Parker 75S - Mostly Titanium

[RalphP]

An enjoyable project is nearing completion.

It has involved working with a number of uncommon or unique Parker 75s to complete or restore them to proper working order.

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll110/pratherpens/P-75s-Mostly-Ti-2_zpsbhkhnppn.jpg


The Parker 75 seems to have had more variations than any other pen of its time. Changing a nib in seconds changes the writing personality almost instantly.

The number of materials Parker used gave a wide range weight, texture, and appearance to this popular model.

Most of the pens shown above originated in the Parker model shop.

thanks for looking - ralph prather

[graystranger]

Magnificent collection! Thanks for sharing Ralph.

 

I particularly love #20 and #21.

Edited March 15, 2016 by graystranger

[eliweisz]

Amazing. Thank you for sharing this.

[Ernst Bitterman]

I'd say something clever, but I'm too busy gawping.

[RalphP]

Magnificent collection! Thanks for sharing Ralph.

 

I particularly love #20 and #21.

 

Thanks - sort of partial to the blue ones also...

 

got to looking at #21 and thought it might look a bit better with a gf trim ring between the end of the barrel and the cap?

 

 

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll110/pratherpens/P-75-Blue-Ti-w-r-2_zpsuzy6hoo5.jpg

 

 

or,

 

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll110/pratherpens/P-75-Blue-Ti-w-r_zpsokbkxq6t.jpg

[graystranger]

I think it does look better, thanks.

[Mangrove Jack]

Wow. Amazing. Thanks for showing them to us.

How long did it take you to collect them all ?

[RalphP]

Wow. Amazing. Thanks for showing them to us.

How long did it take you to collect them all ?

 

 

Thanks.

 

The first pen in the first picture above was purchased from a former Parker employee in about 1998. He thought it might be aluminum but wasn’t sure… It seemed to be a little heavy for aluminum and a materials analysis confirmed that it was Nickel-Silver. It contains no silver despite the name of the material.

 

It most likely was a test pen or prototype in c. 1980 to see if the material was a good candidate to make 75s from at a time when silver had reached about $50 an ounce. It was likely a rather difficult material to work with and just looked a bit dull.

 

This pen is shown as example number 12 in the reference section of “Unknown Materials” on the Parker 75 web site done by Lih-Tah Wong.

 

Many of the pens were acquired over time - but a rather large group was found last year through serendipity.

 

It seems all pens have a story…

 

 

 

 

 

Pattern 12 - crosshatch grid in Nickel-Silver

http://www.parker75.addr.com/Reference/Unknown/Pattern_12_Ni-Ag_1.jpg

Spectrographic analysis of this pen reveals that the material is comprised of:

• Copper, Cu

65%

• Nickel, Ni

18%

• Zinc, Zn

17%

[Mangrove Jack]

Very interesting, thank you.

[da vinci]

Ralph,

 

Apologies, but I am not sure what I am looking at (aside from a collection of great looking pens). We're these pens all built by the factory or by custom makers?

 

Thanks.

[RalphP]

Ralph,

 

Apologies, but I am not sure what I am looking at (aside from a collection of great looking pens). We're these pens all built by the factory or by custom makers?

 

Thanks.

 

 

Good question! The short answer is "neither".

 

 

All major components (caps, barrels, clips, nibs and sections, and so forth) are Parker made. Where they all differ is where they came from within the factory. I think it is fair to say only a couple came from "the end of the production line" - the one with a tag for example.

 

The word Prototype is probably over used as much as the word Rare... but, one thing that could be said about all 36 pens in the photo is that no two are same...

 

For example, it would be tempting to call #36 a prototype because it is an uncatalogued item -smooth brass- however, Lih-Tah speculates that is was one of a limited number produced for the jewelers trade to further embellish

 

Numbers 3 & 4 are definitely prototypes in that they have engineering department numbers imprinted on the cap. Others, or components, also probably came out of the model shop because they are so unique or unusual. Some pens have Parker markings on the cap - many don't. These components could have been traveling down the production line when all production activities of Titanium Parker pens was abruptly stopped. That would account for, in part, for how they are all differed in some way.

 

Sorry for the long reply... (does it make any sense?) but it will get a bit longer with the following brief description of each pen in the top photo:

 

 

1 Nickle-Silver Prototype c. 1980 – experiment when silver prices reached $50 per ounce. Metal analysis was done by Los Alamos National Laboratory.

