Parker T-1

[goodguy]

I have my Parker T-1 for about 3 years.I got it from another FPN member.

I've been dreaming of this pen since I started my collecting carrier 5 years ago but since this pen comand a high price I could only dream of this pen.

Eventualy after a lot of heart break I got the pens and for me the joy was unbelivible.This pen is so unique and special that no other pen was impatiently awaited as this pen.

 

For those of you that dont know the history of the pen let me tell you just a bit on it.

It was produced by Parker on 1970.Parker was inspired by the Appolo space program and they decided to make a pen out of what space ships are made of Titanium.

The whole body including the nib and cap are all made of Titanium.The nib is an integral part of the pen.

Sadly the pen had problems from day one.It is said Parker actualy lost money on every pen it made due to high production costs.

Parker found titanium was (and still is) a very hard material to work with.The iridium nib is notoriously known to fall of the nib with very little use.Parker nib experts fount it very hard to retip these pens when they came back for repair.Due to this reason many collectors that own the T-1 (me among them) refuse to ink the pen.Once the tip falls off it is nearly imposible to get it retipped and the pen looses a lot of its value.

Parker stoped production of this pen after only a year so this is a pen that even though isnt a Limited Edition pen was produced in very limited numbers so one could say that practicly this is a LE pen.

 

The T-1 is a C/C filler and is designed based on the Parker 75.It has two lovely red jewels on the end of the pen.

The pen and cap has a brashed look to it.The integral nib is in my eyes the most beautiful and unique featur of this pen.

There is a little screw under the nib.This screw was design so the user could control the wetness of the ink and to control a bit of the thickness of the line.Again because I never inked this pen I cant tell you how effective this really is.

 

As expected from a Titanium pen it is very light weight and very comfortable in the hand.This pen could be a treat if it was reliable.

Parker didnt abondened this unique design and they made the 50 (or Falcon) model that was very similar to the T-1 only it wasnt made of titanium rather then more common metals and they didnt add the screw.

 

My pen is in a Mint/near mint condition and as far as I can see it was never used.I cherish it and will probably take this rare pen with me to the grave.

[Mr.Rene]

Dear Goodguy,

nice pen..Any idea if Parker Falcon 50 was made after T-1???Both have the same "integral" nib point...

Best Regards,

Rene,

[phe]

What a cool pen! I love the look of the nib and the rubies. The idea of the screw is really good, I wonder if it works well.

[Johnny Appleseed]

I am pretty sure the Falcon 50 came after the T-1, as a "save" of the design with more workable materials.

 

I have been playing with the idea of finding a T-1 that is missing it's tipping and regrinding it to a stub. It would wear faster than a tipped nib, but Titanium if pretty hard stuff - not as hard as Tungsten and Ruthenium alloys, but pretty tough nevertheless.

 

John

[goodguy]

Dear Goodguy,

nice pen..Any idea if Parker Falcon 50 was made after T-1???Both have the same "integral" nib point...

Best Regards,

Rene,

After Parker stopped producing the T-1 they started to produce the Falcon.

They simply made the same basic pen without the screw under the nib and slighly less fancy looking.

[DRP]

Fantastic design! I want one. Period. End of discussion. I want one.

 

Usually, I place the highest possible value on practicality of a pen. I hereby announce that common sense has completely eluded me on this one. I just want one.

[goodguy]

Fantastic design! I want one. Period. End of discussion. I want one.

 

Usually, I place the highest possible value on practicality of a pen. I hereby announce that common sense has completely eluded me on this one. I just want one.

Well they go for 400$-500$

 

Good luck

[georges zaslavsky]

I have the impression to see an American version of the Pilot MYU because of the nib. Personnaly I wouldn't spend 500$ on a pen that I can't ink.

[J English Smith]

I thought these were so so very cool in 1969, but opted for a Parker 75 shortly after. If only I had known...but I would have used it, I imagine. And by now, that nib would be pretty worn. Gosh, what were they then - $35? I think they were just a little pricier than the 75. Maybe it was as high as $50. Whatever it was, it was high enough that I knew my parents wouldn't buy it readily for me.

 

I still remember the introductory ad - do you, Goodguy? (I'm in advertising so I tend to remember these things. They were in almost every issue of National Geographic.)

 

I may be just slightly off on the syntax, but it was this or close to - combined with a dramatic nib-straight-on shot of the pen (you should add that angle in your photo gallery):

 

"Hold the metal that's going to Mars. And write."

 

Parker had great ads in the 60s, and that was one of the best.

[Tweel]

"Hold the metal that's going to Mars. And write."

 

Parker had great ads in the 60s, and that was one of the best.

I think I saw a scan of that ad somewhere on the web.

 

If the plane hadn't been such an enigma, they could have had an SR-71 tie-in: "Hold the metal that's overflying the Soviet Union..." Really, the T-1 amazes me -- a consumer product made of titanium back then! Parker was way ahead of their time.

 

-- Brian

[goodguy]

I still remember the introductory ad - do you, Goodguy?

Sorry I wasnt around at that time yet to see this ad

[drgonzo2]

If ever there was a pen which deserved a reissue, this is it.

