PA3653 Parker Duofold Maxima Fountain Pen and Pencil Set, boxed (Soft Medium)

PA3653 Parker Duofold Maxima Fountain Pen and Pencil Set, boxed (Soft Medium)

Date: c1950s

Size: Capped - 143mm; posted - 167mm.

What a lovely big and impressive looking pen.  The Maxima was the largest of the 1950s Duofolds.  This one is in very good condition.  The damage that I can spot on this pen is limited to a missing fin on the feed (this does not have any impact on the writing ability of the pen ) and a very slight wave in the nib near the end of the tines.  Again, the nib writes very well and does not seem to be impaired at all.  There are no splits, cracks or chips on either barrel or cap, they are both very glossy and the pen looks just great.  The cap has a conical burgundy coloured top "jewel" and the Parker arrow pocket clip.  The cap band is fairly wide and has the "deco" engraving.  The barrel bears a complete but fairly faint imprint.  The barrel unscrews to reveal the Aerometric filler.  The sac guard is still in excellent condition with none of the discolouration at the ends that many exhibit.  The original pliglass ink sac is still present and still in perfectly serviceable condition with just the usual internal ink staining.  The nib is a very impressive Parker No. 50 in 14 carat gold and with the Parker arrow engraved.  It is in a medium point and does have a little softness to it that will provide for some understated but very attractive line width variation.  The pencil is the larger type Duofold pencil, though set against the pen it still looks quite small!  It is in excellent condition with no damage that  I could spot.  The cap will pull off to reveal the stub of the original pink eraser.  This is a propel-repel pencil that works by twisting the cap.  I have installed a fresh 0.9mm lead into the mechanism and it is working perfectly.  The box is probably of a slightly later date than the pen set.  It has the original owners name and address written inside the lid and under the pad is a box of Parker ink cartridges (which will not of course fit the pen) and an instruction sheet, again for a cartridge pen.  I bought the pen set in the box so I am keeping them together.  

I have fully serviced this pen.  As with most of the larger Duofolds, the nib is very smooth and writes with a lovely wet medium width line.  It is a soft nib and will provide a tiny bit of line width variation as you write.  

A huge and beautiful pen - also a splendid writer.