A Rare Parker Arrow

[mke]

Sometimes, one can pick up something which is rare.

This Parker Arrow might qualify.

https://mkepens.blogspot.com/2018/08/a-unique-parker-arrow.html

[Glenn-SC]

Parker played with many designs trying to find those that would sell, or just trying different designs!

They did this with the 75 as well.

 

Congratulations.

[mitto]

Beautiful. Enjoy writing with your pen.

[inkstainedruth]

Huh. The shape and finish remind me a lot of a Korean-made Pilot I picked up last year in an antiques store. But the clip looks just like the ones on my Parker Vectors.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[mke]

You are not talking about this pen, do you? LINK

 

Clips of Vectors and Parker Arrows are also slightly different - different 3D form.

Edited August 14, 2018 by mke

[bsenn]

The Premier had that pattern. I had the desk pen at the bottom of this page, it looked very much like your Arrow. https://parkerpens.net/premier.html

[mke]

Thank you, not identical finish but VERY near.

 

It seems there are two types of Athenes finishes, one where gold and lacquer stripes are nearly of the same size (see the parkerpens premier link), another one where the gold is much broader than the lacquer (example).

Anyway, these Athenes finish are end of the 1980s and begin of the 1990s while the Arrow finish is begin of the 1980s.

 

Even with using picture search for the Athenes finish and many keywords, I didn't find that finish. Might really be unique?

[baz666]

Hi mke,

There is only one Athenes finish.

The pen you show in the first picture (parkerpens site) is a solid gold Premier in Godron pattern (even though it is identified as Athenes),

The second example you show is the correct Athenes finish.

 

Regarding your Parker Arrow, I would consider it uncommon, not rare.

 

These are rare (but still not unique)!

 

Paul.

[mke]

Nice pens, Paul.

You are correct, the Godron pattern is better visible here: LINK

 

rare, unique, uncommon - any word is OK - still I haven't seen a second one

 

The finish of the deskpen on the parker pens site looks quite similar.

[baz666]

rare, unique, uncommon - any word is OK - still I haven't seen a second one

 

 

There's a set in this tray, somewhere.

 

 

The desk set you mentioned is Athenes pattern.

[Glenn-SC]

The classic "None of YOUR pens are rare like MY pens!"

[mke]

What a nice set - when was this sold?

The single color ones - black or blue? Black, isn't it.

 

So, at least I know it is not unique. But, as MB calls their Agathe Christie pen from the 1990s a "limited" edition - only 30000 were made, so one might excuse my choice of words, I am pretty sure 30000 of this FP do not exist.

[mitto]

What about a pen finish/version only 500 of which were made? Would a piece of that finish be rare?

[baz666]

I would consider that uncommon. However, my perspective of uncommon may be totally different to someone else's.

 

What about 100 pieces made, uncommon or rare? If you were lucky enough to own 3 of them, then possibly uncommon.

If you never had the chance to acquire one, then possibly, rare.

 

10 pieces?

 

Everything is relative.

[mitto]

I agree.

[TheRedBeard]

I wonder if someone has ever seen in his/her hands an early US Arrow with "PARKER" inscription on the clip?

I remember I read that early US Arrows (1981/82) had that inscription.

Or was it just a prototype? 

[baz666]

I have never seen a Parker Arrow with PARKER marked on the clip, in person.
I do have an early Parker Arrow with a shorter (than production) clip and a brushed finish to the outer edge facets.
This pen is dated  QL (3rd quarter 1980).  I suspect these early pens were test market pens.

 

[TheRedBeard]

3 hours ago, baz666 said:

I have never seen a Parker Arrow with PARKER marked on the clip, in person.
I do have an early Parker Arrow with a shorter (than production) clip and a brushed finish to the outer edge facets.
This pen is dated  QL (3rd quarter 1980).  I suspect these early pens were test market pens.

 

 

Thank you for useful comments and information. 

Some time ago I also spoke to a few experienced Parker collectors on the same matter but no one confirmed seeing Arrow with such an inscription.

I have not found any mentioning of it in old Parker catalogues either...

[baz666]

On 7/17/2022 at 7:28 PM, TheRedBeard said:

 

Thank you for useful comments and information. 

Some time ago I also spoke to a few experienced Parker collectors on the same matter but no one confirmed seeing Arrow with such an inscription.

I have not found any mentioning of it in old Parker catalogues either...

 

There is a picture of an early Arrow BP. with Parker (and the halo mark) stamped on the clip.

It is shown in Graham Hogg's publication "55 years of the Parker ballpoint pen".

[TheRedBeard]

On 7/19/2022 at 11:58 AM, baz666 said:

 

There is a picture of an early Arrow BP. with Parker (and the halo mark) stamped on the clip.

It is shown in Graham Hogg's publication "55 years of the Parker ballpoint pen".

Thank you, noted.

However, it is about a ballpoint Arrow...

So, it seems Arrow FP with "Parker" inscription did/does not exist, correct?