Parker Duofold (UK)
1946-47
About This Model
Parker Duofolds had been made in the UK since the early 1930s, then generally following the contemporaneous American designs and often using American parts. These are rarely seen today. During WWII, a second series of Duofolds appeared in England, identical to the Parker Victory except for the imprint. The far better known UK Duofolds were introduced after WWII, starting with the Duofold NS, New Style. These had arrow clips and were button fillers, and were made in England and in Denmark for English distribution. The AF Duofold, initials to mean Aluminium Filler, appeared in 1948, and were very popular pens. Their aluminium mechanics were very sturdy and these were wonderful writers, with soft English nibs. Finally, 1953 brought the final significant version, the New Duofold, aerometric fillers. These were shorter, lighter models, made of extruded plastic. While the components were cheaper, these were usually excellent writers, carrying Parker's 585 nib. These later pens also spun off other similar versions, including the Slimfold, Junior, and the 17/17 Super. These last pens generally had friction caps, aerometric fillers, differing only in trim. They all appeared in the final Duofold colors of Green, Blue, Red, and Black.
About This Pen
This Duofold NS is a beautiful pen. It is from 1946-47, when English industry was just getting restarted after the Depression and war years, but Parker, with help from Janesville, produced outstanding pens for its first buying customers. It is in deep midnight blue celluloid, showing almost no evidence of prior use, and its double jewel gives it an additional level of elegance. The gold trim at the crown and tassie and the single broad cap ring are clean and tarnish-free. The plate on the clip is just beginning to separate, which I’ve seen a few times before in the postwar English pens. It is much more visible in the magnified and brightly lit photograph than on the pen itself. As can be seen in the imprint, this is one of the pens made in Denmark by Christian Olsen for Parker. But, what makes this pen truly unusual is its factory oblique stub nib! It is a smooth writer of a very broad line and works even for this lefty overwriter! Please treat this pen to a case to protect its finish; that will help it become an even better special holiday present to a fountain pen user.
Price: $135 Sold