(This page revised March 5, 2022)
[ Reference Info Index | Glossopedia ]
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| This 1939 Parker catalog page shows the Standard and Slender pens, a pencil, and a boxed set, with prices. |
The Short-Lived “Toothbrush”: From its introduction in 1933, Parker’s flagship pen was the Vacumatic. The grand old Duofold, which had held the top honor since its introduction in 1921, was quietly retired, and it disappeared from the catalog in 1935. (But it was still manufactured at least into 1938; I have seen a black Duofold bearing a 1938 date code.) In 1939, Parker reintroduced the Duofold name, giving it to the button-filling Duofold Geometric, nicknamed the “Toothbrush”
by modern collectors in reference to the design of its celluloid. But the new Duofold was not to take over flagship duties in Janesville. Instead, it was a less expensive pen model than the Vacumatic, similar in design to the aging Challenger but with gold-filled trim instead of plated (and, as was common, nickel-plated trim on gray pens). The Geometric was available in two sizes, “Standard” and “Slender.” It had a smoothly tapered clip engraved “Parker” and a single cap band, and it featured Parker’s Visometer ink supply in the form of a partially transparent (“Television”) section. The Geometric remained on the market for less than two years; in 1940, it was replaced by the “striped” Duofold.
One feature of the Geometric was actually deceptive. Through the clear portion of the Television section can be seen a hard rubber breather tube. The natural assumption, that the pen’s ink delivery system must therefore be like that of a Vacumatic, is false; in fact, the breather tube is a dummy! It is only long enough to extend out of sight up into the barrel and, and there is no hole drilled in the feed to allow ink or air to pass through the tube. But it does serve a function: like the small ball in some modern converters, it promotes better ink flow by breaking up surface tension.
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The illustration above shows a Standard Green Geometric. This is not a particularly good specimen; note the discoloration of the cap and the ambering of the Visometer section. Below is a Slender Geometric in Grey, with the dummy breather tube readily visible. Shown together, these two pens illustrate the care in styling that Parker customarily took: their clips are of different lengths to suit the lengths of the pens they are mounted on.
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Although the “classic” pre-“51” Parker pens are the original Duofold and the Vacumatic, the Duofold Geometric has a certain appeal for many collectors because of its unusual surface design. The Geometric was produced in only three “Toothbrush” colors, but they are attractive and unusual. Even if the pen itself had no merit (an obvious falsity), it would still warrant collection for its unique surface treatment. The following table shows the colors of the Geometric. The color names are taken from the 1939 Parker catalog. Despite the Geometric name, this Duofold model was also available in black, as shown in the table. The color chips are from photographs of actual pens; 3D highlights were added with a computer.
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| The Colors of the Duofold Geometric | |
| Color | Name |
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Brown |
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Green |
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Grey |
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Black |
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The information in this article is as accurate as possible, but you should not take it as absolutely authoritative or complete. If you have additions or corrections to this page, please consider sharing them with us to improve the accuracy of our information.
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