Duofold Big Reds

[mitto]

These found their way to my doorsteps last night. What size these are and who shall I send them to for restoration? Both are flat top but the bigger one, I assume, has a section from the later streamline Duofolds. The nibs too are different. Are these correct?

 

 

 

The crisp imprints:

 

 

 

 

 

The nibs:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The sizes:

 

 

 

 

Edited July 30, 2016 by mitto

[mitto]

The smaller pen's cap lips are chipped/broken. Are these repairable or would I have to source another cap for the pen?

Edited July 29, 2016 by mitto

[joss]

I also expect to see a stepped section on a Duofold with a wide cap band. Maybe the complete nib-feed-section unit is not original to this pen as the nib appears to be English.

 

The chipped cap lip might be repairable by the best in this field but I guess that you need a donor cap for such a repair anyway. So I would go for a replacement cap.

Edited July 29, 2016 by joss

[mitto]

Yes, joss, the Senior has the Newhaven N nib and section from the streamlined Diofolds, I think.

 

What is the smaller pen?

[joss]

What is the smaller pen?

 

It is difficult to deduce the exact length from the picture but if the pen is about 5 3/8" long, I guess it is a Long Special (Senior length, Junior diameter).

 

That would be the 5th model listed in the table at the bottom of Tony Fischiers Duofold page (http://parkerpens.net/duofold.html)

[mitto]

Yes, It is 5.5/16".

[Lazard 20]

What is the smaller pen?

 

Please a photo of imprint, and measures of the barrel -included blind cap- and cap separately.

 

Foot note. In principle, and if not deceive my sight:

1. barrel could be measurements coherent of a Duofold Special (a model less known with over-sized Big Red length but with Junior diameter).

2. cap could be appearance of a Duofold Junior.

but I hope to know the information requested.

[mitto]

Please a photo of imprint, and measures of the barrel -included blind cap- and cap separately.

 

Foot note. In principle, and if not deceive my sight:

1. barrel could be measurements coherent of a Duofold Special (a model less known with over-sized Big Red length but with Junior diameter).

2. cap could be appearance of a Duofold Junior.

but I hope to know the information requested.

 

Lazard, you are correct . The imprint clearly says DUOFOLD SPECIAL. Will post the measurement and imprint pictures later.

Edited July 29, 2016 by mitto

[Ron Z]

I have found the red celluloid to be fairly brittle, though not as brittle as the Mandarin. Repaired cap lips often crack elsewhere even while you're blending a crack. In many cases, I replace the whole cap lip with material from higher up on a cap, using a tenon joint under the cap bands. You rarely see any evidence of the repair, and the material appears to be stronger than the original cap lip. Certainly worth it on a Sr, not sure on a Jr. With the Special it may be worth doing.

 

re. the section - US made flat top sections are threaded, streamlined are slip fit, so not compatible unless barrel or section are modified.

[mitto]

Here are the imprints on the smaller pen:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 29, 2016 by mitto

[mitto]

Measurements (of the smaller pen) to follow.

Edited July 29, 2016 by mitto

[mitto]

I have found the red celluloid to be fairly brittle, though not as brittle as the Mandarin. Repaired cap lips often crack elsewhere even while you're blending a crack. In many cases, I replace the whole cap lip with material from higher up on a cap, using a tenon joint under the cap bands. You rarely see any evidence of the repair, and the material appears to be stronger than the original cap lip. Certainly worth it on a Sr, not sure on a Jr. With the Special it may be worth doing.

 

re. the section - US made flat top sections are threaded, streamlined are slip fit, so not compatible unless barrel or section are modified.

 

Thank you Ron. I would like to send you both the pens to check and restore. Would pm you later.

[Kenlowe]

This era of Parker pen production is my personal favorite, the Streamline in particular.

 

If it is possible, could we see photographs or the pens before and after restoration?

 

Thank you

[mitto]

This era of Parker pen production is my personal favorite, the Streamline in particular.

 

If it is possible, could we see photographs or the pens before and after restoration?

 

Thank you

 

Why not. Would certainly post the before and after restoration pictures. Let us see how the pens turn out after restoration. Hope they would turn out great.

[Kenlowe]

Thank you.

[mitto]

The cap and barrel measurements of the smaller pen:

[Lazard 20]

... US made flat top sections are threaded, streamlined are slip fit, so not compatible unless barrel or section are modified.

 

... and in turn, the streamlined slip fit with two different bars systems.

 

[mitto]

I have found the red celluloid to be fairly brittle, though not as brittle as the Mandarin. Repaired cap lips often crack elsewhere even while you're blending a crack. In many cases, I replace the whole cap lip with material from higher up on a cap, using a tenon joint under the cap bands. You rarely see any evidence of the repair, and the material appears to be stronger than the original cap lip. Certainly worth it on a Sr, not sure on a Jr. With the Special it may be worth doing.

 

re. the section - US made flat top sections are threaded, streamlined are slip fit, so not compatible unless barrel or section are modified.

 

 

Could it be that the barrel and section as a whole of the Senior pen is from the streamlined Duofold and only the cap is from the early flat top Duofold? Were the caps interchangable between the two models?

[Ron Z]

The caps are interchangeable, though the streamlined cap is a bit shorter than the flat top. The blind cap however is not interchangeable because the barrel itself tapers so is narrower where the blind cap meets the barrel.

 

IIRC the Newhaven sections are threaded, but with a different profile. But don't hold me to that.

[mitto]

Thank you Ron. I will try to remove the section and check if there was some modification involved or was it just a Newhaven section screwed into the barrel.