Newest Acquisitions (Virtual "Show & Tell") ~ part 365

 From modern to vintage we go!

Today's featured newest acquisition comes courtesy of Christopher, and it's a vintage fountain pen with a metal cap on a non-metal body. These days, it's not unusual for a fountain pen to have those features, but back in the late 1930s, it wasn't a common sight...

Christopher: "Strangely enough, the Parker Duo-Tone which comes under the Parker Parkette banner, even as the lowest contender, is somewhat rare. I did run across a Parker Duo-Tone mechanical pencil years ago, with a neat gold tone cap, but even with turning over stones after that, could never quite find the fountain in anything but poor condition. More currently, one did show up in a large pen lot and I was thrilled. For all this Parker model isn’t, it does have some favourable features. "

(photo courtesy of Christopher ~ please click on image to enlarge)

He continues: "This pen is finished in jet black with an unusual brushed aluminum cap that supports a last generation polished steel, Parkette arrow clip. The top of this cap is rather unique in that it has a diminishing stacked coins design. The overall effect of this cap is, to put it conservatively, rather stunning. It is a threaded screw-on covering a black grip section, which features a clear transparent ink view window, On top of this grip, is an admirable Parkette nib, Parker date-coded .28. placing this writing instrument in the early part of 1938. It is also interesting that it was the first Parker pen model to feature an all-metal cap predating the Parker Imperial Vacumatic by a few years.

Evidentially, the Parker Duo-Tone was not received that favourably, thus Parker took it off the market a year later, so there just weren’t that many sold. Couple this with the somewhat absence of quality, and, therein lies the challenge to find a Parker Duo-Tone which hasn’t seen better days.

Personally, I find this to be a lovely Parker pen and an example that even at the bottom of the heap, Parker did produce nice product. This particular pen was not in need of any restoration or servicing, but can be placed in my collection favourably to be used at a later date.

Maja, needless to say, if I get time this week, I will be hunting for that Parker Duo-Tone mechanical pencil."

Christopher - I hope you find that Duo-Tone pencil :) Congratulations on finding this rather rare Parker model!  For more information on it, check out the (brief) write-up here on Parkerpens.net