1945 Parker Vacumatic Major Silver Pearl *SOLD* $240 US

https://youtu.be/RoL5r3u88HU

THIS PEN HAS BEEN SOLD!

Hello there! Welcome to Inkquiring Minds. I’m Doug, and I’m back with another Pen Resurrection Sunday video.

Last week, I restored this beautiful Sheaer Balance 350 and discovered it was completely rotten. This means it’s rotting with celluloid rot. So, I’ve decided to move on to something a bit more successful. If you’d like to see this particular rotten video, just click on the link. Since it has celluloid rot, we’ll keep it away from other celluloid to prevent infection. Celluloid rot doesn’t spread by touch; it spreads by proximity. Therefore, this pen will stay out in the open, away from all my other celluloid pens, in a cool, dark place with good air circulation. This will help prevent further rotting.

We’re bringing in this beautiful 1945 Parker Vacumatic in silver pearl. It has silver trim, and this is the way I like them. This is how I prefer to purchase these pens. Let’s unscrew the cap and see why.

Look at that nib. It’s corroded and looks awful. Some people might think it’s ruined and wouldn’t want to write with it. But in just a few minutes, it’ll transform into something lovely. Gold is timeless and can be polished back to brand new in seconds.

Here’s a spoiler alert: those who don’t want to see the before-and-after photos before the full restoration process can turn away now. I’m giving this pen a beauty pass on the top.

We can see the corrosion on the clip, the cap band, and especially the nib. Below, we’ll see what it looks like once restored. I hope this is a third-generation Parker Vacumatic, and the date code is right there where it says “five and a dot.” That would be the third quarter of 1945. The rest of the imprint is visible: Geo. S. Parker, Parker Vacumatic made in the USA.

Let’s triage this pen and see what it needs to return to the world of the living and writing.

THOUGHTS

So, what are my thoughts on this fountain pen resurrection? Now that I’ve tuned the nib, it writes beautifully. It’s elegantly smooth, wet, and juicy!

This beautiful pen features a fine 14-karat gold nib with a slight bounce, not flex, providing a smooth writing experience. I owe a debt of gratitude to Lenny Eiger for his invaluable tips on tuning these nibs using lapping sheets with 16,000 and 60,000 grit. I was unaware of these techniques until Lenny gifted me the sheets during our meeting at the Dutch Pen Show. You can find the link to Lenny Iger’s video on nib tuning in the description below. I highly recommend watching it.

In its 81 years of use, this pen had accumulated many scratches and lots of wear. The previous owner had glued the Vacumatic pump and section to the barrel, which was incorrect. I managed to remove the glued section. However, the clip was glued with crazy glue, causing slop and requiring me to chisel it off with an Xacto blade and polish around it. Despite the imperfections, the clip came out beautifully. There’s still some pitting around the silver-plated clip, but the blue diamond remains intact and wasn’t damaged during polishing. I didn’t need to replace the paint on the clip.

The nib transformation is truly remarkable. It went from looking like this to this. This perfectly restored 1945 Parker Vacumatic Major in silver pearl is in excellent working condition, writing like a dream. It’s ready to become your everyday carry pen.

However, it’s important to note that this pen uses a latex diaphragm. Therefore, I advise against using high-saturation inks or those with a sheen or shimmer. Stick with Waterman Serenity Blue, and you’ll be fine. Very fine.

If you’re interested in purchasing this pen, I’m selling it for $240 US plus shipping. Send me an email at inkquiringminds@gmail.com with your name and address so I can provide you with a shipping quote and instructions on how to pay via PayPal.

And there you have it. If you enjoyed this video, please like and subscribe. Don’t forget to ring the bell for instant notifications whenever a new video is uploaded. You can also join my channel for just 99 cents a month. I promise to respond to your comments in the comment section. Members will receive cool emojis, badges, sneak peek unboxing videos, and instant access to my videos as soon as I post them. Basic members get 10% off purchases, while patron-level members at $5 a month receive 20% off the “Inkquiring Minds Resurrected” pen.

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

And that's all she wrote.