Tag: Parker

Posted in Pens, Reviews, Stories

Parker “Instant Modern” Style

Posted on by Danny Watts

In 2004, Parker introduced the Vector XL and Vector 3-in-1, predecessors of the IM. Soon afterward these pens are combined into the IM (US model) and the Profile (UK model). In 2009, Parker redesigned the IM, replacing the stylized arrow clip with a modern version of the iconic clip. The following year, production was moved from Newhaven, England to the Waterman factory in Nantes, Frances, and to Shanghai, China. The model conspicuously does not contain a “made in” imprint.

What does IM stand for, welp it could be “Instant Message” (it is a pen) yet in the Parker print catalog (2012) I read “Instant Modern” style when discussing the IM model.

The IM is available in two distinct tiers: the standard version and the ‘premium’ version. The standard IM comes with a plastic section with plastic threads and a metal cap making the threads a weak point in the design. The Premium IM is of a brass body and cap, a plastic section with the same plastic threads.

Both versions are of a clean, conservative design, with subtle colors that work well in any professional environment. The nib on the IM is a significant departure in shape and style from the narrow nib designs used on the Urban or Sonnet pens. The IM nib resembles a traditional fountain pen nib yet is noticeably squat.

My Pen

Parker IM 2019 Special Edition Red Ignite Fountain Pen Medium Nib. “This IM Special Edition is inspired by the passion that propels us to achieve greater heights. The striking red and black patterns expose the intense and uncontrolled explosion of energy and illustrate the vast potential simmering within each of us.” Yeah right.

The cap snaps securely to the barrel with a loud click; however, there is more to it than just a clutch ring. Notice at the end of the section near the nib is a raised rim (I’ll call it the “nib rim”). This nib rim firmly sets inside the inner cap prior to the clutch ring. Below, the picture of the nib and section inserted into the cap (right side) illustrates the point where the nib rim sets inside the cap prior to the cap securely attaching.

The IM is a cartridge pen, requiring the skinny “long QUINK ink cartridge or convertible to ink bottle filling.” The proprietary Parker twist converter (S0050300) and possibly the Parker piston converter supports the IM. As I have neither….

The pen requires a slim cartridge and I only have one so I dipped the nib. This medium short nib writes very smoothly. There is no flex, and it is not a wet nib. I wrote this (copied from the Park website) on that horrible moleskin paper, the letters did not feather. The ink did produce a slight shading.

The IM impressed me. I favor metal barrels, the finish on this pen is matte, not slippery and fit very comfortably in my hand, and the nib is impressive for the price. Speaking of, the price is right, I only paid $24 for this pen.

Vital Statistics

  • Capped Length: 137mm
  • Uncapped Length: 117mm
  • Barrel Diameter: 11.5mm
  • Cap Diameter: 12.5mm
  • Weighs in at 24g
COPYRIGHT © 2021-2023 DANNY WATTS and CHRONICLES OF A FOUTAIN PEN.
Posted in Collection, Pens, Stories

Flat bottom pens make the journaling world go round

Posted on by Danny Watts

Ok, this is really about Flat-Top pens, I couldn’t pass on an opportunity for a Freddy Mercury parody.

Fountain pens come in just about any and every size and shape imaginable. I have a preference for flat-top pens including those referred to as “baseball bat” & “tube” pens. Contrary to the “Balance” style pens aka torpedo or cigar shape.

Flat-top pens are characterized as having a larger, prominent cap and a smaller body. There is a noticeable step between the cap and the pen body when the pen is capped, while the cap and the bottom end horizontally. I know “flat-top” means the top is flat, so who cares about the aft end, welp I do. Ever look at a cigar before it is smoked? Flat on one end and round on the other.

Little Flat-Top History

The Sheaffer Pen Company produced Flat-Top fountain pens from 1912 until some time after the middle of the 1930s, possibly as late as 1940. It is important to note that the name flat-top (or flat-top) is a collector-coined name for the earliest Sheaffer pens. Sheaffer never referred to them as such.

The Sheaffer Pen Company produced Flat-Top fountain pens from 1912 until some time after the middle of the 1930s, possibly as late as 1940. It is important to note that the name flat-top (or flat-top) is a collector-coined name for the earliest Sheaffer pens. Sheaffer never referred to them as such.

Aesthetics of a Flat-Top & Bottom Pen

My interest in vintage pens is well established and yes Sheaffer Balance is the progenitor of torpedo or cigar shape pens and it is vintage but no. For me, it is aesthetically pleasing to see sharp angles created by the flat ends (maybe I should have named this post “Flat Ends”?). They provide a pleasant contrast to the curved tapered body of a Balance-style pen.

