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Hello, Could anyone tell me the difference between the Parker Duofold Prestige/Classic and International/Centennial lines. From what I can guess, The Prestige is made from brass whereas the classic is made of resin (plastic), and both come in international (short) and Centennial (long) versions. Can somebody help me clarify that?

I just bought my first vintage fountain pen, a Parker Duofold. Until now, I've only written with new pens. But after picking up this Duofold, I couldn't resist. I have a question I'd like to ask your help with: What is its approximate year of manufacture?

Can anyone help me correctly identify this pen which was given to me by a friend? I have offered to give him some money for a charity donation in return. My usual pens are Japanese modern FP's so I am a bit out of my depth, although this one does write rather nicely. The set is in a wooden box with Parker Duofold stamped on the top and is a white-marble resin patterned fountain pen and matching biro. The FP is a cartridge filler (unfortunately and 13.6 cm long including cap, M nib is labelled PARKER 18 750, the black cap has PARKER MADE IN UK in small writing. My guess from conversation was purchased around or before 1990 in the UK but this could be wrong. http://www.zen101388.zen.co.uk/20190601_132702.jpg Maybe a Duofold Centennial or and International? I have googled a bit but struggling to confidently identify it. Full disclosure, I did post a similar (but not a cut and paste job) question on FPGeeks, hope this is OK, I wrote this one as this forum seems a bit more lively and I have been a member of both for some time... the thread is here Sorry for the huge pictures but at least you get the detail! http://www.zen101388.zen.co.uk/20190525_105138.jpg Thanks for your help, I do have more pictures if anyone wants to see them. Jolltax

Recently one of my colleagues in workplace found this pen. It seems to me that this one is a Parker Duofold Senior from 1926. The nib is in excellent condition and writes smoothly. However, the sac inside has dried and crumbled. I was wondering if it would be possible to find a new sac in India. If such is not possible I would like to know whether there's any website where I can order for parts. The pen body seems to be made of ebonite whereas the blind cap at the back (which covers the button) seems to be plastic. Note: I could send the pen to Pen Hospital in Kolkata, but I had a prior experience of the nib getting damaged following the repairing of the sac of a Sheaffer. So, I am hesitant to send the pen to them again.

I have been trying to place this black Permanite Duofold, going over again the Duofold book. It has the same Lucky Curve imprint as the 1926 first year Jade Permanite pen. And the same Lucky Curve nib imprint. But it is longer then either the Jade pen or the previous Duofold I have checked, 14.1cm. There are similarities to the model DQ shown in the Duofold book, launched in 1924; the pattern seems the same, as does the imprint, but the nib does not have the DQ imprint and this pen is Permanite. I know this is not an exact science but help would be very welcome.

I have just acquired a rather strange Parker Duofold. It bears no resemblance to anything on the Parker Collector.com. Perhaps someone here has an idea? The pen in green marbled material is relatively small - 115mm long , capped. A button filler, it is fitted with a Televisor type compound pressure bar. The section is some sort of plastics, translucent at the barrel end like some Waterman's pens that I have had. The nib, not identified as gold (though I am pretty sure it is) is stamped Parker Pen Made in USA; there is a very small 4 stamped also and on the bottom LH corner, R. Here are three photographs - I apologise for the quality, but if not in daylight, my camera is useless! It has been suggested that this may be an early Newhaven prototype. Otherwise well, ????? Thanks in advance Cob

Hello Parker forum. I was recently sold a what was described as a Broad Italic Duofold Centennial nib, but I have some doubts as to that. The packet it came in indicated "BI" so that was that I thought and it certainly wrote a little broader than the M nib my duofold came with, but it just didn't seem right. Finally did what I should have done from the start and took a loupe to the thing and the nib certainly doesn't look italic to me. It looks distinctly oblique. The feed number code is 87. From my scattered researches since then I think I've pinned this down to a "Fine Oblique". Can anyone here please confirm this for me? The Broad italic feed code I'm not so sure about, but I think it might be 95 (but that might just be for the smaller International nibs..?) I've reached out to Parker themselves (twice) but am still awaiting a reply. The retailer (theonlinepencompany / pilotfish) just packages and sends these things so they have no clue either. Any assistance in identifying what exactly I've been sent would be most appreciated! The "broad italic": The feed:

Hi, I found a new pretty pen to admire Parker Duofold Centennial MK1 (PDFCMK1) circa late 1980s owners: Which of the modern Parker converter definitely work for your old pen? My research shows various versions of Parker or Aurora depending on the nipple collar: Metal - current versionPlasticAurora metalAurora metal with plasticor does the modern cartridges work as well? I'm interested in knowing what actually fits to feed the pen Thank you

