Vintage Parker Filigree eyedropper in molted hard rubber (27th May 2024)

May 26, 2024

My first love hobby has always been vintage pen collection. The Parker Filigree eyedropper fountain pen was a popular model produced by the Parker Pen Company in the early to mid-20th century. You're correct that the majority of these pens featured a black hard rubber body.

The Parker Filigree was known for its distinctive decorative metalwork, or filigree, that was overlaid on the pen's barrel. This filigree work was often made of a precious metal like gold or silver, which contrasted nicely with the black hard rubber material used for the main body of the pen.

Hard rubber was a common material for vintage fountain pen construction during this era. It provided a durable, practical, and affordable alternative to more expensive materials like solid gold or celluloid. The black color was also a popular and classic aesthetic choice for fountain pens of this time period.

The classic Parker Filigree eyedropper fountain pen is widely recognized by its black hard rubber body accented with the decorative filigree metalwork. This combination of materials and design elements gave the Parker Filigree its distinctive vintage appearance. Most of the Parker Filigree pen comes with the black hard rubber like below:

There is another very rare version using bright red colourhard rubber as below:

Borrowed photos from the internet

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/price-result/parker-34-silver-heath-overlay-eyedropper-c1906/

Now, this one is unique as it comes with the mottled hard rubber instead. Mottled hard rubber pen is common for normal hard rubber eyedropper format. There was also a mottled version of the Parker Filigree eyedropper fountain pen produced alongside the more common black hard rubber model.

The mottled Filigree featured a body made of a variegated coloured hard rubber, rather than the black hard rubber. The mottled celluloid body provided a more visually interesting and unique appearance compared to the solid black hard rubber version. The mottled pattern added depth and character to the pen's design.

Like the black hard rubber Filigree, the mottled version also incorporated the distinctive decorative filigree metalwork, typically in gold or silver tones, overlaid on the pen's barrel. This attention to detail and premium materials made the mottled Filigree an attractive and desirable option for fountain pen collectors and users.

With the gold filigree, this is the first time I am seeing it, after more than 30 years of collecting vintage pens. There are some collectors who doubt the authenticity of this but i believe its original. This was an Estate find wrapped in tissue and stored in closet in a trunk for decades. The seller didn’t not have clear photographs of the items and most importantly the seller didn’t take photos of the model nos at the bottom of the barrel. As a result, my own collectors have doubt on the authenticity of the pen as they have not seen one eye dropper with usual red mottled hard rubber instead of the usual black rubber.

I have looked at the photos and basing on my previous collection of the Parker 16 black hard rubber Eyedropper, I believe this is an authentic one and it turned out, my judgement is correct.

Mottled hard rubber - orange and brownish

Most of the Parker Filigree Eyedropper comes with black hard rubber but this one is unique as it comes with the mottled orange and brown hard rubber. Never say never in vintage pen collecting as there are many unknown pens in the world.