When I was a young man prior to attending university I was interested in architecture. I enjoyed trips which offered an opportunity to view historic architecture. Yes, I love arches but my real enjoyment was always the angles of a structure. “Good design is about the beauty of line.” A flat-top pen is all about lines. Yes, a Balance-style pen has smooth lines but I find them boring as the pen gradually begins and fades away.

Apparently, I am not in the majority. Balance-style pens are more popular, they sell better. I came across a thread on Reddit that is interesting. The contributor preferred round-end pens because “geometrical discontinuities lead to jumps in the stress of a body [pens in our case] under load or in the event of impact [drop the pen].” Interesting rationale but these are pens, not bridges.

My Pens

As mentioned, my Flat-Top pens can be categorized into two groups; fo-real Flat-Top pens and what I’ll call hybrid Flat-Top pens. Sheaffer doesn’t have a monopoly on Flat-Top pens. I have pens manufactured by Sheaffer, Parker, Osmiroid, Esterbrook, TWSBI, Pilot and Inkograph.

My pile of Flat-Top pens, according to me

Hybrid Flat-Tops are more prevalent thus I have excluded them. Pens in this category include Mabie Todd, Gold Starry, Conway Stewart, Waterman, Geo W. Heath, Esterbrook, Worth, Hero, Kaigelu, Pilot, and Sheaffer. Can you imagine the size of that pile?

Why own something that reminds me of a banana (shape not color), a torpedo, or cigarish when you could have these beauties? As is evident, my idea of a Flat-Top pen is broad. These pens have soooo much more personality and appeal – to me.

Oh, and BTW, I own Balance-style pens; however, I do not own a Sheaffer Balance pen.

COPYRIGHT © 2021-2023 DANNY WATTS and CHRONICLES OF A FOUTAIN PEN.
Posted in Pens, Reviews, Stories

It’s a new month, what’s in your pen cup?

Posted on by Danny Watts

I start the month rotating in a 1941 Parker vertically striped Duofold (button-filled model). She may be pretty but the filler is not working correctly preventing the ink sac from filling properly.

I rotated her out and decided to keep the Wing Sung 601 hooded demonstrator (a blatant Parker 51 knockoff) in the rotation.

The usual suspects have changed. I rotated out the Pilot Prera with the CM nib in favor of a Prera with a medium nib. The Wing Sung 601 is getting a workout and the Kaweco Student is still in rotation. All demonstrators this month.

For February I dug up a pen that hasn’t been in rotation since 2007. I pulled out a blue Waterman Philéas. For those not familiar, the pen is named after the Jules Verne character Phileas Fogg (Around the World in 80 Days)

A quick search of eBay for this pen, imagine the shock and horror when I saw the asking prices. Time for the reunion.

Did you miss any of the past month’s blog posts? Welp, here is your chance to catch up…

  • It’s a new month, what’s in your pen cup? Let’s see how I started January with a review of December. It’s a new month and time to shelve your current choice of pens in favor of new pens or those that may be long forgotten and feeling neglected. Also, let’s review how did the pens from last month fared? Also included is a recap of the month’s postings, Pen news, attempted murder by ink, and Jolabokaflod.
  • The (Wish) List 2023 A wish list can be for anything, from a birthday to a future home or (of course) a pen collection. As I stumble across pens that catch my eye but are not something I’m looking for, I add them to Evernote for reference in the future. Instead of a New Year’s resolution, I present my pen wish list….
  • Original Ink Cartridge… Created by a Pencil Co. The Waterman C/F was the pen that introduced modern plastic ink cartridges in 1953. But, did you know that ink cartridges were introduced 60 years prior by a pencil company?
  • #ThrowbackThursday From time to time when I’m feeling uninspired (or lazy) I will dig up a blast from yesteryear. In this flashback, I’m highlighting a Keystone pen I purchased.
  • A Christmas Miracle, nah just Dumb Luck Christmas Miracle, maybe it is just dumb luck. I stumbled upon a 70-year-old Conway Stewart pen and Pencil set in superb condition just in time for me to buy, and for my wife to gift to me.
  • Year of the Rabbit (how about the pen) So starts the year of the Rabbit. I thought I’d highlight the Chinese-sourced pens I own.
  • Majorelle Blue (Ink) by Any Other Name Have you ever seen the color of houses in Marrakech? It resonates with me. I searched for a pen ink by the name “Moroccan Blue,” “Marrakech Blue,” or “Majorelle Blue” to no avail. Then I stumbled upon a post on FPN of a blue ink so intense as to glaze upon it “hurt” the eyes of the reader. Wanta know what I found?

