Opinion on Parker Duofold Pearl ?

[SamCapote]

I'm still new here, and only have three fountains so far.

 

I was given the rollerball version of this Parker Duofold Pearl/Black about 15 years ago from a dear friend, and by the time I got enough money to buy the fountain companion, they stopped making it. Then I saw this year they started making this style again. This seems like a pretty good price here, and I just wondered if any of you have an opinion on this pen's quality in med nib.

 

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h75/pike444/Duo_PB_Intl.jpg

 

Thanks again, I'm so loving reading all the topics.

[Kimo]

I have the fountain pen from the time period that your rollerball was made - I bought it new back in the 1990s and I really love it. It has been in my regular rotation of daily use fountain pens ever since. Every few years I send it back to Parker for the free servicing and polishing original owners get to keep it in perfect condition.

 

I was excited to see Parker is now making these again and I went to my local fountain pen store to see them with the thought that I might consider buying the rollerball to go with my fountain pen (the reverse of your situation). I was disappointed. The new ones are nice, but they are not the same material as the ones we have. The pearlizing is noticeably less three-dimensional and the white color is more drab while ours is rich. If you lay your pen down next to one of the new ones these differences are quite noticeable. I understand that the reason Parker stopped making these several years ago was that they were unable to obtain the rods of the pearl material anymore, and that they have started making them again because they have found a new source. Whoever the new source is though, they are not using the same formula or process and while the result in the new ones is nice it is not spectacular like the ones from the 1990s.

 

 

[blue suede]

I just got one yesterday in the mail. BTW, that is the best price I have seen. It is a very nice pen, although I have never seen an older model. I got the medium nib which is 18K two tone and very smooth. It is what I consider a true medium. The flow is generous but not overly so. I don't particularly like medium nibs (it came that way, so I didn't have a choice) but I could live with this one, unlike many others. I will have it ground at some point to a finer size because that's what I like. I really like the pen but would never pay the list price of $435.00.

[andyk]

That seems a good price, I have four Duofold Internationals (but not a Pearl one, but maybe one day), 3 have medium nibs one has a fine, all write very smoothly and personally I don't find a huge difference between width of M & F nibs.

 

Andy

[Jeff L]

The rollerball can be converted to a fountain pen. This would give you the old style pearling effect and also reduce our overall cost. I recall that there is a cosmetic difference between the captops of the rollerball and fountain pen versions but other than that they are identical.

 

Vendors like Mottishaw will sell you spare nibs (http://www.nibs.com/ModernParkerNibs.htm) and you can get spare convertors from any number of places.

 

The conversion requires that you remove a plug at the end of the barrel which holds the rollerball refill in place. To do this, heat the end of the barrel to loosen the adhesive and unscrew the black end. Remove the plug and screw the black end back on the barrel while the adhesive is still warm. Reheat if necessary.

 

It may be possible to remove the plug without unscrewing the barrel end if you had alligator forceps or strong tweezers or some such thing. Don't know if anyone has tried that before.

[Stylo]

The new ones are nice, but they are not the same material as the ones we have. The pearlizing is noticeably less three-dimensional and the white color is more drab while ours is rich. If you lay your pen down next to one of the new ones these differences are quite noticeable.

 

Bummer! I was all excited when Parker restarted the production of this finish, as I was still frustrated for having missed the original version. Some pictures I have seen did make it seem like the newer finish was flatter and less pearlescent, but I had assumed it was just the photo. But I will still have to get one :roflmho:

[lterry]

I have the fountain pen that's 15 years old. This was one of the first high quality fountain pens that I bought and got me started in this madness. I agree that the older finish has more depth and luster; however, ithe new one still looks great and better than most other pens in its price range. Parker makes a good quality nib and supports their products well. If you can find an older one to match your finish, then do so, but I would get one of the new ones, as most people don't like to give up their old ones.

[PAKMAN]

I picked up a 90's vintage Black and Pearl in the International size about two years ago on Ebay for $165 with box and papers. Then picked up the matching Pencil for $106. I absolutely Love mine!! I however would never pay the $500 - $550 retail they want for the new ones!!! I also have the 1920's vintage Black and Pearl Parker Duofold Jr and Sr and matching Pencils. I can't tell you how much I love Black and Pearl Duofolds! Does it show?

[SamCapote]

I picked up a 90's vintage Black and Pearl in the International size about two years ago on Ebay for $165 with box and papers. Then picked up the matching Pencil for $106. I absolutely Love mine!! I however would never pay the $500 - $550 retail they want for the new ones!!! I also have the 1920's vintage Black and Pearl Parker Duofold Jr and Sr and matching Pencils. I can't tell you how much I love Black and Pearl Duofolds! Does it show?

 

It is such a shame that old style, quality craftsmanship always seems to fade away. As much as I would love to be able to safely convert this rollerball into a fountain, it has sentimental value that I could not sacrifice. I'll likely see if one shows up on EBay, or more likely just get the new model and "deal" with the differences and get this one for $275.

 

I'm glad everyone's opinions are good about it.

 

[Bennington1967]

The Duofold Pearl has never done anything for me. My favourite Duofold (apart from the fabulous CP5 edition) is the marbled blue from around 1989-90. I also like the marbled red and the gold plated one from 1991-2. The later Duofolds all disappointed me - it seems Parker decided to economise on material and quality when they dropped the 'flat top' Duofold.

[FrankB]

To me the Duofold Pearl and Black is the revival of a lovely vintage material that I find captivating. I have a Centennial and a mechanical pencil in the P&B material, and I love them. That being said, mine are also of the early 1990's production and I have not laid eyes on the new models. If there are aesthetic differences, I must rely on others to note them.