Can I get some advice? Trying to decide between three pens on eBay. Both sellers have good repuations, and I have had very good experinces with the person offering the second two pens. -Buy it now: Vintage Parker Vacumatic Azure blue, fountain pen 14 KT Parker nib. $85 plus $5 shipping -Buy it now or make an offer: Parker English Duofold Red AE, restored bladder, GFT 14 KT Parker nib. $64 plus $7.25 shipping. Have had very satisfactory purchases with this seller. I do have several English Duofolds, am partial to them, but have none in red. -Buy it now or make an offer: Sheaffer Touch Down filler Fountain Pen, burgundy, GFT 14 KT #5 nib. $41 plus $7.25 shipping. Same seller as above. I have no TD -I like writers, and am less of a collector than a user. I feel sure I can replace the bladder. Which are good or reasonable buys? What are good offers? How are Sheaffer TD nibs as a writing experience? Should I look around? All advice welcome! Thank you!

Hello Everyone, This is my first post on the FPN forums. I've been referencing them a lot; and I am happy to finally be posting something. I recently acquired a Parker Duofold in an online auction. I purchased a pen lot because one of the pens looked an awful lot like a Duofold. I am a novice when it comes to pen collecting, but I knew enough to take a chance for 22$. First I will give you the imprints - although they are shown in the attached pictures (I am sorry for the poor lighting) The Nib is imprinted with the following lines, across the its width: Parker Duofold Pen Canada A The Barrel is imprinted with the following lines along its length: Geo.S.Parker DUOFOLD Fountain Pen Toronto - Lucky Curve - Canada Here are dimensions that I took using a Mitutoyo calipers in inches [mm] Barrel Length from the section opening to the base of the blind cap threads: 3.224" [82.88mm]Blind-cap thread length: 0.126" [3.2mm]Total Length from the section opening to the tip of the blind threads = 3.35" [85.1mm]Tip of the nib to barrel (nib + section): 1.259" [35mm]Outer Diameter of Barrel Cap threads: Tapered from 0.496" [12.6mm] to 0.488" [12.4mm]Outer Diameter of Barrel at it's Mid-span: 0.5256" [13.35mm]Outer Diameter of Blind-Cap Threads: 0.3669" [9.32mm]Outer Diameter of Barrel edge at the base of the Blind-Cap = 0.484" [12.3mm] - 0.488" [12.4mm]Post Length (with roughly 10mm of overlab between cap and barrel) = 6.653" [169mm]The one dimension I did not measure with the calipers was the length of the pen from the tip of the cap to the end of the blind-cap threads when capped. You can see from the image that this is roughly 5.25" [133.3mm]. What I have found out so far, through contacting Robert at five star pens, is that the cap and section do not match. The cap is a streamlined cap and the section is an earlier version. The question was whether or not this was an incorrect section, or an incorrect cap. What I have learned from reading the Practical Pen Repair guide by Marshall and Oldfield is that the streamlined models did not have threaded sections (if I remember correctly). You can see in the pictures below that the barrel is threaded, and there is very good thread engagement between the section and the barrel. Additionally, Robert suggested that the band around the barrel was likeley used by a merchant as an anchor attachment to keep the pen from walking away. The ring slid off without much effort, and I did not see any signs of a clevis attachment to the ring. I do still have the ring so perhaps I will take some high magnification images of it to be sure. Finally, a few observations. There is some discoloration in the barrel near the section; however its distance matches the distance between the barrel opening and the end of the detached/crumpled sack. This discoloration is also observed on the outer surface of the section itself. The remaining length of the barrel looks consistent in color. It looks free of discoloration but of course I can't tell for sure. The cap is brighter in color, which I gather is not unsurprising - however its marbling does not match that of the pen's, at least not to my eye. The marbling on the pen seems denser than the marbling on the cap. The cap seems to have less color variation then the pen does - again this could just be me. What I am hoping to find out is precisely what model of Duofold this is. Is it a streamline? Is it a "canadian special"? I've combined through the dimensions provided by vintagepens.com and they seem to align closely with the 1927 Senior model - however because the section and cap are mismatched, I am unable to determine the true length of the pen. I'm less concerned about which model it is, and more concerned about making sure it has the right parts. I need to buy a blindcap, but I am not sure which one to buy. I also need to know whether I need to buy a proper section, or the proper cap. Of course don't need to - but it will eat at me unless the pen has its correct parts... If you have any input - I would love to hear it. Hopefully I can at least find the proper blind-cap. Thank you!

