Parker and Sheaffer were in a constant struggle of innovation.
The Vacumatic was Parker's effort to get away from the tyranny of
the rubber sac, and they made much of it when it came out. As I
mention elsewhere,
this it not entirely true, but it does allow for a vast supply of ink
to be taken up, and if one makes a pen with a clear body, that supply
can be seen. Unlike my first Vacumatic,
this one actually has a colour-- Silver Pearl, according to the
catalogue-- with the alternating dark bands being the clear bits to
check ink level in the pen. As with my previous example, the
clear portions are now very much like the colour of a beer bottle.
Since this is only a year after the introduction of the "51" the pen was still in much the same
trim level as it had been when occupying Parker's top-most shelf-- also
unlike the 1945 model I got previously, this one has a silver mask over
most of the point, leaving only the arrow in gold.
In use, this is a very consistent with my previous model-- "tipped with
'oil smooth' Osmiridium" as the original catalogue mentions, with the
vexing lack of flex that has allowed it to survive the ages largely in
it's original condition.
Specifications:
Accountant (one step finer than XF) gold point.
Vacumatic filler. 12.9cm long
capped, 15.1cm posted. Twist-style pencil.
Condition: Very light wear
on body, which has moderate and non-obnoxious ambering. The cap
band is odd-- the cross-hatched impression on it is almost absent on
much of its surface, but there's only a tiny hint of brassing, and I
would have expected the plating to go before the impression. The
paint on the blue diamond is a little worn, too.
Repairs: Diaphragm replaced, barrel and feed cleaned in
the process.
Location: My collection.
For sale?: No, but I'm starting to reconsider my position
on the black 1945 model.
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