Unusual Early Parker With Compartment

[balson]

i went over to my local pen guy's house today to see about buying a pen, i did not buy the pen i was thinking of getting, but he showed me an old parker he picked up in janesville that still has me scratching my head.

it is unlike any i have ever seen before. the blind cap opens up to reveal a separate compartment from the main body of the pen. he said he has probed inside and it felt a little soft, but it does not seem to connect to the main pen. he thought it might be to hold a thermometer, but i am not convinced. it reads to me more like a trench pen, but i have never seen one that looks like this. parker experts, what are your thoughts on this?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PARKER-UNUSUAL-EARLY-LARGE-BHR-THERMOMETER-PEN-PELLET-ED-FILLED-c1910-/331937095680?hash=item4d48fe2000%3Ag%3A~sMAAOSwaB5Xq9jp

[mitto]

There were Parker doctors' pens with space for thermometers.

 

See here:

 

 

http://fountainpenboard.com/forum/index.php?/topic/2388-parker-jotter-doctors-set-with-thermometer/

 

 

 

FPN member JotterAddict65 bought some vacumatic doctor pens a while ago and he had also posted pics of the pens here on FPN. I would try to provide you with the link.

[mitto]

Edited for being double post.

Edited August 12, 2016 by mitto

[JotterAddict62]

Just thinking out loud as early the pen is could it be a trench pen ? The space would hold the ink tablets..Parker Pens Penography: HOME

 

I can not enter site at this time to check in out as the bandwidth has exceeded at this time.

[JotterAddict62]

There were Parker doctors' pens with space for thermometers.

 

See here:

 

 

http://fountainpenboard.com/forum/index.php?/topic/2388-parker-jotter-doctors-set-with-thermometer/

 

 

 

FPN member JotterAddict65 bought some vacumatic doctor pens a while ago and he had also posted pics of the pens here on FPN. I would try to provide you with the link.

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/309736-parker-vacumatic-thermometer-cases/

[balson]

Just thinking out loud as early the pen is could it be a trench pen ? The space would hold the ink tablets..Parker Pens Penography: HOME

 

I can not enter site at this time to check in out as the bandwidth has exceeded at this time.

the trench pens i have seen were all in that iconic duofold shape and had screw on blind caps, but that was my initial thought as well. this looks like it was made way earlier than that since it is a slip cap on both ends. part of the reason why i am posing this question is because that site is down. i love that website.

 

[csikora]

The pen in the link above is a bit of a mystery. The parker trench pen should look like:

 

[balson]

The pen in the link above is a bit of a mystery. The parker trench pen should look like:

 

thats stunning. its even more impressive that you have the original pellets. they look like they are totally sealed.

[csikora]

Well, the apparent canister of pellets is a mock-up that I created a few years back. Its an Eversharp pencil lead container with a custom paper label.

[joss]

The mystery Parker pen sold for a staggering US $787,88 with only two bidders active, so I guess they know what it was.

 

My guess would also be a thermometer pen but it would be great if the bidders could shed their lights on this pen.

 

Maybe we should post some of the original pictures for future reference, if there is no problem with copyright.

Edited August 22, 2016 by joss

[joss]

I asked the seller if I could copy his pictures here on FPN for future reference. The seller kindly agreed and he also received agreement from the buyer. So below are the pictures together with the seller's description (giving details on the dimension of the pen).

 

And the question remains: who knows what the special feature on the top of the pen is.

 

Description of the pen by the seller (rgbett):

 

When I got this pen, I was pretty sure it was a physician's thermometer pen and still think so, but I'm not certain. It's a long slender pen in black hard rubber (not chased) and is 6-7/8" long. Posted, which it does nicely, it is 7-1/4" long. It's an eye dropper filled Parker with a slip-on cap and the front end is pretty normal. The back end has a long black cap that fits snugly over an open chamber which would hold the thermometer. Posted, the pen's cap fits nicely over the rear cap. The open question to me is whether a 3" thermometer of small enough diameter would be available. Inside diameter of the chamber looks to be about 3/16." Other possiblities I've considered (ink pellets) seem unlikely. Anyway I've been unable to locate this very early PARKER pen elsewhere for comparison. The pen is toned of course and while fairly uniform, does have some ink spotted areas. The first two lines of the PARKER barrel imprint are quite clear, but the last line, a little hard to read, has patent dates of 1895 and 1899. The section and barrel screw together very cleanly giving a good seal for the ink chamber. The nib is a PARKER, LUCKY, CURVE, PEN, 4. It's a good looking fine nib with good flexibility. Beyond toning and routine wear, I see no defects to this outstanding and unusual early pen.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 22, 2016 by joss

[balson]

I asked the seller if I could copy his pictures here on FPN for future reference. The seller kindly agreed and he also received agreement from the buyer. So below are the pictures together with the seller's description (giving details on the dimension of the pen).

