I'm looking at a couple of Duofolds. One is an early aluminium button fill in very good condition, the other is a Duofold Senior aerometric fill. The button fill is in better condition but 40% more, although it is not very much in monetary terms, certainly not enough to make a difference to my decision so I probably shouldn't have even bothered mentioning it really . Which would you choose and why? Pros and cons would be good. I intent to use the pen fairly regularly.

Also how does it compare in size to my vacumatic major? particularly in girth as the vacumatic is a little thin for my hands.

Thanks again,

Lee

Hi Lee,

The sac squeezer and the button filler are much of a muchness as far as reliability and ease of use go.

The sac squeezer has the Pyrolene or whatever Parker called the synthetic sac and they go on and on same as in the 51 aerometrics, I've got a couple that are used quite regularly and they show no signs of any problems.

The button filler had an ordinary latex sac originally although these are often replaced with synthetics when they perish, so if the button filler has been serviced or restored recently then it may have a synthetic sac but whatever sac it has it should be good to go for a fair few years before you need worry.

The big banded Vac that I have is 1/32nd. wider across the barrel/section joint than the DJ AF and 3/64ths. wider than the sac squeezer at the same point give or take a gnats bits on all measurements as I used a ruler rather than go and fetch a vernier from the workshop.

As to which I would choose then its down to the nib that suits and how and where on the pen you hold it and that is entirely personal and subjective, me I have a short fat Duofold Demi with a factory stub nib that I favour but I have fairly small hands and feel that the big vac is like writing with a cucumber, a beautiful,smooth writing cucumber its true but , to me, that is a big pen.
Not sure if that is any help, I hope so.

Cheers, John