The Parker brand is one of the most iconic names in the history of writing instruments. Founded in 1888 in the United States, it has marked more than a century of innovation and accompanied some of history’s greatest moments. Here is the story of a legendary company.
The origins: George Safford Parker
George Safford Parker taught telegraphy and, to supplement his income, sold pens for the John Holland Pen Company. As he also offered to repair the pens he sold, he was quickly confronted with the volume of failures — and with a recurring flaw of the time: ink leaks. Convinced that a better pen was possible, he founded the Parker Pen Company in 1888 in Janesville, Wisconsin. He filed his first patent as early as 1889, and in 1891 a 1,000-dollar investment from W. F. Palmer allowed him to truly launch the business.
The “Lucky Curve”, the first great innovation
In 1894, Parker developed the “Lucky Curve” feed system. Using capillary action, this channel drew excess ink back into the reservoir when the pen was stored upright, considerably reducing leaks. The invention drove the brand’s success and remained in use until the late 1920s.
The Parker Duofold (1921)
In 1921, Parker launched the Duofold, nicknamed the “Big Red”. Priced at 7 dollars — the most expensive fountain pen on the market at the time — it embodied the elegance of the Roaring Twenties and came with an exceptional guarantee. In 1926, it was relaunched in Permanite, a more durable plastic whose strength was demonstrated by spectacular stunts: drops from aeroplanes and throws into the Grand Canyon. Still produced today, the Duofold has seen many limited editions, notably for the brand’s centenary in 1988.
The Parker 51 (1941), the legend
Created for the company’s 51st anniversary, the Parker 51 is arguably the most famous fountain pen of the 20th century. Its cigar-shaped silhouette and semi-hooded nib earned it many design awards. Made of Lucite and fed by the fast-drying Quink ink (launched in 1931), it became the best-selling fountain pen in history, with over 400 million dollars in sales until production ended in 1972. A more affordable version, the Parker 21, appeared in 1948.
Parker and the ballpoint: the Jotter
Cautious after the failures of the market’s first ballpoint pens, the brand waited until it had mastered a reliable mechanism before launching. In 1954, “Operation Scramble” made it possible to develop the Jotter in ninety days: fast-drying ink, a stainless steel tip and a body available in several colours. The 1957 T-Ball Jotter, fitted with a revolutionary sintered ball, was a phenomenal success — more than 400 million sold by 1984.
Parker in history
Few brands have accompanied so many historic moments. In 1945, General Eisenhower used a Parker 51 to sign the armistice marking the end of the European front; that same year, General MacArthur used his Duofold for the Japanese surrender aboard the USS Missouri. In 1962, the British royal household granted Parker a Royal Warrant, naming it official supplier of pens and inks. The brand later celebrated Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee in 2002 with commemorative pens.
The brand today
After more than a century of independence, Parker was bought by Gillette in 1993, then integrated into the Newell group. Still sold in more than 120 countries, Parker pens remain a global benchmark: a symbol of elegance and reliability that spans the generations.
Do you own a Parker pen?
At Aretoile, we buy, sell, value and restore collectible Parker pens: Duofold, Parker 51, Vacumatic and vintage models. Contact us for a valuation.
Taking care of your fountain pen can be a matter of debate. Depending on the pen’s age and when you use it, the type of care varies, but is just as important.
Maintenance advice
SHORT PERIODS WITHOUT USE
For short periods of days or weeks, fountain pen experts traditionally recommend storing pens upright with the nib pointing up. If you keep it level, the ink will be in constant contact with the feed, which can saturate the feed and damage the cap.
Fountain pens should be emptied and completely dried if they are to remain unused for months or years. That way, you don’t have to worry about further damage such as drying out the next time you use it. This is the best way to keep it like new. So, when you change ink colour, you can wash it with normal water.
The cap is normally sealed, which helps keep the ink flowing even with daily use of the pen. However, it can become harmful if not used for a long period. Water vapour can corrode the internal metal parts and the nib tips.
For this reason, we recommend leaving the pen upside down and uncovered for at least two weeks to allow the water to evaporate completely. For thorough drying, press the tip of the nib against an absorbent surface such as a paper towel to speed up the removal of moisture. Once the pen is empty and dry, it can be stored horizontally in its protective case.
