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
Parker Victory, model Mark V, from England, 1953-mid-1960s. This pen is from the final generation of the Victory, 13.4cm (5.25″) long capped and 1.2cm (.4″) thick below the cap edge, so no longer the large Duofold cousin. It’s shiny black plastic, virtually unmarked, with completely clean gold trim including a slim chevron-adorned cap band. This pen has a later Aerometric filler, with “squeeze 5 at least 5 times” in the post-Vacumatic Parker tradition; the filler shows some wear, but fills strongly. The imprint is complete but thin. Nice as this pen looks, its nib is the prize: wet, full broad, typically soft English 14k gold, an outstanding writer.
Price: $155 Sold