1937 Parker Vacumatic Lockdown *SOLD* ($220 US)

Hello there! Welcome to Inkquiring Minds. My name is Doug, and I’m back with another Pen Resurrection Sunday video. Today, I’m excited to share a vintage pen that I’ve been wanting to restore. If you’ve been watching my channel, you know that I have a special fondness for Parker Vacumatics, particularly the first generation. This particular pen is one of those. I purchased it several weeks ago and resisted the urge to open it up and inspect it, as I wanted to film the entire process. So, I kept it in storage until today.

I mentioned this was the first generation Vacumatic. The Vacumatics came out around 1933. They were initially called "Vacuum Filler" and later renamed "Vacumatic". The first generation of Vacumatics were lockdown fillers, which were produced until approximately 1937. From 1937 to 1939, the lockdown filler was changed to a long aluminum tube, and the blind cap was extended. This generation, known as "Speedline" fillers, lasted until 1942.

During World War II, the US was fully engaged, and metal was scarce. Consequently, filler materials were replaced with celluloid plastic, and the blind cap was rounded off. This was generation 3 and was produced until 1948.

THOUGHTS

So, what are my thoughts on the Resurrection pen? Well, it was a very satisfying experience. Not only did I get a first-generation lockdown filler, but the pen also restored beautifully with only a couple of minor hiccups. This is a perfect example of the first generation of Parker Vacuumatics. Designed in 1932 by Joseph B. Platt, the designer of the Parker Arrow Clip, which is still incorporated into the company’s logo 93 years later, Platt also went on to design film sets in Hollywood, including productions like Selnik’s Gone with the Wind in 1939, Hitchcock’s Rebecca in 1940, and Hitchcock’s The Paradigm Case in 1947.

The first generation of the Parker Vacuumatic was a true innovation. Initially called the Golden Arrow and then the "vacuum filler", it was finally named Vacuumatic. The new pump system was truly unique, allowing the pen to use the inside of the barrel as an ink reservoir with a capacity of around 2 1/2 ml. You can also see your ink levels through the translucent stacked celluloid.

I’m fond of all three generations of Vacumatics, but I think they evolved lower rather than higher in later generations. The Speedline filler reduced the barrel ink capacity and replaced the classic arrow with the Parker split arrow clip, which continued through to the Parker 51. The postwar third generation replaced most of the metal parts of the pump with celluloid. While there are examples of double-jeweled third-generation Vacuumatics, they are relatively rare because the blind cap was rounded off in generation 3.

Many of the first-generation Vacuumatics that were coloured, stacked celluloid carried the coloured celluloid to the section and the top and bottom jewels, making them very pretty pens. I restored a couple of those, a burgundy pearl and an emerald pearl.

In my opinion, the first generation of the Vacumatic is the ultimate. It’s solidly constructed, well-designed, and of high quality. This pen is 88 years old, and I challenge you to find anything made that old to be this sturdy and usable. Pens made even two years ago fall apart in your hands. They truly don’t make them like they used to.

This pen is so beautiful that I’m hesitant to part with it. I still have my trusty 1945 Parker Vacumatic in Azure Blue Pearl with the custom ground stub nib and the modern brass pump. I write with this pen constantly, so this beauty must go. However, it won’t be cheap.

THIS PEN HAS BEEN SOLD!

To part with this pen, I’ll need $220 US plus shipping. If you’re interested in having a classic piece of fountain pen history that works and writes beautifully, holds a whopping 2.5 millilitres of ink, and is 88 years old, send me an email at inkquiringminds@gmail.com with your name and address. I’ll send you a shipping quote and instructions on how to pay me via PayPal.

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

And that's all she wrote!