Parker 45 nib codes

[gibbs]

Enjoy gibbs. It took me a little time to adapt to mine. I think partly because I don't write with an XF even very frequently. I have two or three EF's of one sort or another on Esterbrook J's. (Couple of 9550's and a 9450) A XF 45 and the A.

 

I do like a good fine nib in fact the only broad I own is my 45 broad nib and even that I haven't for around to testing.

As for the accountant nib it will be interesting to see how fine it is compared to my UEF 3776

[Runnin_Ute]

My guess would be the UEF is finer.

[Tweel]

I wonder -- could anyone with some of the finest nibs measure the tipping and post that? I have a nib, definitely mislabeled with a F collar, that I always assumed was XF. Looking at the photo above, though, I wonder whether it's an Accountant or Needle-point.

[CraigR]

I noticed that the original post did not list the code S for Stub. I have a Parker 45 with the factory stub nib and it is marked with an S. Love it.

Edited February 15, 2018 by CraigR

[tonyowen]

I've a Parker 45 with two nibs, one is marked N and the other M.

I assumed that N meant 'normal' and M meant medium.

My nib are marked on the 'back' of the nib assembly, not on the front as shown earlier

image attached

regards

 

ed hopefully the image is now attached

Edited February 19, 2018 by tonyowen

[Tweel]

That's where they're normally marked. By the way, thanks for posting the photo of the Needle-point!

[tonyowen]

By the way, thanks for posting the photo of the Needle-point!

 

So, it is a 'needlepoint' nib and not the normally supplied nib.

 

Interestingly, I bought one of the nibs in1980 and had a hassle with the shop who said they could not sell me that nib as it was only for accountants!!!! My response was to tell them not to be stupid. I got the nib, which seems is the needlepoint. Therefore, my assumption of a standard nib is that it must be a the M nib.

 

Sorry about the rambling.

regards

Tony

[gibbs]

Well after the courier messing up and taking 3 attempts to get it to me my A nib is finally here. and after cleaning it I decided to run it in a side by side comparison with my other 45 nibs and 2 of my 3776's Unfortunately the scanner made a mess of the colour reproduction but it at least gives people an idea of the size difference

 

[DasKaltblut]

I picked up a Parker 45 the other day with a nib code not discussed here. I've found a few other mentions of it, but none that actually say what it is. So my pen is marked W - and the nib is definitely oblique of some sort, but I'm curious if anyone know exactly what type of Oblique. B? BB? Italic? This is a made in France nib, since it is marked 585. OK - looked again, nib says 585 - Parker - Maide in USA - Weird!

Edited October 7, 2018 by DasKaltblut

[mitto]

A monstrous nib.

 

Saw some past threads with question about W nib but with no definitive answers.

[PaulS]

cracker of a nib - very interesting - would also like to know what the W signifies.

 

coming into this thread late, I'm interested to know that .585 implies the nib was made in France - I do know that for the French market their gold regulations required 18 ct. which is .750 although believe this changed in 1994 - so presumably after that date the French standard dropped to .585 for pen nibs?

But, notice that some of my Newhaven Duofold nibs also show .585 plus the imprint '14 ct. ENGLAND' - does that mean that such nibs were all made in France despite the word ENGLAND?

I do have Duofold open nibs that carry the imprint 'DUOFOLD 18 K FRANCE.

 

P.S. that's it ………………… it's an upside down M - for Monstrous

Edited October 7, 2018 by PaulS

[mitto]

All three nibs in the second row are made in England and all are stamped 585.

 

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/uploads/monthly_02_2017/post-117288-0-50582200-1488266653.jpg

Edited October 7, 2018 by mitto

[DasKaltblut]

cracker of a nib - very interesting - would also like to know what the W signifies.

 

coming into this thread late, I'm interested to know that .585 implies the nib was made in France - I do know that for the French market their gold regulations required 18 ct. which is .750 although believe this changed in 1994 - so presumably after that date the French standard dropped to .585 for pen nibs?

But, notice that some of my Newhaven Duofold nibs also show .585 plus the imprint '14 ct. ENGLAND' - does that mean that such nibs were all made in France despite the word ENGLAND?

I do have Duofold open nibs that carry the imprint 'DUOFOLD 18 K FRANCE.

 

P.S. that's it ………………… it's an upside down M - for Monstrous

 

Well I looked again and my nib actually says 585 - Parker - Made in USA. So now I'm very confused.

[PaulS]

well, I'm not too bright in this area, but seem to have some recollection that the States were first to use .585 as a nib imprint, either in lieu of, or additional to,14 ct.

[hood]

... So my pen is marked W - and the nib is definitely oblique of some sort...

 

I'd guess your nib has had the collar swapped at some point in its life. I believe the W nib is extra broad, which is stubbish but not oblique.

 

 

 

There have been a few mentions of it now and again, here are some threads.

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/237940-parker-45-nib-code-w/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/238611-value-of-a-parker-45-bb-nib/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/297677-bah-missed-a-gold-stub-nibbed-45/?do=findComment&comment=3465802

 

 

Your nib looks like this one which is code O and is broader than the R or Z nibs.

 

 

 

This came in a packet marked extra broad oblique.

 

[mitto]

A modest pen that came with such a vast variety of speciality nibs. The P45 should be loved for the wonderful nibs found on it if not for anything else.

[LeftyJim]

Hmm...

Help me please good people:

I have a 45 from a job lot of 51s I grabbed off of eBay. It has IL on the cap and the number 42 on the underside of the nib.

 

I assume the IL stands for italic left as the nib is way different from anything I have handled before.

 

Does anyone know why the nib is labelled with 42 and not letters like everyone elses 45s?

[grainweevil]

Does anyone know why the nib is labelled with 42 and not letters like everyone elses 45s?

 

Because you have the nib that is the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything.

 

IL on the cap is, I believe, the date code. The nib numbering, I have no idea. A pic of the nib would likely give the knowledgable folks here a good chance of identifying it if the number doesn't.

[hood]

Code 42 is medium oblique. As grainweevil says, the IL on the cap is the date code, see here for more information: http://parkerpens.net/codekey.html

 

 

 

 

As to why it's not a letter, that's a very good question and I'm not sure we'll ever have an answer. A member posted the chart below a while back and I grabbed a copy for reference. This apparently came from Parker, either customer services or a dealer, I can't remember. I'm not sure when exactly it dates from but the fact it includes P95s, P88s & P25s gives a clue. You can see a whole load of numbered codes listed for the P45, and although I've come across a fair few 42s, that is the only numbered once I have come across.

 

 

[hood]

This is pure speculation on my part, but it may be worth considering the possibility that some, or many, of the numbered P45 nib collars were never actually made. They could have been listed on this chart for the P45 nib types that were made and in circulation, and the number could have been an internal reference used at the time to mirror the codes used for the P75, but the actual collars produced were all stamped with the letters we're more familiar with.