A Very Special Parker Duofold

[MilkThistle]

A very dear friend came over the other night to hang out with my wife, and a fellow FPN member had just been at my house with his amazing collection. He was leaving as she was arriving and, in retrospect, I wish I had asked my FPN friend to stay and meet her.

 

Her name is Deborah and she started working at Parker Pen in England in her teenage years. She started at the very bottom. Being as bright as she is, she moved up through the ranks and did every job that was done there, including making nibs.

 

After mastering almost every skill in the shop, she was promoted to management. She was there for the management buyout. She was there for the sale to Gillette. She was retained by Gillette and moved to Boston in the mid 90's. She worked for Gillette/Parker until they sold the pen unit off, and then even for a couple more years as a consultant for the transition.

 

Then she retired.

 

I met Deborah in 1999. We were new neighbors in a brand new neighborhood. I still remember the first time I was at her house, getting the grand tour. In the dining room, in a magnificent display case - sat the most incredible collection of pens that I have ever seen. Good lord; it was simply stunning. And I focused right onto the "Big Red" - not even knowing at the time that it was a "Big Red". It was a gift from her employer that was given to Parker executives.

 

Well, since my FPN friend had just been over, my kitchen table was littered with ink, paper, and Pelikans. I let her check out the M800 series in Fine and Italic Broad. "Lovely" was her response. (I kept the paper that she used to test the pens out. She filled the page). Then I mentioned the gorgeous Orange Parker in her display - and she said to me:

 

"I'm going to gift it to you."

 

Woah. Now, this lady has given away more pens than you can imagine, but this pen? I knew it was expensive. And special (at least to her). So, I went onto ebay and found the one that looked most like hers - and it was $750. I showed her.

 

She said she is still giving it to me because she knows that I will care for it and cherish it.

 

"No Way" I told her. "If you insist on gifting me this pen, then I insist on gifting one right back". So, I retrieved the M800 Burnt Orange. I inked it up with Mont Blanc Toffee Brown. I put it into her hand and said that this would be the trade, plus the bottle of ink. She said that it was not necessary, but when she put the pen to paper - she was overjoyed.

 

I looked at the line variation that she got out of the Burnt Orange and said - "Good Lord, how do you do that?" It has a Double Broad Nib. I didn't care for the nib much, but she was absolutely thrilled (and able to get very thin to rather large lines...not sure how she did it, but she did not stress the nib. It was all fine hand control. amazing.)

 

"It's a deal" she said.

 

So; with a bottle of wine - she, my wife, and I were off to her house.

 

And she pulled the pen out of her display (it was right next to the Boucheron) and handed it to me. Wow - I had grown to love it over the years.

 

Then she said: "I'll get you the box".

 

Really? You still have the box? Yep, a closet full of boxes. And she found it right away. "With all the papers - and everything".

 

Just awesome for me because I always save boxes for collectibles, with all of the accoutrements.

 

...Next Day...

 

I don't know a darn thing about Parker Duofolds. I have owned one Parker in my life - a 75 Thuya Laque that I used all through my college years, and some Jotters.

 

Time for research. Deborah has already promised me a "Letter of Provenance" that will tell the entire story, but I wanted to know more about this exact model of DuoFold now. Tough going at first because my eye did not know what to look for; they all looked the same to my uneducated eye. Then, I finally started honing in on what it was. And I was blown away when I realized that:

 

This is the Parker Duofold Centennial Special Edition Orange; Un-numbered. (from the first lot of 1000).

 

Never Inked.

 

She told me as she handed it to me: "Don't ever put ink into this pen"

 

I laughed and told her that I would wait a while, but when I ink it I would let her know.

 

She smiled, and said to me: "Please Wait".

 

...So...

 

After I found out that this pen is such an extremely rare and Pristine Mint example - I told Deb that I cannot accept such a piece of history like this;

 

"It belongs to You! and Only You!"

 

Her response?

 

"Keep it...Love."

 

(pictures to follow)

 

[Beechwood]

Great story, thanks for sharing.

[MilkThistle]

Thanks Beechwood.

 

I had hoped to have some pictures up by now, but I am having some technical difficulties.

 

Maybe tonight I can get at least the first picture or two onto the FPN.

 

Or, maybe not.

 

Eric

 

'Out.

[mitto]

Pictures, or I am gonna block this thread. Lol.

 

Great story. Thanks for sharing.

[Chrissy]

I loved the story right up until she told you to never put ink in the pen. I hope she didn't mean that, and that as a gift to you it was for you to ink it if you want to. After all the pen you gave her was inked, and she loved it because of that.

