amazingflapjack
US Veteran
Paul Ryan lives in the Parker Pen founder's house.
Parker T-Ball Jotter Pens
- Thread starter Texas Star
- Start date
Dennis The B
US Veteran
I have two Parker fountain pen/T Ball Jotter/pencil sets: One is a stainless steel "Flighter" set from ca. 1953, and the other is a set in black from about the same time that my father owned. The fountain pens are 51's.
The 51's are a bit stiff for daily writers, but I did find a broad Italic nib for the Flighter, and it's nice and smooth.
The 51's are a bit stiff for daily writers, but I did find a broad Italic nib for the Flighter, and it's nice and smooth.
OP
Texas Star
US Veteran
I'm not a formal pen collector. I'm not up to speed on current production. Are Parkers still made, apart from those mentioned as being made in India?
I have both older U S Jotters, with a small recess in the cap, where they could put a logo or a company name, and later ones from the UK that lack that feature, probably as a cost-cutting measure.
I have both older U S Jotters, with a small recess in the cap, where they could put a logo or a company name, and later ones from the UK that lack that feature, probably as a cost-cutting measure.
OP
Texas Star
US Veteran
Yes, I have a stainless one, along with my set of Cross (Gold Plated), and Mont Blanc Roller Ball, as well as several other nondescript pens in my drawer. Since I retired all I carry is a Pilot G-2 (all plastic) pen that I can buy by the dozen at Sam's club.
model70hunter
Member
Pens were once a required item right after you outgrew the #2 pencil.
Some where in middle school we had to turn in all homework in ink. No ball points allowed.
Dad had a nice Parker 51 he bought perhaps in college, Silver cap with a jewel in the top. He used it for many years at work for signing and approving engineering plans. I tried the el cheapo's that had the plastic tubes that would eventually leak and destroy a shirt. Whether it was at Mom's insistence or him noticing he bought me a Parker 51, it was a cheaper model. I still have both plus a handful of others I have picked up over the years. I have my Grandmothers Schaeffer, I sent it back and they replaced the pen with a nice fountain pen and sent the family pen back with a nice note.
I used to carry them at work for signatures only. People would stare at them and ask is that real ink pen?
I have a bottle of Quink in storage. Mom found an old Parker ink bottle at a yard sale and gave it to me, it has the little well inside at the top.
I guess it was for a Quill pen or to fill your tube type so you did not dip it deep in the bottle.
In the late 80's I ran across a bunch of Parker 51's still new, 4 or 5.
I related on the forum once about finding a Parker Pen set in an animal shelter thrift shop in the box unused for $5.00. I traded it to a couple of old brothers who owned a pawn shop for a pair of Win M-12 Skeet marked guns, choked SK 1 and SK 2. I asked if they would be interested in the pen set on the guns, after they looked the pen over I owned the guns so quickly I feel I probably lost lots more money. But heck 1 matched M-12's for 5 bucks I did not weep long.
So who else remembers penmanship?
Some where in middle school we had to turn in all homework in ink. No ball points allowed.
Dad had a nice Parker 51 he bought perhaps in college, Silver cap with a jewel in the top. He used it for many years at work for signing and approving engineering plans. I tried the el cheapo's that had the plastic tubes that would eventually leak and destroy a shirt. Whether it was at Mom's insistence or him noticing he bought me a Parker 51, it was a cheaper model. I still have both plus a handful of others I have picked up over the years. I have my Grandmothers Schaeffer, I sent it back and they replaced the pen with a nice fountain pen and sent the family pen back with a nice note.
I used to carry them at work for signatures only. People would stare at them and ask is that real ink pen?
I have a bottle of Quink in storage. Mom found an old Parker ink bottle at a yard sale and gave it to me, it has the little well inside at the top.
I guess it was for a Quill pen or to fill your tube type so you did not dip it deep in the bottle.
In the late 80's I ran across a bunch of Parker 51's still new, 4 or 5.
I related on the forum once about finding a Parker Pen set in an animal shelter thrift shop in the box unused for $5.00. I traded it to a couple of old brothers who owned a pawn shop for a pair of Win M-12 Skeet marked guns, choked SK 1 and SK 2. I asked if they would be interested in the pen set on the guns, after they looked the pen over I owned the guns so quickly I feel I probably lost lots more money. But heck 1 matched M-12's for 5 bucks I did not weep long.
So who else remembers penmanship?
OP
Texas Star
US Veteran
model70hunter
Member
Good Lord: whose pen set did you find, Eisenhower's?
No, a retired jeweler from KC donated a ton of 50's stuff to the shelter. The pawn shop guys evidently knew pens, they said it was gold and explained the difference between gold plated and gold filled. They said probably had a buyer for it. I thought it was gold plated, they said no. Gold and it probably was a display type item.
To be fair I was asked for $100 to boot and paid it. I kept the matched M-12 Skeet guns for a short while and a collector went ga ga over them. I came out ok.
I've probably lost a dozen Parkers. I switched to Cross. I don't like them as well, but they don't seem to sneak off in the night the way the Jotters did. When in uniform, I wanted the cheapest most reliable and disposable pens I could find. As long as they had a black cap.
OP
Texas Star
US Veteran
I thought the bad guys wore the black hats.
I wore Cross and Parker pens on duty. But I seldom loaned one. Didn't loan my pocketknife, either. I feel the same way about toothbrushes. The US Govt. black ballpoints worked okay. I think I fed them Paper Mate refills. But they're sorta cheap looking.
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