Tuesday, November 12, 2024

Newest Acquisitions (Virtual "Show & Tell") ~ part 533

Today we're featuring a beautiful but very short-lived vintage Parker model, courtesy of Christopher, who sent in this write up about his wonderful new find!

Christopher writes:

"I believe there are some misconceptions by vintage pen collectors about the Parker 'brown pearl' Vacumatic. In fact, even the pen collectors' rebranding of the original Parker Vacumatic model name --'Golden Web'-- was never a label that the Parker company used back in 1936, when they introduced this particular line of Vacumatics. In fact, in the Parker 1936 catalogue, it was formally referred to as the 'Brown Pearl' Vacumatic. Also, although most feel that there were only two brown pearl models plus a mechanical pencil, actually, there were three -- the regular Junior,, the Juniorette and a 'Long Junior'. Strangely enough, the Long Junior never appeared in any Parker catalogue and yet it was produced. Also, the makeup of the brown Pearl Vacumatic was not the only colour produced. Similar pens with lock-down Vacumatic fillers, under the Diamond Medal banner, in Grey pearl and Green Pearl were sold at the Sears Roebuck department stores. They were advertised as the Diamond Medal Vac-fil pens with the same transparency available in their barrels to view the ink supply available. The only difference in these Diamond Medal Vacumatic pens were the cap screw and the blind cap, the latter being void of both tassie and black jewel, while the former being also without a screw in jewel. Plus, the banding on these Diamond Medal Vac-fillers did not mirror the Parker brown pearl in their Junior double banding -- the Diamond Medal pens sported a triple banding. These Diamond Medal Vac-fill pens were not made by Parker and used a thinner wrapped plastic, over the Parkers' production from a solid rod-stick."

(photos courtesy of Christopher ~ please click on images to enlarge)
"My new acquisition measured at 120mm and therefore is a true Juniorette model (the long Junior measures 132mm and the regular Junior measures 124mm). The Junior brown pearl Vacumatic line was in and out of production during 1936 as a first-generation series and this is indicated on the barrel. The nib on the other hand has no date coding, but looks one hundred percent original and true to this particular Parker pen.

Otherwise, the pen is in remarkable condition, with true luster to the Lucite plastic parts. The 14K Gold Parker arrow nib is totally responsible and lays down ink in a fine and consistent fashion like a real trooper. The Vacumatic lock-down filler works extremely well and the transparency in the barrel is about a C8 and red ambered, as it came out of the Parker factory. The Parker arrow ring clip is interesting and sports numbering on the backside of the ring. This pen has a rather lengthy breather tube, which just falls shy of the Vacumatic diaphragm when the diaphragm is extended to drive out the air and suck in the ink. All in all, a superb example of what Parker did the best. I will find a proud place for this wonderful treasure in my vintage pen collection and enjoy using it regularly."


Our thanks to Christopher for sharing his new acquisition & its historical background with us! Our November meeting will be held on the evening of Saturday November 23rd at Buchan's Stationery--all details in the blog post linked at the top of each web page in big red letters :) Hope you can make it!

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