Hello there! For connoisseurs only..... Any idea of the fountain pen used by Sir Ian Richardson in House of Cards BBC? I think is a Parker Duofold Godron gold lined..., centennial, international....

Hello everyone, Last time I reviewed the Gama Kuyil in detail, which is in the mid-price range for Gama products. Today I'll review one of their entry level fountain pens, the Gama Forever, which cost about half of Gama Kuyil, but functionally have similar usefulness and appeal. The history of Gem and Co., the producer of Gama brand of fountain pens is discussed in the review of Kuyil. The Forever is a smaller model from Gama, with minimal design elements. Why I like this pen- It’s a small but effective pen for everyday use. The price is very much affordable, even for a student. The built quality is very good and it will last long with proper care. Cons- It's an eye-dropper pen, so many things can go wrong. Eye-droppers are always for advanced users, as there might be occasional leakage, burping and other messy issues during initial handling and in some of the copies. The nib is a standard dual tone nib of Indian fine category, so limited nib choice. The ebonite looks good, but minute impurities and defects might be there. Also as these are hand turned pens, there might be some asymmetry in shape. 1. Appearance & Design: It's a Parker Duofold like pen, though much simpler in design. Parker Duofold was a very successful pen for the company. Basically Duofold was designed with the idea of changing the mundane black rubber design of fountain pens prevalent during that period, thus having a pen body of red rubber and making the section, clip screw and barrel end with standard black rubber. This contrast of red and black colour, coupled with a useful size, great ergonomics and balance, were instrumental to the success of Duofold design. Later more colours and material were introduced; other sizes and permutation-combination of different trims and design aspects were marketed as well. Interestingly the particular red rubber used to make Parker Duofold was termed "Pompeiian Brown" by the company. The success of Duofold in the 1920s inspired almost all major manufacturers like Waterman, Conklin, Sheaffer etc. to launch their own orange/ red / brown version of flat topped dual coloured 'Duofold' copies/inspired models. So it’s not surprising that even to this day, manufacturers don't look beyond this design when they want a relatively small, useful but attractive fountain pen. Gama Forever is no different in this respect. The Gama Forever It’s a flat topped cigar shaped medium sized pen with slight tapering towards both ends. The top of the cap is a bit thicker than the bottom of the body. I bought the light brown/yellow coloured ebonite with red ripples. As expected, both the ends have black coloured polished finial of about 7mm thickness and the section is black as well. The black portion at the bottom of the pen is flushed with body and there is no gap between them. The top black finial is acting as a screw to hold the clip ring,there is a minute gap between the top finial and the body of cap. Personally I like Kuyil like flushed finial which conceal the cap ring. The pen has gold coloured trims. The pen sports a simple ball end clip, made of brass. It's Gem's old stock, these clips are not made today and they'll be used till the stock lasts. There are two rings at the lip of the cap, each about 1mm. thick and separated by a distance of about 3 mm. The section gently tapers towards the nib, just before ending it has a flaring part for finger rest, which is a typical design feature among Gama pens. The body has Gama written on it, the letters have crisp margin. The nib is dual tones Indian fine nib with only ‘Iridium tipped’ and Germany imprinted on it along with some basic designs. It appears to be the same nib which have been branded ‘Gama’ in their latest models. Construction & Quality: The Gama forever is a well-made pen. The ebonite wall is quite thick, which is a common attribute of Gama pens. The polish of ebonite is good and the ripples look beautiful. On minute inspections, the ebonite has many impurities or small spots, but this being a low priced pen this is expected and these are not causing any problem with the overall look. There is no defect or rough area on the ebonite. The clip is sturdy and functional, but the gold colour fades with some usage. The trim is made of vintage brass material from their old stocks. The rings at the lip of the cap occasionally become loose and may require some effort to realign and re-position them, when these get dislodged. There is no leak from the junction of section and body. The cap easily sits with the body with about two and half rotations. The section screws on the body relatively easily without much tightness. Overall the construction is very good for the price; this pen will last long if proper care is taken. 3. Weight & Dimensions: It’s a lightweight medium sized pen. The dimensions are as follows Length of the pen: 145 mm Length of uncapped pen: 135 mm Posted length: Diameter of section: 11.5 mm Due to flaring up at the end of the section, the diameter at the end surface is 13 mm, but the area where fingers will grip the pen is 11.5 mm. Maximum Barrel diameter: 14-15 mm Section length: 18 mm Nib length: 25 mm. Ink capacity- about 3-3.5 ml I use the pen without posting. These pens typically don’t post deep, so the length increases disproportionately when posted. The balance is very good and long writing sessions with the pen is very comfortable. It’s basically an EDC pen for rough usage with some good looks of a hand turned Indian ebonite pen. From right to left: Pilot Metropolitan, Lamy Safari, Gama Forever and Gama Kuyil, all capped Lamy Safari and Gama Forever, uncapped 4. Nib & Performance: The nib is very good performer. Its Indian fine grade, meaning line width between Japanese fine and European fine, though I don’t think there is any strict criteria followed while making these nibs. It’s a smooth wet writer with some feedback. Burping issues might be there in some copies or in case of sudden temperature or pressure changes such as in flight. I didn’t face any issues as such till now. I would like to see them providing different nib grades with this pen. One can contact Mr. Subramanium of ASA pens or Mr. Pratap of Gem and Co. for customization. 5. Filling System & Maintenance: This pen is an eyedropper. Probably makers can modify to allow other filling systems, but for a cheap entry level pen, such efforts are not much fruitful. There are other much glamorous Gama models to go for customization. 6. Cost & Value: This pen is valued at INR 675 ($23, £18) in ASA website. It’s an affordable workhorse pen with great value on the long run. The build is solid, nib is a great performer in its default variety and ink capacity is good. 7. Conclusion: I would love to recommend this entry level ebonite pens to advanced fountain pen users for its looks, feel and usefulness. It’s a pen that would feel very comfortable in hand, appear as a quality product and would be a reliable everyday use pen. For those users who entered the fountain pen world recently with limited experience of eye droppers or hand turned ebonite pens, this might be a good first buy to experiment with an Indian ebonite pen. ASA website ASA Whatsapp no of Mr. Subramaniam - +91 9176607660 ASA email- asapens.in@gmail.com, unik.services@hotmail.com No of Mr. Pratap- +91 9884209055 my other reviews (In no particular order): 1. ASA Swan 2. ASA Writer 3. Ranga Thin Bamboo 4. Krishna Butterline Stub nib pen 5. Guider Egg- acrylic and ebonite 6. Kanwrite Desire 7. Kanwrite Heritage 8. Franklin Covey Lexincton Black 9. Gama Kuyil

