Parker 25 Photo Thread

[finansista]

Indeed, it is! I've never seen another besides these two.

 

Then I am glad I also have one :

 

And how about something in-between:

[Darryl.k]

Jackie_Nookah - Thanks for the share. Do both of your matte white ones have stamps on the cap? The reason I ask is one of mine has no stamps what so ever, no date, no made in England, nothing. Never found another unstamped P25 since.

 

The single stripe one is a nice find, where in the world did you come across it? Is the stripe dark blue or black?

 

Kind regards,

 

Darryl

[finansista]

My all-white has the regular imprints and II datecode from 1984.

 

The single-stripe isnt mine, I saw it auctioned on eBay UK back in 2015 but I cant remember if I was outbid or just missed the auction. Would be interesting to know the story behind that missing light blue strip.

 

Best,

 

Filip

[Shaughn]

Rummaging the pile for unmarked p25s, I discovered that I also have a biro made in AUST !

 

Would it have been worthwile, financially, shipping parts to down under, and to have a production plant for engraving and then finishing with the epoxy layer and assembling?

 

[Shaughn]

Re the white P25, my guess is that some caps just escaped quality control. Just like old times printing: the very first prints didn't come out flawless because the inkflow had to start up, and at the end the ink was running out.
What I wonder about is how these colours were applied without blurring or mixing up at the edges.

 

 

 

 

[Shaughn]

Which brings me to the mystery of the unstamped caps. I remenber having a P25 cap with only partial engraving which I haven't found yet, but I found one with very shallow engraving (first pic) It is the same typ of engraving as on the second. And my first matte black P25 (bought in 1976) is thus worn out that all black is gone, revealing a blank space where the engraving should be. (pic three and four) Only visible with the greatest difficulty and under a special angle, there are traces of tekst ( in England). That's for me impossible to photograph.
Which makes me think that apparently unmarked caps have their markings shallow and covered by the epoxy finish. Unless, of course, there is an unmarked stainless steel cap that may have escaped quality control...

 

 

 

 

Edited February 17, 2019 by Shaughn

[P25B]

I think I have gone to heaven! Thanks to all for sharing the images and information. I have just over 20 of them now, so I probably have a few more than some, but definitely a lot less than Darryl.K, Shaughn and others on here. (Darryl, I often refer to your excellent 'more engineering' site, thanks very much for putting the work into that for us.)

 

I like to write with an Italic or stub nib and have been using a TWSBI as I didn't have a suitable P25. I saw a few on eBay, but they were going for more than I was willing to spend at the time. However, I have just picked two of them up at very reasonable prices, one was not even advertised as having the italic nib. So one of these is now one of my dailies.

 

Can anyone guide me as to how common these were with the italic nibs and are they only available in the standard SSS with blue section or were they in other finishes too?

 

I'm looking forward to seeing more photo's and hearing more on the more unusual ones. Thanks again all.

 

Ian

[finansista]

 

I'm looking forward to seeing more photo's and hearing more on the more unusual ones.

 

Here you go:

Edited February 20, 2019 by Jackie_Nookah

[Shaughn]

P25B, thanks for your kind words! Did you see this informative tread? https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/140116-parker-25-variations/page-1

 

Jackie_Nookah, what's the story behind these? Customized, prototypes? I know there were a matte maroon and a matte grey prototype (I have pictures from the ebay auction) but these? Pray, tell us more!

[Montanez]

I use mine everyday since a couple of years. It is a great reliable pen.

[finansista]

Jackie_Nookah, what's the story behind these? Customized, prototypes? I know there were a matte maroon and a matte grey prototype (I have pictures from the ebay auction) but these? Pray, tell us more!

They were listed as prototypes on eBay US back in 2016. However, these may be indeed pens that someone has just customised on his own. Honestly I do not fancy these patterns at all so I didnt bid on them.

 

EDIT: I found that listing. This set was listed as Parker Vector Prototypes by seller smj53-2008 and it went for $132.50.

Edited February 20, 2019 by Jackie_Nookah

[dapprman]

I'm missing a couple which I assume are at my parent's house - the fibre tip and the roller ball.

http://i.imgur.com/ywlgYK7.jpg

 

Was still using one of the fountain pens a couple of years back, but found the nib just too hard.

 

Confession time - I had a third fountain pen - with breather hole nib. Was having great problems cleaning it and was only just back in the game and new to how I should clean the pen. Had the nib section in some water to warm up and forgot - came back to a boiling pan and a melted/warped feed and section. Nib is fine though.

Edited February 20, 2019 by dapprman

[Smurf-JJ-81]

I've never had much to do with the 25, I have what can only be described as a 'collection of parts' which I got in a box of Parker pen bits I picked up cheap years ago - a fountain pen with a slightly bent nib, a roller ball with a loose clip and broken body (looks like someone overtightened as the thread section has been broken off and a barrel and cap, all stainless steel so I might have to go on a scavenge for some parts!!

[Darryl.k]

I bought one of these prototypes. In my opinion they are genuine prototypes. smj53-2008 has sold some very nice pens on ebay for several years now and has or had good pen sources. Maybe ex Parker staff as all the pens I have bought from him are very good quality. I didn't actually like the one I bought, I don't like any of the patterns, but had to have it for my collection.

