PA3157 Parker 61 Deluxe Fountain Pen and Pencil Set, boxed, boxed (Soft Medium)

PA3157 Parker 61 Deluxe Fountain Pen and Pencil Set, boxed, boxed (Soft Medium)

Date: c1960

Size: Capped - 135mm; posted - 157mm.

This is a lovely glossy grey Parker 61 set.  It is the original Mark I version with the revolutionary capillary filler and features the deluxe rolled gold trim.  This pen is in near pristine condition with the only damage that I was able to spot being a tiny clip mark to the cap.  The cap is made from Lustraloy alloy, and has that very attractive delicate frosting over the body, with a rolled gold pocket clip and tassie.  The clear grey top jewel is undamaged and so is the Parker arrow pocket clip.  The barrel has a matching grey jewel at its end, with a gold plated tassie surrounding it.  The barrel unscrews to reveal the capillary filler.  The hood has the inlaid golden arrow just behind the nib, and the nib itself is made from 14 carat gold and is a medium point.  The matching pencil is also in excellent condition and boasts its original and apparently unused pink eraser, though this is now well petrified and age-welded into its little metal cup which has a little verdigris that is visible when the cap is removed.  The pencil works perfectly by twisting the cap and I have installed afresh 0.9mm lead into the mechanism, so it is all ready to go.  The original late 1950s/early 1960s hard shell polka-dot case is discoloured on the outside and has numerous small ink stains inside, but it is still in one piece and has done a good job of protecting its contents over the years.   

I have fully serviced this set.  The pen writes very smoothly with a good wet and consistent ink flow, and a little softness - it is able to produce some attractive though understated line width variation as you write.  The pencil works perfectly.

An early Parker 61 set in lovely condition.