 

And with 35+ years of advancements in both material & production technology, it would probably be much more practical to build now than it was then... :hmm1:

 

Here's hoping someone at Parker reads this

(_{Although, I'm not a fan of the red jewels, finding them a little too jarring - perhaps grey would match the barrel better...})

 

Nice pen, goodguy - I'm envious

 

Cheers... G

[MikeLip]

I would HATE to own that pen. I'd want to ink it and write with it, but I would despise myself for doing that! Awesome pen though, if you have the self control!

[George]

Sometimes they go bananzas on ebay, with $600+ - legit bidders too.

[pmsalty]

:clap1: I'm extremely envious! Good job!

PMS

[Shamouti]

Hi Goodguy,

 

One day I decided to contact Mr. Richard Binder from his site and asked him about the T-1. Well, as you probably know, he didn't recommend the T-1 or any titanium nibbed fountain pen for writing. They are too fragile and not smooth at all. But still, there are plenty of pens out there that have scratchy nibs, why pick on this one particularly?

 

When you think about it, the pen was ahead of it's time and certainly you can't fault Parker for trying something new to entice the public. I mean, I'd certainly buy one if it was a good writer, but for purely historical Parker value, then purchasing a T-1 by all means would be a good purchase. They are fascinating and terrific to look at too.

 

Gosh, come to think of it, MYU Pilot pens are quite similar to the T-1. The only difference is the MYU pens are stainless steel instead of titanium. There sure is a lot written on the T-1, but if it was a good writer then I am sure it would have sold well too.

 

Just my two cents,

 

John (Shamouti)

[goodguy]

Hi Goodguy,

 

One day I decided to contact Mr. Richard Binder from his site and asked him about the T-1. Well, as you probably know, he didn't recommend the T-1 or any titanium nibbed fountain pen for writing. They are too fragile and not smooth at all. But still, there are plenty of pens out there that have scratchy nibs, why pick on this one particularly?

 

When you think about it, the pen was ahead of it's time and certainly you can't fault Parker for trying something new to entice the public. I mean, I'd certainly buy one if it was a good writer, but for purely historical Parker value, then purchasing a T-1 by all means would be a good purchase. They are fascinating and terrific to look at too.

 

Gosh, come to think of it, MYU Pilot pens are quite similar to the T-1. The only difference is the MYU pens are stainless steel instead of titanium. There sure is a lot written on the T-1, but if it was a good writer then I am sure it would have sold well too.

 

Just my two cents,

 

John (Shamouti)

Hi John

 

Well I appreciate your comment but it looks like you didnt read too many of my threads or else you would understand why I like this pen.

As much as I am a FP user I am also a or ever more then that a FP collector.

I have today about 110 pens and I almost never use most of them even though they are all good writers.I collect them and dont feel the need to use them all.

I do use FP as I said but mostly my Omas Paragon and sometimes other pens too but always loose interest very fast and go back to my beloved Paragon.

So for me to have the Parker T-1 makes a lot of logic.

[Shamouti]

Hi,

 

I think sometimes fountain pen collecting can be rewarding, that's for sure. If you do find an unused, NOS pen or something fairly close to it, the pen is an investment.

 

When I go to car shows, sometimes a person brings car on a trailer, never to be driven. The car holds it's value as long as it's not used. For most collectors, it's a rational thought.

 

It doesn't matter what you have for your possessions, as long as it makes you feel happy having them. I have a few pens I like, but I don't use them all either. It's not the accumulated number that you have, but what does it matter?

 

The way I see it is if you like it, and it makes you feel good about yourself, then that's fine. Despite using this electronic medium for discussion between collectors, it's the truest sense that fountain pens will not become extinct and enthusiasm will continually flourish with people like us.

 

Hope that makes some sense. I always feel it best to try and come up with a complete answer instead of a blip for people to know what I mean.

 

Thanks,

 

John (Shamouti)

Edited April 3, 2008 by Shamouti

[goodguy]

Hi,

 

I think sometimes fountain pen collecting can be rewarding, that's for sure. If you do find an unused, NOS pen or something fairly close to it, the pen is an investment.

 

When I go to car shows, sometimes a person brings car on a trailer, never to be driven. The car holds it's value as long as it's not used. For most collectors, it's a rational thought.

 

It doesn't matter what you have for your possessions, as long as it makes you feel happy having them. I have a few pens I like, but I don't use them all either. It's not the accumulated number that you have, but what does it matter?

 

The way I see it is if you like it, and it makes you feel good about yourself, then that's fine. Despite using this electronic medium for discussion between collectors, it's the truest sense that fountain pens will not become extinct and enthusiasm will continually flourish with people like us.

 

Hope that makes some sense. I always feel it best to try and come up with a complete answer instead of a blip for people to know what I mean.

 

Thanks,

 

John (Shamouti)

Yes John you make perfect sense.

I must admit I have few pens I love and I would really like to use everyday but I cant bring myself to use them especialy my Mont Blanc Virginia Woolf LE.This pen is (for me) a very expensive pens and if I'd use it I'd be too spacred something would happened to it so I just keep it in its box.So sometimes the collector part in me fustrates me a bit but all in all I am happy with the pens I collect and the ones I use.

The Parker T-1 is the only pen I have that I never inked or used.

Edited April 3, 2008 by goodguy

[omasfan]

What a classic. I am smitten by titanium pens as of lately. Did the T1 always come with the ruby jewels or were there variations?