Additional tips
PERIODIC CLEANING OF THE FOUNTAIN PEN
It is recommended to clean your fountain pen regularly, once every 2-3 months. It is also recommended to clean it when you replace the ink. For more advice on maintaining your fountain pen, see our blog. A simple task that takes only a few minutes to keep your fountain pen in good condition.
USE A CASE
Fountain pens are delicate, so it is important to carry them in a case to prevent them from falling or being damaged.
Silver is a common material for pens and easily tarnishes from silver to black or purple. Fortunately, this oxidation can be removed with silver cleaners readily available in supermarkets.
Here are the various points to consider before making a purchase.
Which type of pen?
First of all, you should choose the type of pen you feel most comfortable writing with (felt tip, rollerball, ballpoint, fountain pen). Ballpoints and rollerballs are more practical, for example in a professional context. The fountain pen allows more variation and writing effects, for example with a flexible nib, but can be less practical for everyday use (risk of leaks, refilling the ink, etc.). The fountain pen often produces a more elegant line that gives more sensation.
Are you right-handed or left-handed?
If you are left-handed, a Fine nib will generally be more suitable.
If you are right-handed, all the options are open to you; the broader nibs often suit generous handwriting better.
Choosing the material
In the most recent pens, you mainly find pens in lacquer, resin or metal. Lacquer or metal pens are generally heavier and can give an impression of quality. Nevertheless, among the resin models you also find very beautiful, sought-after versions, such as the Duofold range from PARKER.
Lacquer pens are very chic, but more fragile in use, because of the risk of scratches. There are also wooden versions, made in the 1980s by WATERMAN, quite fragile (cracks or ink stains that are hard to remove from the wood) but very beautiful and very pleasant to use.
Choosing the filling system
Most major brands (Sheaffer, Pelikan, Montblanc, Waterman, Parker, Sailor, etc.) use their own cartridges for recent models, since the 1970s.
Some versions, often more high-end, are piston-fill.
Other versions can be used either with cartridges or with a converter, which allows them to be used with a bottle of ink, like a piston-fill pen.
Cartridge pens have the advantage of being practical to use, but piston-fill versions are more pleasant thanks to the handling involved in loading the ink.
Moreover, with the latter, it is possible to use uncommon ink colours, such as purple, light red or sienna, which are not available in cartridge format.
Selecting the nib
The nib is the point of contact between the pen and what you write; most nibs are made of metal, gold-plated metal, or solid 14- or 18-carat gold. The highest-end models are generally fitted with gold nibs; nevertheless, in the history of the pen, some models such as MONTBLANC produced models with a steel nib, for external reasons (i.e. during the Second World War, when gold was very scarce, so nibs were made of steel), and also for reasons of design or fashion, such as the Montblanc Turbo version, for which the metal nib suits the look of the pen much better than gold.
The gold nib provides very pleasant sensations; 14-carat gold nibs are more rigid than 18-carat gold nibs. On some models, such as older ones, the nibs are Flexible or semi-Flex, allowing very beautiful writing effects to be produced. In terms of nib sizes, there are many options, the main sizes being Medium, Fine, Large or Broad.
More rarely you find nib sizes XF / Extra-Fine; BB Extra Broad; Oblique, right Oblique, left Oblique, Italic. Generally, the more expansive and extravagant your handwriting, the more you will appreciate a Broad nib size, and vice versa. This can also depend on the language written; i.e. in Asia and the Far East, F or XF nib sizes are more appreciated, as they allow Asian characters to be written precisely, unlike broader nibs.
How to identify the nib size on a pen?
The best thing is to be able to try it; some sellers can send you photos of the writing strokes to give you a clearer idea. Some brands can also indicate the nib size in various forms:
At Waterman, there is often a letter, M, F or L, on the black part under the nib.
At PELIKAN, the nib size is often engraved on the nib itself in the form of a letter.
At PARKER, there is a letter on the black part under the nib, or a number corresponding to a particular type of nib.
Here is an example of the wide variety of nibs possible on a pen:
The price
In general, the higher up the range you go, the more expensive it is, particularly because of the materials used and the fact that the nib is solid gold with fine finishes. Some old models in lacquer or ebonite can reach high valuations (i.e. Viala and especially Dunhill and Dunhill Namiki).
