Product Description
Type Vintage fountain pen
Product Name Vacumatic "Long Major." This isn't a cataloged model, but it is what collectors call the longer Major models from 1938-1942 which used longer rod stock.
Manufacturer and Year Parker, Canada - c. 1940 (The imprint on the barrel is a clear .0. ) The Canadian nib is dated "54" and we know they used the double digit date code in Canada well into the 1950s, so this could be a 1950s replacement.
Length 5-1/4" inches (the regular Major is only a little over 5").
Filling System Vacumatic plastic plunger filler is in working condition. We restored the filling system and it works quite well. This pen probably originaly had a Speedline filler which was replaced at some point, possibly by Parker.
Color Burgundy Pearl finish with gold filled trim and a medium width cap band with a sort of chevron design on it. Cap and blind cap both have black jewels.
Nib MEDIUM-FINE gold nib is very smooth and has a bit of flex. See writing sample.
Condition Very nice condition, with wear to the trim plating. No cracks or chips, and the imprint is fairly clear and readable. The clip is straight, but has some brassing, especially along the sides and on the arrowhead at the open end. The cap band has a fair bit of brassing. There's some light handwear and microscratching on the cap and barrel, but no big individual scratches. You can feel the ridges of the lamination, which is fairly common for the burgundy laminated pens.
Note that the dating of this pen is a bit of a challenge. The barrel is dated for 1940, but the company switched to the plastic plunger around 1942, to preserve metal during the war. The plastic plunger may be a replacement, or a Canadian variation.