 

And the question remains: who knows what the special feature on the top of the pen is.

 

Description of the pen by the seller (rgbett):

 

When I got this pen, I was pretty sure it was a physician's thermometer pen and still think so, but I'm not certain. It's a long slender pen in black hard rubber (not chased) and is 6-7/8" long. Posted, which it does nicely, it is 7-1/4" long. It's an eye dropper filled Parker with a slip-on cap and the front end is pretty normal. The back end has a long black cap that fits snugly over an open chamber which would hold the thermometer. Posted, the pen's cap fits nicely over the rear cap. The open question to me is whether a 3" thermometer of small enough diameter would be available. Inside diameter of the chamber looks to be about 3/16." Other possiblities I've considered (ink pellets) seem unlikely. Anyway I've been unable to locate this very early PARKER pen elsewhere for comparison. The pen is toned of course and while fairly uniform, does have some ink spotted areas. The first two lines of the PARKER barrel imprint are quite clear, but the last line, a little hard to read, has patent dates of 1895 and 1899. The section and barrel screw together very cleanly giving a good seal for the ink chamber. The nib is a PARKER, LUCKY, CURVE, PEN, 4. It's a good looking fine nib with good flexibility. Beyond toning and routine wear, I see no defects to this outstanding and unusual early pen.

 

 

 

 

 

i did not probe it, so i cannot confirm, but one thing he did not have mentioned on there is that the bottom of the back chamber felt soft, like there was cotton or felt in there. i believe that's why he thought it could be for a thermometer.

its kind of a weird thing to comment on, but it really does post nicely. normally i would not feel comfortable with posting an old hard rubber pens cap, but this one felt ok. it felt like the a cross between the way a tapered slip cap slides on, and the early parkers with the straight cylinder slip cap.

[PenBuyer1796]

I'm sure a heavy hitter such as Mr. Nishimura could shine significant light on this unique early Parker...

[max the head]

It would seem to be listed in the 1917 catalogue I recently acquired.

[joss]

It would seem to be listed in the 1917 catalogue I recently acquired.

 

Although it comes close, it is not quite like the pen we're looking for.

 

That physician's pen is also shown in the 1900, 1903, 1905, 1907, 1914 and 1916 catalogues (always the same picture as what you show for 1917).

 

The accompanying text in the 1900 catalogue ("We have at last produced a really successful clinical thermometer fountain pen") suggests that the physician's pen was introduced in that year and the catalogue pictures indicate that the general design of that physician's pen was not changed over the period of 1900 - 1917.

 

This is from the 1900 catalogue:

 

Edited August 23, 2016 by joss

[penomania]

Hello Parker fans, I was directed to this post. I did obtain the mystery pen on ebay, and will shed some light here.

This is definitely a doctors pen. This one is a little different than the other one that I have seen, its a 4 size, it is an

eyedropper (not jointless) and is original. The butt end unscrews and shows off the little tube that the thermometer

was stored in. This pen has a 3 line imprint, I have seen a 2 line imprint as well. The nib is a nice scroll 4 size, the other one

I have seen has a very early Parker pen nib. Suspect this one was made toward 1910-15. Will try get some pix next week.

[penomania]

The pens does have the christmas tree lucky curve feed as well.

Please ask any specific questions.

[FarmBoy]

Nice play on the auction. I was hoping it flew under the radar.

 

I would be interested in your assessment of the discoloration pattern.

 

Congratulations on obtaining a rare Parker.

[penomania]

I was hoping also for under the radar, unfortunately or fortunately my max bid was very close to where the

auction closed. I believe that the oxidation pattern is this way as the cap was posted on the end and not where

the nib is. The oxidation disappears exactly where the cap posts, also the section is oxidized the same as most

of the body. I think the pen was left somewhere for a long time and not touched. Thanks.

[FarmBoy]

I was able to see this pen today. The photos do not do it justice.