Two Parker 45S

[corgicoupe]

I have two Parker 45s, one inherited and the second recently purchased at an antique market. Both have brushed stainless steel caps , but the former is dimpled and is engraved "Made in France" and the latter is conical and engraved "Made in USA". I assume both nibs are gold since they don't respond to a magnet. The purchased one came with an empty refill. Is it advisable to get an aeromatic filler for it? What might be the dates for these pens? Was $25 a reasonable price for the purchas? TIA.

Bob

[Mike 59]

Hi, If either of your pens has a gold nib, it will be marked, usually '14k', but you will have to take the nib section apart to be able to read it, as it is hidden by the black hooded part of the section.

I have tried the 'magnet test' on a steel nib, but the magnet was not attracted to the nib. Steel nibs will just have the country of origin stamped on them and the Parker symbol.

Parker 45's will take almost all of the cartridges and converters made by Parker over the years, including the slide converters on sale today.

Note that Parker pens must use Parker brand cartridges (named 'Quink') and converters, the common 'international' versions will not fit.

A popular way of using these pens is to refill used Quink cartridges with the ink of your choice. The advantage being that they hold a good amount of ink.(1ml), compared to most other cartridge and converter systems.

Your pens may have a date code stamped into the cap, around the side from the word 'Parker'. If no date stamp then they will have been made before '79/'80.

Prices and value of '45's vary so much with the condition, and the colour and finish, if you could upload a photo it would help those that know more than I do.

Edited February 1, 2015 by Mike 59

[corgicoupe]

How does one remove the hooded part of the section? Is it a press fit or screwed in?

[ARVA]

It is screwed in the section.

[Mike 59]

Hi, The nib, the pointed hood and the feed, under the nib are unscrewed 'as one' from the finger grip section.

You can see the joint easily as a step about 1/4 inch back from the nib's point.

If the nib section has not been apart for several years, it is worth soaking the whole front part of the pen in water for an hour so, or overnight might be better.

There is a video about this on Youtube, type Parker 45 Disassembly into the search box.

Edited February 1, 2015 by Mike 59

[corgicoupe]

Worked like a charm.Half an hour in warm water and the nib section came apart easily for cleaning. Thanks for the guidance.

 

Neither pen cap has any markings for datining. Each has Parker on one side and Made In ... on the opposite. I'll upload pictures tomorrow.

[JKelly]

Be sure to soak the pen body as well. If you needed to soak the nib assembly to disassemble it, you certainly have ink buildup in the body.

[mitto]

Worked like a charm.Half an hour in warm water and the nib section came apart easily for cleaning. Thanks for the guidance.

 

Neither pen cap has any markings for datining. Each has Parker on one side and Made In ... on the opposite. I'll upload pictures tomorrow.

Pre 1979/80 if no date coding on the caps as you say.

[Captivelight]

Any Parker converter or cartridge will fit them ...

Conical cap would indicate an earlier pen, probably manufactured in the 60's - the conical cap screws were phased out around 1970

 

Dimpled cap would indicate a later pen from the 70's assuming it has no date code on the cap.

 

It's hard to be any more precise!

[mitto]

Any Parker converter or cartridge will fit them ...

Conical cap would indicate an earlier pen, probably manufactured in the 60's - the conical cap screws were phased out around 1970

 

Dimpled cap would indicate a later pen from the 70's assuming it has no date code on the cap.

 

It's hard to be any more precise!

Let us see the pictures. If the pens have tail caps then these are of 60s and early 70s. If not , these are of late 70s before date coding began appearing on the caps in , I assume , 1980.

[SockAddict]

Let us see the pictures. If the pens have tail caps then these are of 60s and early 70s. If not , these are of late 70s before date coding began appearing on the caps in , I assume , 1980.

 

Tail caps only apply to the Flighter models.

[corgicoupe]

How do you upload images to this forum?

 

I don't have a web site and the images are on my computer.

 

Okay. Here they are. The one on top is Made in USA and the nib says 14K. The other is Made in France and is engraved 585. The caps are conical and dimpled, respectively.

 

http://www.psychologist4kids.com/bob/Parker%2045s%20002%201000.jpg

Edited February 2, 2015 by corgicoupe

[JKelly]

If you don't have a web site, you can get a Photobucket account or something similar. I've had one for a couple of years, and it seems benign. I use it to host pictures for several forums that I use that require links rather than allowing uploads.

[Sasha Royale]

The "GT" models (gold trim) have gold clips and rings,and are quite attractive. A gold nib

is typically yellow. I don't place much value in them, as they don't seem to function any

differently, and I don't look at the nib while writing.

 

$25 is a reasonable price for a good-condition Parker 45. A converter allow filling directly

from an ink bottle. The "squeeze" type (I don't call it "Aerometric".) works well, as do the

two piston, plastic designs, which are cheaper. If the empty cartridge is a still a tight fit, in

a clean pen, you can refill it several times with a syringe.

 

The Parker 45 was in production for almost 50 years. I used the mid-1960's model through

all of college. I took it to sea, in the Navy. Fifty years later, a Parker 45 is in my pocket

everyday.

[corgicoupe]

The "GT" models (gold trim) have gold clips and rings,and are quite attractive. A gold nib

is typically yellow. I don't place much value in them, as they don't seem to function any

differently, and I don't look at the nib while writing.

 

Back in the 1980s I bought a Sheaffer Targa with a steel nib. Before buying a second one I wrote to Sheaffer and asked if the gold nib ws really better. I got a reply that said "No, the gold nib doesn't write any better..." That's paraphrased but it's the essence of the reply. I need to search my files to see if I still have the letter. I still have the two Targas.

[SockAddict]

Beautiful pens. I'm jealous.

 

A couple of people have said recently that on the 45s, they think their gold nibs write wider than steel nibs of the same (official) size.

[JDW427]

Parker pens accept Lamy converters and cartridges as well- I have used Lamy converters in quite a few 45s, Sonnets, 75s, etc. Lamy converters are readily available and inexpensive

[mitto]

Tail caps only apply to the Flighter models.

I doubt the authencity of the theory of end caps applying only to flighters. See here :

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/uploads/post-119305-0-02105100-1420443267.jpg

[OcalaFlGuy]

I doubt the authencity of the theory of end caps applying only to flighters. See here :

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/uploads/post-119305-0-02105100-1420443267.jpg

 

Mitto, if you are in cahoots with Bsenn (backchannel) in trying to get me to Needing a Blue Coronet...

 

 

It's working.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL-Like Bsenn said backchannel, It's not a TX but...

[SockAddict]

I doubt the authencity of the theory of end caps applying only to flighters. See here :

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/uploads/post-119305-0-02105100-1420443267.jpg

 

I stand corrected. However, it's still true that the tail caps were only on a limited number of models, and not the plastic-bodied ones.