of mistakes. Here is the second series.

Nib boxes

The Second Series.

01 Vacumatic Juniorette, lock-type filler, GF & chrome, & Lady Slender Vac, section & feed
03 Vacumatic Junior, lock-type filler, metal plunger
04 Vacumatic Junior Standard, lock-type filler, metal plunger, GF or chrome
05 Vacumatic Debutante, chrome blind cap band
09 Lady Slender Vacumatic, Juniorette, lock type, lock-type filler, GF or chrome clip
10 Lady Duofold streamlined pen, GF trim
30 Duofold Junior streamlined pen, GF trim
42 Vacumatic Senior Maxima, Junior, Juniorette, clip screw & bushing, GF blind cap band
45 Vacumatic Senior Maxima, Junior, chrome blind cap band
51 Vacumatic Major & Parker 51 clip jewel screw
70 Duofold Senior streamlined pen, GF trim
74 Vacumatic Major, Junior, Juniorette, Lady, Challenger, 51, lock-type filler, metal plunger
75 Vacumatic Juniorette, GF blind cap band
84 Vacumatic Senior Maxima pen, GF trim, lock-type filler, metal plunger
85 Vacumatic Senior Maxima pen, chrome trim, lock-type filler, & Vacumatic Junior blind cap
88 Vacumatic Junior with GF trim, lock-type filler, metal plunger
125 Lady Royal Challenger, Lady Deluxe Challenger, clip screw
182 Lady Royal Challenger, blind cap screw
183 Lady Royal Challenger, GF blind cap band
188 Lady Deluxe Challenger pen, GF and chrome trim
190 Junior Deluxe Challenger pen, GF and chrome trim
195 Imperial Vacumatic Major, Major Vac, Sacless Duofold, section, blind cap, clip
196 Vacumatic Major pen with GF trim, cap, clip, feed & tube assembly
197 Vacumatic Senior Maxima pen with GF trim, cap, clip, feed & tube assembly
198 Imperial Vacumatic Major pen with chrome trim, cap, clip
199 Vacumatic Major pen with chrome trim, cap, clip
200 Vacumatic Senior Maxima pen with chrome trim
214 Sections and blind caps, for various Lady Challengers and Lady Sac Duofolds
215 Sections, feeds, and blind caps, for various Jr. Challengers and Jr. Sac Duofolds
220 Vac Deb, Sub-Deb, GF trim, Imperial Vac Deb, Lady & Jr. Sacless Duofold, feed, section, cap
221 Vacumatic Debutante, or Sub-Debutante pens, GF trim [or 421 ?]
222 Vacumatic Debutante & Sub-Deb pen with chrome trim, Lustraloy cap, GF clip
223 Sub-Debutante pens, chrome trim
224 Junior Vacumatic, Junior Sacless Duofold, section, feed & tube assembly
235 Lady Royal Challenger pen, GF trim
236 Lady Royal Challenger pen, chrome trim
264 Lady Challenger pen, GF trim, Lady Sac Duofold, blind cap
265 Junior Challenger pen, GF trim, Junior Sac Duofold, barrel, blind cap
268 Lady Sac Duofold pen, GF trim
270 Junior Sac Duofold pen, GF trim
272 Lady Sac Duofold pen, chrome trim
273 Junior Sac Duofold pen, chrome trim
274 Junior Royal Challenger pen, chrome trim
276 Junior Royal Challenger pen, GF trim
292 Junior Challenger pen, chrome trim
293 Lady Challenger pen, chrome trim
295 Parker 51 Vac-Fil pen and pencil, Signet Type, cap, barrel, nib, feed, collector, shroud
299 Parker 51 Vac-Fil optional Lustraloy cap and clip
302 Parker 51 Vac-Fil pen and pencil, optional Signet GF cap and clip
303 Parker 51 Vac-Fil pen and pencil, optional ? GF cap and clip
305 Parker 51 Vac-Fil pen & pencil, Heirloom yellow gold cap, clip, blind cap band, pencil point
309 Junior Sac Duofold, section
316 Vacumatic, Vac-Fil Type 51 barrels, Sacless Duofold, extended-type filler, Lustraloy cap, clip
317 Parker 51 Vac-Fil pen and pencil, optional ? GF cap and clip
318 Parker 51 Vac-Fil optional lined green gold cap, clip, and pencil point
324 Parker 51 Vac-Fil pen and pencil, Lustraloy cap with GF clip
326 Parker 51 Vac-Fil pens and pencils, Lustraloy cap and clip
327 Parker 51 Vac-Fil Standard and Demi pens and pencils, Lustraloy clip
328 Parker 51 Vac-Fil pens and pencils, Regular GF cap and clip
