Parker Victory
About This Model
The earliest years of Parker's history in England are complex and murky, but it is known definitively that their operation in Newhaven began in 1941 in the Valentine Company's pen production facility, and which Parker then took over after WWII for its English production. The Victory was the first all-English Parker, and it shared characteristics with Valentines and Parker Duofolds. In fact, the first generation Victories look like Duofolds at first glance, with the black crown and blind cap, the celluloid patterns, and the fact that it is a button-filler. However, Victories have the best of both worlds: Duofold styling but a soft English nib. Victories were produced from 1941 through the early 1960s in five distinct forms, the MKI (1941-6) with the most Duofold-like appearance, the more slender MKII (1946-7) with matching crown and blind cap, MKIII (1947-48) with a longer blind cap, the yet more slender MKIV (1948-52) with a new Challenger-like clip, and finally the aerometric MKV (1952-mid '60s), more slender yet and with cheaper components.
About This Pen
The postwar Parker Victories are generally found in two types: those closely resembling the New Duofolds, made in the early 1950s, and those from the immediate postwar years and more closely resemble American Duofolds. This pen is one of the second group: MKII, from 1946-7, with thanks to Tony Fischler’s scholarship. It was a Valentine factory product, 13cm long and 1.2cm thick, in Dark Green celluloid. The color is unlike any American pen color, certainly not a Parker pen. The gold trim is clean and shiny; interestingly, it carries a Parker gold clip with a ball end, which were gone elsewhere in Parker pens by then. True to its Duofold heritage, it is a button filler. Much of this pen’s imprint has worn away, including the added “Manufactured in England” line; its identity as a Victory is barely recognizable. The pen was professionally personalized for Juliette Munzing. It is a well-used pen that cleaned up nicely, but still shows its share of marks and scratches; and, the edge lines of the diagonally wrapped celluloid sheets show. With all of that, it is a very handsome, dignified pen. Finally, the nib is a wonderful English nib: soft, wet, a full medium 14K/585 English Parker nib. This is a great writer that will take a lot of regular use, enjoy it!
Price: $140 Sold