My First Parker

[Talc]

A while ago, I bought a Parker fountain pen from an antiques emporium. When I got it home, I had a quick look at it then put it in a drawer. I have now found the pen and wondered if it is salvageable.It says "PARKER 14k PEN N." on the nib and on the case it says PARKER VICTORY with REG to the left and T.M. to the right. It doesn't say "MADE IN ENGLAND". Would this make it a MK1 ?

 

These are the parts I have. What is missing (if anything)?

 

https://goo.gl/photos/JPAVC3zafM56Q4TE6

 

Thanks for any information

[mitto]

I dont think anything is missing. Resac it and use it.

[peterg]

The picture is very dark. Mk1 or 2 pen. Can't see if it has the section or clip. Are there any rings on the cap?

[mitto]

The cap rings and clip are missing. The section and all the internal parts are there.

[Talc]

There are no rings on the cap. I tried to take some pictures last night, but it was a bit dark, but now we have some light, I have taken a few more.

 

As you can see, I have used some "Talc" to get the image to show the writing hence my user ID as that was the first thing I saw when choosing a name.

 

https://goo.gl/photos/ptQU6WwwGLYG3pPo6

 

and one of the nib

 

https://goo.gl/photos/KvnE1nux7Pr2VdWL8

 

Would love to pin it's age down. Are we talking 1940's?

[PaulS]

Looking at the Duofold book, it appears that Mk. 1 Victories started in 1941, which was the year Parker started at the Valentine works - these seem often to be in attractive colours with black caps both ends, ball ended clips, but without a cap ring. I could be wrong but believe the early nibs should have the word DUOFOLD on them - there is a suggestion that nibs were the first component made by Parker at Newhaven.

They would also have a brass coloured 'button' as in the case of the pen shown here - so taking a rather uneducated punt, my opinion is to suggest that if there isn't a cap ring then it's Mk. 1 - if there is a cap ring then it's possibly Mk. 2.

Having now put brain into gear, and seen the ring recess on the cap, then probably Mk. 2.

 

After that I'm lost - at some point the clip shape changes, they are an given A/F button, two cap rings are seen, and eventually the Mk. V looks just like any other aerometric filler Duofold. There are also differences in cap length and overall length - simple really when you know how

 

I'd be very interested if someone can give a reliable guide as to differences of each of the Marks

Edited March 30, 2017 by PaulS

[mitto]

Just gogle parkerpens.net and once in the site click the 'Parker Parkette' on the left menu.

Edited March 30, 2017 by mitto

[PaulS]

thanks Khan. Sorry to seem thick - why Parkette - did you mean Victory?

Edited March 30, 2017 by PaulS

[mitto]

Slip of tongue...errr ...of what????

 

Sorry. Things got mixed in my mind. Had just read a thread about parkette before posting here.

Edited March 30, 2017 by mitto

[PaulS]

 

thanks Khan - I think Tony's opening sentence says it all ................... "There has been something of a controversy regarding the dating of the Parker Victory pens" .......... join the club

 

According to Tony Fischier's comments, the cap on the Mk II sports two rings, and not one as with the pen here.......... so on the face of it the o.ps. pen is a Mk. I, and dates to somewhere between 1941 and 1946, I think.

[Talc]

Thanks for the pointers.

 

Heres what I have managed to work out.

 

1. They were offered either with a single, thin, rolled gold cap band or without a cap band.

2. From 1945 and on the text "MADE IN ENGLAND" was added to the imprints.Mine does not have that.

 

PARKER

REG VICTORY T.M.

3. My cap is missing the clip and it also looks like it has no space for the clip. Does the cap have a screw off top to fit the clip? Could it be I do not have the correct cap?

Edited March 30, 2017 by Talc

[PaulS]

Always pays to be a little cautious of information regarding features for dating - Parker were notorious for continuing to use some parts after a face lift in order to save binning good stock. Nibs can be misleading, as they are possibly the most frequent of parts that were changed in the life of a pen.

 

1 ............. yes, I'd agree assuming we're speaking of Mk. 1 Victories - the earliest of which appear not to have had a cap ring, and the later Mk.1 pens having one ring.

 

2.............. You may well be correct about post 1945 imprints showing MADE IN ENGLAND .. The earliest Mk. 1 pens seem to have the

imprint you show, whereas my opinion is that later Mk. 1 pens show:

 

PARKER

GEO. S. PARKER VICTORY REG. T.M.

 

I have one or two Mk. II pens (I think) with date codes, but don't seem to have any Mk. 1 with codes. If present they are to the right of the imprint, usually.

 

3 ............ Again opinion, but I don't think Victories were sold specifically without clips. These things get broken, and maybe not replaced as non-essential. The top blind cap does screw in/out, and can probably be screwed down a little further to hide any gap left by a missing clip ring, but this needs a little care as it reduces the internal dimension and could be a danger of hitting the nib point - always best to measure just in case. If your cap sits well without gaps, screws down neatly and feels right then you probably do have the correct cap.