I'm starting to get interested in the orange duofolds, and, frankly, don't even know where to start. My only "vintage" pens are a 51 and a 61.

I think I'd like a "Senior" sized Parker Duofold in the orange-ish hard-rubber. (Were these the pens that were called "Big Reds"?)

I'd like a XF nib, perhaps with a little flex (comparable to the Namiki Falcon?) but flex is not a requirement.

I'm not tied to the purchase of a Vintage pen, if a modern release ("Centennial"?) is available that meets the aesthetic requirements.

I've even considered going with Brian Gray's "Glenmont" tribute pen in the orange acrylic! (Brian's pens look fantastic!)

So, to all of you Parker gurus, what's the best place to start on this quest?

If you want vintage, core classic Duofold, then start looking at the original Flat Tops from the 1920s. Beware, these things can be pretty expensive. Most of the nibs are pretty rigid, though some do have flexier nibs. They tend to be even more expensive if they have a nice flex. The material can be hard rubber or celluloid. The celluloid tends to wear a bit better and is a bit more durable. You will probably pay more if you insist on a hard rubber in prime shape.

In about 1929 you'll see "streamlined" Duofolds. These have a mild curve to them. These look a lot like the Flat Tops at first glance, but do have a little bit different shape to them.

Seniors are big pens and have a price to go with the size usually. Juniors usually are a bit more economical, but also aren't small by any means (mine is about the size of my Pelikan M400).

Start with the 1920s examples and work newer from there. The modern ones generally aren't cheap either, so it's up to you which direction you want to go in. Vintage or modern, these are pretty high quality pens as they came/come from the factory. You won't be disappointed, but you must be warned they can be costly.

This is not complete by any means, but should help you get started in looking around.

Hi Savarez,

You may want to check out my recent, related thread
http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...showtopic=67274

Beautiful pens...

I prefer the early, non-streamlined flat-tops. And I prefer the original to the modern replicas, because I really like the look of the early clips with the ball at the end.

Sweet. I saw this thread just after I made my original post. Guess I'll stumble across one of these on the marketplace someday!

Parker Duofolds from 1921-1926 were hard rubber flattops, available in black and red.
Parker Duofolds from 1926-1929 were celluloid flattops available in black, red, blue, green and yellow.
Parker Duofolds from 1929-onwards were the streamlined celluloid variety available in black, red, blue, green, yellow and several other colours.

I've heard tell that the early hard-rubber Duofolds are the most expensive, so look out. Also, Duofolds were designed with deliberately stiff nibs. I've heard of Duofolds with semi-flex nibs, but in my mind, I'd think these would be rather rare.

All I can say is that if you buy a RHR Duo - please, please, please don't use it as a daily writer - too fragile and I'd hate it to bite the dust.

A few examples...

-david

That's a bit extreme, Max!

Buy a Parker Duofold RHR by all means, but buy it perhaps as a desk-pen? With a stand a taper. That way you can still use it as a daily desk-pen without the risk of it possibly being damaged by accidents outside the house.

Max gives good advice. If you buy a RHR as a daily writer, make sure it's a worn example that won't make a collector cringe. The Permanite examples are just as utilitarian and less expensive to boot, so they would be a great option. There's usually a number of them on ebay, but watch for the feedback of the seller.

the duofold flat tops have wonderful nibs and there is a big selection of colors and models to chose. The bandless duofolds are also interesting but they are not cheap.

The Lapis Blue is killer- great stuff.

Is that by any chance a good Mandarin Yellow Duofold? Beautiful stuff, them...