Dear all, I've found some time to wonder about flair in writing, usually called flex, which I concur with others here that is to be distinguished from the gargantuan difference in stroke width some people are after, and which I follow Bo Bo Olson in calling superflex. I got a 1929-1930 Lady Duofold serviced in mid-June and at approximately the same time I found a cheap pre-2016 Parker IM which I got. Both pens have seen regular use since then and now I am confident that they have adjusted to me, or I to them more likely, or probably both with more of the latter. Both pens now are wetter than they were when I first got them, with the Duofold already having been on the wet side. The IM can still railroad a bit on fast written vertical downstrokes when the ink nears its end and it still gives me hard starts if left unused for two to two-and-a-half days. Maybe that's just the result of a longer section of the feed being exposed to the air compared to other Parkers with similar nib-feed assortments. In the process of getting wetter, I noticed that the Duofold does give some wider downstrokes than a manifold nib, without effort other than regular writing on my part. Since I already knew that the Duofold nib does spread its tines without effort, but the IM doesn't do so, I decided to see if there are any noticeable differences between the two. There are, but they are not so pronounced. Here are follow some pictures. Apologies for the lack of focus; it's due to the mobile camera and that's rather old. The protagonists The Duofold was sold as Fine/Medium, which is an accurate description of appearances. To check for sure one has to remove the nib from the section. I haven't done that. Now it writes regularly as a medium almost always. It can write extra fine inverted. The IM came as an M. Below are some samples. The paper is a regular ruled notebook of A4 size on which my Parkers behave from very well (IM) to excellent (IM and all others) without exception - I think they were designed to perform no-matter-what on cheap paper. The paper lines are about 1 cm apart from each other. The ink is Waterman Serenity Blue for both pens. The first and third lines are the Duofold. As you can see, it gives some flair noticeable in the downstroke of the gamma (γ) in "Υγρό μελάνι", which is Greek for "wet ink" and in the vertical downstroke of the D in the bottom "Duofold". The verticals in lines 3 & 4 are after -still for comfortable for the wrist- pressure was applied. The Duofold appears to reach a 2.5x to 3x stroke thickness. Below there is some flair in a calligraphic-style f -which I have learnt to use but don't. The Duofold is writing the top line. Pressure applied to both samples. The amount of pressure was enough to leave marks on the white page below the one I was writing on. Speed is a bit slower than I usually write. Below is a sample of writing without any pressure applied to either sample. The sentence does not tell any facts about the paper, I just had to write something. The Duofold is at the top once more, giving obviously thinner lines in the final words. The speed is my normal relaxed one as when I'm not in a hurry to catch up with what I'm thinking... Overall: -The Duofold with the springy gold nib is totally comparable to the manifold steel IM's nib in terms of actual output in my writing. -Does the Duofold have a noticeable flair in the lines it leaves behind? Yes, which is a pleasant thing to behold when there's a body of text in front of you rather than a sentence or two. -Does the IM lag behind in the aesthetics department in the stuff it produces? It's not possible to claim that -yes passionate flex affictionado, I'm looking at you!- even though the only "flair" it leaves behind is due to the ink spreading on the paper when you push or to the less ink being put down when you don't push. -Does the Duofold require effort to produce this flair? Not at all. It happens automatically in regular writing with the natural higher pressure downstrokes usually receive when putting them on paper. -Is this flair uniform or pronounced? As I handle the pen, it tends to be uniform. By what you see here -which isn't perfect by a long shot- how would you characterise the Duofold's behaviour? Regular flex? Semi-flex? Illusion-of-flex? I'd appreciate all of your thoughts on the topic. Antonis.