 

I came across a stash of prototype P25s recently, I just need to upload the photos!

 

Kind regards,

Darryl

They were listed as prototypes on eBay US back in 2016. However, these may be indeed pens that someone has just customised on his own. Honestly I do not fancy these patterns at all so I didnt bid on them.

EDIT: I found that listing. This set was listed as Parker Vector Prototypes by seller smj53-2008 and it went for $132.50.

[Darryl.k]

DSCF7873klein.jpg

Re the white P25, my guess is that some caps just escaped quality control. Just like old times printing: the very first prints didn't come out flawless because the inkflow had to start up, and at the end the ink was running out.

What I wonder about is how these colours were applied without blurring or mixing up at the edges.

 

 

 

 

Hi Shaughn,

 

Do you mean how did they print the colours / logos on the cap and barrels? Or did you mean how did they paint the caps and barrels?

 

Darryl

[Shaughn]

Hi Darryl,

 

Both, I guess. I know the theory of applying an epoxy layer to metal (epoxy powder, static electricity, heat). But at my white ones and the black Nikon, bands and logos seem to be in the layer, not upon. Which made me wonder how it is done.

 

Shaughn

Edited February 25, 2019 by Shaughn

[Shaughn]

From the Chamber of Horrors:

Frankenpen from Hell.

Disclaimer: this pen is assembled from parts and in no respect whatsoever representative for the P25's that left Newhaven! All parts have been found in the wild, no living Parkers were damaged in the process of assembly and making of the pictures.

At first sight an average stainless steel Parker 25. A closer look may suggest the blue trim is quite light.

 

Removing the cap a trifle too briskly takes the inner lining out causing the clip to drop off. Common wear has left the clip without logo; the tassie part is damaged and raw.

 

The shell shows overall discoloration: caused by heat. Maybe the pen has been left in a car in full sunlight? Obviously, the nib is damaged from a fall, a very common fate with a curled nib as result. Below another section with some discoloration.

 

The barrel, which is doubtless the sturdiest part of the P25 is defective too. There is a crack at the bottom. The barrels (and caps) were punched in 11 stages from a single round piece of metal. In Malcolm Troaks highly informative Pen to Paper the deep draw process is described and illustrated (p. 101). Somewhere in the last stages the barrel cracked. Or maybe, since there are traces of pliers or the like, some other pressure caused cracking?

 

 

below left there is a lighter spot, zoomed in upon below right after turning the barrel and crack more into the light.

 

[Smurf-JJ-81]

From the Chamber of Horrors:

 

Frankenpen from Hell.

 

Disclaimer: this pen is assembled from parts and in no respect whatsoever representative for the P25's that left Newhaven! All parts have been found in the wild, no living Parkers were damaged in the process of assembly and making of the pictures.

At first sight an average stainless steel Parker 25. A closer look may suggest the blue trim is quite light.

 

P25 frankenhorror 1.jpg

 

 

Removing the cap a trifle too briskly takes the inner lining out causing the clip to drop off. Common wear has left the clip without logo; the tassie part is damaged and raw.

 

p25frankenhorror cap.jpg

The shell shows overall discoloration: caused by heat. Maybe the pen has been left in a car in full sunlight? Obviously, the nib is damaged from a fall, a very common fate with a curled nib as result. Below another section with some discoloration.

 

P25 frankenhorror sections.jpg

 

The barrel, which is doubtless the sturdiest part of the P25 is defective too. There is a crack at the bottom. The barrels (and caps) were punched in 11 stages from a single round piece of metal. In Malcolm Troaks highly informative Pen to Paper the deep draw process is described and illustrated (p. 101). Somewhere in the last stages the barrel cracked. Or maybe, since there are traces of pliers or the like, some other pressure caused cracking?

 

P25crackedbarrel compilatie.jpg

 

below left there is a lighter spot, zoomed in upon below right after turning the barrel and crack more into the light.

 

 

Is it bad that I am looking at the picture of that nib and thinking it may be more salvageable than the one in mine

[Shaughn]

Bad? You're evil

 

I just forgot to include this in my previous one.

Inside the heated shell there is of course a feed. That too is damaged and note that the main damage is done under the metal band.The heat made the soft plastic bend and almost collapse. The lengthy straigt ink channel is almost closed. Below an undamaged feed for easy comparison.

[Shaughn]

Another one from the Chamber of Horrors

 

Fractured P25 fountain pen

　

The weakest point of the P25 series: the shell and its threading. It may crack and finally break. On this one it began with a slight crack, perhaps a weak spot, perhaps tightening too often too much? The crack is the darker part of the fracture. It finally broke off at the light part.

Yet, there is hope for a fountain pen. It needs a converter and a drop of super glue, and the repair is reversible. A standard Parker converter will do fine.

　

First, remove the nib and feed.

Second, put the threading on the converter.

Third, push the converter on the shell.

Fourth, align and put together the two parts.

Fifth, separate them just a little bit, add a tiny drop of superglue and close the gap. Capillary action will bring the glue around and put the crack and the converter together.

Finally replace nib and feed, fill the pen and start writing again!

 

If anything goes wrong, acetone will remove the superglue and you may undo the reparation with it. Be carefull though to apply the least possible.