In the News

Again, absolutely nothing exciting happened in the world of pens last month. Then I found this heartwarming story… “Little Afghan girl in Kabul selling pens to support her family. “If I bought them all would you be happy?” She smiled and said yes,” When a woman asks how much the pen costs, the little seller says 20 cents. She inquires if she may purchase all of the pens. The vendor agrees, and the woman pays her. “You paid me too much,” the girl complains. The woman then hands her a few more currency notes, then the little girl’s face brightens.

Sherlock Holmes Amongst Books to Enter Public Domain in 2023 “The long-running contested copyright dispute over Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s tales of a whipsmart detective — which has even ensnared Enola Holmes — will finally come to an end as the 1927 copyrights expiring Jan. 1 include Conan Doyle’s last Sherlock Holmes work.” Certain works by Ernest Hemingway, Louis Armstrong, and Laurel and Hardy can also legally be shared, performed, or sampled without permission or cost.

In case you are not familiar, today starts InCoWriMo. What’s that you ask? It is International Correspondence Writing Month. There is also a National version but why keep it to ourselves. So pull out your fancy stationery and fountain pens (don’t forget ink!) and write to someone whether they are near or far.

COPYRIGHT © 2021-2023 DANNY WATTS and CHRONICLES OF A FOUTAIN PEN.
Posted in Pens, Stories

It’s winter time, who doesn’t enjoy a hooded … Pen

Posted on by Danny Watts

Initially, I was not a fan of the Parker 51 and its hooded nib. I thought it was ugly and why would anyone want to hide their nib? I am a lot of things, and being close-minded is not one of them. Hooded nibs are an acquired taste, these simply grew on me, to the point, I thought traditional nibs were ugly. Good news, I got over that as well.

Having a hood over the nib seems like a great idea – the pen becomes much more resistant to drying out while idle, accommodates temperamental inks, and reduces ink loss due to evaporation. Thus pens write longer using the same amount of ink.

Hooded nibs came into being as a necessary extension of a super fast-drying ink called Superchrome, developed in the 1930s by Parker. Superchrome contains isopropyl alcohol and is fairly corrosive. The ink dried so fast it would dry out in a traditional open nib/feed arrangement while the pen was in use.

The solution was simple, invent a pen for the ink, which became known as “51”. The ink was pulled from the shelf when it became evident that long-term use dissolved the stainless steel nibs on Parker pens and corroded the breather tubes in the “51.”

Here we have my two 51s, (1945 & 1941).

Long after the withdrawal of Superchrome ink, hooded Parker pens remained popular. Hooded nibs were not necessary but they performed more like a ballpoint, from rigidity to resistance to drying, thus making them more susceptible to ballpoint competition.

Parker 21 (post-1948)
Parker 61 (post-1956)
Parker 45 (post-1960)

Parker did a good job copying with their own success, no surprise so did others.

I present my hooded Platignum and my sorta hooded Sheaffer Taranis.

Since the hooded pens have been compared to ballpoints, I decided to give the 51 (inked with Waterman Black) a go against a BIC Cristal. Remember, this is a scientific test published on the Internet prior to peer review – Believe at your own risk.

BIC Cristal above, Parker 51 Below

No surprise, the Parker 51 is far superior, and yes it writes like a ballpoint (very stiff), startup favors the Parker, and the overall appearance of the ink.

The Parker did not have that BIC ink smell that I grew up with and harbor the fondest of memories. I wasn’t going to try the “lint” test – carry the pen in my back pocket without a cap. After a long weekend, the 51 required a hard start while the BIC simply worked.

Hooded pens are still made today, primarily by Chinese pen companies and Lamy. While researching this topic I came across a Wing Sung 601 hooded demonstrator (a blatant Parker 51 knock off). Lacking self-control, I bought it ($17 + free shipping!).

Inked up with Faber-Castell Cobalt Blue. I really thought the blue would “pop” in the demonstrator, alas not. Maybe Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-Peki would have been a better choice? Too late now.

With hooded pens, the nib hood protects the nib fins, minimizing evaporation. This model, it also acts to channel the ink to the nib. Examining the pictures note how the ink populates the nib while encapsulated by the hood.

As for the pen, much like the 51, it too writes like a ballpoint. I had no issue with the nib straight out of the box. Actually, I’m rather impressed, considering, but that is a discussion for another day.

COPYRIGHT © 2021-2023 DANNY WATTS and CHRONICLES OF A FOUTAIN PEN.
Posted in Pens, Stories

The Fountain Pen Mystery Theatre Presents

Posted on by Danny Watts

Welcome to the Fountain Pen Mystery Theatre, where “it may be said with a degree of assurance that not everything that meets the eye is as it appears.” Enter another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and touch but of deduction. In this episode, our hero (Maisie Dobbs) unravels the Secret of the Jade Pen.

