Product Description
Type Fountain pen and pencil set. Both pieces have unique filling systems, but the refill for the pencil is no longer made.
Product Name Parker 61 Heritage - Mark I, the "Heritage" refers to the cap used. There is some contradictory information out there on the different versions but we are calling the Mark I the thin clutch ring version and the Mark II the thicker clutch ring version. (The Mark III would be the cartridge/converter version. The clutch ring is the band between the section and barrel.)
Manufacturer and Year Parker, USA -- 1956, the pen has the first edition emblem on the cap.
Length The fountain pen is 5-7/16", and the pencil is 4-7/8" long. We think the pencil is from a demi set, but it does have the same initials engraved.
Filling System The fountain pen uses a capillary filling system which is unique to this model. We have tested it and it's working well. See further details below. The pencil uses Parker's "Liquid Lead" refill, which is no longer made. There's a refill in the pen, but we can't guarantee that it's working.
Color Grey body with the Heritage "rainbow" cap made of alternating ripples of silver and gold fill. Both pieces have "1/10 12k GF" hallmarks on their caps. Each end of the pen has a pearlescent jewel inset, as does the cap of the pencil.
Nib Fine 14k nib is smooth, with good tipping material.
Condition Excellent + condition. The fountain pen has light scratching only. There are no cracks, chips, dents, or dings. The gold trim piece at the end of the barrel has some brassing around the edge. The gold arrow inset on the section has light scratches only and is well-secured. The cap has light scratching visible under magnification, especially around the hallmark. It is personalized with the initials "E. J. K." The clip has some brassing along the sides and around the open end. The clip ring has blotches of brassing. Both jewels look great. The pencil also looks excellent. The barrel and cone have microscratching only. The cap has moderate microscratching, and a few tiny moderate scratches to the right of the clip. The cap is personalized with the initials "E. J. K." The clip has some plating wear along the sides, and there are are some touches of brassing around the clip ring. The cap jewel looks great. The imprints are all clear. Comes in a Parker 61 box. The box has some slight fading and a bit of damage on the bottom, but overall looks great.
A few words about the Parker 61 Capillary Filling System. If you are not familiar with this unique design, you should read this.
Here is how you fill a Parker 61, and an insight into how the pen actually works. Unscrew the barrel and stick the back end of the pen (aka the capillary cell) into a bottle of ink. Wait a few minutes (probably more like a half hour when you first start one of these older used ones), and let the ink wick up into the capillary cell. The cell contains a sheet of perforated plastic that has been given a 3-D pattern resembling tire tread, and rolled up. The perforations allow ink to seep between the rolled-up layers, and the tread pattern maintains space between the layers. In the middle of this tube, which runs the entire length of the capillary cell, is the feed. To keep things clean, the capillary cell has on a coating of Teflon on the outside that is intended to shed ink as the user withdraws the pen from the ink bottle, leaving very little ink to be wiped off. The end of the barrel contains a spring-loaded piece which covers the open end of the capillary tube, but still allows it to vent.
