A Blast From The Past: Parker Big Red (Ad Pen)

[Anaxyrus]

My father owned a small shop that sold a variety of things, and in the 1980s they must have bought up a large surplus of the Parker Big Red reissue ball pens, because there were always a bunch around the house. I used them in high school and early college but never really appreciated them, and of course I have no idea where they went. Recently I saw a new old stock Ad Pen version (doesn't say Parker on the clip) with a new roller ball refill and pulled the trigger for less than what the used Parker-signed ones go for. I sure wish I could find some of the old ones I used to have as they were the Parker version with a ball pen refill, so they must have had the adapters. I hear they are getting scarce, but I'd probably be using a roller ball refill anyway, so I'm pleased as punch with this one.

Edited June 10, 2020 by Anaxyrus

[usk15]

These are fun pens, and can be customized as fountain pen, ballpoint or rollerball.

 

Right now I have 4 of them with each set-up.

 

Yellow Mandarin with TWSBI stub nib

 

 

Black one with Uniball Power Tank refill

 

 

Red with Cross Solo set-up

 

 

And a light blue, but I don't have a picture.

 

Also I had these 2 limited edition (USA and UK) but both got caps broken...

 

[Anaxyrus]

These are fun pens, and can be customized as fountain pen, ballpoint or rollerball.

 

Right now I have 4 of them with each set-up.

 

Yellow Mandarin with TWSBI stub nib

 

 

 

I read up recently on them and saw they also were available as felt tips. I had no idea, however, that you could convert them to a fountain pen. I know the ballpoint adapters came with some of them, but that fountain pen conversion is obviously an after market modification. Parker didn't provide that option, did they? (Only referring to the 1970s ish reissue, of course). By the way, the last one I remember using was the light blue. Bummer about the caps on those last two. Edited June 10, 2020 by Anaxyrus

[usk15]

Yep, bad thins happens...

[JotterAddict62]

My father owned a small shop that sold a variety of things, and in the 1980s they must have bought up a large surplus of the Parker Big Red reissue ball pens, because there were always a bunch around the house. I used them in high school and early college but never really appreciated them, and of course I have no idea where they went. Recently I saw a new old stock Ad Pen version (doesn't say Parker on the clip) with a new roller ball refill and pulled the trigger for less than what the used Parker-signed ones go for. I sure wish I could find some of the old ones I used to have as they were the Parker version with a ball pen refill, so they must have had the adapters. I hear they are getting scarce, but I'd probably be using a roller ball refill anyway, so I'm pleased as punch with this one.

Greetings. I have two Big Reds I can let go [ red & black ] user grade with the adapters. PM me.

 

Ken

[Ron Z]

I see the pens at flea markets from time to time, sometimes still in the box.

This is a standard Big Red that I modified to take a Schmidt or Jowo nib. Original section modified and bored out a bit.... This combination is very comfortable to write with.

http://www.mainstreetpens.com/pix/FPBigRed.jpg

That one was inspired by the one that I have that came out of the Parker Model shop, made to take a Parker 75 nib. It has the 75 collector inside, and just a bit of the cone left that the nib (skinny feed) fits into. It works. I find the Peace Symbol on the cap to be a bit funky...

http://www.mainstreetpens.com/pix/BigRedFP.jpg

[Anaxyrus]

That's really cool Ron.