“The extraordinary hides behind the camouflage of the ordinary. Assume nothing” – Maurice Blanche, Maisie Dobbs

Sheaffer began production of “Flattop” pens in 1912, production continuing into the 1930s. In 1924, Sheaffer started making flat-top pens of Jade Green radite (celluloid), which they branded “Jadite.”

What a unique pen! The only reference to such a model indicates it doesn’t exist. How can this be? Why can this be? The pen is a Lifetime model with an inlaid white dot in the plastic of the cap AND another inlaid white dot in the aft end of the barrel. This cannot be.

Sheaffer added a white dot to the center of the cap in Lifetime models, in 1924. I imagine Dr. Maurice Blanche would have something witty to say about the ordinary hiding the extraordinary.

“Stay with the question. The more it troubles you, the more it has to teach you.” – Maurice Blanche, Maisie Dobbs

The imprint on the clip changed in 1922 to compliment the company logo. While the hump clip was introduced 6 years later.

The black cap crown provides an elegant appearance. This feature is usually not associated with Lifetime models. One sees this with the 3-25 and 5-30 flat-top models.

There is some discoloration at both ends of the barrel. Gases released by rubberized ink sacs discolored the Jadite from the inside out.

“Do not rush to conclusions, no matter how uncomfortable the unknowing.” – Maurice Blanche, Maisie Dobbs

What was it Maurice used to say? “Coincidence is a messenger sent by the truth.” I must remember not to rush to conclusions while appreciating the coincidence.

Early flattops have a barrel imprint that included patent dates. After 1927, the patent dates were dropped from the imprint completely.

Two narrow bands appear on the cap beginning in 1928, continuing through its final years of production in the mid-1930s.

Sheaffer imprinted serial numbers on the top and underside of their nibs. The nib imprint was changed to the five-line version in 1926.

Upon inspection, it is evident that a pin retains the filler lever. An internal Sheaffer memo indicates the pin will be replaced with a lever ring in late 1930.

“Truth walks toward us on the paths of our questions…as soon as you think you have the answer, you have closed the path and may miss vital new information.” – Maurice Blanche, Maisie Dobbs

“And it occurred to her that she was so used to turning over everything in her mind, as if each thought were an intricate shell found at the beach, that she had never truly known the value of simply accepting things as they were.” Jacqueline Winspear, Elegy for Eddie

What am I to make of the name engraved in the barrel? Should it be considered in light of the clues offered by the pen?

“Maurice’s maxim: “To solve a problem, take it for a walk.” – Maisie Dobbs, Birds of A Feather

Let’s walk through the details and itemize that which has been gleamed of the pen:

  • Nib serialization with 5 lines began in 1926,
  • Jade Radise was released in 1924,
  • The Lifetime White Dot is added in 1924,
  • The 2 Banded cap was introduced in 1928,
  • The Hump Clip was also introduced in 1928,
  • The patent dates and format on the barrel indicate a pre-1927 imprint,
  • The pin action filling lever was replaced started Q4 1930,
  • And I’ve learned Carl Matthews, was born on 15 Apr 1914 and graduated Secondary school (High School) in 1933.

“Never follow a story with a question … not immediately. And remember to acknowledge the storyteller, for in some way even the messenger is affected by the story he brings.” – Maurice Blanche, Maisie Dobbs

Sheaffer clearly does not consume older stock first. I offer the straight vs hump clips as an example. The catalogs of 1928 to the mid-1930s contain flat-tops with both style clips.

The imprint on the barrel can only be older stock predating 1927. While the dual bands on the cap cannot predate 1928. The 5-line serialization of the nib indicates post-1926.

When was the pen manufactured & Why two white dots?

As we have learned, Sheaffer can and will create a pen from all sources of stock. Carl Matthews is a teenager when the barrel was manufactured. Don’t forget the white dot at the end of the barrel – unheard of. Possibly indicating the pen was reconditioned under a Lifetime warranty and offered for resale?

“The story takes up space as a knot in a piece of wood. If the knot is removed, a hole remains. We must ask ourselves, how will this hole that we have opened be filled?” – Maurice Blanche, Maisie Dobbs

The answer is more subtle. Yes, the pen was a Lifetime warranty return. A secretary’s pen with a ring top. This model had a removable black band with a white dot over the black crown seen on 3-25s.

The band was lost so a white dot was installed in the aft end of the barrel. A bit hasty as the ring on the cap top was replaced with a white dot.

By 1933, the pen was purchased and given to Carl as a present to commemorate his Secondary School (High School) graduation.

Photo Credits. All images (less the cover image) are taken from the book covers of the Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear. I encourage the reader to explore the series. Synopsis; “In 1929 London, former servant Maisie Dobbs starts her own business as a psychologist and investigator in this unique and gripping historical mystery series.”

