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View Full Version : Any Parker Challenger fans here?



penwash
July 13th, 2016, 09:06 AM
I can't really explain why. But despite the coolness of Vacumatics, Duofolds, 51 top models,
I kept going back to the humble Parker Challenger. Something about its simplicity and oh very gorgeous materials attracted me.

My latest one:
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8853/28250080186_df0deb319c_c.jpg

Anybody else have a soft spot for this gem of a pen?

Robert
July 13th, 2016, 04:57 PM
That's some very nice penmanship.

penwash
July 13th, 2016, 09:02 PM
Thank you, Robert. Are you a Parker Challenger fan also?

Robert
July 14th, 2016, 05:01 PM
Thank you, Robert. Are you a Parker Challenger fan also?
I've not had any experience with one yet. My Parkers are run-of-the-mill 51's and a 45.

Hawk
July 15th, 2016, 10:01 AM
I have a sea green one with a flexible nib. The clip ball and the cap bands have lost much of their plating.
Nice pens. However, I prefer 51's, 21's and newer to write with. I try to acquire representative samples of older pens.

pajaro
July 15th, 2016, 11:59 AM
I have a sea green one with a flexible nib. The clip ball and the cap bands have lost much of their plating.
Nice pens. However, I prefer 51's, 21's and newer to write with. I try to acquire representative samples of older pens.

That is a very nice representative sample.

popcod
July 20th, 2016, 10:38 AM
I love Challengers! Took me a while since discoloration and unsightly trim-wear abounds in this color, but I finally cobbled together a trio in silver pearl representative of the entire full-size model lineup:

http://i.imgur.com/XfXDy0F.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/J6IYgYq.jpg

(l to r): 1. Parker Challenger (early 30s as indicated by the non-visulated section and lack of 'Parker' imprint on the clip, no date code, 1934? perhaps; has a delightful factory stub nib, some flex too!); 2. Parker Deluxe Challenger (1936); 3. Parker Royal Challenger (1937, recently sold an RC set in brown to justify the purchase of this'n).

penwash
July 20th, 2016, 04:04 PM
Very cool set of grey marble Challengers.

popcod
July 20th, 2016, 07:04 PM
Very cool set of grey marble Challengers.

Thanks! I noticed your comment about having to replace the sheared off nib on your Deluxe for another. I've seen this sort of thing a lot on Challengers (and any other models with the generic "Parker Pen" nibs). These nibs can be surprisingly flexible and expressive. But were I to speculate based on experience with them, I'd say Parker didn't invest as much time/money in the tipping process (when compared to say, Vacs). The iridium on these is quite fragile, breaking off easily when trying to adjust a bent tine and even when writing if the nib has encountered stress in the past. When one side breaks off, people tend to just clip off the other to even them out.

To my mind, it's actually not a bad solution in some cases. Given the affordability of these nibs and comparatively high cost of re-tipping, a nip and smooth job can save a nib that would otherwise be consigned to the dust/parts bin. It's naturally a last resort (affecting durability, etc.), and it's not too tough to simply procure another nib. But the result can be glassy smooth – if too smooth for some – and lay down a sharp, consistent line if done properly.

david i
September 18th, 2016, 07:23 AM
Some of us like them. Here's a first generation Deluxe Challenger.


http://vacumania.com/websitesalespics/pen3895lg.jpg

regards

d

david i
September 18th, 2016, 07:23 AM
A nice red Royal.


http://vacumania.com/websitesalespics/pen3880lg.jpg

-d

penwash
July 10th, 2018, 04:56 PM
Just restored another Parker Challenger:

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/916/43270616532_b85b44dd4f_c.jpg

azkid
July 10th, 2018, 08:40 PM
Gorgeous! Those challengers sure look great.

Deb
July 11th, 2018, 04:24 AM
All these thrift time pens have great patterns. Just restored a Moderne, a similarly satisfying pen to work on.

penwash
July 11th, 2018, 07:50 PM
All these thrift time pens have great patterns. Just restored a Moderne, a similarly satisfying pen to work on.

I like those Moderne Parker pens. Even though they are produced in the Depression Era, they are excellent quality pens.

pajaro
July 12th, 2018, 10:32 AM
More lovely drawings. The plastics in these pens are beautiful.

pajaro
July 12th, 2018, 05:04 PM
I looked at Challengers on ebay. Most looked like they had nib issues. Missing tipping, serious misalignment, apparently sprung, etc. Most had dead sacs. Unless you are lazy and miserly, and unless the pen can't be fixed without restoration and a new nib, why offer pens like that? You are passing on the problems to the next person (read sucker). I would scrutinize these pens carefully.

penwash
July 12th, 2018, 05:34 PM
I looked at Challengers on ebay. Most looked like they had nib issues. Missing tipping, serious misalignment, apparently sprung, etc. Most had dead sacs. Unless you are lazy and miserly, and unless the pen can't be fixed without restoration and a new nib, why offer pens like that? You are passing on the problems to the next person (read sucker). I would scrutinize these pens carefully.

That describes the bulk of vintage fountain pens sold through ebay, not just Parker Challengers :)

Unless the title of the auction says "Restored", always assume that the pen needs some kind of service to be done before you can write with it.

Deb
July 13th, 2018, 03:53 AM
I looked at Challengers on ebay. Most looked like they had nib issues. Missing tipping, serious misalignment, apparently sprung, etc. Most had dead sacs. Unless you are lazy and miserly, and unless the pen can't be fixed without restoration and a new nib, why offer pens like that? You are passing on the problems to the next person (read sucker). I would scrutinize these pens carefully.

