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Showing posts from March, 2020

My first fountain pen - Parker 45 from my dad

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This is truly my first "branded" fountain pen. It belongs to my father and I actually damaged his pen when I was young and I kept the pen in a drawer for many years. One day when my house was doing some painting or renovation work, we started to shift some furniture and the pen appeared again. By that time, I was studying at the National University of Singapore. When walking around Parkway Parade shopping mall with Chee Hoon, I saw a pen shop named Lin Kong and decided to ask if the pen can be repaired. To my wonderful surprise, the pen could be repaired with a brand new nib and the pen could once again be used again. This discovery and the term life time guarantee started my hobby of vintage fountain pen collection. During weekend, we would visit the various pawn shops, old stationary shops, flee markets, garage sales etc to search for vintage and old pens that have left in the shelf and drawer. Remembering that in the 1980s fountain pens were not a popular instrumen...

Demonstration pens

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T hese are demonstrators pens used by salesman to show their customers in the past...

Vintage jumbo pens 1930s

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9 COURIOUS PENS Platinum, one in solid silver. From lef to right: -  Jumbo pen, black resin, 155 mm, warranted 14K Golden Plated nib. Pump Filler. - Jumbo pen, made in japon, lever filler, 133 mm, made in japon. - English Pewter Made in Sheffield, 122mm. - Fountain pen 925 solid silver, 125mm, Iridium point bold nib. - Fountain pen, 125mm, brown resin, Iridium point bold nib. - Platinum black resin, Platinum 14k Medium nib, 101mm. - Fountain pen, blue resin, 100mm, iridium point medium nib. - 2 small pencils, 60mm. These are 1930s pens made in Japan..super big and fat. Some collectors have said that during the thirties, Japanese pen companies produced the so called Jumbo pens aimed at senior customers who had problems with the grip of standard pens. So, they were, they are, very thick pens with regular nibs. SOme said that it is made as a novelty item.  Stubby oversize novelty pens were a popular pre-WW2 import item in the Unit...

Parker Vacumatic from the 1930-40s

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The Parker Vacumatic was a landmark fountain pen model produced by the Parker Pen Company, known for its innovative vacuum-fill mechanism and distinctive aesthetic. Key details about the Parker Vacumatic fountain pen: Design and Dimensions: - A medium to large-sized fountain pen, with a barrel diameter around 13-16mm. - Overall length of approximately 140-155mm when capped. - Featured a standard #5 or #8 size nib. - Distinctive hourglass-shaped barrel with a transparent "jewel" section to view ink levels. Materials and Finishes: - Crafted from high-quality materials, including celluloid, hard rubber, and metal. - Available in a range of classic colors, such as black, green, and blue marble patterns. - The cap and barrel often featured Parker's signature arrow clip design. Filling Mechanism: - The Vacumatic introduced Parker's revolutionary "vacuum-fill" system, which used a collapsible diaphragm to draw ink into the pen. - This innovative mechanism allowed f...

Parker Blue Diamond Vacumatic 1939

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Parker Vacumatic The Parker Vacumatic series are one of my favourite. Besides having different variations in term of colours, there are also differences in term of clips design and sizes. The vacumatic was launched after the Parker Duofold and was a very successful model.  Having restored the blue and gold Vacumatic and green, I have found another gray

Parker 45 Harlequin from Bangkok

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Parker 45 has a long production run and it was produced from 1960-2008. I have managed to find the rarer and in very good condition Parker 45 Harlequin circlet pattern stainless steel fountain pen with medium nib. Date marked UI the 4th quarter 1981. The pen has been hardly used and in my view would rate as a collector’s item.  Fitted with a cartridge and in One day There are variations in terms of Parker 45 pen nibs too. 585 Made in France nib 14k Made in USA nib

Parker 45 Insignia Fountain pens

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The Parker "45" was my first vintage fountain pen always has a special meaning for me. It was initially a low-priced pen with steel nib, but it has eventually made in many colours, and finishes and also with 10k and 14k gold nibs and became one of Parker's great survivors. Parker always tried to fill the demands for both expensive and economy line pens Top to Bottom: Top & Parker 45 Insignia, Bottom Parker 45 Classic with Gold arrow clips Parker 45 Insignia There are Parker 45 fountain pens that were fitted with steel nibs and the gold nips are the more collectible one that write smoother too. Parker 45 together with Parker 75. Note that the center portion for Parker 45 is much fatter than the Parker 75

Parker 45 coronet (1970)

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I have found this NOS Parker 45 Coroet in a stationery shop in Bangkok. The Parker 45 coronet in my opinion is the modern version of the classic. Even though the design is the same as the other Parker 45, the metallic colour plus matte finishes give the pen the ultra modern look (even though the pen is from the 1970). I am lucky to find one in new old stock condition.

Parker 75 Florence Fountian pen

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I have started to build up my small collection of Parker 75. This   Parker 75 Florence   is one of the most attractive and elegant 75 pattern with its two-tone vermeil, gold over solid sterling silver, cabochon in clip top. This 75 was made in France for the Italian market, French and Italian hallmarks plus Italian serial number on side of section. USA 14K nib, section ring with angle indicator lines, old-style metal convertor, pen appears to be new old stock. As these are relatively expesnive when it was launched, not many were produced. Eagle & crab hallmarks. « Argent Massif France - M.D. » on cap lip. Spaced lines on cap and barrel. Black cabochon on cap end.