COPYRIGHT © 2021-2023 DANNY WATTS and CHRONICLES OF A FOUTAIN PEN.
Posted in Pens, Stories

Celluloid – Real, Fake & FIRE!

Posted on by Danny Watts

In this last discussion of my favorite vintage pen materials, I am presenting celluloid. Why do I like celluloid you ask. Unfortunately, that is a detailed answer you see. There are two kinds of celluloid; one made with cellulose nitrate and another made from cellulose acetate. I have both but I prefer the cellulose nitrate. It has a warm feel, much like ebonite, and a pleasant camphor fragrance. It’s much easier to generate vibrant colors and interesting patterns.

1931 Esterbrook
1932 Parker
1920s Shaeffer

Celluloid

(Cellulose Nitrate)

Parker and Sheaffer began manufacturing celluloid nitrate pens in the 1920s, even though the safer celluloid acetate had been readily available since the 1860s. The majority of celluloid pens from the 1930s were made by Dupont under the brand Pyralin.

Cellulose nitrate (Real Celluloid)

The primary ingredient of celluloid is cellulose nitrate. Cellulose is the most abundant organic polymer on Earth. Obtained primarily from wood pulp and cotton to produce paperboard and paper. Nitrating cellulose through exposure to a mixture of nitric acid and sulfuric acid produces highly flammable cellulose nitrate.

Parker Vacumatic and Duofold in Celluloid

It was initially used as guncotton, a replacement for gunpowder. Cellulose nitrate was also used as a low-yield explosive in mining. So naturally, it should make a great medium for manufacturing pens – once it is plasticized with camphor, celluloid’s other essential component.

Spontaneous combustion is always a possibility; however, the most common failure of celluloid occurs as it ages. Exposure to the environment allows the camphor to sublimate at room temperature, reverting the celluloid to Cellulose nitrate. Another sublimation associated with exposure to excess heat affects nitrate.

Cellulose acetate (Fake Celluloid)

“Cellulose acetate is most commonly prepared by treating cellulose with acetic acid and then with acetic anhydride in the presence of a catalyst such as sulfuric acid.”

Onishi Seisakusho Celluloid Acetate pens photo credit Jet Pens

Cellulose acetate was made by dozens of companies with different brand names and formulations. According to Lambrou’s Fountain Pens of the World, there are four different cellulosic plastics used in fountain pens:

  • Cellulose Nitrate (real celluloid)
  • Cellulose Acetate
  • Cellulose Propionate
  • Cellulose Acetobutyrate

I ask, is cellulose acetate, etc. real celluloid? It is still being manufactured and called celluloid. Or is the determination of celluloid made because of cellulose?

Now for the bad news, both nitrate and acetate are classified as flammable substances, and subject to transportation restrictions plus storage and handling regulations. For this reason, contemporary celluloid pens are very uncommon; however, Italian companies, Montegrappa and Visconti manufacture pens from celluloid as does Onishi Seisakusho in Japan.

Fun Facts

  • Early billiard balls made of cellulose nitrate were known to explode occasionally.
  • Cellulose nitrate-based film has spontaneously ignited and that which has not burned has in a large part decomposes to red powder.
  • Allegedly a prisoner explodes a deck of celluloid playing cards to facilitate his escape.

How can I tell?

The simplest way to determine if celluloid is real is to take a whiff, it is all about the fragrance. Wet the pen and rub hard creating heat. It will not smell like plastic but like camphor. Honestly, I have no idea what camphor smells like but I can tell you a celluloid pen does not smell like a petroleum product, or a solvent.

You can also test by burning shavings. Acetate will have a vinegar smell and burn yellow while nitrate will smell of camphor and burn white. Yellow vs white seems like an inconclusive test.

For those with access to a microscope, place a shaving and lace on a glass slide. Add a droplet of acetone. If celluloid, it will promptly dissolve; casein, Bakelite, and acrylic will be unaffected. This test won’t tell us if the celluloid is real or fake.

Waxing

Waxes have not been shown to benefit hard rubber, while they can damage celluloid by preventing the escape of the acidic gas by-products celluloid naturally produce. The wax seals the celluloid, preventing the nitrocellulose gas from escaping, it is retained in the celluloid hastening decomposition.

In conclusion, I test by smell. I like real celluloid because it has a warm feel and it smells good. To me, the aroma is earthy with a medicinal undertone.

Reference Material

COPYRIGHT © 2021-2023 DANNY WATTS and CHRONICLES OF A FOUTAIN PEN.
Posted in Pens, Stories

Fountain Pen Ancestry, A Story Waiting to be Told

Posted on by Danny Watts

Good morning, yesterday.
You wake up and time has slipped away.
And suddenly it’s hard to find.
The memories you left behind … -Paul Anka

Tomorrow (27 September) is Nation Ancestor Appreciation Day – yes there really is such a thing. To commemorate, I am highlighting the ancestry of three of my pens. Maybe I have an overactive imagination, or hopelessly sentimental, both I’m sure, but each holds a story waiting to be known. So without further delay allow me to present the ancestral story of each pen.