[MilkThistle]

Yes - about inking it.

 

I told her I was going to ink it. She asked me to at least wait (because she knew I was going to do my research)

 

Inking this pen will take it from Pristine Mint (PM) down to Mint (M). This, apparently, makes a huge difference to some collectors. I think that she just wanted me to know that the pen will lose some of it's "Value" if I do decide to ink it.

 

I will, eventually. I will never sell it, so why save it for some person in the future to experience that luxury?

 

It's a conundrum.

 

Pictures coming now - If all my internet stuff wants to say employed!

 

\

 

Eric

[MilkThistle]

Here is the first picture. It is the Pelikan M800 Burnt Orange that I insisted on trading. Here I am demonstrating that, contrary to all of the reviews saying that a down-side is "No Ink Window" - all you need is a low level led penlight.

 

M800 Burnt showing ink level:

 

http://i1045.photobucket.com/albums/b459/MilkThistle29/BurntOrange_zpsbi1yxkic.jpeg

[MilkThistle]

http://i1045.photobucket.com/albums/b459/MilkThistle29/IMG_2111_zpsop4zilvx.jpg

[mitto]

Waiting...

[MilkThistle]

http://i1045.photobucket.com/albums/b459/MilkThistle29/04A7516B-9FD9-4D0B-B602-A81DEFBFFD79_zpsqzzis53x.jpg

[MilkThistle]

Thanks mitto!

 

It will take a little while - it will be like a strip-tease!

 

Next is a photo of the Maple Box inside. (They have some information about how enviornmentaly conscious this decision is - to use Maple)

 

Give me a minute. All my Verizon FIOS stuff is horrible. Going to a different provider soon!

 

Eric

 

(ps: I will be up all night posting photos. Best to go to bed and look in the morning.)

[MilkThistle]

http://i1045.photobucket.com/albums/b459/MilkThistle29/IMG_2112_zpse77aemua.jpg

[MilkThistle]

http://i1045.photobucket.com/albums/b459/MilkThistle29/IMG_2113_zpsggbaxgwi.jpg

[MilkThistle]

http://i1045.photobucket.com/albums/b459/MilkThistle29/IMG_2114_zpsejp9uxlo.jpg

[MilkThistle]

http://i1045.photobucket.com/albums/b459/MilkThistle29/IMG_2116_zps163jgcyd.jpg

[MilkThistle]

http://i1045.photobucket.com/albums/b459/MilkThistle29/IMG_2115%201_zpsqxi1usy1.jpg

[MilkThistle]

I'm Just Blown Away.

 

Look at this Thing Of Beauty!

 

I really am still coming to terms. She Knew what she was giving me. She was testing my Spirit, in a way. Will I realize, in the end, what it really was?

 

One website stated that the original 1000 un-numbered are very rare. One Un-Inked is exceedingly rare, if one even exists.

 

Well, One does exist.

 

I am the custodian of a piece of History.

 

/

 

Over, and Out.

 

Eric

[MilkThistle]

One Last Picture.

 

I'm still overwhelmed at the gravity of this situation - being given a pen like this.

 

LOVE.

 

 

http://i1045.photobucket.com/albums/b459/MilkThistle29/IMG_2117_zpsfxtxdjz5.jpg

 

 

Eric

[Old_Inkyhand]

What a remarkable gift - and a wonderful story! Maybe the pen will lose some of its value after inking, but won't lose its allure. I bet it is even more valuable for you thanks to the story behind it. It wouldn't have been that exciting if you had simply bought it at auction.

[Beechwood]

There are plenty of ordinary Duofolds in this world, this one is something special with its own story.

 

I was given the 1942 presented by Eisenhower to the Commander of the Med Fleet, the owner wanted advice on whether it should be restored and put into use or left as it was.

 

Some people on here said it should be used, unbelievable! They came up with all sorts of reasons such as it wasnt a pen if it wasnt used.

 

By coincidence I was given a 1965 Parker Duofold by a friend before he died, it had been an 11th birthday present to him from his parents, he hadnt got around to using it wanting a ball point at the time. I didnt use that pen in memory of the gift that had been given so freely and I was so pleased that I did.

 

Follow your own judgement, the pen that you have been given is something special, drop it or lose it and the gift is gone.

 

As I suggested follow your own mind, personally I would ignore the advisers who say use the pen, perhaps they dont know what a special pen this is - leaving aside the gift element.

Edited May 18, 2017 by Beechwood