Looking through my English Duofolds I came across three pens from Newhaven production during the second world war. All three had one thing in common, the gold plated cap bands were seriously brassed, much more so than on US and later Newhaven Duofolds. (The ball of the clips were also brassed but this is much more common.) I wondered if wartime limitations meant that the gold plating used was thinner quality than normal on Duofolds?

Fascinated as I am by Parker Duofolds, though can't bring myself to break the psychological $300+ FP barrier, I was drawn to a world of Duofold Look-Alikes, such as the Pilot Lucina. However, on receipt of the Lucina, I realized it is a SMALL pen. NIb is great (Steel, but very nice) but the body length just barely adequate when posted. However, due to a large inventory of pens, I'm prone to experimenting. So, I tried threading the section of a Lucina into a 1970's Parker Big Red ballpoint/felt tip shell. And who'd have thunk...it actually worked out kind of nice! The extra length of the Big Red body makes it more comfortable to write with, and the step-down to the Lucina section is not that bad - and I have profound hatred of excessive step-downs (looking at you, Metropolitan!). Unlike previous Frankenfolds (Pajaro's Cross Solo hybrid) this one will fit a converter, though I prefer using the Pilot cartridge. Unfortunately, the Con-70 will not fit (too wide for barrel). Hey, if Cross can use Sailor nibs why can't Parker use PIlot ones? Sailor nibs....hmm...where's my spare 1911... Correction: Pajaro states it does fit with a Solo section/Parker Nib + green "push in" Cross converter.

Greetings Guys, Below is a link to a full set of pictures and I have downloaded overview shots to this post for general reference. Detailed photos are here https://imgur.com/a/eTGOAEG Looking for some ID help, specifically dating with regards to these pens. I believe the big duo fold and the jr are both from the early to mid twenties based upon what I see on Tony's site. I believe the Vacumatic is a 3rd Gen Laminated Golden Brown with a Maxima nib from sometime between '42 and '48, and the new one is a 1998 Centennial. Am I on the right track or am I missing important clues? I am a long time fountain pen collector and user but a noob to some of this older stuff. With the exception of the Centennial, these were all part of a shoe box I found in my Grandfather's work bench. Also, you will see that the nib on the Jr is damaged and of course the bladder needs to be replaced. Is the nib repairable and if so, to whom would you have it sent for the work?