330 Parker 51 Vac-Fil pen and pencil, Signet, Insignia, GF cap and clip, long arrow
331 Parker 51 Vac-Fil pen and pencil, Heritage, GF cap and clip, long arrow
333 Parker 51 Vac-Fil pen and pencil, with Regular lined GF cap
334 Parker 51 Vac-Fil pen and pencil, optional GF cap, groups of engraved lines
335 Parker 51 Vac-Fil pen and pencil, Signet GF cap
336 Parker 51 Vac-Fil pen and pencil, Heritage yellow and green gold cap
337 Parker 51 Vac-Fil pen and pencil, Heirloom yellow and green gold cap
341 Parker 51 Vac-Fil pen and pencil, Lustraloy cap with Lustraloy clip
343 Parker 51, Parker 51 Special inner cap, and VS barrel, blind cap, section, feed, etc.
347 Parker VS pen and pencil, Lustraloy cap and clip
348 Parker VS pen and pencil, Regular GF cap and clip
365 Parker 51 Vac Type, Vac-Fil desk pen barrel, and barrel taper, or “Magic Wand”
370 Imperial Vacumatic Major pen and pencil, GF cap and trim
384 Parker 51 Vac-Fil Lustraloy standard size
388 Parker 51 Vac-Fil pencil, Heirloom, yellow gold cap, clip
399 Junior Vacumatic pen and pencil, extended-type filler, chrome trim
400 Imperial Vac Debutante, 41, 51, 51 Special, VS, and 61, clip bushing, jewel screw
404 Vacumatic Sub-Debutante pens, extended-type filler, GF trim
405 Parker 51 pencils, Lustraloy clip
409 Sub-Debutante pens, extended-type filler, chrome trim
410 Televisor, Junior Vacumatic, Junior Sacless Duofold, extended-type filler, GF trim, cap, feed
411 Vacumatic Junior pen
421 Vacumatic Debutante GF clip [or 221 ?]
427 Eversharp “10,000” convertible pen, Octanium nib, feed, shell assembly, barrel, cap, filler
433 Imperial Vacumatic Debutante pen and pencil, LL pencil, GF cap and trim
435 Parker 51 pencil, continuous feed, rotary mechanism assembly
440 Lady Sacless Duofold pen and pencil, extended-type filler, GF trim
442 Junior Sacless Duofold pen and pencil, extended-type filler, GF trim
444 Lady Sacless Duofold pen and pencil, extended-type filler, GF trim
446 Junior Sacless Duofold pen and pencil, GF cap and clip
448 Major Sacless Duofold pencil, GF trim
449 Debutante Sacless Duofold pencil, GF trim
454 Junior Sac Duofold pen, GF trim
474 Parker 51 Vac-Fil pen and pencil, green gold cap and clip, blind cap band
480 Vacumatic Senior Maxima pencil, GF trim
481 Vacumatic Senior Maxima pencil, chrome trim
486 Vacumatic Debutante pencil, GF trim
487 Vacumatic Debutante pencil, chrome trim, Senior Maxima & Major pencils chrome point
490 Vacumatic Major pencil barrel
492 Vacumatic Sub-Deb pencil, GF trim
493 Vacumatic Sub-Deb pencil, chrome trim, Parker 61 pencil, bright Lustraloy cap, GF band
512 Lady Sac Duofold pen, GF trim, various Lady Challengers, feed
513 Junior Sac Duofold pen, GF trim, various Jr. Challengers, feed
515 Vacumatic Junior pencil, GF trim
516 Vacumatic Junior pencil, chrome trim
517 Vacumatic Major pencil, GF trim
518 Vacumatic Major pencil, chrome trim
560 Parkette pen, barrel, clutch ring, Lustraloy cap
562 Parkette Aero-metric filler
566 Parker 51 Demi, Vac Type, Vac-Fil pen and pencil, barrel
567 Parker 51 Demi Vac-Fil pen and pencil, regular GF cap and clip
568 Parker 51 Demi Vac-Fil pen and pencil, Satin Lustraloy cap and clip
570 Parker 51 pen and pencil, LL pencil, Signet, Insignia, GF, line-engraved caps, GF barrels
571 Parker 51 pen and pencil, LL pencil, Flighter, barrels, Satin Lustraloy cap with GF band
572 Parker 51 pen and pencil, LL pencil, Presidential barrels, 14K gold, non-engraved caps
573 Parker 21 pen and pencil, LL pencil, chrome plated clip, for 575
574 Parker 21 Deluxe, pen and pencil, Bright Lustraloy cap
575 Parker 21 Special, pen and pencil, LL pencil, Satin Lustraloy cap
576 Parker 21 Custom, pen and pencil, GF cap
582 Parker 51 pen and continuous feed pencil, GF standard clip
583 Parker 51 Standard and Demi, GF clip