Special edition
Some manufacturers, such as MONTBLANC, PELIKAN or PARKER, offer special or limited editions. Among the best known is the Writers series from MONTBLANC, released almost every year and with a book-shaped box. The most famous versions include Hemingway, Alexandre Dumas, Marcel Proust, Franz Kafka, Jules Verne, Miguel de Cervantes, Agatha Christie, Oscar Wilde, Leo Tolstoy, Carlo Collodi and Victor Hugo.
At MONTBLANC there is also a series of pens called “the Patrons of Art” on the theme of great figures, notably from science, industry or finance. Among the most famous are the Prince Regent, Lorenzo de Medici, Nicolaus Copernicus, Louis XIV, Charlemagne, Semiramis, Pope Julius II, Andrew Carnegie, Steinway, Luciano Pavarotti and J.P. Morgan versions.
At PELIKAN, there are variations of the M 600 or M 800 models on the theme of the world’s major cities, such as Toledo, Stockholm, Madrid or Shanghai. Prestigious models have also appeared, such as the Maki-e versions made in Japanese lacquer; the famous nib of these series probably corresponds to the seven wonders of the world.
At PARKER, you can find prestigious versions based on the DUOFOLD series, such as solid gold versions, the Mandarin version, or the limited series in Maki-e lacquer with a tiger or carp motif, which have a certain value.
Why a fountain pen?
I must say that writing with a fountain pen evokes a feeling like no other. The grain of the nib in contact with the paper, the smoothness of the pen’s body, the agility of the writing, the friction of the paper, etc. So many senses that make writing sublime and full of grace.
Once a symbol of culture and wealth, this luxury item seems to have been forgotten by most of us. Yet our elite has never moved away from using it.
Every American president since Franklin Delano Roosevelt has signed numerous pens, statutes and official documents. On 23 March 2010, Barack Obama launched the Health Care Act with 22 AT Cross rollerball pens before giving them to his staff. According to The Times magazine, George W. Bush is said to have kept one of the pens used to sign the Homeland Security Act following 11 September. Even in Europe, it is common for politicians to collect the “spoils” of these works. Nicolas Sarkozy, Silvio Berlusconi… the examples of lovers of fine pens are numerous.
Adorn yourself with the finest jewels made from precious woods, precious metals and more. In recent years, fountain pens have become jewellery and are gradually regaining their aristocratic character. Fountain pen prices can range from 100 euros for high-quality pens to tens of thousands of euros for rare models. Thus, the finest luxury brands offer limited series that regularly appear in auction houses and are snapped up by enthusiasts at exorbitant prices.
What is the history of the fountain pen?
The history of the pen began with the quill. The main drawback of the quill was the lack of ink flow. It was necessary to constantly dip them in the inkwell to keep enough ink to write. Fountain pens were the first and best solution to eliminate the need to keep the nib dipped. The invention made perfect sense. It consisted of incorporating a water-based ink reservoir and a metal spring system.
Fountain pens can be filled in different ways depending on the pen’s mechanism. Some require a dropper, a syringe or a refill system to dispense the ink, some use a piston and some use a cartridge. After filling, the ink flows through the feed tube by the principle of gravity and capillarity, towards the metal tip, ready to write. Not only goose quills, but also duck, crow, eagle or rooster feathers were used to write on parchment. Ancient Rome preferred the calamus (in reed or bronze) and Egypt preferred copper pens.
In the period 973 AD, the book mentions the first use of ink reservoirs. The inventions would come from the Maghreb. The caliphs are said to have preferred a writing system that allowed them to keep their hands clean. Satisfied with the solution his servant is said to have offered him, the ink pen entered history. Metal nibs were not invented until 1820, thanks to new, more flexible and lighter steels.
These devices required the quill to be relentlessly dipped in the inkwell. And the pen could not feed itself until Petrache Poenaru invented the portable pen holder in 1827. But ink reservoirs are far from perfect… In the period of 973 comes the first pen mentioned with an ink reservoir design. The caliphs of North-West Africa – the Maghreb – once asked for pens to keep their hands clean without leaving ink. He then said he was happy to have a pen with an ink reservoir that could be turned over so the ink could flow without spilling.
Telling a genuine MONTBLANC pen from a fake is not easy for most people.
Moreover, counterfeiters’ techniques improve year after year, with finishes that are increasingly beautiful and precise.
As a preliminary point, where you buy affects the risk of counterfeiting: buying a new product from an authorised MONTBLANC boutique is far less risky than buying a second-hand item on a peer-to-peer resale marketplace.
