Parker 25

[modifier]

I have bought four more Parker 25. Now have nine. Still the best fp made. Prefer them to my Sailor Pro Gear.

 

Agreed. The nib on the 25 is surprisingly quick and smooth for being a rigid design.

[modifier]

 

Thanks modifier.

 

Since my post of April 8, 2014 , I have purchased another 25 Mk II flighter blue trim with F nib. No date code.

 

You're on a roll finding them without date codes. I just picked up a matte black 25B and it's without a date code. Perhaps later models weren't coded.

Edited October 3, 2014 by modifier

[lisadan]

Somehow, all my P25s (2 25B and 5 flighters, one Mk I and the rest Mk II) are without date codes, so they are supposedly from 1979 or earlier. They were bought on eBay one at a time, from different sellers in 4 different countries (USA, UK, India and Ireland). I have only seen a few on eBay that had visible date codes.

[Tanzanite]

Somehow, all my P25s (2 25B and 5 flighters, one Mk I and the rest Mk II) are without date codes, so they are supposedly from 1979 or earlier. They were bought on eBay one at a time, from different sellers in 4 different countries (USA, UK, India and Ireland). I have only seen a few on eBay that had visible date codes.

 

What does MkI and MkII mean?

[lisadan]

 

What does MkI and MkII mean?

 

The most noticeable difference is that Mark I has a small breathing hole in the nib, while Mark II nibs do not have it. Check Darryl's website (below). An excellent source of information about P25 history and variants.

 

http://www.moreengineering.co.uk

Edited October 4, 2014 by lisadan

[Tanzanite]

 

The most noticeable difference is that Mark I has a small breathing hole in the nib, while Mark II nibs do not have it. Check Darryl's website (below). An excellent source of information about P25 history and variants.

 

http://www.moreengineering.co.uk

 

Thank you! This is good information.

I have never seen a Parker 25 with a breathing hole. None of my 9 have one.

[lisadan]

Mk I were only produced for a few years out of the 20 or so this pen was made and therefore; not as common as Mk II. You rarely see them on eBay. I guess there were reasons for the minor changes in the nib and some internal parts, but I haven't noticed any difference, performance wise, between the two versions. Perhaps the changes had to do with manufacturing cost and efficiency issues and not with performance. Besides the breathing hole, there isn't any external difference between the two marks. Since all parts are interchangeable between the two marks, it is possible that some of the pens out there are hybrids containing both Mk I and Mk II parts. Darryl may provide more information regarding that.

[amirazar79]

This my rare beautiful Parker 25 MKI.

[lisadan]

What a beauty According to http://parkerpens.net/parker25.html , it was only made for a short period in 1975-1976.

 

And welcome to FPN.

Edited November 9, 2014 by lisadan

[Tanzanite]

That is a beautiful Parker 25. I am so envious, in a positive way

I have nine 25 but no orange one, yet.

Welcome to FPN!

[amirazar79]

Thanks a lot Tanzanite and lisadan! Actually, it's about few years I'm member :thumbup:but I was little shy to share somethin'.

[Tanzanite]

Thank you for sharing

[lisadan]

You should be proud to share something like that, not shy! This is really a rare pen. Not my preferred color though (I don't like orange so much ....). You hardly see one of those on eBay or similar sites.

[amirazar79]

That pleasure is mine!

[Dickkooty2]

Only slightly behind the time, I just got a P25 from Judd's Pen and Pipe. An IQ 1990, blue, UK manufacture. I like the design for its simplicity. If I read the history at More Engineering, correctly, the pen was designed for easy manufacture at a popular price point for younger users.

http://www.moreengineering.co.uk/history/4582996226

 

Ergonomics and ease of use seem to be essential parts of simple and simply beautiful products of the 1950's. Braun and Dieter Rams are the company and designer of so many of this type of product. This Parker 25 is a good example continuing into the 70's.

 

I know that manufacturing capabilities are included in the designers brief. It is interesting to read how new manufacturing technologies have inspired designers including the shape and size of the holes in the Braun razor screens.

 

It would seem that New Haven and the designer selected had rapport:

 

Parker selected Kenneth Grange who had designed a whole range of modern products. He was given a list of specifications.

The pen should have as few parts as possible, it should be designed for automatic assembly, the finishing process should be held to a minimum and the repair and servicing requirements should also be minimized.

... Moore Engineering

And this simple pen for the people became a best seller until the '90s and a great example of Mid-Century Modern.

It came with an empty International long cartridge that I ED'd with Diamine Sapphire Blue.

I am very happy to have it.

[kolja]

[kazoolaw]

Parker 25 Matte Black: for years a FP/BP set was my formal user. With Quink blue black I wore the matte down to shiny.

 

Nice pen!

 

gary

[Patrickh60]

I just picked up a Parker 25 and it's a leaker. Anyone have suggestions on what to do or where to go for service?

[Mercian]

I just picked up a Parker 25 and it's a leaker. Anyone have suggestions on what to do or where to go for service?

Where is the leak coming from?

E.g. from the base of the nib? From the join between grip-section & nib housing?

Or from the seal between the cartridge and the feed nipple inside the pen?

 

Also, if you are trying to use any cartridge other than one made by Parker, that may be the source of the leak. Parker's cartridges are a proprietary design, so e.g. Waterman cartridges won't fit on the feed nipple securely, and neither will International cartridges.

 

Weirdly enough, there are also SOME converters made by Parker that may not fit the pen, as the design of them has changed over the years.

[Panda74]

I sent my Parker 25s to Peter Twydle: http://www.penmuseum.co.uk/repairs.htm

Very happy with the result!