586 Parker 51 Aero-metric pen, filling unit, clutch pencil mechanism, LL, barrels, various caps
587 Parker 51 pen and pencil, GF standard size cap, line-engraved
589 Parker 51 pen and pencil, Heritage, 14K gold, or GF caps
590 Parker 51 pen and pencil, Heirloom, 14K gold cap
591 Parker 51 Standard Type, Aero-metric desk pen barrel taper
596 Parker 51 Demi, 41, Aero-metric filling unit, pen and pencil, LL, Satin Lustraloy, chrome clip
597 Parker 51 Demi pen and pencil, GF line-engraved cap
599 Parker 51 Demi Vac-Fil pen and pencil, Heritage, GF cap and clip
600 Parker 51 Demi, pen and pencil, Heirloom, 14K gold cap, clip
601 Parker Super 21, 41, and 51 pens and rotary pencils, Demi size, Lustraloy cap, chrome clip
602 Cap-actuated Jotter ballpoint, retracting spring
607 Parker 21 Octanium open nib for 615 assembly, Parker 21 and 51 rotary pencil barrels
609 Parker 21, 41, Deb 51, pen & pencil, Aero-metric filler, LL pencil, rotary pencil mechanism
610 Parker 21 desk pen barrel taper
611 Parker 21 pencil Custom and Deluxe chrome plated cap screws
612 Parker 21 pen and pencil, standard, Satin Lustraloy caps without clips
615 Parker 21 Model 615, Parkette, sac assembly, inner cap, feed-and-shell assembly for 607
620 Button-actuated T-Ball Regular Jotter, & “V. I. P.” ballpoint, retracting spring, lined barrel
621 Parker 21 Custom Jotter ballpoint, Jotter Desk Pen, metal tip for plastic barrel
622 Parker 21 Jotter ballpoint, Jotter Desk Pen, Lustraloy cap
623 Parker 51 Deluxe Jotter ballpoint, Satin Lustraloy cap, barrel
624 Parker 51 Custom ballpoint, GF line-engraved cap
625 Parker 51 Demi, Vac Type, pen and pencil, Signet, Insignia, line-engraved cap
626 Parker 51 Special, Super 21, 41, Aero-metric, Octanium nib, rotary pencils, LL, Lustraloy cap
630 Parker 51 desk pen barrel, 51 Aero-metric, 51 Special
632 Parker 21 Standard Jotter ballpoint, Lustraloy cap
633 Parker LL pencil, 41, Regular, Demi 51 Standard, Deluxe, & Custom, barrel, barrel point, cap
635 Parker 51 Standard Jotter ballpoint, GF cap
636 Parker LL pencil, Deluxe & Custom, barrel point, cap
638 Parker LL pencil, Demi 51 Standard, Deluxe, & Custom, barrel & barrel point
639 Parker LL pencil, 21 Special, 51 Standard, 41, barrel & barrel point
641 Parker LL pencil, Demi 51 Deluxe, cap
645 Parker LL pencil, Special, cap
646 Parker LL pencil, Regular 51 Custom, GF cap
647 Parker LL pencil, Demi 51 Custom, GF cap
648 Parker LL pencil, Regular & Demi 51 Signet, barrel & barrel point
649 Parker LL pencil, Regular 51 Presidential, barrel
650 Parker LL pencil, Demi 51 Signet
651 Parker LL pencil, Regular 51 Flighter, barrel & barrel point
653 Parker 61 pen & pencil, chrome clips, cap clutch, feed, collector, ink cell, inner cap, 14K nib
659 Parker 61 Deluxe with Satin Lustraloy cap with GF band, shell with GF arrow
663 Parker 61 pencil, Lustraloy cap, GF clip, plastic barrels
664 Parker 61 pencil, Heritage with yellow GF & silver filled rainbow cap
665 Parker 61 pencil, Heirloom with pink & green gold rainbow cap
666 Parker 41, 45, 51, 51 Special, 61, International, rotary pencil mechanism, plastic barrel
668 Jotter Desk Pen, taper not drilled for chain
669 Parker 61 rotary pencil, Classic Satin Lustraloy cap without clip
671 Parker Jotter ballpoint, LL pencil, Lustraloy cap
673 Parker 41 and Super 21 pens Lustraloy caps, and Model 50 desk pen filler unit
674 Parker LL Desk Pencil, taper not drilled for chain
679 Parker 61 pen, Heritage with yellow GF & silver filled rainbow cap
680 Parker 61 pen, Heirloom with pink & green gold rainbow cap
684 Parker 51 desk pen, Model 50, bushing and barrel assembly
685 Jotter Desk Pen, taper drilled for chain
686 Parker LL Desk Pencil, taper drilled for chain