Here are a few points to watch out for.
The serial number
The presence of a serial number is not a guarantee of authenticity. In fact, many genuine MONTBLANC pens have no serial number, particularly in the Meisterstück range produced before 1991.
If in doubt, type the serial number into an Internet search, and you may find a photo of an identical pen on a Chinese website, for example.
The location of the serial number also matters.
On some Starwalker models, it must be engraved on the ring supporting the clip, not on the clip itself.
The finish
The finish is a matter of judgement; easier to see in person than in a photo. Genuine MONTBLANC pens are often made of good-quality resin and not plastic like the counterfeits. Genuine MONTBLANC pens are well fitted at the trims and separation rings. Likewise, the serial number, when there is one, is neatly engraved, without imprecision, and perfectly straight.
On some smooth metal models, in fountain-pen or rollerball version, the finish can be really close to a genuine model. The detail that lets you tell them apart comes from how the cap closes. On counterfeits, it clips on, whereas on genuine models it screws on. In addition, the mount of the star adorning the top of the cap sits higher than on genuine models.
Furthermore, on some ballpoint models, the thread at the cap is made of poor-quality metal, sometimes fitting rather badly.
The writing mode
There are far more counterfeit ballpoint and rollerball pens than fountain pens, particularly piston-fill models, as they are much harder to fake.
Some sellers of fake Montblanc pens do not hesitate to present their pens with a genuine MONTBLANC refill and a genuine box, to try to mislead buyers.
On a fake fountain pen, you may notice that the nib is not solid gold, as on most recent genuine models. It may be engraved “Iridium”, or “Germany”, or “18K”, but very crudely. The gold colour on fake nibs may be a simple coating that rubs off when you lightly rub the nib.
The colours
Some resin colours are not produced by Montblanc, except on certain special series or limited editions.
So if you find a bright red or apple-green “Montblanc” rollerball, it is a counterfeit.
For example, you find copies of the Montblanc Starwalker with marbled or grey resin finishes that were never produced by the Montblanc firm.
The prices
New prices are set within the brand’s catalogues. Sales and discounts are rare, given the strong demand throughout the year. So if the price is too low, be wary.
The same goes for second-hand models, which resell at a certain discount, depending on condition, but no more than that.
Computers take pride of place among writing instruments, but the pleasure of handwriting is still very much alive. To keep that joy alive, the greatest brands have turned pens into beautiful objects that are pleasant to use every day. Aesthetic and practical, so-called luxury pens have become the hallmark of influential figures. It is a genuine tool to help you show that you belong to the right social class. Wondering why you should treat yourself to a designer pen? This certainly has good reasons to twist your arm.
The high-end pen, a refined tool
It is no longer a secret. With the invention of new technologies, handwriting is becoming secondary. Today writing has become very rare and precious. So it is true that it should be done with fairly sophisticated equipment. Indeed, having a high-end pen that makes a great leap forward for every writing occasion is priceless. This discreet object is an essential tool for people who need to sign contracts or write handwritten letters. What could be better than finalising a valuable certificate with a valuable object? Buying a luxury pen is definitely a good decision to equip yourself with the ideal tool for the great moments of writing.
The high-end pen, an exclusive style
Your brand image should match all the objects you use. Indeed, pulling a promotional pen out of a suit during a high-level meeting looks cheap. Above all, your pen should set you apart and show that you have standing. If you want a totally exclusive style, Dupont Pens is the prestige brand you need. This type of pen embodies luxury and is made through a complex and time-consuming process. There are many popular models for men and women — ballpoint pens, fountain pens, rollerballs, mechanical pencils… a brand that makes all kinds of pens. As a result, the ergonomics of Dupont pens are among the must-have features of a luxury accessory.
The high-end pen, more aesthetic writing
A fine pen is a special writing instrument. This tool makes writing truly enjoyable. The precision of the tip and the nib is very exacting, which makes writing comfortable. The words formed with such a pen are close to perfection. Above all, don’t worry about running out of ink — most luxury refills are rechargeable. Beyond writing, today’s luxury pens are akin to fine leather goods. Very often this type of pen comes with a storage box or a beautifully designed case. These add prestige to the tool. It is certainly the tool you need to underline your individuality. In short, a luxury pen is something you need every day. With its reputation, it definitely highlights your taste for beautiful things.
