Parker Victory
1941-46
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, most Victories look like Duofolds at first glance, with its black crown and blind cap, the celluloid patterns, and the fact that is was 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
This pen is a Victory from the Parker England Newhaven plant, made during the WWII years. It is a stunning pen to look at and a great English writer. It shows almost no evidence of prior use, so with cleaning its barrel’s wonderful transparency in the basketweave appeared. Like all Duofolds and Victorys, this is a button filler, 12.7cm long capped and 12mm across below the cap edge. The button-activated pressure bar is strong; it fills well. The Parker Victory imprint is complete, if a challenge to read in the basketweave pattern. The celluloid is marbled brown with hints of rose; the crown and tassie are both black celluloid. The gold plated clip is clean, marked “Parker”. This pen does have a single visible mark, a scar around the gripping section, where someone used a metal tool to attempt its disengagement. And, if its appearance were for some reason insufficient, this Victory has a 1.4mm stub, rounded enough to write as a BB. Like so many Parker England gold nibs, it is soft and wet, a wonderful writer. This is clearly a rare, wonderful pen, meant to be used and enjoyed, but please treat it to a case to protect its finish?
Price: $195 Sold