1935 Parker Vacumatic Silver Pearl Lockdown *SOLD* ($260 US)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgxPON4c6bw

THIS PEN HAS BEEN SOLD!

Hello there. Welcome to Inkquiring Minds. My name is Doug, and I'm back with another Pen Resurrection Sunday video.

Thank you so much for joining me last Saturday for my “Doug’s birthday pen sale.” I was thrilled to see that all but one of those pens sold out! It wasn’t actually my birthday on Saturday; it was just the Saturday before. Today is my birthday, and I’ve saved a special fountain pen to showcase on Sunday’s broadcast.

On my birthday, I’m excited to resurrect one of my favourite vintage pens—a Parker Vacumatic first generation. I bought this beautiful silver pearl Parker Vacumatic first-generation pen on eBay a few weeks ago and have been saving it just for this special occasion. I actually managed to get a great deal on it, despite some visual imperfections. There’s a section that’s slightly off, and the nib is off-centre to the feed, but those are easy fixes. The real question is, is the nib in good condition? Another issue that deterred potential buyers was the missing end tassie and jewel. Fortunately, I know a guy named Dale Beebe, the owner of Pentooling.com, who can help me get these parts. I sent him my measurements, and he’s been working on finding the perfect Tassi and end-jewel for my pen.

THOUGHTS

So, what are my thoughts on this Parker Vacumatic pen resurrection? For me, all first-generation Parker Vacumatic pens are special. Only made for five years, from 1933 to 1937, they maintained high manufacturing quality until the model retired in 1948. Parker introduced the Vacumatic during the Great Depression, investing $125,000 and five years of research into the project—equivalent to $2.5 million today. These pens represent the pinnacle of fountain pen design and manufacturing, as evidenced by their remarkable condition at 91 years old. They hold an impressive 1.8 ml of ink, surpassing even the enormous Leonardo Momento Zero Grande by 0.3 ml.

The resurrection was surprisingly easy. Dale B’s pen tooling parts fit perfectly, and the pen came apart effortlessly. The nib and feed were easy to straighten, revealing one of the most flexible gold Parker Vacumatic nibs I’ve ever encountered. However, I mistakenly assumed the pen would use a standard diaphragm. Even after correcting the error and installing a debutant-size diaphragm, it took four attempts to get it working properly. This illustrates the unpredictable nature of such projects.

Here’s the pen next to my third-generation Parker Vacumatic Major in Azure Blue Pearl. It’s slender and compact, making it ideal for a small hand. This third-generation Major isn’t particularly large in itself. Here it is alongside my Waterman Karen in marine amber. As I was filming this video, there was a knock on my door, and the deliveryman brought another Parker Vacumatic. I wouldn’t have guessed it, but I already own one of these pens and plan to keep repairing them. They’re built like Mac trucks, and I’ve found techniques that work for me. Unfortunately, you people are snapping them up before I can even publish the video. So, yes, I’ll continue restoring these pens. I’ve got another one after this, but I thought we should unbox this one while we’re doing the review. It’s already out of the box. Let’s just cut to the chase. I’m wasting film because the pen won’t come out. Here it is: a third-generation Golden Pearl. This isn’t the one I expected. I thought I’d get the other one first. I bought a similar one with a broken clip. That’s okay because I have a spare Parker Vacumatic with a clip that I can donate. Unfortunately, that one won’t arrive until next week. This is a third-generation Parker Vacumatic Golden Pearl, a junior model. It’s the same size as the senior model, but the only difference is the cap bands. The junior has two cap ends, while the senior has the wide gold chevron. The clips are also different: the major has a blue diamond clip, while the junior doesn’t. This one has a lovely gold nib. It looks like a fine or extra fine point, but it just needs some cleaning. There seems to be a diaphragm inside, too. It doesn’t feel like it’s working properly, but I’ve had experience with Parker Vacumatic diaphragms not working well. You can see the evidence in this video. Back to the pen. I’m going to sell it. If I could get my hands on a burgundy pearl version of this in the senior or standard size, I wouldn’t let it go. However, this one is a bit small and delicate for me. So, I’m selling it for $260 US plus shipping. If you’re interested, please send me an email with your name and address. I’ll then send you a shipping quote and instructions on how to pay using PayPal. Even though this pen was made in the United States, it’s still subject to US tariffs because it was restored in Canada.

And there you have it.

And that just leaves it for me to say thank you for watching.

And that's all she wrote.