1928 Parker Duofold Jr. (1921-1934)

Ellwood Arthur Leupold was born in 1906 to Gustavus & Paulina (Padorf) Leupold (first-generation German immigrants) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

When Ellwood landed his first “real” job as a draftsman for the telephone company he also invested in a decent writing instrument. He bought a Parker Duofold Jr (circa 1928). This investment cost him $7, equivalent to $105 today – a significant investment for a 22-year-old.

Ellwood subsequently accepted a job clerking at the Corn Exchange National Bank; I’m sure his Duofold followed. In 1945, Ellwood (39) married Mary T. Cuta (31), the daughter of Basil and Stella Cuta of Poland. The couple set up house with his parents in the Olney neighborhood of Philadelphia, where they remained for the remainder of their lives. By 1950, Ellwood accepted a new position, this one with the Bureau of Water as a draftsman. Sadly, the couple did not have any children. Ellwood died in August 1985; Mary survived him by 31 years, passing in 2016 at the age of 102.

1950 Philadelphia Census

Esterbrook Dollar Pen (1934-1942)

Doris Isabelle Stirratt and her twin sister Donna, were born in 1922 to Chauncy & Theresine Stiratt of Crookston, Minnesota. As the Great Depression drew to a conclusion so did her days in high school. Doris landed a job as an assistant teacher in the Beltrami County, Minnesota school system as part of the “New Deal” National Young Administration School Project.

You can’t start your first professional job and not be prepared, around this time Doris purchased an Esterbrook “Dollar” pen.

But teaching was not her thing, in 1947, Doris accepted a position with the Beltrami County government. A couple years passed and she met a charming young doctor just starting his practice (Grant “Bob” Garlock, MD), they were married in May of 1950. The couple managed 3 children before Grant was recalled to active duty in the US Army, commissioned a Lieutenant, and deployed to Korea.

Doris had artistic talent, to supplement a Lieutenant’s pay, Doris agreed to illustrate a science textbook for Professor Alfred M. Elliott, of the University of Michigan. Zoology was published in 1952, crediting Doris Stirratt Garlock for her wonderful drawings and unbound patience with him.

Of the many drawings in the textbook, this one caught my fancy as it included a slide rule. I’m sure everyone knows what a slide rule is.

After Grant’s return in 1953, their 4th child is born and Grant accepts a position at State Hospital for the Insane in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. This apparently did not go over well with Doris and Grant remained in Beltrami. He announced his intent to take the position in Fergus Falls the following year but this also did not happen (happy wife, happy life). In the summer of 1969, two of the Garlock children join or took over the medical and surgical practice their father was associated with in Beltrami.

Doris is elected Beltrami County Treasurer in 1965, a position she holds until her retirement in 1977. This is where things get odd. At her retirement, the local newspaper quotes Doris as saying her husband “Bob” died in 1976 yet he clearly did not. He was living in California.

It appears Bob moved to Ojai, California in 1969, hence the reason their children entered his practice? After her retirement, no more Minnesota winters for Doris, she joins her husband in California, living first in Napa County before heading south to Ventura. Her husband dies in December 2009, and Doris survived him by 6.5 years.

Sheaffer Snorkle (1952-1959)

Iris Imo Simmons was born in 1904 to Erwan & Rosa (Banner) Simmons of Le Roy, Illinois. Unfortunately, she never got to know her mother, as her mom died several months after her birth. Subsequently, the family moved to Missouri, thus beginning her Odyssey. Imo, as she preferred to be known, attended school in both Livingston & Linn counties. Imo, her sisters Bebe and Edith left Parson Creek, Missouri by 1930 for Le Roy, Illinois where Bebe and Imo taught in the school system while Edith finished high school. Imo completed 2 years of college by 1940. She remained in Le Roy until the early 1950s, moving to Bloomington where she enrolled at the Illinois State University, graduating in 1956, having earned a Bachelor’s degree in Education.

Bursting with pride, deserving a reward for all the hard work or maybe it was a gift. Either way, Imo became the owner of a Sheaffer Snorkle fountain pen.

She remained in Bloomington until the early 1970s whence she retired to Memphis, Tennessee. Thus, reuniting Imo with her sisters, Bebe and Edith.

After her sisters passed, Imo moved to a nursing home in Wheeling, Missouri in 1992. A year later during the Christmas holiday, she passed. At the age of 89, Imo had outlived all her siblings (4 sisters and 1 brother). She was laid to rest in Meadville, Linn County Missouri.