687 Parker 61 pen, Legacy with nickel and silver filled rainbow cap without clip
692 Parker 61 pen and pencil, Standard, Brite Lustraloy cap, GF band, shell with nickel arrow
693 Parker 41, 51, 61 continuous feed pencil points
695 Parker 61 rotary pencil, Heritage with yellow GF & silver filled rainbow cap
697 Parker 61 rotary pencil, Heirloom with pink & green gold rainbow cap
698 Parker 61 pen, Legacy with nickel and silver filled rainbow cap
699 Parker 41 pencil, Satin Lustraloy Demi size cap, chrome electroplated clip
701 Parker 51 pen and rotary pencil, Special with Lustraloy cap, chrome plated clip
702 Parker 51 pen and rotary pencil, standard Satin Lustraloy cap with GF band and chrome clip
703 Parker 51 pen and rotary pencil, GF standard cap, line-engraved
704 Parker 61 rotary pencil, Legacy with nickel and silver filled rainbow cap
705 Parker T-Ball Deluxe Jotter, and Super 21 Jotter ballpoint, Lustraloy cap and plastic barrel
712 Parker 51, International, & “V. I. P.”, ballpoint, Insignia, GF line-engraved cap
713 Parker 41 and Super 21 pen and pencils, Satin Lustraloy cap & chrome plated clips, fillers
717 Button-actuated T-Ball Jotter ballpoint, plastic barrel
718 All-metal cap-actuated Jotter, barrel assembly
721 Parker 41 Debutante, white enamelled caps
723 Parker 61 pen and rotary pencil, Classic with Satin Lustraloy cap
725 Parker 21, Super 21, and 51 Special continuous feed pencil mechanism and point, for 607
728 Parker 61 and International pen and rotary pencil, Presidential with 14K gold trim
729 Parker 61 pen and rotary pencil, Presidential and Insignia, black plastic shell with GF arrow
730 Parker 61 pen and rotary pencil, Insignia, and Custom, GF cap
731 Minim Jotter ballpoint, GF cap and plastic barrel
733 Minim Jotter ballpoint, 14K gold Insignia, GF non-engraved cap, barrel
734 T-Ball Jotter ballpoint, Lustraloy barrel
737 Minim Jotter ballpoint, 14K gold Presidential, non-engraved cap, barrel
746 Parker 45 pencil point, gold-plated, and Parker 45 desk pencil mechanism, plastic taper
747 Princess Jotter ballpoint, wavy-line engraved design other color lacquer cap, smooth barrel
748 Princess Ivy Jotter ballpoint, engraved design on black or white lacquered cap
749 Princess Jotter ballpoint, wavy-line engraved design on black lacquer cap
750 Princess Jotter ballpoint, line-and-drop engraved design other color lacquered cap & barrel
751 Princess Ivy Jotter ballpoint, bright-finish gold electroplated barrel
752 Princess Jotter ballpoint, line-and-drop engraved design on black lacquered cap & barrel
753 Debutante Jotter ballpoint, fish-scale engraved on colored lacquered cap, plastic barrel
754 “V. I. P.” pencil & ballpoint, Bright Lustraloy cap
755 “V. I. P.” pencil & ballpoint, GF cap, line-engraved, plastic barrel
756 “V. I. P.” pencil & ballpoint, Insignia GF cap, line-engraved
760 Parker 45 pen, Standard, Flighter Lustraloy caps, chrome clips, 14K nib units, mech. pencil
761 Parker 45 Flighter Lustraloy barrel with black plastic tip
770 Parker 61, Parker 45, International, “V. I. P.” pencil, ballpen, Flighter barrel, gold-plate clip
772 International and “V. I. P.” pencils & ballpoints, Presidential cap 14K non-engraved
779 Parker 61 pen and pencil, Jet Flighter, Lustraloy cap, black plastic shell with nickel arrow
780 Parker T-Ball Jotter ballpoint, Lustraloy cap
790 International and “V. I. P.” pencils & ballpoints, GF standard size cap, line-engraved
807 Parker 45 pencil, Insignia gold electroplated barrel
809 Eversharp Super E pens with Parker 45 steel nib units, pencil mechanism
811 Parker 45 pen and pencil, Insignia, and Custom, with gold-plated caps, clips, clip screws
812 Parker 45 Insignia gold-plated barrel with black plastic tip
840 Parker 19 with Parker 45 gold-plated nib units

