(photo courtesy of Christopher ~ please click on image to enlarge)
Christopher writes:
The beginning of the 1940s saw another generation of Vacumatics being
introduced by the Parker company. This time, their Lock Down filler that
had seen them through on this fine line of pens since 1932 had been
modified and simplified to be a better and easier
to use option. The 'Speedline' as Parker had branded it, remained fully
extended out of the back of the barrel when not in use. It also could
be applied with just one hand. Still, two requirements were prime in
support of this new filler, and one was quite
elementary and that was a longer blind cap. But at the same time, to
keep the length of the pen just right, a slight shortening of the barrel
was called for. There was also some redesigning of the Parker arrow
clip in that the feathers were split, and the
Parker name was, in turn, run vertically up the center. The effect was
noteworthy and well received by customers, but otherwise the Vacumatic
remained more or less the same.
This particular pen came to me in parts to be reassembled
accordingly. But the end result was a very attractive vintage Parker
pen. The model is a second-generation silver pearl Vacumatic Junior
identified by its double cap banding. The fixtures are silver
and this is a double jewel model, the jewels being black. The section
is also black and firmly holds a superb 14K Gold Parker arrow nib. Both
the nib and the barrel have US markings and on the barrel, these marking
are followed by the Parker date coding of
.1., or the second quarter of 1941. All of these markings are clear and
sharp where applied. As for the barrel transparency, other than red
amber, I would have to say it is about a C8. The length of this pen
posted is all of 6 inches, but it does cap back to full pocketable inch to five responsibly. Overall, this pen is in
just remarkable condition with a real brilliance and luster to the
exterior finish. It is also a very good writer laying down the ink in a
consistent and even fashion. So, I guess the question
remains, will I keep this superb example and do Parker proud? Well, I
would be hard pressed to say anything but yes.
Our thanks to Christopher for the review! Have a nice weekend, everyone!
