Parker pens are among the most renowned in the fountain pen world, and with good reason. They are smart, sleek and reliable. The Duofold was, and still is, no exception to that rule.
Duofold pens were very popular. There were many different types and later on some very flashy designs were on the market. I won't go into the whole history here, as it is long and deserves a post of its own. My Duofold comes from a long and honourable line of fountain pens, distinguished by its stub nib and unique filling mechanism.
When I recieved that fateful box of vintage pens, it was akin to being sent a Rubix cube.
I am up on my filling mechanisms, but some of these were quite frankly absurd.
Like the Sheaffer Snorkel that releases a little thin tube (well, a snorkel) when you unscrew the bottom, that sucks up ink. I can't even... why the level of complexity? Showing off or what?!
Of course, I do like using these exotic mechanisms, but they present a puzzling challenge to your blogger of average intellect. The vacuumatic stumped me. The hidden plunger positively ran rings around me. And then we have the curious case of the button filler. This Parker is a button filler. It took me about 15 minutes to figure this out. The barrel of the Parker is one colour. Very dark brown. A flawless barrel. No line where it might unscrew, or a lever, nothing.
(In this picture, because of the way the light shines, you can actually see the ghost of a line).
But somehow the bottom unscrews. Even though the line where it does so is completely invisible most of the time.
Mystery solved, I was next faced with with gold button. A bright, shiny golden button.
One does not simply look at a button.
I immediately pressed it. A tiny bit of black ink, barely a drop, dribbled out. I grabbed a plastic container, filled it with water, and began flushing out all the old ink. It has a distinct scent which I can still detect even after cleaning. I can't really describe it, except it is an aged smell. I think the ink residue must have been there for a while!
Correct me if I'm wrong, but a few hours of research has led me to believe that all button fillers have an ink sac. A pressure bar pushes on the sac when the button is depressed, and pops back up when it is released, allowing ink to be drawn in. If I am right and the Duofold does have an ink sac, it must be in great condition. The pen inked up perfectly, without any harrowing crackling or squeaking. I have been writing thus whole article with it, and the ink still hasn't run out.
I also gave the pen a shake. No rattling, a good indicator that the guts of the pen are healthy. If you gently shake the pen and it sounds like a maraca, there's probably something wrong. In a pen with an ink sac, you're most likely hearing bits of perished rubber or rusted pressure bar bouncing about.
It is very difficult to choose between all these fabulous pens and name a favourite, but this pen is definitely somewhere at the top of the list. I like the smooth, dark brown barrel paired with a gold clip, band and nib. Once you find the filling mechanism you come to appreciate how it is neatly built in inside the pen, and the button is a simple, quick way to fill. Plus, the stub nib maks writing look neater!
If you are looking for a reliable stub- nib pen, it is worth checking onine auctions to see if you can purchase one of these!