 George Kovalenko. 

.

June 05, 2015

Parker Model Numbers, 1

Parker #15 and #16s rhr

, the first series.

[Posted on L&P on July 30, 2005, Oct 19, 22, 2006, Sept 29, Nov 12, 2007, and revised in 2015 and Mar 4, 2019.]
        Over on the Zoss List on Apr 19, 2002, Kurt Matthews quoted a few lines from an article about the Parker Pen Co. titled “The Policy That Makes Every Year Our Best”, in System, the Magazine of Business, ca. 1924-25. The article states, “The success of the Duofolds, incidentally, made it practical for us to simplify our line, and this was one of the best things it did. Like many manufacturers, we had added style after style, rather lightly, for service and for other reasons, until we had a great many styles. We were making more than 400 styles of pens four years ago [1921?]”. And then Kurt asked, “Does anyone have a complete collection of all the styles of pens that Parker ever made?”. I Don’t know about a complete collection, which would be quite an impressive gathering, but how about a complete list of all the styles? That got me thinking, and I talked to Michael Fultz about such a list, but he said that preparing it would be a daunting task because of all the various versions and styles of each model number.
        The first list of this type was an accidental, unintentional, and woefully incomplete one. It was actually a collector-rated list of the 40 rarest Parker pens, and it made its first appearance in an article in Pen World, vol. 4, no. 6, Jul-Aug 1991, p.31. It was then corrected and repeated in vol. 5, no. 1, Sept-Oct 1991, p.31. It was because of those articles that those issues of the magazine sold out quickly, in fact, they sold out so fast that the latter one, especially, had became quite a “rare” collector’s item in its own right because it was so sought after by Parker pen collectors.
        In 2005, when Ron Dutcher asked about his Parker #62 pen on L&P, I made the mistake of citing the list of Parker model numbers in Ed Pasahow’s book Parker Pen Encyclopedia (1997) as a reference, and David Nishimura wrote, “For shame!”. I know, I know, but it was the only source out there at the time that listed most of the Parker numbers in one location. My own personal copy of the book is full of marginalia penciled in to correct many of the errors and omissions in the list. The only useful portion of that book is this “Numbering of Models” section starting on page 20, and let me also say, it is the only part of the book that I use. I agree that the rest of the book is just too problematic, so it is best to ignore the rest of it.
        In the past I had tried to tease and cajole Michael Fultz into writing up a corrected list of all the Parker numbers, perhaps as an article for The Pennant, or a fountain pen website. I even made an open plea on the Zoss List a few years ago, but Fultz didn’t take the bait. It would have made a great reference piece, wherever it might have been published. So barring that, a reference to the Pasahow number list, not the rest of the book, had to suffice, in spite of the errors, and omissions, and shame, and all. I mention it again only at the risk of incurring the wrath of David. But credit where credit is due. It was one of the first attempts, though incomplete, at a list of Parker model numbers.
        John Danza posted a price list of parts that came in a pen box with the original pen, ca. 1910. The list has quite a few of the model numbers for the pens, but best of all, the price list helps to explain why they didn’t have a #2 pen model. The number was used for a product called the “Parker Travelers’ Fountain Pen Ink”. Until I found this item, I listed #2 as “number not used”. The Parker catalogues from the later 192os do not show either any model numbers, or any replacement part numbers, but John posted some pages from the 1921 Parker catalogue, which had a few more model numbers above 64. From those late numbers, I realized that the filling system, size of nib, and type of cap didn’t matter to the number, so it wasn’t just a model number, but also a style, and finish number. Later on, the model numbers were even used for the matching mechanical pencils. John wrote that there were some Lucky Curves around with a “22” on their blind cap, and not marked Jack Knife Safety, so they were probably from the early 1920s after the Jack Knife Safety designation went away. A chased one also exists, so it should more rightly be called a #22½. John also wrote that he picked up a 22½ that had only “2½” on the blind cap, but unlike others he’d seen with the missing first digit, this one had a “Jack Knife Safety” imprinted cap.
        But what I really wanted to find were the Duofold and Vacumatic model or style numbers, if there were any to be found, because I didn’t know whether the first numbering system lasted that long. So the 37 and 38 are the sterling and gold-filled “Snakes”, and the 47 is the so-called “Pregnant Parker”, and the 52 and 53 are the “Swastikas”, and the 57, 58, and 59 are the “Awanyu Aztecs”, and the 100 is the double-ended “Bookkeeper’s Pen”. But maybe the Duofolds could have been somewhere in the mid-100s, and maybe the Vacs could have started somewhere in the late-100s or early 200s. I still need quite a few more numbers to complete the list. Fultz posted on Zoss that such numbers as 2, 7, 13, 17, 19, 22, and 29 had not been used for pens. I have most of the first 100 Parker model numbers, but I’m still missing numbers 68, 69, 70, 76, 77, 78, 79, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 93, 94, and 97, and there are also a few named models that don’t have numbers. I’m also missing any numbers above 100. So I thought to myself, let’s see whether I can put together a complete list of numbers from 1 to 100. Tony Fischier also has a list of “Parker models before the Duofold” on his website “Parker Penography”, but dare I say, his list came after mine. He asked for permission to use the info from my post on L&P, with credits and links, of course, and he received it. Thanks to Mark Silvert for his additions and corrections.
        What is really enticing is the possibility that the early numbering system used by Parker from the beginning of its history may have been continued by the later repair part numbering system. When I first started the list, these two numbering systems were one continuous list, but with a very disjointed middle section. Since then I have divided this earlier version of the list into two parts, the First Series and the Second Series. The First Series could also be called “The Lucky Curve Numbers”. This is just an interim list, and I have made changes to it many times, so remember that it might already be outdated and full of mistakes. Here is the first series.

