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Parker Duofold
The Parker Duofold is a line of fountain pens produced by the Parker Pen Company. This line of pens was originally released to the public in 1921. It was a bright red pen that was five and a half inches long with the cap on. This superb writing utensil showcased for a whopping seven dollars. That is about just over eighty dollars in today’s money. That goes to show how long the Parker name has been synonymous with high quality, high priced writing utensils.
The original Parker Duofold was followed by 3 successors, the Duofold Junior, Duofold Special and the Duofold Lady. The First two models could be fit with the washer clip attachment. The Lady Parker Duofold was fitted with what was called a chatelaine. This basically allowed the Parker Duofold to be hung from around ones neck. This made for a showcase and a conversation piece.
The original Parker Duofold design changed everything. This line of pens was what catapulted the Parker Pen Company to be a leader and innovator in the luxury and designer pen markets. Up until that point the majority of pens were your standard drab black and grey. It wasn’t until the Parker Duofold came to town with it’s vibrant unmistakable red body that people began to see their pens could do more. Color celluloid pens later became commonplace.
Colours:
The colors of the Parker Duofold were limited to red and black until 1926. The production of the pens switched to a celluloid polymer that was coined Permanite by the company. This allowed for a whole wide range of fantastic colors to be put on the market.
The first on the market was a Green pen. Although it was void of any Parker Duofold engravings or markings until late 1927, it was still sot after. From there 2 new colors were released onto the market. The first color was a Lapis Lazuli blue followed by a Mandarin yellow. Shortly after in 1928 a new contemporary black lined pearl was introduced.
Progress:
The Parker Duofold went through a metamorphosis going into the 1930’s. The new Parker Duofold pens were sleek and stylish with tapered finishing’s and very streamlined. They were very different from the original design. People still sot after them, and of course even more colors were introduced to the public. The addition of the Burgundy which was mix of red and black pearl, the Moderne which was green lined pearl, kept Parker Duofold pens at the fore front of the pen market.
To this day these original pens are seen as collector’s items and carry a high value for one of the originals. There are lots of duplicates and knock offs out there trying to capitalize on the original styling. It takes a keen eye to spot a fake so be careful before reaching deep into your pockets before purchasing.
Closing:
The Duofolds are sturdy pens that have a very slick and smooth writing style. It is said that the Parker Duofold was a very important part of the Parker family of pens. It has been said that with the Duofold the Parker Pen Company was able to streamline it efficiency in pen production, by offering more niche models. The Parker Duofold production was slowly being displaced as new lines came in. The name had a brief resurgence in the 1940’s although the pens didn’t have the same flavor and allure of the original Parker Duofold.
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