Duofold Vest Sized Desk Pen?

[Greenie]

I received this in a pen lot. The pressure bar is about 48 mm, which seems to be the size for a vest pocket pen. The barrel is smaller than my Lady Duofold barrels, about 50 mm (50.7, but I left the button in, just pushed in).

 

There is no date code that I can see. The section is threaded, and the feed is the Christmas Tree type.

 

I do not have a vest pocket size for comparison. The taper is a perfect fit.

 

Is there such a thing as a vest pocket sized desk pen?

 

[PaulS]

Regret I don't know the answer to your question and at a quick look there's nothing obvious in the book, but as you'll know the tapers were sold separately and even given away free at one time, with the suggestion that you could change your pocket pen into a desk pen. The main cap and blind cap for the button could be binned and taper added, though a base would still have to be bought, and presumably most of the Duofold models could be converted in this way. Always a possibility.

Edited September 8, 2018 by PaulS

[Hanoi]

it´s tiny and cute. Perhaps, it was made for some rich guy´s 10 year old jr. who has his own little office and desk to mirror Daddy.

[Parker51]

As was mentioned, during the Depression Parker did some promotions in regard to convertable Fountain Pens. They also tried to sell pens any way they could and one of their ways was desk pens. They had a plethora of models available to try to match every potential user. I haven't checked the catalogues from that time period, but I suspect you will find your pen there if you look.

[joss]

Parker pocket desk pens do exist.

 

The 1932 Parker catalog shows three different gift sets, each includes a pocket pen, a base with socket and a taper.

 

Additionally, the 1932 advertisement below mentions that purchasing any guaranteed-for-life Parker pen of $10.00, $7.00 or $5.00 (latter corresponds to the vest pocket pen) came with a free 'tapered end'.

 

[Greenie]

That is excellent! Thank you for the post and explanation.

[mitto]

Thanks Joss for the advert.

[Sasha Royale]

I have a green marble one, in my collection. I have no use for desk pens, so I found cap and blind cap to fit. Now, I have a very portable Parker. When writing more than a signature or not, I attach the taper.

 

Looking at the ad, I wonder whether the pen cap is permanently attached to the stand, or removable.

Edited September 10, 2018 by Sasha Royale

[mitto]

I have a green marble one, in my collection. I have no use for desk pens, so I found cap and blind cap to fit. Now, I have a very portable Parker. When writing more than a signature or not, I attach the taper.

 

Looking at the ad, I wonder whether the pen cap is permanently attached to the stand, or removable.

 

 

Looks removable. The clip is attached to a ring in the stand/base.

 

 

 

Edited September 10, 2018 by mitto

[joss]

Looking at the ad, I wonder whether the pen cap is permanently attached to the stand, or removable.

 

The bottom picture in the ad shows the base without the cap.

 

I find the idea to 'convert' the cap into a desk base socket quite original but this desk base is scarce. Possibly, these gift sets with the 'out-of-fashion' (by 1932) Parker flat top pens did not sell well compared to the revolutionary designed Sheaffer Balance that was introduced in 1929 already.

[joss]

here are some nice pictures of the actual base:

www.ebay.com/itm/Pen-Parker-Duofold-Pen-and-Base-Set-Works-/362436823315?nordt=true&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.m43663.l10137

 

You don't see these for sale every day and I was prepared to bid on this one but the bids rapidly went too high for my purse.