Parker Pen Duofold

By Priyesh Resh

The Parker Duofold is one of the most recognizable and long lasting fountain pen designs. It helped establish Parker as a forerunner in the manufacture of quality fountain pens. Launched in 1921, the original Duofold was nicknamed the Big Red because it was made from bright red rubber and measured 5.5 inches capped. Until the Duofold nearly all pens were black, and so a bright red pen caused a lot of interest. The Duofold was priced well above the competition at 7.00, but still managed to be a huge success.

Born in the age of jazz and Art Deco, the parker duofold pen reflects the opulence and iconography of its origins. It is a pen of exceptional character and distinctive appearance. The original full sized Parker Duofold was joined by the smaller Parker Duofold junior, Duofuld special and Lady Parker Duofold. Up until 1926 the Duofold was only available in black and red rubber.

Parker then introduced the plastic Duofold called unbreakable Permanite. Permanite was Parkers trade name for a plastic manufactured by Du Pont. This lead to a whole selection of new colours including jade green, Lapis Lazuli blue and Mandarin Yellow.

In 1930 Parker changed the design of the Duofold by replacing the flat top end with tapered ends, making it more streamlined. But by the early 1930s the Duofold had gown dated, and Parker launched a replacement called the Vacumatic. In England and Canada however the Duofold was produced in large numbers well into the 1940s.

In 1939 Parker produced 2 cheaper Parker Duofold pens aimed at the low priced market. It had a marbled design with a unique pattern of repeated toothbrushes, known as the Geometric Duofold. In 1941 the Vacumatic filling system was fitted in the Duofold, which in 1942 was replaced with a plastic plunger. Duofolds remained popular in Europe up until the 60s and were revived once again in the 1980s as Parkers flagship model. In 1988 Parker celebrated its 100th anniversary by launching the Parker Duofold Centennial. - 26221

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