Old stuff is not so boring after all.

COPYRIGHT © 2021-2023 DANNY WATTS and CHRONICLES OF A FOUTAIN PEN.
Posted in Pens, Stories

Lifetime Guarantees and FTC

Posted on by Danny Watts

In the mid-1920s, the major US pen manufacturers began offering competitive and comprehensive warrantees on their top-line models. The warranties or guarantees are reflected in model names such as Lifetime (Sheaffer), Endura (Conklin), and Eternal (Mabie Todd). While some manufacturers created special symbols denoting their guarantees like Sheaffer’s White Dot, Parker’s Blue Diamond, and Wahl-Eversharp’s Gold Seal.

Sheaffer

Walter Sheaffer was known to personally inspect every pen and place a small white dot on each that passed his quality inspection. In 1924, Sheaffer launched its Lifetime Warranty, symbolized by the white dot guaranteeing quality. The Lifetime Pen, launched in 1920, retailed at three times the price of competitor pens, yet Lifetime guarantee repairs were 4% of sales.

No Ifs, Ands or Buts!

By the early 1940s, Sheaffer, Parker, and Waterman were suffering the effects of their lifetime guarantee. Having found that honoring the lifetime guarantee without a mitigating service charge was eating away at their profits, thus they began repair service fees. Naturally, their customers filed complaints with the government.

Federal Trade Commission

It is commonly believed that in the later 1940s the FTC outlawed “lifetime guarantees” – this it did not do.

The FTC’s 1945 ruling forbade “unconditional” warranties if there is an associated fee (shipping, insurance, etc). Waterman and Parker challenged the ruling, with Waterman withdrawing its challenge a year later. Parker didn’t win nor did they lose. In 1948, the courts agreed to allow such warranties but only if the fee was conspicuously detailed in writing within the warranty statement itself – so much for the “fine print.”

Except as noted

FTC stated that pen manufacturers could offer long-term guarantees if they did not say they were “unconditional” when a service (shipping, insurance, etc) fee applied. If the guarantee included a service charge, the charge had to be more prominently displayed in advertising.

Cross offered a lifetime guarantee then and still does today. Sheaffer has returned to offering lifetime guarantees, though not on all pens and, were offered, with qualifications.

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED JUNE 30 1945

(pg 41) C. UNFAIR PRACTICES OTHER THAN MISREPRESENTATION OF DRUGS, DEVICES, AND COSMETICS

Fountain pen manufacturers.–W. A Sheaffer Pen Co., Fort Madison, Iowa (4337); The Parker Pen Co., Janesville, Wis. (4338); Eversharp, Inc., Chicago (4590), and L.E. Waterman Co., New York (4617), were ordered to cease making unqualified representations that their fountain pens are unconditionally guaranteed for the life of the user or for any other designated period, when a service charge, usually 35 cents, is made for repairs or adjustments. The respondents were ordered to discontinue using such terms as “Lifetime,” “Guaranteed for Life,” “Life Contract Guarantee,” “Guaranteed Forever,” or “Guaranteed for a Century” to describe or refer to their pens, and representing that the pens are unconditionally guaranteed for any designated period of time, unless the respondents, without expense to the user, make repairs or replacement of parts which may be necessitated during the designated period by any cause other than willful damage or abuse. The orders did not prohibit the respondents from (pg 42) representing truthfully that the service on their pens (as distinguished from the pens themselves) is guaranteed for life or other designated period, even though a charge is imposed in connection With such servicing, providing the terms of the guarantee, including the amount of the charge, are clearly and conspicuously disclosed in immediate conjunction with such representations.

Posted in Nibs, Stories

Breathe, just Breathe(r Tube)

Posted on by Danny Watts

I hadn’t given breather tubes a second thought until I unexpectedly ran into one in a 1951 Park Parkette. I got to thinking “what are breather tubes and why are they only in some pens?”

What is a breather tube you ask? Welp, it is added to a filling system whose mechanism will not completely fill the ink reservoir with one cycle of compression and vacuum.

The breather tube is a thin tube inserted into a hole in the back end of the feed and extends into the ink reservoir; it permits complete filling in pens that require multiple operations of the filling mechanism.

They also control the airflow within the barrel, thus immediately balancing the pressure of the air inside the ink reservoir with that of the external air, because the breather tube provides a way for air to transition between inside and outside, thus reducing or eliminating the tendency of leakage at high altitudes, sometimes!

What? How does it work?

When a filler mechanism is engaged, it pushes air out of the reservoir up the ink channel in the feed and out through the breather hole and slit in the nib. The nib of the pen is submerged in ink, as the compression stage ends, a vacuum is created and the evacuated air is replaced with the ink drawn up through the same channel in the feed.