Edit: for some reason the system cannot keep "Parker" and "S" and "A" in capital letters. My apologies,but I cannot do much about that. I find myself in dire need of the wisdom of the fellow FPN members. My question is actually hair-splitting about vintage Parker nib history, but I find the topic interesting. My interest in this topic has arisen after I found a Parker Lady Duofold on ebay (and which is sitting right next to me right now). Its nib reads "Parker Pen Made In U.S.A." Now some nib gossip for those interested in such things: The nib is a thick fine with Waterman serenity blue inside. It writes rather wet with the same ink. It can hard start when the ink in the sac is almost depleted, but only on smooth paper and towards the bottom of the page. (Maybe the way paper sheets are made the paper gets more stretched at the bottom? I've had this bottom-page effect with other pens which aren't really wet). It is an excellent nib overall. Picture of my pen's nib below this paragraph. I am 95% certain that my pen's had its nib replaced at some point, maybe just a short time after it was purchased. From the barrel imprint I can date it to 1929-30. Most Duofolds had a curved "Duofold" on their nibs as far as I know. Interestingly, I have found online pictures of a couple of Jack-Knife pens with a nib with this imprint. These would normally have a nib including the words "Lucky Curve". Below is a picture I found online of a Jack-Knife which was for sale at some point and has this nib. I have also found another Jack-Knife with this type of nib in these forums. Finally, I have seen a picture of a True Blue with this type of nib at http://penhero.com/PenGallery/Parker/ParkerTrueBlues.htm Does anyone know anything more about the "Parker Pen Made In U.S.A." nib?

I recently acquired my first vintage pen on an Ebay auction for 53 GBP. It is a Parker Lady Duofold in Moderne Black & Pearl plastic.Below it is pictured with my other three pens, an old design Urban, a Vector flighter, an old design IM, and finally my partner's Rialto (new old stock), for which I am responsible. Here it is capped next to the Vector for comparison: It has a missing chatelaine ring on top, some discolouration, some scratches. The pen was advertised as newly re-saced and it works. The barrel and cap both retain their iridescence: The plastic looks more like a combination of marble and granite rather than just marble as this Parker catalogue page of 1929 can make one think: The Lady Duofold is the first from the left. The full catalogue, along with some earlier Parker catalogues, can be found here: https://archive.org/details/ParkerPensCatalog1923 The barrel has the readable, but not very deep, imprint. GEO. S. PARKER DUOFOLD MADE IN U.S.A. PATENTED The imprint allows me to date this pen to 1929-30, following the information provided by Tony Fischier here: https://parkerpens.net/duofold.html The nib is gold, bearing the imprint "Parker Pen Made in U.S.A." It writes in a fine/medium line and feels significantly more springy than the nibs of the other pens pictured above. Here are some close-ups of the nib and the Christmas-tree feeder: Finally, this is how the pen writes with Waterman Serenity Blue in it. Antonis PS. Post edited to add pictures on the flexibility of the nib under slight pressure and at rest and some quick photos of the imprint under a certain angle. If you change the pen's angle all letters are legible as described above. Imprint

I recently bought an unrestored Parker Duofold junior fountain pen and upon testing the nib and feed it seems that something is not working right or clogged up. I think that the feed is clogged up. what is the safest way to remove the nib and feed without damaging them? upon doing some research I believe that they are friction fitted however when I tried to separate them I felt like I was using too much pressure and I was afraid that I would break something. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks -Brett

Recently got this Duofold from a friend. I didn't know at first, but it is actually an unmatched cap and body. Body is 1929 Permanite Streamline Lady (based on the imprint), cap is a red hard rubber Juniorette (?) or Lady with a clip. The other pens here are an Arnold, a unnamed vintage pen, and a modern Kaweco Sport for scale. The cap is cracked, unfortunately. Is it worth trying to get someone to fix the crack? Or another idea: does anyone have a red permanite Lady/Junior Streamline cap lying around that they want to sell me? Does that Parker nib look like it is borked? I feel like the tip is bent, but I'm not sure. Also the feed looks like it's been pushed out too far or something, I can see it past the nib. Should I send it to a nibmeister? Is there any nibmeisters that also restore vintage pens, who might be able to fix this one up for me? I'm willing to try to fix it myself, but if it needs meistering I might as well get a professional to do it.

Hello again to all my FP friends, I've got two English-made Parker Duofold Juniors from the 1950s, both bought from different sellers in different countries. One has a medium nib and the other a broad oblique stub nib and both are the smoothest nibs imaginable. I mean, ridiculously butter smooth with some nice softness to boot. However, they both have are extremely dry writers that won't write at all unless some pressure is applied. I've tried improving flow by using a brass shim to open up the tines a little and it has helped some, but I'm just wondering if this is a common trait of UK Duofolds. Could the smoothness be related to a baby's bottom issue? Has anyone had similar experiences? If so, what did you do to solve the issue? Thanks!