Those are the kind of pens that I buy. When I'm done with them, they're the pens that you want.

penwash
July 13th, 2018, 10:49 AM
I looked at Challengers on ebay. Most looked like they had nib issues. Missing tipping, serious misalignment, apparently sprung, etc. Most had dead sacs. Unless you are lazy and miserly, and unless the pen can't be fixed without restoration and a new nib, why offer pens like that? You are passing on the problems to the next person (read sucker). I would scrutinize these pens carefully.

Those are the kind of pens that I buy. When I'm done with them, they're the pens that you want.

Ooh, that's good! That should be a tagline for vintage pen restorers everywhere. :)

pajaro
July 15th, 2018, 11:35 AM
OK. I am wondering what the restorer does with the nibs on some of these pens when the tipping is gone, possibly on one tine only. Retipping would be expensive. Do the restorers have access to replacement nibs? That was one factor that decided me against restoring a Challenger.

penwash
July 15th, 2018, 08:59 PM
OK. I am wondering what the restorer does with the nibs on some of these pens when the tipping is gone, possibly on one tine only. Retipping would be expensive. Do the restorers have access to replacement nibs? Theat was one factor that decided me against restoring a Challenger.

If you have been restoring pens for a while, you would have a collection of good nibs that has no body. So let's say you find a Parker Challenger that no tipping on its nib, you would just replace it with preferably another Parker nib from the same era, but I have in the past successfully put an Eversharp, Warranted, and another Parker nib on a Challenger that had no nib.

Retipping would be too expensive because I have to send the nib off and the cost is a lot higher than the value of the Challenger nib.

Deb
July 16th, 2018, 02:48 AM
OK. I am wondering what the restorer does with the nibs on some of these pens when the tipping is gone, possibly on one tine only. Retipping would be expensive. Do the restorers have access to replacement nibs? Theat was one factor that decided me against restoring a Challenger.

If you have been restoring pens for a while, you would have a collection of good nibs that has no body. So let's say you find a Parker Challenger that no tipping on its nib, you would just replace it with preferably another Parker nib from the same era, but I have in the past successfully put an Eversharp, Warranted, and another Parker nib on a Challenger that had no nib.

Retipping would be too expensive because I have to send the nib off and the cost is a lot higher than the value of the Challenger nib.

What he said.

pajaro
July 18th, 2018, 12:14 PM
Unfortunately my stock of nibs is limited to Parker 51 and Sonnet, a few Montblanc and Esterbrook nibs. Somehow I couldn't bring myself to put a Sonnet nib on a Challenger. There are a few sources of vintage nibs, so, you never know what you might come across.

penwash
July 19th, 2018, 10:16 AM
Unfortunately my stock of nibs is limited to Parker 51 and Sonnet, a few Montblanc and Esterbrook nibs. Somehow I couldn't bring myself to put a Sonnet nib on a Challenger. There are a few sources of vintage nibs, so, you never know what you might come across.

I don't think a Sonnet nib will fit a Challenger section anyway, the shape of the Sonnet nib is different than vintage ones, but if I'm motivated to do so, I probably will find a way, but as is, I think the Parker Challenger deserves a better nib. ;)

pajaro
July 19th, 2018, 02:46 PM
I did explore Five Star Pens website, and there are many vintage Parker nibs available there. I have no idea which would fit a Challenger. It's a resource I have used for 51 nibs.

penwash
July 19th, 2018, 03:09 PM
I did explore Five Star Pens website, and there are many vintage Parker nibs available there. I have no idea which would fit a Challenger. It's a resource I have used for 51 nibs.

I don't blame you. The absence of any standard size and shapes when it comes to vintage nibs makes finding a suitable substitution a trial and error affair as Deb and I affirmed. You almost have to have a collection of nibs and the only way to get that ( that I know of) is collecting them one by one. I wish there is a shortcut (other than insane amount of money to buy a lot of collections).

Scrawler
August 5th, 2018, 05:12 PM
This is the Parker Challenger which was used to sign the surrender of the Germans at Wageningen at the end of WWII.

41544

Scrawler
August 5th, 2018, 05:38 PM
They thought that armoured glass would stop me. But Challenger fans are Challenger fans, so now it is mine. :pound:
41545

penwash
August 5th, 2018, 10:07 PM
This is the Parker Challenger which was used to sign the surrender of the Germans at Wageningen at the end of WWII.

41544

Wow! I'd never thought that I'd see a Challenger being remembered as the tool to sign a treaty. Thank you for enriching my knowledge of my favorite fountain pen :)

penwash
September 18th, 2018, 11:50 AM
My favorite pen (currently) goes with me to work, earning its keep:

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1858/30813173658_b8b5d60129_c.jpg

Old Man
September 19th, 2018, 09:43 AM
Wow,

I have my Dad's Challenger that dates from I don't know. It's been in my possession, refurbished and used for the past 20 years. He had this pen and pencil set maybe from the early 50's.....It has a black background with reddish chunks mixed in.

42471

rbrummer
September 24th, 2018, 04:07 PM
I am not a fan per se, although I do covet (lower case C) the Royal Challengers for their hatching. That being said here is my challengers-with-a-not-challenger picture:42624

RayCornett
October 4th, 2018, 11:40 AM
I need to get pictures but I love the few I have in operation. I have a few that still need to be brought back to life and will get on that asap.

Eddie Southgate
January 19th, 2019, 02:21 PM
Count me a fan. Got one in red but have no picture at the moment .

4484044841