Parker #1’s rmhr

The First Series

L after number = long
S after number = short
ED = eyedropper filled

½ after number = chased
GF = gold-filled, or rolled gold
SF after number = self-filler, or rather button filler
Baby = super-short-sized versions of certain models
JK after number = turban-top type Jack Knife Safety cap
JKS after number = Jack Knife Safety cap with washer clip

#? first pen had no number, ED, BHR, BMHR, plain or hexagonal barrels, overfeed, straight cap
1 ED, #1 nib, BHR or BMHR, plain barrel and straight or cone caps, over or underfeed
[2 number not used for a pen, later used instead for the “Parker Travelers’ Fountain Pen Ink”]
3 ED, #3 nib, BHR, BCHR, BMHR, plain or cable twist barrel, tapered straight or cone cap, also
     ladies size with #1 nib
4 ED, #3 nib, BHR, chased barrel with two GF bands, tapered straight or cone caps
5 ED, #3 nib, BHR, BCHR, BMHR, spiral twist or hexagonal barrel, tapered smooth straight cap
6 ED, #3 nib, BCHR barrel, 2 chased GF bands, tapered straight or cone caps, #1 nib ladies size
[7 number not used?]
[#7 later used for a SF, 7 or 7x nib, BCHR, or BLHR, washer-clip cap, also marked #7x, and #37]
8 ED, #3 nib, BHR, BMHR, facetted hexagonal barrel, tapered straight cap
9 ED, #3 nib, BCHR, chased barrel with two chased GF bands, straight cap
10 ED, #3 nib, BHR, BMHR, cable-twist barrel, straight cap
11 ED, #3 nib, BHR, silver or gold cable twist overlay, or engraved black or yellow aluminum
     overlay on barrel, tapered straight cap
12 ED, #3 nib, BHR, mother of pearl or abalone on barrel, two GF bands, tapered straight cap
[13 number not used?]
14 ED, & SF, #3 nib, BHR, RHR, sterling silver barrel & cap filigree, cone cap, #140 with #4 nib
15 ED, BHR, RHR, mother of pearl or abalone and two GF bands on barrel, filigree-covered cone
     cap with round or flat ends
16 ED, & SF, BHR, RHR, same as #14, but with 18K gold-plate overlay, #160 with #4 nib
[17 number not used?]
“Special”, no number, cheap pen, ED, BHR, straight cone cap
“New Special”, no number, cheap pen, ED, BHR, cone cap
“Silver Dollar”, or “Palmer Pen”, no number, cheap pen, ED, BHR, straight cap
“College Pen”, no number, cheap pen, ED, BHR, rounded or squared cap end cap
“The Wizard”, no number, cheap pen, ED, BHR
Ink pencil, no number, stylograph, ED, BHR, RHR
18 ED, #1 nib, BHR, BMHR, RHR, also mottled green, straight, or cone cap, plain or ribbed grip
18½ ED, BCHR, chased version of #18
[19 number not used?]
20, 22-28 series, bandless BHR, BMHR, RHR, mottled green, Ivorine, transl. Bakelite barrel
20½, 22½-28½ series, BCHR, chased versions of #20, 23-28 series
20, 22-25 series, with single plain or engraved cap band, or double cap-lip and cap-top bands
020, 023-025 series, “Jointless” eyedropper filler version of #20, 23-25 series
18 F F, 20 F F, 23 F F series, “Finger Filler”, pneumatic sleeve filler version of #18, 20, 23 pens
“Trench Pen”, BHR, BMHR, RHR, ink tablets under blind cap, #20, 23, 24, 24½, 25, & “Giant”
“Shorthand”, ED, no number, super-long-sized versions of #18, 020, 023, and 024, cone caps
“Emblem”, ED, or SF, cone cap, #20-26, with fraternity or service club emblem on cap
20 ED, or SF, #2 nib, straight, cone, JKS, or SF with washer-clip cap
“Nurse Pen”, SF, #20, JKS with washer-clip, BHR cap & barrel, RHR blind cap & cap top
21 ED, or SF, same as #20, but with two chased GF barrel bands
22 SF, #2 nib, number possibly used in the 1920s, also called a #2, and 2½ and 22½
23 ED, or SF, #3 nib, with straight, cone, JKS, or SF with washer-clip cap
“Hexagon”, same as #20 and 23, but with facetted, hexagonal barrel
24 ED, or SF, #4 nib, with straight, cone, JKS, or SF with washer-clip cap
“Bull Dog Special”, ED, BHR, BMHR, same as #24 and 024 but shorter barrel, vest pocket pen
“Falcon”, same as #24, but with a falcon-styled nib
25 ED, or SF, #5 nib, with straight, cone, JKS, or SF with washer-clip cap
26 ED, or SF, #6 nib, with straight, cone, JKS, or SF with washer-clip cap
“Physician”, same as #24, 024, 25, 025, 26, and 026, but with a thermometer under a blind cap
27 ED, Jack Knife Safety with a scarce #7 nib and bakelite barrel, a few examples found
[27 SF, black plastic pen with gold-plated washer clip, large pen with #2 nib]
28 ED, or SF, #8 nib, with straight, cone, JKS, or SF with washer-clip cap
[29 number not used, but could it be the “Giant” with a #12 nib?, maybe not]
“Giant”, no number, ED, #12 nib, RHR, BHR, cone cap, or Jack Knife Safety cap & washer clip
30 ED, #3 nib, BHR, full GF diamond-and-snail pattern overlay, straight cap
30 ED, #3 nib, BHR, full sterling silver diamond-and-snail pattern overlay, straight cap
31 ED, or SF, #5 nib, BHR, RHR, full sterling silver filigree, cone cap
32 ED, or SF, #3 nib, BHR, RHR, full sterling silver floral filigree, cone cap
33 ED, #3 nib, BHR, RHR, GF filigree on barrel and cap tip, cone cap
34 ED, BHR, same as #34, but in sterling silver filigree
35 ED, #3 nib, BHR, full 18K gold plated floral pansy overlay, straight cap, also ladies size
36 ED, BHR, same as #35, but in sterling silver overlay
37 ED, BHR, #3 nib, sterling silver “Snake” filigree, with green stones set in the eyes, cone cap
[#37 shorter version of #7, came with bandless or banded caps and GF trim]
38 ED, BHR, same as #37 “Snake”, but in GF, both with round or flat cap end
39 ED, #3 nib, BHR, full 18K gold Forget-Me-Not overlay set with pearls or gems, straight cap