Dear distinguished gentlemen, any help on this topic would be highly appreciated. I am deeply and profoundly in love with the modern Duofold, Centennials early MK1 models form the '80. Somehow, I never got especially attached to the later modern versions of the Duofold despite minimal design differences. I am referring to the ones with the slightly curved cap finial, and somewhat shorter finial on the barrel. From the information I gathered on the net, both girth and length of the two versions seem to be the same. But is it exactly so? In other words, are the bodies and caps on these two versions identical in size, compatible and interchangeable? Perhaps somebody even has both versions of the Centennial line and may verify this empirically? Finally, I would want to kindly ask you for understanding and offer my excuses in advance if the topic has been discussed already. I may have used the wrong terms in my search and missed it... Thanks in advance!

Hello gang. Im having a pesky problem with ink on two of my modern Duofolds. A Centennial and an international. I dont toss the pen around at all. They are always gently treated. But in the course of a week of normal use I always get this issue. The section collar where there is a golden ring and the nib starts, always gets covered with ink when I cap the pen. Ive tried rolling up a tissue paper and try to clean out the insides of the cap and mop up any ink but the problem still remains. The only sure way to get rid of the issue is to give the cap a good rinse and Im okay for a few weeks before it starts again. Anybody else have these issues? Im afraid the metallic collar will eventually start to corrode due to constant contact with ink.

I have been an admirer of the Indian variety of pens for a while. There are many pens one can buy, but the simplicity, classic styling, durability as well as serviceable nature and value of the Indian pens attracts me more than most. Thanks to PSP and FPR, well, Noodlers as too, Indian pens have become more accessible. For Noodlers fans, not to kick start the old are they US made or not debate, even if assembled here with a mix of domestic parts, like it or not, Noodlers pens fit in this category and are largely Indian. Although an American invention, ebonite materials have been sourced from India from the beginning and it's a country where everyday people continue to use fountain pens. Indian pens however are largely cheap and low cost, but there are a number of quality pens in the sub $35 dollar range, and some really fantastic pens in the sub $90 dollar range. In my experience, Noodlers and FPR pens are quite similar, In the middle are Gama's and ASA Pens from ASA in India. Many are rather effective eyedroppers which is for the most part my preferred filling system due to the high ink capacity and superior flow. Personally, I like the Ranga's the most. My first Indian experience was the PSP Ranga Zayante. Since have three PSP Ranga's, two FPR's, three Noodlers, an ASA Genius, the new ASA Nakua and an assortment of cheap Airmails or like that find their way in the box as gifts when buying from Indian. The freebies are nice, I give them to my kids to play and draw with, actually some were not all that bad considering are probably worth a dollar or less. FPR following PSP's lead now has a new US site and ships domestically which offers one to purchase Indian's more in line with the American, gotta have it now shopping experience. Buying a pen direct from India however is more of an adventure and requires a degree of patience. I find, respectfully,that pen collectors at time can be technocratic, and India as a whole can be an imperfect place at times, as such, so can be the pens, hence it's possible shopping for Indian pens is not for everyone. As some back story, I work in commercial shipping, first as a boarding officer, or water clerk as known in some places, for our port agency and in total have spent 21 years working closely with Indians, either on board the ships with Indian officers and sailors that largely populate the worlds merchant trades, or with Indian shipping and commodity firm executives now here later in my career. Overall, it's a culture I know well. It's also a culture that is extremely unique and rich in diversity and history, however a depth in which that not always apparent to the naked eye. Just read the history of the Parsi, one of the many fascinating Indian sub-cultures. Houston where I live is unique as it offers one of the largest East Indian populations in the US to the degree many are now proud to be of Texas-Indian decent as second generations are taking root. You can also some of the best Indian food west of London here in Houston as well, which strikes most as odd, as the typical thought of Houston cuisine is fajitas and steak. Where else outside of India could you find a "Chindian" place to eat ? Largely India is a can do place, because they must do. Indian pens reflect this effort and durability. The peculiar thing that strikes me about many Indian pens, they are really huge ! Is that an Indian fountain pen in your pocket or are you happy to see me is my common joke to that effect. PSP has done a good job of offering more western taste pens like the Zayante and new Monterrey, but the No. 3 Duofold, or my ASA Nakura are oddly large. Both are typically desk pens for me as a result. The Duofold style, like Pelikan is one of the more classic and timeless fountain pen designs. One day when i have $500-1000 to spare, I may actually get a nice Parker Duofold restoration. But the stock No. 3, although classical Duofold design, is just too big, I don't even have dress shirts with pockets deep enough. In meetings people ask if it's a mini baton or a pen . But I love it and use it at my desk daily. This time I decided to buy a No. 3 direct from Ranga via Amazon in hope of breaking the size issue. With all Indian direct purchases, they ship registered Indian airmail and are generally made to order. So your never quite sure when it will ship and when it will arrive, but typically seems to be 4-6 weeks. It's not terribly clear how to select options via Amazon. So I ordered it and made a remark that I wanted a Blue Mottled ebonite if possible, which was not listed as an option, a silver clip, and ordered the Jowo nib with a Schmidt k-5 converter. The same type of pen I ordered from PSP and received in 4 days for slightly more, $69 and free shipping via Amazon. But this time I made a note, that if they could, I would like it about 3/4 of an inch shorter. I receive a prompt and friendly confirmation, "yes sir, we will gladly make your pen". I was not terribly sure if my options were available, when it would ship, when it would arrive but with past experiences, had faith in the process. That was August 4th, Today Sept 9th this hard traveled, well packaged, hand addressed pen box arrived to my office from India. So this really awesome "short" Duofold No. 3 was in the box, as was the standard cheap eyedropper gift pen.It's slightly larger than my ASA Genius. Wonderfully polished blue mottled ebonite and wrote fantastically our of the box as do most pens with JoWo nibs. ASA's are nice, but the Ranga's are just a but better finished. Here are some photos. Ranga lists the No.3 as 6'' in length capped, PSP lists it as 5 3/16'', my measurement was 5 7/8'', as explained, they are all handmade, so may vary somewhat. This pen is 5/8 of an inch shorter at a capped length 5 1/8'' of which may not sound like much, but it's a major difference. Posted the stock No. 3 is a monstrous 7 1/2'' where this one is 6 1/2'' . Unposted, which is my preference in writing, the short is 5'' where the stock No. 3 is 5 1/2''. You can see in the photos the lower section is the same, as are the diameters, but has a shorter threading, shorter cap and barrel. You get one turn less than the stock no, 3 when capping, and the threads are really snug but will wear in over time. It's just short enough to have that true Duofold appearance, just long enough to be comfortable unposted, and does not look like a freak of nature posted. Am using the converter for now, but soon it will be eyedropped like my others, the firm and deep thread seat on the caps and lower sections of these pens with a little silicon never leak. Only issue was on the larger stock no. 3 the barrel is so huge in volume, burping can be an issue at times. I am sure they would make it in acrylic, but there is just something proper about ebonite for fountain pens. You can also order it eyedropper only with an ebonite feed and fit a better quality nib on it aftermarket at a later stage. The Indian ebonite feed eyedroppers typically have a large and deeply seated feed. I could not be happier, I may never actually buy that old Parker. Maybe a longer review than most, but Ranga just made my day, a custom ebonite Duofold, for $69 !! Not to knock the US turners, but same quality customs pen also with a JoWo nib could cost you well north of $150 dollars. So please, if you have not tried one, get and Indian pen, either from a US source, or don't be afraid to shop in Indian directly. Although slower, the service from Ranga, FPR and ASA has been fantastic in each instance. Happy Writing.

