In Praise of the Vintage Duofold

[camoandconcrete]

Hi,

 

Back in the summer I was fortunate enough to buy a vintage Jade Duofold from the late 20s from a fellow FPN member and I'm embarrassed to say I have only started to write with it. But, it's amazing! For being 80 or so years old it is one heck of a writer. The nib is a gloriously smooth fine with some very good flex and it lays down a crisp line.

 

I just want to say how much I love the pen and that Parker made/makes one amazing pen!

 

Sincerely,

 

MiamiArcStudent

Edited December 23, 2009 by MiamiArcStudent

[Doug Add]

I wholeheartedly agree. Here are my Duofold vintages (and when I acquired them):

 

1926 Junior (January 2008)

1927 Junior (July 2008)

1927 Senior (December 2009)

1928 Junior (February 2004)

1931 Junior, streamline (May 2009)

 

These are among the best pens I have ever used. I picked up my first one nearly six years ago. It has been a regular user since the first day, and I rarely go more than a couple days without using it. Now that I have a few more it doesn't run through the ink quite as frequently as before, but that is only because I have so many to choose from when putting a pen in my shirt pocket in the morning.

[skybird]

My 28 Big Red is in my pocket or at least on my desk all the time.

Don't use it except for contracts as it is fine and very rigid.

51 is the other ;-)

Excellent pen, been through the washing machine and tumble dryer and still good!

[PAKMAN]

Sweet Pens, I'm glad you are enjoying yours!

[georges zaslavsky]

I own five vintage duofold senior flat tops:

1923 Parker Duofold Big Red Single Band with flexible fine italic/oblique nib

1925 Parker Duofold Big Red Single Band with flexible fine nib

1925 Parker Duofold Black Single Band with extra fine semi flex nib

1926 Parker Duofold Lapis Single Band with flexible semi medium nib

1927 Parker Duofold Jade Green Single Band with flexible medium broad nib

 

I use my 1923 Big red consistently the week ends and it is a very solid and reliable writer.

I use my 1925 Black Duofold for notes at home and it is a great writer too.

[otherboss]

I feel like I'm dealing with teenagers, or even babies in diapers when I mention my English Duofolds from the 40's and 50's, (Vacumatic & Button) but I suppose the good news is that the quality doesn't seem to deteriorate over the years.

 

I bought a Sailor 1911, especially for my left-handedness and found it scratchy and too thin and the Sonnet I bought feels like a rusty nail. I just bought a 51 and found this to be about as good as the Duofolds, which I was greatly relieved about.

 

I succumbed to a new Duofold International and found that an excellent writer and as smooth as the 50 year old Duofolds. Doesn't matter that I'm left handed, the Duofolds just write beautifully, first time, every time and are a real pleasure to use.

 

The only pen I'm even tempted by, apart from Duofolds would be the Pelikan, or a Lamy 2000, but there are only so many hours in the day.

 

Cheers all

Barry

[fibreglass_works]

You are not alone, glad you like your pen. I would said the vintage pen are a wonderful pen to use and also lasting.

 

 

I just want to say how much I love the pen and that Parker made/makes one amazing pen!

 

Sincerely,

 

MiamiArcStudent

[Rockyrod]

I added my first vintage Duofold to the collection last week. What a surprise it was to write with. With a monster nib it seemed like it would be cumbersome, but it is a pure joy with a wet fine line. Should I say it now? This won't be my only Duofold. I am hooked.

[sallywally]

I am expecting my first Duofold, a burgundy marbled Junior XF, sometime soon. I just put through the last payment via PayPal last night. Reading this thread makes me feel really excited to write with it the first time. :clap1:

[PAKMAN]

Here are my most of my Duofolds.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2541/3996541269_f595c6f6cb.jpg

[Mille]

I own three Duofolds.

 

My first one is a Big Red flat top probably from 1928 or 1929. Truly wonderful, and with a relatively fine wet nib. Lots of nib creep, which looks beautiful with a blue ink on the large nib.

 

My second is a very small duofold from the 30s, probably a ladies with the caracteristic streamlined look and a green marbed art deco plastic. It has a very broad nib which is somewhat flattened, (that is the line drawn down is wider than the line drawn along the paper), and for some reason it does not feel appropriate for a lady from that time to use such a broad nib. Its use is, however, a little limited because it writes so broad and wet.

