Sometimes a purchased item launches a whole new area in your life. The Parker Duofold did this for me. In my younger days (school) I always wrote with fountainpens. Later on I now and then took a fountainpen and started to write with it, but it was never a keeper. I started with Parker Vector’s went on to Parker Sonnet’s (two), mostly medium and fine points.
One day, I think 1,5 year ago I bought for myself a really expensive (in my point of view) fountainpen, it was the Parker Duofold Amber Checkered (medium). This pen opened a new world for me in writing. I started liking writing with this pen. He was my companion on all journeys, business-meetings etc.
Ups and downsWe had our up’s and down’s though. I once lost it. I was really sad about it. Such an expensive pen and I lost it! I didn't dare to tell it to my wife. But when I traded in my car for a new one I found it was lying very deep away in an corner of my old car. I told my wife “ladies and gentlemen, we got him”.
I always had the pen in my jacket. One day I left my jacket on the couch and my doggies got my jacket (yes I still love them). But they also found my Parker. And off course it smelled after me as the leader of the pack…….. They crushed the cap, punched little holes in the barrel, they liked. Boy was I mad, mostly at myself. I went to my stationary-store and asked what I could do about it. I could buy a new cap which was hopelessly lost (new cap € 165,=) the nice lady advised me. She didn’t even blush when she mentioned the price…… A new barrel was also about that price, I decided that the cap was the only thing I replaced with a new one. The hardest part was that my Parker must been sent to Parker England to make a matching cap. Then my stationary-shop moved from one place to another and they lost my Parker somewhere, but found it again. All and all my Parker was away for almost two months.
Medium or fine?So we have a nice history together. During the last year I became more and more a writer who loved fine-nibs (like my old Sonnet’s and Vector’s). I asked the nice lady again at the stationary shop if I could change my nib for a fine-nib. “Yes” she said with a smile “sure that’s possible” and again without blushing she mentioned “that would cost you € 160,=”. Aaaaaarrrrrgh #@###%%! I almost could have bought an entire new Parker Duofold for all the money I spend on it. Well I did not bought a new ‘fine’-nib. But bought several other new fountainpens with fine points. And when I am at home my Parker Duofold just lies in his nice box looking at me as if he is saying “why don’t you buy me a new fine-nib, so we could spent some more time together”.
So after what we have gone trough I don’t think we ever can be separated. I will not sell that pen even if it was the last thing I own (figuratively speaking). So what could I say when I write this review about my Parker…….
HistoryI found that the history of this pen goes back to 1921 when the pen was released at a price of $ 7,=. For that time it was a huge amount of money for a pen. The pen was made of red rubber and became even with the high price a huge success.
WritingThe checkered collection nowadays looks great , feels great, and is not to shiny to write with. It is classy but not to classy. The ink comes in cartridges, or you can use it with a converter. The nib is 18K gold and writes wet if you have the medium nib.
The text in the picture above says (if you can't read it):
Tuesday, july 14th, 2009
For my written piece in this pen-review I filled my Parker Duofold (medium-nib) with Quinck Blue Black. The paper is my dearly beloved Moleskine.
The pen is writing very smooth, with a great flow on this paper. Although their is slightly bleedtrough on this paper.
This pen is my partner!
Woodworker
Factslenght: 136mm (5,35") - with cap over the nib-side (I think you call it capped??)
lenght: 128mm (5,00") - without cap and ready to write
niblength: 23mm (0,91")
barrel: 12mm (0,47")
price: about $ 415,= to $ 445,= (€ 300,= to € 320,=)
I like the fact that it is a classy pen, but not a big show-off.
The pen writes great, never hesitates but always writes.
The size of the pen is great for my woodworking hands...... (haha some of my friends will laugh when they read this)
If I have to mention a minor, it would be the material should have been dogproof, but that's not a fair one ;-)
I also don't like the medium-nib. It is to broad for me. But that is also not fair, because maybe you like something broader to write with.
ConclusionI like the pen. And I think if I saved more money the nib will be changed for a fine one. We have a history together. Anyone who likes the checkered style and wants to have a friend, just buy it! He (hmmm or she) will never let you down.
In my first shipment of Noodler's Ink there was also the most famous Noodler's Black. I never wrote with black ink in my little Moleskine black-books. My first impression of this ink was "wooow this is smooth, and what a great flow". It writes just different with this ink.
I love my Moleskine Journals. I take them everywhere with me. On the job I use one notebook that contains all of my notes, projects etc. In my quest to find good inks that match with this beautiful thin paper I deceided to buy some Noodler's. That name was praised by many of you on the net.