[39 also a black-plastic, SF pen, two gold-plated cap bands, washer clip, large pen with #2 nib]
40 ED, #3 nib, BHR, full 18K gold overlay, deep leaf and floral engraving, straight cap
41 ED, BHR, RHR, same as #31, but with GF filigree
42½ ED, #3 nib, BCHR, chased cap & barrel, engraved gold band on mid-barrel and cap top
43 ED, #3 nib, BHR, full 18K gold Forget-Me-Not floral overlay with dull finish, straight cap
44 ED, BHR, same as #43, but in sterling silver with dull finish
45 ED, or JKS, BHR, RHR, mother-of-pearl or abalone slabs, 2 GF barrel & cap top bands, pearl
     or turquoise cap-top cabochon
46 ED, #3 nib, BHR, GF snail filigree on cap, corrugated mother-of-pearl & 2 GF bands on barrel
47 ED, #3 nib, BHR, 18K gold floral overlay cap, “Pregnant” mother-of-pearl slabs
48 ED, #3 nib, BHR, full 18K GF plain overlay, straight cap
49 ED, #3 nib, BHR, full 18K GF lined and scrollwork overlay, straight cap
50 ED, #3 nib, BHR, GF band and mother-of-pearl or ivory cabochon on cone cap top
50½ ED, BCHR, chased version of #50
51 ED, #3 nib, BHR, swirled filigree name plate on barrel, cone cap
51½ ED, BCHR, chased version of #51
52 ED, #3 nib, BHR, full overlay “Swastika” design on hammered sterling silver ground, cone cap
53 ED, #3 nib, BHR, full GF overlay with hand-hammered “Swastika” design, cone cap
53 ED, #3 nib, BHR, full GF overlay with bark-pattern “Swastika” design, cone cap
54 ED, same as #39, but without pearls or gems
55 ED, same as #48, but in sterling silver overlay
56 ED, same as #49, but in sterling silver overlay
57 ED, #3 nib, BHR, half-covered “Awanyu Aztec”, sterling silver overlay on barrel and cap top
58 ED, BHR, same as #57, half-covered “Awanyu Aztec”, GF overlay on barrel and cap top
59 ED, #3 nib, BHR, fully-covered “Awanyu Aztec”, sterling silver overlay on entire pen
60 ED, BHR, same as #59, fully-covered “Awanyu Aztec”, GF overlay on entire pen
61 ED, or SF, #3 nib, BHR, cone cap, plain 18K gold full overlay covering barrel, section, and cap
62 ED, or SF, #3 nib, BHR, hand-hammered floral GF full overlay on barrel, section, & cone cap
62 ED, or SF, #3 nib, BHR, bark-pattern floral GF full overlay on barrel, section, and cone cap
63 ED, #3 nib, BHR, cone cap, plain GF full overlay with engraved wreath on barrel
64 ED, #3 nib, BHR, cone cap, checkered GF full overlay on barrel and cap, plain ends
“Snail”, no number, ED, full sterling silver overlay, #3 nib, straight cap
“Snail”, no number, ED, same as previous, but GF full overlay
“Giraffe”, no number, ED, full GF overlay, #3 nib, straight cap
“Giraffe”, no number, ED, full 14K overlay, #3 nib, straight cap
“Ribbon”, no number, ED, full GF overlay, #3 nib, straight cap
“Pen of Pens”, their most De Luxe ED, 18K gold with precious jewels, diamond cabochon on cap
AX, De Luxe pen, ED, #4 nib, solid 14k gold with floral engravings
BX, De Luxe pen, solid 14k gold gold intertwined leaves and vines with pearls, emeralds, rubies
CX, De Luxe pen, solid 14k gold, like the BX, but with a floral design with various precious stones
DX, De Luxe, 14k gold, like CX with satin finish, with small diamonds at the centers of the flowers
[Parker also offered other ED pens with unique De Luxe designs on special order]
65 ED, or SF, Jack Knife Safety, BCHR, #2 nib, plain wide GF band on barrel, bandless
66 ED, or SF, Jack Knife Safety, #2 nib, GF cap top and ring, bandless
67 ED, or SF, Jack Knife Safety, #3 nib, GF cap top and ring, bandless
[68 number not used? Baby GF pen or pencil, plain or engine turned, with clip or ringtop]
[69 number not used?]
70 ED, JKS, #3 nib, telescoping barrel, GF overlay, various patterns, ringtop cap
71 ED, or SF, JKS, #2 nib, BHR, two gold or silver cap bands, ringtop, transparent barrel
72 ED, or SF, Jack Knife Safety, BHR, plain GF wide cap band
72½ same as #72, but chased
73 ED, or SF, Jack Knife Safety, BHR, plain GF wide cap and barrel bands
73½ same as #73, but chased
74 ED, or SF, Jack Knife Safety, BHR, engraved GF barrel band, bandless
74½ same as #74, but chased
75 ED, or SF, Jack Knife Safety, BHR, engraved GF cap band
76 ED, or SF, Jack Knife Safety, BHR, 18K gold cap band
76½ ED, BCHR, same as #76, but chased
[77-79 numbers not used?]
80 ED, BHR, same as #30, but full sterling or 18K gold diamond-and-snail overlay
81 SF, Jack Knife Safety, BCHR, chased wide GF band on barrel, bandless
82 SF, Jack Knife Safety, BCHR, chased wide GF band on barrel, bandless, decor. cap top
83 SF, Jack Knife Safety, BHR, plain GF blind cap, wide cap band, decorative cap top
83½ BCHR, same as #83, but chased
84 SF, Jack Knife Safety, BHR, plain GF blind cap, bandless, decorative cap top
84½ BCHR, same as #84, but chased
[85-89 numbers not used?]
90 SF, Jack Knife Safety, lined chasing ending in small paisleys GF full overlay, full length
91 SF, Jack Knife Safety, plain GF or triple silver-plate full overlay, full length
92 SF, Jack Knife Safety, large paisley engraved GF full overlay, full length
[93-94 numbers not used?]
95 SF, Jack Knife Safety, plain sterling silver full overlay, medium length
96 SF, Jack Knife Safety, paisley and diamond sterling silver full overlay, medium length
[97 number not used?]
98 SF, Jack Knife Safety, plain GF or triple silver-plate full overlay, medium length
99 SF, Jack Knife Safety, paisley and diamond GF full overlay, medium length
100 “Bookkeeper’s Special”, double ED, two #3 nibs, BHR+RHR, BHR+BMHR, cone caps

