Canadian Parker is Whack-a-doddle

[dbhcheung]

I've been going through my collection of Parker pens, and, oh boy, is the Canadian subsidiary of Parker just seemed to do whatever the heck they wanted to. 

 

I opened up a Parker 21 (top of picture) not too long ago because the weld on it's squeezy converter went. The damn thing's basically a Demi Parker 51 Special with a few less bells and whistles (I'm pretty sure that the plastic and cap clip are different). Hilariously, the squeezy converter from a Parker 21 from the States doesn't fit.

 

Then there's the Parker Duofold (bottom of picture) that they probably made in the 1950s. It's basically a Parker VS without the metal cap, a duofold imprint from a laid-tone Duofold, and a button system from a Parker Challenger.

 

Don't get me wrong, I love Parker Canada, but boy can they be weird.

 

And don't get me started on them using all plastic plungers in their Laidtone Duofolds (Duovacs) during the war.

 

 

[PAKMAN]

I think all Parker Vacs used plastic plungers after '42 as the aluminum was claimed by the war department for Airplanes and such. 

[dbhcheung]

Sorry, I wasn't being specific. I meant to say the collar of the vacumatic pump unit.

[FarmBoy]

All you needed to say is Canadian. 
 

 

[Mercian]

21 hours ago, PAKMAN said:

I think all Parker Vacs used plastic plungers after '42 as the aluminum was claimed by the war department for Airplanes and such. 

 

And everyone should also bear in mind that, for Canada, World War 2 started on 10th September 1939.

[PAKMAN]

Some Canadian vacs were fabulous pens. I have a 1941 Canadian Oversize Vacumatic in Burgundy Pearl double jewel (both striped) with a Fine Flex nib. It is the best vac I have. 

[dbhcheung]

Drool

[VacNut]

In general, a Canadian vac nib will be more flexible than an American nib. It will never be a wet noodle, but just a bit more responsive.

I found my lost 21 underneath my desk after being lost for over a year. Dipped the nib in water and it wrote like it was just inked. Bulletproof!

[dbhcheung]

I'd like to eventually get my hands on some of the fancier 21s with the really nice caps. I hear that a very limited number had gold nibs.