2 T-1 with special clear lacquer finish and a rare red star cap jewel – barrel red jewel marked 5 – came from the Parker Model Shop.

3 P-75 Bicentennial made of Pewter – Bell Clapper cap tassie – pen has wood insert in barrel tassie – full imprint – Parker V.P. name engraved.

4 P-75 Bicentennial – marked Parker and includes Model Shop Number. Opal jewel is in the top tassie and blue jewel in barrel tassie.

5 P-75 Bicentennial – marked Parker and includes same Model Shop Number as above – Bell Clapper cap tassie and wood insert in barrel tassie.

6 P-75 Titanium with titanium nib. There is no marking on pen – flat top tassie and red jewel in barrel end.

7 P-75 Titanium with Clear Jewel in cap tassie and red jewel in barrel.

8 P-75 Titanium with indented top tassie and gold tone jewel in barrel end. There are no markings on cap or barrel.

9 P-75 Titanium with flat top cap tassie and red jewel in barrel end.

10 P-75 Titanium with silver indented cap tassie, clip, and silver disc in barrel end. The pen has an 18k number 95 nib.

11 P-75 Titanium with dark blue special effect barrel end. The top cap tassie is a GF flat top and has a number 70 nib.

12 P-75 Titanium with dark purple special effect barrel end. The cap tassie is GF flat top and clip is silver.

13 P-75 Titanium with dark blue special effect barrel end. The cap tassie is a GF flat top and clip is GF.

14 P-75 is likely stainless steel – cap is marked Parker – the cap tassie is silver indented and silver clip.

15 P-75 Titanium with gold tone barrel end. The tassie is a T-1 with a special red star jewel – the GF clip with T-1 style feathers.

16 P-75 likely stainless steel with gold tone special effect barrel end. Cap is marked Parker and tassie is flat top and silver clip.

17 P-75 Titanium has silver indented tassie and silver clip – the barrel end has a red jewel.

18 P-75 hybrid – the sterling silver cap has red enamel lines and was made in France – the barrel is blue heat treated Titanium and has a gold tone jewel.

19 T-1 Titanium with special red star cap jewel and red jewel in barrel end. The T-1 clip is GF and is smooth – no feathers.

20 P-75 Titanium with special cut Ti cap jewel & T-1 clip. It is Parker marked & heat treated colored blue and has a silver Parker symbol disc in the barrel end.

21 P-75 Titanium heat threaded blue with Parker marking on cap. The indented tassies are GF and it has a GF clip. (gf trim ring added 3-16-16)

22 P-75 Titanium with indented GF tassies and GF clip.

23 P-75 Titanium with flat GF tassie & clip and unusual orange and blue jewel in the barrel end.

24 P-75 Titanium with silver indented tassie and clip and a red jewel in the barrel end. It has an 18k #93 made in France nib.

25 P-75 Titanium with a GF flat cap tassie, GF clip and a silver Parker symbol disc in the barrel end.

26 P-75 Titanium with indented GF tassie and clip with a red jewel in the barrel end.

27 P-75 Titanium with indented GF tassie and clip with a red jewel in the barrel end.

28 P-75 Titanium with silver tassie and clip with a silver concentric disc in the barrel end.

29 T-1 Titanium BP with GF protector at the barrel end and red jewel in cap tassie.

30 T-1 Titanium with red jewels and Parker markings.

31 T-1 Titanium BP without GF barrel end protector – red jewel & Parker markings.

32 P-75 Titanium with GF flat top tassie and red jewel at end of barrel. Parker marked and small indentions from use.

33 T-1 Titanium Pencil with no GF barrel end protector – Parker markings and red jewel in cap tassie.

34 T-1 BP with GF barrel end protector tip – the cap tassie is indented and pen has a tag.

35 T-1 RB with indented GF tassie and clip and barrel end has a red jewel.

36 P-75 made in France with indented tassies and unfinished smooth brass cap & barrel. The nib is 14K made in France #54. (as of 3-10-16)

 

ralph

 

 

 

 

 

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[Matlock]

Lovely collection. I have always liked the Parker 75 and the T-1 is a favourite of mine.

I use my 75 with needlepoint nib daily.