 George Kovalenko. 

.

June 02, 2015

Parker 51 Pleasant Memory

[I posted this in a thread titled “Pleasant Memory” on Zoss on Jan 29, 2000.]
        In the 1950s when I was in grade school, the schoolmistress in my one-room schoolhouse
was a stunning, raven-haired young woman who wore a torpedo-shaped bra and form-flattering, short-sleeve, cashmere sweaters in primary colors that complemented her red lipstick. This otherwise not very sensible young woman wrote with the pen of her day, a very practical black Parker 51 with a gold-filled cap, but in keeping with her choice of attire, she always used South Sea Blue ink. All our grades were meticulously recorded in a fine script in the school ledgers and on our report cards in this flamboyant turquoise color. Very few of the grades were smudged while the ink was still wet. I have vivid memories of all this in wide-screen Technicolor.
        Well, one day she was politely leaning over my right shoulder helping me at my desk with some eminently forgettable exercise, perhaps pointing things out with the end of her pen, and I turned to look up at her, and Boink!, inadvertently stuck my face right into her pointed breast.
I will remember her Parker 51 and her turquoise ink until my dying days.
        Needless to say, I used to carry a black Parker 51 with a gold filled cap, filled with Herbin Indian Orange ink. This 51 has been replaced by a modern repro 51 made especially for me by Paul Rossi in the Parker Centennial Duofold Orange color. [See above.] A decade ago, I found a veritable some-guy’s treasure trove of new-old-stock pen parts and gold nibs, used parts pens, and specific pen company repair tools. These effects were all left behind by Albert Wendland, a pen repairman in my city who ran a repair shop called Specialty Repairs. He repaired fountain pens and pencils, but had to branch out into repairing electric razors, women’s purses, and all sorts of other small personal articles, that is, until he was put out of business by the ballpoint. Those new pen parts were all in envelopes marked with parts numbers written by the workers in the parts departments in Janesville and Fort Madison and other such places, and among those parts I found three mint Parker 51 aerometric filling units, still in their cellophane bags. I placed my favorite extra-fine italic nib into one of those units, and placed the loaded unit into that Rossi 51. My favorite 51 has been filled exclusively with Herbin orange ink ever since, all in memory of my grade school days, and being taught “the perts of speech” by the “salient point of [her] politish leanings”. Heck, you could poke an eye out with one of those.
        And then Len Provisor made a joke about it being “a wet ink dream”.

   George Kovalenko.

.

collection1b