Hi all. I've bought a mint Parker Duofold International at a low price on eBay early this year, and was told that the pen was either a special edition or mistake. The pen comes with a "Greenwich" emblem on the cap, which can be found on the Duofold Centennial Greenwich special edition that was released in 1999. There are several things that intrigue me quite a lot. First, I couldn't find any info confirming that Parker released the Greenwich edition in international models, in which this is consistent with what the seller said. Second, the Greenwich Centennial's got a black chase pattern, while my international was plain and gloss black. Also, the imprint on the gold Greenwich emblem seems to be black in colour (Pls refer to this: http://www.auctiva.com/hostedimages/showimage.aspx?gid=1653785&ppid=1122&image=840289307&images=840289233,840289237,840289247,840289254,840289262,840289273,840289284,840289294,840289297,840289304,840289307,840289314&formats=0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0&format=0) but mine's got no colour (Though I've seen similar plain emblem on the rollerball version - still the pen's got the chase pattern on it. link: http://www.ebay.com.hk/itm/PARKER-DUOFOLD-GREENWICH-ROLLERBALL-PEN-NEW-IN-BOX-RARE-/382017076704?hash=item58f1fdfde0:g:TLEAAOSwcu5URntO&autorefresh=true). Besides the emblem my pen is a perfectly working ordinary Duofold International. The date code clearly shows that the pen was manufactured in the 1st quarter of 1999. which makes pretty sense as the Greenwich edition came out in 1999. And without a doubt it's a pen made in UK. Does anyone have the faintest idea of this mystery? Is this pen really a "special special" edition or mistake? Or even worse, just a random Duofold international made in 1999 with emblem changed by a random guy?