Parker Parkette Photo Thread

[PenHero]

Hi, Folks,

The Parker Parkette was the low price lever-fill entry to the Parker line that still had a lot of interesting features. The deep cut fluted cap and barrel is attractive and a step up from a mere faceted one.

In spite of its obvious plating loss, this pen still has the sticker on the cap top. Both the nib and the barrel have 1937 date codes.

http://www.penhero.com/Temp/ParkerParketteDeluxe_1280_01.jpg

The pen came in standard and slender versions for the same price. This Deluxe standard model 395 in green features a stainless steel nib with gold plating on the front and sold for $1.95 and the matching pencil for $1.25. Parkette Deluxe pens were available in burgundy, black, green and gray.

Thanks!

[rbrummer]

I do like them things. That's the only one I've ever seen with a sticker, pictured or otherwise.

 

I didn't know there were model numbers assigned - is there somewhere I can read more about that?

[PenHero]

The model numbers appear in the Parker catalogs. Not sure who does reprints on them now, but you may want to check the PCA website.

[Brian-McQueen]

I've never seen a stickered one before. It's a shame it's so worn otherwise. I've picked up these ringtop Parkette Deluxes lately, which are uncatalogued and frankly don't turn up often. Since I took this picture, I added the small size turquoise pen (cap only, need to find a barrel) to the collection

 

[Brian-McQueen]

Stellar photography on your part as always, Jim.

[PenHero]

I've never seen a stickered one before. It's a shame it's so worn otherwise. I've picked up these ringtop Parkette Deluxes lately, which are uncatalogued and frankly don't turn up often. Since I took this picture, I added the small size turquoise pen (cap only, need to find a barrel) to the collection

 

Nice collection! Have not seen those!

[Chrissy]

I see the sticker on picture 1. I'm not a Parker Parkette fan though I'm afraid.

[inkstainedruth]

I don't have one of the faceted models, but I have a sort of reddish one fitted with the music nib and feed harvested from another pen, courtesy of Ron Zorn (and which is a *much* nicer pen than the the no-name lever filler that the nib and feed were out of).

I'll have to look at it more closely and see which model it is (I have Tony Fischier's site pulled up in another window, but the pen is upstairs at the moment).

Thanks for posting the photos.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[PaulS]

I'd agree that in photos that surface design does appear to be faceted, but is in fact a slightly fluted feature. Having read Tony Fischier's Penograpy words, I wasn't aware of seeing any reference to Canadian production, but may well have missed that - unless he doesn't make any reference to non-States production on any of the models.

The attached pix show a Canadian example of the De Luxe pen, which what is possibly the original nib showing an imprint of PARKETTE DE LUXE - CANADA - 14K - F, and showing the gold wash on the rear half only.

I don't see this particular clip design in the Penography listing, so again this likely the result of being a Canadian made pen, and bearing in mind the date of change of the white ringed cap and barrel buttons, then assume this example is very close to 1934.

 

Although the plastic shows some splodging of a pleasant green, that colour is vastly outweighed by the grey, so you'd imagine it might be called grey-green marble.

 

So how do I know whether this one is a Standard or Slender model - it looks quite normal, so am assuming it's the former.

 

edited - is the gold appearance a 'wash' only, or is it that the rear half of the pen is traditional solid 14 k ??

Edited July 28, 2017 by PaulS

[rbrummer]

PaulS, I haven't seen that kind of trim (Canadian with the rounded clip end) in typical green just yet but do have one like that (gray/green) myself. All of them have been plastic early rings so I'd guess early production too. Then again I've also got some odd balls with the faceted clips but plastic end rings, two from Canada but one from the US. I guess cheap also meant just make them with what you have...

[PaulS]

thanks RickinBaltimore - yes, I would agree - it does seem to have been a Parker habit of using up old parts from stock, rather than bin them ......... so quite likely there are some real odd balls out there.

[mitto]

Early Parker were quality made pens even the cheap entry level ones like the Parkette. They had great nibs.

[PaulS]

Would agree with you. Would also add that despite their cheapness, the plastics on these U.S. entry level pens appears to have been higher quality, for example, than comparably cheap British pens of the 1950 - 60 vintage ........ where shrinkage, distortion and smell could on occasions be a real problem.

[mitto]

The Canada made cheap pens were also at par in quality with their US counterparts.

Edited July 30, 2017 by mitto

[inkstainedruth]

Okay, I looked up mine on Tony Fischier's site last night, and while there is no date code, it appears to be a ca. 1933 model (similar looking to the Parco model, except for the clip, and of course the imprint definitely says "Parkette"). So one of the oldest pens in the stash -- although of course the nib and feed, being replacements harvested from the other pen are a lot newer (I'm guessing maybe 1950s).

Slight hijacking of the thread here to say that music nibs are REALLY nice to write with....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[PenHero]

Hi Folks!

 

This is a Parker Parkette fountain pen in Burgundy with gold filled trim date coded 1935. Parker advertised the 4 3/4 inch long lever filling Parkette as a "quality product at a low price" for only $1.25 and had a matching pencil for only 75 cents. Sets included a bottle of Parker Quink ink for $1.95. Also available in Black and Green with gold filled trim and Grey with chrome or rhodium plated trim. The clip has PATD stamped at the top. The barrel is stamped PARKETTE over MADE IN U S A PAT. PEND. over BY PARKER PEN CO, JANESVILLE, WIS. next to 15, indicating the manufacturing date. The gold nib is not hallmarked and is stamped PARKETTE over MADE IN U S A over 15, the date stamp.

 

http://www.penhero.com/Temp/ParkerParketteBurgundy_2048_01.jpg

 

Thanks!

[corgicoupe]

This is my Parkette from 1938, which has both dating codes . The barrel has 18 with [interestingly] 2 dots and the nib has 47 with [interestingly] 2 dots. This transition dating is explained on parkerpens.net in the section on date coding [see text below photo]. This photo was taken during sac replacement; the small bottle contains shellac for securing the sac.

 

 

From parkerpens.net:

"In the second quarter of 1938 this system was however changed to save production time, and a new date code, using a system of dots, was adopted. The stamp initially had three dots and for each quarter one dot was filed down leaving none for the fourth quarter. Since production was overlapping examples exist with either the imprint 28 or .8. for the the second quarter of 1938. Also, since this coding system extended over a decade, a pen marked 38 could be produced the third quarter either in 1938 or 1948."

Edited February 20, 2020 by corgicoupe

[Fermata]

Much under rated pens, and such a perfect name.

[Beechwood]

There was a plan tfrom David Shepherd to produce a reference work on the Depression era Parkers, in the style of the books on the Duofold, P51 and others

Edited February 20, 2020 by Beechwood

[inkstainedruth]

That would be very interesting reading. I have the Vacumatic book, and at some point want to get the Parker 51 as well.

The photos posted by Pen Hero and corgicoupe look a lot like the celluloid on mine with the no-name music nib. I have also since picked up a black Parkette hiding out in an Esterbrook box in an antiques mall in Warren, PA. I think I still need to get that pen up and running, but I paid six bucks for it....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth