Parker 45 Desk Pen - Propeller Base

[Inkysloth]

Hi folks,

I've just bought a desk pen from Ebay, and I'd like to know if there's a list anywhere of all the Magnetix desk bases Parker made?

This is the propeller base, with a nice brass-ended desk 45, with a 14ct medium nib.

 

Did 3rd party manufacturers make bases compatible with the Magnetix system?

Parker 45 propeller desk pen by Robin Inkysloth, on Flickr

 

Parker 45 propeller desk pen by Robin Inkysloth, on Flickr

[RedRinger]

Hi folks,

 

I've just bought a desk pen from Ebay, and I'd like to know if there's a list anywhere of all the Magnetix desk bases Parker made?

 

This is the propeller base, with a nice brass-ended desk 45, with a 14ct medium nib.

 

Did 3rd party manufacturers make bases compatible with the Magnetix system?

 

 

 

That's gorgeous! +1 to all your questions for myself, and also -- does anyone have a reference to help identify and distinguish among the parker 21, 45, 51, 61 desk pens themselves? I would love to know. The 61 is pretty obvious with the inlaid arrow, but the others are giving me trouble to distinguish...

Thanks!

 

Matt

 

(edit: I think I may have answered my own question; 61 - inlaid arrow; 51 - hooded nib; 45 less-hooded nib; 21 - ?)

Edited April 4, 2019 by RedRinger

[RedRinger]

(PS there's a nice brochure on the 'bay right now that is from 1952 that shows some more...sedate desk bases)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/original-1952-Parker-pen-brochure-6-page-full-color-rare-Magnetix-desk-sets/223046751610

[PAKMAN]

Wow that is one cool desk pen base! Congrats!

[FarmBoy]

That's gorgeous! +1 to all your questions for myself, and also -- does anyone have a reference to help identify and distinguish among the parker 21, 45, 51, 61 desk pens themselves? I would love to know. The 61 is pretty obvious with the inlaid arrow, but the others are giving me trouble to distinguish...

Thanks!

 

Matt

 

(edit: I think I may have answered my own question; 61 - inlaid arrow; 51 - hooded nib; 45 less-hooded nib; 21 - ?)

Late 61 desk pens lack the arrow.

[richardandtracy]

I was surprised by that myself, the arrowless P61 desk pen is shown here:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/344400-parker-51-desk-pen-cc-filler/?p=4178448

 

Regards,

 

Richard

[mallymal1]

Nice set, Inkysloth.

[joss]

I was surprised by that myself, the arrowless P61 desk pen is shown here:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/344400-parker-51-desk-pen-cc-filler/?p=4178448

 

Regards,

 

Richard

 

I recently tried to trace back the production period of the Parker 61 desk pen and was surprised to find out that it had a remarkably short life span. This is what I found:

 

The Parker 61 desk pen (with inlaid arrow at the section and typical hourglass shaped gold plated metal barrel top) was shown for the first time in the Parker 1961 desk pen catalog. It is also mentioned as the "brand new Parker 61" pen in Parkergram 1961-Vol 3.

 

The typical Parker 61 desk pen barrel is present in the parts list catalog of 1962.

 

The Parker 61 desk pen is shown in the Parker 1963 desk pen catalog.

 

The 1964 Parker desk pen catalog shows five different desk pens but these are from the 51 and 45 range only (51 FP, ballpoint and pencil and 45 FP & ballpoint). The Parker 61 desk pen is not shown anymore.

 

Parker 1966, 1968 and 1969 desk pen catalogs continue showing the Parker 51 and 45 desk pens but not the 61 desk pen.

 

The "arrowless” Parker 61-like desk pen appears for the first time in a 1970 Parker desk pen pamphlet but this pen was not referred to as being a "61" (or "51") pen. This arrowless 61 desk pen was shown at least until 1974.

 

Later in the 1970s, all Parker fountain desk pens were gradually replaced by ballpoint desk pens (I did not check whether they reappered in the 1980s or later, that is not my period of interest).

 

=>> So a rough estimation for the production period of the 'proper' Parker 61 desk pen was 1961-1963 only.

[joss]

Hi folks,

 

I've just bought a desk pen from Ebay, and I'd like to know if there's a list anywhere of all the Magnetix desk bases Parker made?