Breather tubes require modification to the feed. A hole is drilled into the reservoir end of the feed, in to which the breather tube is inserted. Perpendicular, a “blowhole” is added via the ink channel or the dorsal side of the feed connecting with the breather tube hole.

Parker Vacumatic feed

A breather tube (26), effectively extends the ink channel deep into the reservoir. Thus, when the filler mechanism is engaged, the air is forced out through the tube and the “blowhole” in the feed (16). The vacuum draws ink up the ink channel into the blowhole. As the blowhole is attached to the breather tube, the distance ink travels is farther so a better vacuum is created. As ink exits the breather tube it fills the reservoir while maintaining a vacuum. Once the ink level in the reservoir reaches the end of the breather tube (A), the vacuum is equalized and the pen is “full.”

From Parker patent 2,400,768

This sounds great – right, well it does come with a significant aggravation. The breather tube makes it difficult to completely empty the pen thus cleaning the reservoir is problematic.

Not all breather tubes address the issue of leakage and excess ink flow associated with high altitudes or air travel. The Parker patent 2,400,768 claims to address this issue. Breather tubes extending to the rear of the ink reservoir are prone to leakage caused by air pressure differential. The aft opening of these excessively long tubes is submerged in ink until the reservoir is almost empty – when carried nib up. The pressure differential associated with altitude changes causes the higher pressure in the reservoir to force ink out through the breather tube. Who knew patent applications could be interesting to read?

Contemporary Pens with Breather Tubes

Basically, any pen with a fixed squeeze filler, which is pretty uncommon, will use a breather tube, such as many of the Hero, the Bahadur, and the Dux models.

Posted in Collection, Pens, Restoration, Reviews, Stories

The 1950’s Parker Parkette

Posted on by Danny Watts

The Parkette

A family of pens manufactured by Parker, but generally considered a third-tier pen. Evolving from the Parco, Parkette produced began in 1932 and ran through 1941. The pen was Parker’s answer to inexpensive competition while providing the Parker name and mystique. The Parkette generally lacked the quality of flagship Parker pens of the time (Duofold, and Vacumatic).

The Parkette was Parker’s first pen to make use of a lever-filling mechanism. A common option amongst other manufacturers but not one Parker pens ever would regularly embrace. Eventually, the lever-fill mechanism would find its way into other “third-tier” Parker pens, including the Duo-Tone (not to be confused with Duofold) and the Writefine.

The 1950s Parkette

It is a common practice for pen companies to reintroduce former names as a means of adding nostalgia. Parker introduced one last model to the Parkette family in 1950. The new pen included a lever-filling system and contemporary styling (a metal cap and a hooded nib). The newest Parkette did not fare well against period Parker’s.

My Pen

I have a grey 1951 Parkette. It is in very good shape, without any bite marks, or scratches, but it leaks. I know grey is boring but I like it with the shiny metal cap. It appears to have the same “defect” other hooded Parker’s shared – a gap between the hood and the nib. While researching the Parkette, it seems this pen is not favored amongst collectors and is considered cheap and not worthy of the time and effort to repair it – got my attention now.

This seemed odd to me, when I removed the ink sac I found the pen had a breather tube (more on these another day). A breather tube is used in better pens when the filling system fails to completely fill the reservoir with one cycle of compression and vacuum. This is a feature commonly not found in cheap pens and I would know, I have 3 Arnolds.

Refurbishment

I replaced the too-short ink sac, being careful not to remove the breather tube. I tried to remove the hood but found it is held firm by glue. I made a valent effort to remove it but when all options failed and applying solvents was the only choice, I stopped. The cap retention ring thingy was a little tarnished, nothing a Sunshine cloth could not remedy. The only real damage is a minute amount of brassing on the cap clip.

Not wanting to leave the feed, nib and breather tube as is, I used a bulb syringe to flush them out. I was surprised to see flakes of dried ink accumulate in the sink. My concern appeared warranted.

All done and ready to ink up and give it a go.

Welp, I’m happy to say it writes well. It is a fine point nib which is not one of my faves but this one does very well. The nib is a little wet but that may be excess ink from the filling fixing in the hood.

Vital Statistics

  • Capped length. 132mm
  • Uncapped length. 121mm
  • Barrel diameter 11mm
  • Cap diameter 12mm
  • Weighs in at 16g

For a “cheap” pen not worthy of my time, the only complaint is a manufacturing defect (in my opinion). The cap is secured is pressure the cap retention ring thingy. The pen lacks a clutch ring as found in a 51, thus the cap is not adequately secured. I picked it up one day by the cap and the pen went flying. Luckily I made a good catch.