Parker Challenger Photo Thread

[PenHero]

Hi, Folks!

The Parker Royal Challengers have some of the most attractive celluloids, alternating herringbone and marble strips down the length of the cap and barrel. The Royal Challenger button filler was released with a sword clip and with this stepped spade clip.

http://www.penhero.com/Temp/ParkerRoyalChallengerBrown_1280_01.jpg

There are pens with three cap bands and this more ornate cap band. Some have visulated sections and some like this one have plain black sections. They don't show in the 1937 or 1938 catalog, but a price supplement shows the pen came in standard and slender sizes in brown, burgundy and grey for $5.00 and the matching pencil for $2.50.

I'll post a few more Challengers over the next few days and want to see what Challengers others have and can show.

Thanks!

[langere]

I agree - they are gorgeous! Do some come up for sale?

 

Erick

[inkstainedruth]

I picked up a Challenger (but not a Royal) a couple of years ago and an antiques mall in WV. It was my first button filler, and a very nice green marble celluloid (sadly, not a herringbone, though). Not sure when I'm going to have a chance to take pictures -- the weather has been pretty icky a lot of today, and in my experience I get better results when taking photos of pens outside in natural light.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[ENewton]

I agree - they are gorgeous! Do some come up for sale?

 

Erick

 

The Peyton Street Pens website currently shows several Challengers for sale, including a Royal Challenger.

[mitto]

Beautifu.

 

I had a Chellenger in greenish heeringbone pattern that I gifted to my elder brother. Eversince I am after another one but couldnt find one as yet.

[rbrummer]

I have a few Challengers of the mundane variety and not in particularly good shape. And one is a Canadian Moderene, just to be difficult:

 

[Chrissy]

 

Hi, Folks!

The Parker Royal Challengers have some of the most attractive celluloids, alternating herringbone and marble strips down the length of the cap and barrel. The Royal Challenger button filler was released with a sword clip and with this stepped spade clip.

There are pens with three cap bands and this more ornate cap band. Some have visulated sections and some like this one have plain black sections. They don't show in the 1937 or 1938 catalog, but a price supplement shows the pen came in standard and slender sizes in brown, burgundy and grey for $5.00 and the matching pencil for $2.50.

I'll post a few more Challengers over the next few days and want to see what Challengers others have and can show.

Thanks!

 

 

That pen is gorgeous, and it almost looks like it was made yesterday.

[BlueJ]

Challengers are not rare, and any pen show or large vintage dealer will usually have some. The more common versions are usually well under $100 in good working and cosmetic condition. They are fairly small pens (under about 5inches/125mm capped) but otherwise quite nice.

[Guest Gracie]

I have a grey Royal Challenger that I've just taken out of my "storage" box and inked again. The nib is fabulous, as is the look of the pen. The pen is filling well, but the ink isn't getting through to the nib. I'm not sure what materials the pen is made of, so I'm not sure what I can use to try to clear the feed or the nib. Any suggestions?

 

What I'm also hoping someone can help me with, is the old question of what ink to use in a particular vintage pen? Everything that I have found on line says to use Parker Quink. What else can I safely use?

Edited July 30, 2017 by Gracie

[mitto]

Waterman inks.

[BlueJ]

The Parker Challenger bodies are celluloid, the nibs gold alloy (probably 14K) and the feeds appear to be ebonite. You can clean the feed by filling and emptying the pen with lukewarm water, maybe with a little mild detergent. Personally I would not use ammonia on a vintage pen. You could carefully floss the nib slit with a brass shim; .002 inches (50 microns) is often used for this purpose.

[PenHero]

Hi, Folks!

This is a Parker DeLuxe Challenger Standard size model 439 in Gray with chrome plated trim from 1936. Parker advertised the DeLuxe Challenger button filler as Duofold quality for the $5.00 set market. Sets included a bottle of Parker Quink ink. They came in Standard and Slender sizes at $3.50 with a matching pencil for $1.50. It's 5 inches long. Also available in Burgundy and Green with gold plated trim. The cap and barrel material reminds one of the Sheaffer Ebonized Pearl material with square inlays. The nib is not hallmarked and may be gold plated stainless steel.

http://penhero.com/Temp/ParkerDeluxeChallenger_1280_01.jpg

Thanks!

[mitto]

Beautiful.

[Guest Gracie]

Gorgeous pen indeed. Thank you mitto and BlueJ, for the suggestions. I held the outer 2/3 of the nib in a mix of largely water with a bit of ammonia in it, for about one minute, and then rinsed it under running water, dried it well and filled it with Waterman BlueBlack, and it works like a charm. In fact, I think that it, and the fabulous 1926 Duofold Junior that I just received as a gift, are my favourite vintage nibs.

[Estragon]

A ho-hum photo of my full-sized Challengers in grey:

 

http://i.imgur.com/vV4Qyd5.png

 

The grey Challengers present an exceptional . . . challenge to the collector, being more prone to discoloration and having more delicate nickel plated accents. Went through quite a few lesser pens before acquiring these 4 (l to r): Royal Challenger, 2 Deluxe Challengers, Challenger.

[mitto]

A group of beautiful Challengers. Thanks for showing, Estragon.

[Guest Gracie]

Ho hum indeed <g> - that's a gorgeous set of pens. Thanks for sharing.

[PenHero]

Hi, Folks!

This is a Parker Royal Challenger in the slim size in Burgundy date coded 1937. The three Royal Challenger colors, brown, burgundy and grey, have alternating herringbone and marble strips down the length of the cap and barrel. This 4 13/16 inch long pen has three gold filled cap bands, the stepped spade clip, and the visulated ink-view section. Parker's catalog states unhallmarked Challenger nibs are solid gold and they sold for $5.00 and the matching pencil was $2.50.

http://www.penhero.com/Temp/ParkerRoyalChallengerRed_1280_02.jpg

Thanks!

[Estragon]

Wow – look at the clarity of that section! Never seen one with no yellowing whatsoever.

[mitto]

Nice pens. But why these look so CHALLENGING or even threatening?