 

This is the propeller base, with a nice brass-ended desk 45, with a 14ct medium nib.

 

Did 3rd party manufacturers make bases compatible with the Magnetix system?

 

 

I did not find this nice propeller desk base in any of the Parker catalogs that I have available but that does not mean that it is not proper Parker.

 

An additional problem (or maybe advantage?) with the Magnetix sets is that there is a lot of interchangeability between the base, the ball socket and the fitting desk pen (21, 45, 51 and 61). The ball-socket has features that are typical for late 1950s, early 1960s Magnetix sockets and is definitely correct for an early Parker 45 desk pen.

Edited April 5, 2019 by joss

[RedRinger]

 

I recently tried to trace back the production period of the Parker 61 desk pen and was surprised to find out that it had a remarkably short life span. This is what I found:

 

The Parker 61 desk pen (with inlaid arrow at the section and typical hourglass shaped gold plated metal barrel top) was shown for the first time in the Parker 1961 desk pen catalog. It is also mentioned as the "brand new Parker 61" pen in Parkergram 1961-Vol 3.

 

The typical Parker 61 desk pen barrel is present in the parts list catalog of 1962.

 

The Parker 61 desk pen is shown in the Parker 1963 desk pen catalog.

 

The 1964 Parker desk pen catalog shows five different desk pens but these are from the 51 and 45 range only (51 FP, ballpoint and pencil and 45 FP & ballpoint). The Parker 61 desk pen is not shown anymore.

 

Parker 1966, 1968 and 1969 desk pen catalogs continue showing the Parker 51 and 45 desk pens but not the 61 desk pen.

 

The "arrowless” Parker 61-like desk pen appears for the first time in a 1970 Parker desk pen pamphlet but this pen was not referred to as being a "61" (or "51") pen. This arrowless 61 desk pen was shown at least until 1974.

 

Later in the 1970s, all Parker fountain desk pens were gradually replaced by ballpoint desk pens (I did not check whether they reappered in the 1980s or later, that is not my period of interest).

 

=>> So a rough estimation for the production period of the 'proper' Parker 61 desk pen was 1961-1963 only.

 

 

 

I did not find this nice propeller desk base in any of the Parker catalogs that I have available but that does not mean that it is not proper Parker.

 

An additional problem (or maybe advantage?) with the Magnetix sets is that there is a lot of interchangeability between the base, the ball socket and the fitting desk pen (21, 45, 51 and 61). The ball-socket has features that are typical for late 1950s, early 1960s Magnetix sockets and is definitely correct for an early Parker 45 desk pen.

 

 

 

This is fantastic information, Joss! You wouldn't happen to have, or know where we could view, electronic versions of those catalogs, would you? *begs*

 

I had thought about the ease of interchangeability of the Magnetix sets leading to difficulty figuring out what sockets are "proper" for what bases -- I think an admirable quality of our community is the attempt to be faithful to the history of these objects. But I guess philosophically, an inherent feature of the Magnetix system is the fact that if Parker made a cool (propeller!) desk base later after you bought one of the rectangular marble slabs, and your socket and pen were your favorite, you could sport them on the new base! For me at least, that useability can totally justify a pen display that wasn't a factory original and have it remain true to the history...

 

Now, if crApple had made these, each new generation would have a different socket shape and magnetic polarity, and the old bases would no longer be supported despite being fully functional, so you could no longer use them! Haha...

[FarmBoy]

One could purchase the hardware to make desk bases. I don’t believe it is a Parker produced set but rather something custom made from Parker supplied parts.

[Inkysloth]

One could purchase the hardware to make desk bases. I dont believe it is a Parker produced set but rather something custom made from Parker supplied parts.

This was my next question!

 

I remember seeing one a while ago, also on Ebay, but it could have been this one as I didnt note the seller. The brass is in good condition but doesnt seem new - Im curious as to when it was put together.

 

As for Parker-manufactured bases, did the UK have different models to the US? Did you get the Whitefriars glass bases in the US?

[hood]

I've seen a fair number of these on ebay UK over the years, all with a wooden base of the same shape, so I wouldn't imagine they were made at an amateur or hobbyist level, if they weren't in fact made or licensed by Parker.