Newest Acquisitions (Virtual "Show & Tell") ~ part 419

As promised in the last blog post, here's Christopher's review of that vintage handsome Parker set he brought to our August in-person meeting!

Christopher writes: "For years, I have been after an early Parker Chinese Red Duofold Senior set. With the massive number that the Parker company produced over an eight year period, before redesigning the model to a streamlined version, you would think that such a pen set would be easily acquired. Still, the truth of the matter is that just isn’t so. Especially if you want a set in exceptional condition. Saying that, I was turning over stones the other day when I walked into a local vintage haunt and walked out with just what the doctor ordered.

The set I acquired was an early 1923 Canadian fountain pen, with the very large barrel imprinting indicating that this was a Canadian Parker pen originally sold in Toronto. But the matching pencil was definitely from a few years later, in that Parker never made an oversized Chinese Red Senior Duofold mechanical pencil until 1924. The set I bought also came with a plastic package of Eagle leads and a neat little matching celluloid key chain traveling ink container."

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

 "The Duofold Chinese Red Senor was a pen that Parker developed based on the Parker Jack Knife 25 and quite a large pen indeed. Originally when released in 1921, it did not come with a cap band or girdle as Parker originally called it, but in 1923 Parker offered a 14K solid gold or gold filled -- either thin or a bit wider-- cap band. You could also get this band raised in a groove om the cap or flat to the surface. In my case, the cap band is the solid 14K gold raised one and very attractive. One thing I liked about this set was that it was hardly used, and when I took apart the fountain pen to service it, the Parker Lucky Curve feed, made famous on their earlier Jack Knife model, was totally intact. More often these Lucky Curve feeds are cut off at the inside end, to make servicing easier. I was also surprised that the barrel took such a large sized No.22 rubber sack . But better still, the Parker button filler works very responsibly .

 If there is one thing about pen collecting that is true, with a bit of patience and a good deal of tenacity, all pens wanted will end up in your collection. Needless to say, this set will be well used."

 

Christopher, thank you for sharing this wonderful vintage set and its history with us! Congratulations on another great find :)