 

My feeling is that a B&P in hand is better than no B&P. I find the writing characteristics of Duofolds to be good enough that I would welcome the opportunity to try one. Make sure your vendor has a good return policy, so if you find you really do not like the pen, for whatever reason, you can send it back for a refund.

 

Good luck.

 

Edited: Bennington1967, I think the "marbled" material you are referring to is the "crushed velvet" material. If I am right, I also think that is one of the best materials Parker has used in the Duofold series. I pinched my pennies and acquired all three colors - blue, burgundy and green - over several years. I love those pens, Centennials all, and I use them regularly.

Edited August 29, 2007 by FrankB

[JDFlood]

[/url], and I just wondered if any of you have an opinion on this pen's quality in med nib.

 

I have at well over fifty pens now. At least a dozen+ retail for over $500. I consider my Centenial Duofold Pearl it one of my top three. It is only bested, in my opinion, by the Montegrappa Extra 1930. It has a very comfortable grip, it is strikingly attractive and has an outstanding nib. I find the nib writes extremely well on more surfaces than any contemporary pen I have. It is lighter than many pens of similar size, OMAS Paragon, Waterman Edson, for instance... this lends itself to an excellent balance, that make it easy to use for long periods of time. I find it the most prefered for work, where I am constantly switching paper types (planner, copies, postits, books... etc.)

 

Lots of the folks in this forum... well, like stuff the way it used to be. I have a couple dozen vintage pens, some are really good, most are just OK. Perhaps I haven't tried the vintage equivalent of a $1,000 pen, because, well it would cost $3000... I haven't got quite that adventurous yet. But the Centenial Parker Duofold is an outstanding pen. If one could only have one pen (like in the old days... in fact sometimes "dad's" fountain pen was passed to the son, this would be a possibility.

 

JD

[Kimo]

When I bought my Centennial Black and Pearl Duofold back in the 1990s (the first version with the medallion on the flat top of the cap that has the spirograph/flower type design) I bought it with the right oblique medium nib - I wanted this particular nib and I was lucky in that the store I bought it from had a large number of Black and Pearls in stock and had them with all of the different nibs offered. Not everyone finds oblique nibs easy to write with but mine is smooth as glass, lays down a skipless quick drying line of ink without being a firehose, and gives me the ability to get a more expressive handwriting with the slightly thicker and thinner lines according to the direction of your strokes that obliques give you. As I mentioned it is one of my daily "go to" pens along with a couple of other really nice ones (a Pelikan 450 Souveran - the one with the green tortoise barrel and vermeil cap and end; and a Sheaffer Millennium Balance being the other two). I use a Nettuno Idra limited edition green pearl for my rollerball when I need to use a rollerball.

[PAKMAN]

OK here are all of my Duofolds. First the modern 90's Black and Pearl International size with pencil. Next my Black and Pearl's from the 20's , my Black and Burgundys from the 20's and my Lapis Blue's from the 20's. Long live the Duofold!!!

Edited August 30, 2007 by pakmanpony

[SamCapote]

OK here are all of my Duofolds. First the modern 90's Black and Pearl International size with pencil. Next my Black and Pearl's from the 20's , my Black and Burgundys from the 20's and my Lapis Blue's from the 20's. Long live the Duofold!!!

 

WoW, you people are amazing in your knowledge, collections, and precise description of pen & ink characteristics. I keep realizing what a noob I am in this hobby, but I am getting so much joy at reading everyone's posts and reviving this fp hobby. I think I am going to get one of these to match my old one. If anyone ever wants to sell their old style FP B&P, please let me know.

 

That is a truly beautiful collection PakmanPony.

[SamCapote]

I did get the new fountain pen, and like some have said next to the older style, there is a difference in quality with the richness and whitness of the lustrous swirls and darker (more Karats) in gold used in older model. If you only got the new version, and didn't know better, it is absolutely gorgeous in and of itself. It writes like a dream. Here are some pictures I took side by side. Interestingly, the bottom is a lot closer to the old style than the top.

 

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h75/pike444/pearl3.jpg

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h75/pike444/pearl2.jpg

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h75/pike444/pearl1.jpg

Edited September 1, 2007 by SamCapote

[PAKMAN]

Nice Sam!!! I just wish I had the money to pick up a Norman Rockwell version. They are really sweet!

 

http://www.penhome.co.uk/Parker/Parker%20Images/5285a.JPG

[Kimo]

Thanks Sam.

 

By the way, just to be clear the old version is the one with the narrow and wide cap bands - the one in the bottom of the first two photos and on the right in the third photo.

 

I'm sure your new fountain pen writes perfectly, but the slight mis-match of coloring in the material used in the cap compared to the barrel of the new version seems to me to be another aspect of Parker not having its act quite together these days compared to their quality control of just a decade ago.

[Brian]

I once owned the earlier flat top version of this modern duofold and liked it to look at. It was eventually sold to trade in for an Omas celluloid. I felt it was a little too bright and screamed "look at me" when taking it out. Here's my suggestion: (1) if you like it you like and that's all that really counts; (2) you might think about the larger centennial size as it tends to have a bit more presence and a great feel in the hand; (3) i think Parker's medium nibs run on the wider side so you really should try it out before committing. Don't get me wrong, its a great looking pen and certainly worth every penny it costs. It just wasn't for me.

 

Good luck with your duofold.

[Stylo]

Thanks Sam!