Help In Dating A Parker Vacumatic

[siopaopei]

Hi folks! I just got my first Parker Vacumatic and I'd like some input on determining the manufacture year of the pen. It's an azure blue pearl so I guess that would be 1940-1948.

 

 

It's a single-jewel pen with a blue diamond on the clip

 

 

This is the design on the band around the cap

 

 

It shows Made in USA and what looks like .5. on the barrel.

 

 

It has a plastic-looking plunger

 

 

and this is what the nib looks like

 

 

I hope there are enough design clues to help me identify the year it was manufactured? Also, is there any way to improve the clarity of the barrel on this pen? Thank you.

[Tylerjordan]

1945, second quarter.

 

Nib looks to be 1948.

Edited October 29, 2014 by Tylerjordan

[siopaopei]

Thanks! It just says "8" on the nib, i forgot to mention. The reflection makes it hard to read.

[inkstainedruth]

Nice pen. I think Azure Blue Pearl is my favorite color for Vacs.

What size is it? I know that Vacs came in a wacky number of size models (someone posted a link to a chart by year of all the different sizes awhile back). Saw one that was a Major in an antiques mall near where I live recently, but the nib was in very bad shape and it was going to cost too much for me to either replace it or send it out to a nibmeister; and when I went back to show my husband a desk I had seen a few weeks ago the pen was gone.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[peterg]

If the 5 was a mis read 8 the nib and pen would have matching dates

[siopaopei]

Nice pen. I think Azure Blue Pearl is my favorite color for Vacs.

What size is it? I know that Vacs came in a wacky number of size models (someone posted a link to a chart by year of all the different sizes awhile back). Saw one that was a Major in an antiques mall near where I live recently, but the nib was in very bad shape and it was going to cost too much for me to either replace it or send it out to a nibmeister; and when I went back to show my husband a desk I had seen a few weeks ago the pen was gone.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

Based on the measurements and the design clues, it looks to be a Major. Weird name, since there's nothing particularly "major" about it. I really enjoy this pen a lot. A little tuning of the nib and it was perfect. I wrote a full review here if you care to read it.

 

If the 5 was a mis read 8 the nib and pen would have matching dates

 

The nib really shows "8", so I guess it's a mismatched nib? Would you know if the nibs of the Vacs are usually gold plated stainless steel? there are no markings on it to say so.

[Brian-McQueen]

It is indeed a Major size. The nib in this pen is solid 14K.

[siopaopei]

It is indeed a Major size. The nib in this pen is solid 14K.

 

Thank you. I could not find the information online. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong places. :-/

[inkstainedruth]

I have a Silver Pearl Major (my Azure Blue is a Debutante or possibly a sub-Debutante, and is a little on the small side sometimes -- I'd *love* to get a Major in that color at some point, because the Major is a perfect size IMO).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Brian-McQueen]

I have a Silver Pearl Major (my Azure Blue is a Debutante or possibly a sub-Debutante, and is a little on the small side sometimes -- I'd *love* to get a Major in that color at some point, because the Major is a perfect size IMO).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

A Debutante has a cap band design that looks somewhat like this <<<|||>>>. A Sub-Deb has a single thin smooth cap band. I know these aren't the best pictures, but the top one shows the Debutante cap band, and the bottom show the Sub-Deb band.

 

 

 

 

 

Just to muddy the waters a little bit, though the Debutante almost always has a Blue Diamond clip, it is correct for a 1938 Debutante to have a non-Blue Diamond clip. There is also another classification called the "Junior Debutante" which is a pen in Shadow Wave plastic with the cap band of a Debutante and a non-Blue Diamond clip.

Edited October 31, 2014 by RobertNFrappuls

[siopaopei]

Ooh, i see. Thanks for sharing that, Brian. I didn't know the trims had different designs for different kinds of vacs.

[inkstainedruth]

Okay then. I will dig mine out of the zipper case and double-check the cap band on mine. I'm fairly sure that it has the chevron design band though. So that "offcially" (semi officially?) may makes mine a Deb and not a Sub-Deb?

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Brian-McQueen]

Okay then. I will dig mine out of the zipper case and double-check the cap band on mine. I'm fairly sure that it has the chevron design band though. So that "offcially" (semi officially?) may makes mine a Deb and not a Sub-Deb?

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

If you can post a picture, I will tell you for sure.

[inkstainedruth]

I can try. The camera is currently not working, and I don't know if I can get enough detail with my cellphone (the camera is a digital SLR and I have a set of close up filters for it). But it will have to be later on tonight or tomorrow -- I have to leave in about a half hour for choir rehearsal, which runs until a little after 9.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[siopaopei]

I can try. The camera is currently not working, and I don't know if I can get enough detail with my cellphone (the camera is a digital SLR and I have a set of close up filters for it). But it will have to be later on tonight or tomorrow -- I have to leave in about a half hour for choir rehearsal, which runs until a little after 9.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

Looking forward to your photos too, Ruth. ^_^

[Brian-McQueen]

I can try. The camera is currently not working, and I don't know if I can get enough detail with my cellphone (the camera is a digital SLR and I have a set of close up filters for it). But it will have to be later on tonight or tomorrow -- I have to leave in about a half hour for choir rehearsal, which runs until a little after 9.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

A half decent cell phone photo will be sufficient to identify what you've got.

[inkstainedruth]

Just realized that I don't know if I can download any photos I take until I get the (expletive deleted) password on the phone updated. Or at least have the charger with me.... Which isn't happening before next week (I only have the car one with me).

However, I did look at the Azure Blue Pearl Vac (and brought it with me this weekend to OPS) -- and people may be right: it may very well be a sub-Deb due to the style of the cap band. The Shadow Wave (not sure what size model it is) *does* have the chevron band, like on my Silver Pearl Major. But the Azure Blue has a narrower and (apparently) non-engraved band, although I still need to pull out my loupe and take a better look at it.

Looks as if I'm going to have to be putting the Parker Vacumatic Book on my Christmas wish list....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Brian-McQueen]

If the azure blue has a thinner, unengraved cap band, and a non-blue-diamond clip, it is a Sub-Deb.

 

The Shadow wave with a chevron band would be called a Junior Debutante, though most people don't know that name and simply call them Debutantes. The Shadow Wave chevron band design should be different from the Major's Chevron design.

 

Debutante chevron design should look kind of like this:

>> >><< <<|||>> >><< <<

 

Major chevron design should look kind of like this:

\\\///\\\///\\\| |///\\\///\\\///

 

Sorry I am not at home for the next couple weeks or I could provide a real picture.

Edited November 7, 2014 by BrianMcQueen