 

My third is an orange junior from early 30s with a fine nib. It lacks an ink sack, so it will be my first repair. I prefer broader nibs, but this may very well become my favourite fine writer. It was a bargain I bought for about $40.

Edited January 7, 2010 by Mille

[sallywally]

I am expecting my first Duofold, a burgundy marbled Junior XF, sometime soon. I just put through the last payment via PayPal last night. Reading this thread makes me feel really excited to write with it the first time. :clap1:

UPDATE: I got it today and it's wonderful. I put Caran D'Ache Storm init it and it's looking and writing great. Good and fine, smooth and maybe a slight italic quality to it. :roflmho:

[duofoldguy]

I think you can guess my feelings about Duofolds. I have 5; 2 of which are my everyday writers. I have a 1930's green vain marble streamline (think it is a senior, its stored away) and a marble ladies Duofold streamline and black double ring senior Lucky Curve, that is very broken and keep for parts. In my active fleet, one is a 1928 double ring red senior, the other is a lapis blue streamline junior.

 

My red senior Duofold is very similar to some of the reviews. It is not one of the flexible ones; it is a stiff writer though different then later model Parkers. It has a medium point with a slight italic edge. The pen writes like a genteel giant.

 

My lapis blue junior Duofold has a stiff mono-line fine nib, it has some similarity to latter models; the main difference is that it is a real wet writer.

 

The only drawback I have found with the vintage Duofolds, is that some of the 1920's pens can be brittle. Both the hard rubber and celluloid pens often get cracks in the cap, which can spread up to the treading making a cap not screw on right. Also I have seen a few cases when the nibs get metal fatigue cracks. I have seen a few pens with split nibs. I am starting to have the above issues with my red Duofold; nothing fatal yet(knock on wood); so I baby it and treat it genteelly and it does not seem to be getting worse (knock on wood). In the 1930's Parker seemed to work out some of the bugs in the pen.

[Crobe]

I 'bought' my first Duofold FP, a Red Jr., on marketplace yesterday and I'm anxiously awaiting its arrival. Reading this topic isn't making the wait easier!

 

Mike

[Joe in Seattle]

Just received my first last week - a lucky curve duofold jr. in red hard rubber from, I'm guessing 1925. The pen is in typical shape for its age with no bite marks or other blemishes other than typical brassing. It's not a drawer queen.

 

The nib! My first, and probably only, XF - but it's a vintage XF and it writes like it: precicely, reliably, consistently. I'm more of a Sailor Fine type guy, Western Fine is mostly too broad for me. I have a 1997 Parker International in red - released a year or two before the MacArthur replica that I had a nibmeister regrind to an EF/F nib and it's a pleasure to use and fairly impressive to haul out in a meeting, but the Duofold Jr. is the real deal.

[duofoldguy]

Oh, I forgot to mention this. I am sure a lot of you already know this; that General Douglas McArthur and Sr. Arthur Conan Doyle had Red Duofold Sn.'s. From what I have read, the surrender treaty for the Pacific was signed with General McArthur's at the time 20 year old Duofold. Of course this makes the Duofold the pen that ended WWII and became a part of history.

 

I just think that needed to be mentioned

[JAA]

Hi,

 

Back in the summer I was fortunate enough to buy a vintage Jade Duofold from the late 20s from a fellow FPN member and I'm embarrassed to say I have only started to write with it. But, it's amazing! For being 80 or so years old it is one heck of a writer. The nib is a gloriously smooth fine with some very good flex and it lays down a crisp line.

 

I just want to say how much I love the pen and that Parker made/makes one amazing pen!

 

Sincerely,

 

MiamiArcStudent

[JAA]

I couldn't agree more. For the past week, I have been using a 1918 Jacknife and 1931 Duofold (both button fillers). Vintage PArkers are hard to beat!

[JAA]

Sorry -sent before filling in.

[duofoldguy]

I own five vintage duofold senior flat tops:

1923 Parker Duofold Big Red Single Band with flexible fine italic/oblique nib

1925 Parker Duofold Big Red Single Band with flexible fine nib

1925 Parker Duofold Black Single Band with extra fine semi flex nib

1926 Parker Duofold Lapis Single Band with flexible semi medium nib

1927 Parker Duofold Jade Green Single Band with flexible medium broad nib

 

I use my 1923 Big red consistently the week ends and it is a very solid and reliable writer.

I use my 1925 Black Duofold for notes at home and it is a great writer too.

That is a Duofold collection to be proud of my friend.