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Thread: Parker 75 Cisele

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    Senior Member Okami's Avatar
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    Default Parker 75 Cisele




    Finally got the photo to work but you can see more on my blog - here is the body of the review:


    I became enamored with the Parker 75 shortly after beginning my travels in the fountain pen world. I found this one on eBay - it was in rather pitiful condition. It was completely tarnished and with it's minor dents and dings, I acquired it for a reasonable price.

    The pen is sterling silver and is an earlier 75 as determined by the fact that it has a chrome section ring with a 0 reference, although not the earliest version since it does not have the metal thread section.

    This "cisele" pattern was the original pattern used for this pen.

    This pen was originally acquired with a 14kt US 65 fine nib. I immediately purchased a French 18kt 94 Medium italic nib from The Battersea Pen home.

    There is one thing unique about this pen. The tassie on the cap is the normal gold tone, however the tassie on the body is not gold but silver. I contacted Lih-Tah Wong of Parker75.com for his opinion and he believes that this may have been a production error, which gives me a unique pen. If this detracts or adds to the value I don't really care, but it gives it personality.

    The following is just a small excerpt from Mr. Wong's history of this pen, please visit his website and read more. If you own or are considering this pen, it is well worth the time:

    Against the backdrop of a general public that had accepted the ballpoint pen as its preferred writing instrument, the Parker Pen Company was faced with the low-margin products that sold well. Convinced of his company's position producing high-class pens, Kenneth Parker was not satisfied with the popular Jotter and 45 lines. In fact, unless Parker recaptured the high-end (high-margin) gift-orient business, he viewed this condition as being "in the early stages of rigor mortis" for his company.

    With the goal of creating a new high-end pen, Kenneth Parker and designer Don Doman collaborated once more and combined various characteristics from past creations. From the 45, they took the filling mechanism of the interchangeable cartridge and piston converter. From the VP, they took the gripping section with its 3 flat surfaces, 2 being ribbed, and the ruled section ring and rotating nib assembly. The idea was to allow the nib to be rotated to the angle preferred by the writer. Mr. Parker often said that this would allow the nib to be adjusted like the "lens of a fine camera." Indeed this single feature would later appear in the advertising campaign for this new pen.

    One last detail remained -- how the new pen would appear externally. As this was to be a high-class (read expensive) pen, it would have to be made of precious metal. Gold was too expensive for the market he was after, and so silver was selected. In particular, a high silver content was needed and thus sterling silver with its 92.5% silver content (the rest being copper) was selected.

    For the finish, Mr. Parker wanted to use a look that had not been used before on any Parker pen. He chose a crosshatch grid pattern that he found on his cigarette case. Here was a pattern that was tastefully elegant that would age gracefully with the patina of silver oxidation over time. Another plus was that this pattern was simple to produce. And to accentuate the pattern, he would fill the grooved lines with black enamel and added goldplated trim for the clip and ends of the cap and barrel, and used solid 14k gold for the nib.

    Thus the Parker 75 was born in 1963 and formally launched at the end of the year.

    It was so named to commemorate the 75th year of the Parker Pen Company. It was the fruition of Kenneth Parker's vision to have a high-end pen with a matching high-end price -- $25, almost triple the price of the Parker 45 fountain pen.


    [Editor's note from comment by Richard Binder (see comments): "Just as an interesting oopsie, "almost triple the price of the 45" is a little off. The 45 went on the market in 1960 at $5.00. $25.00 is five times that figure, and the 75's success is even more impressive given that number."]

    The Parker 75 family proved to be very popular and commercially successful line of writing instruments from Parker Pen Company. Although production was eventually shifted to the Parker factory in Meru, France, this pen continued to be produced until 1994 when it was officially discontinued. The 30+ years produced almost 10 million units.

    This family of writing instruments also had an illustrious career in the world's history. It was used to sign some of the most important nuclear disarmament treaty documents by US Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush with the Soviet Presidents Mikhail Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin Additionally, a Keepsake 75 was used by Secretary of State William P. Rodgers in 1973 to sign the Vietnam Peace Agreement
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    Last edited by Okami; March 31st, 2010 at 05:38 AM. Reason: add photo
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    tomgartin (April 13th, 2014)

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    Member Kelly G's Avatar
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    The 75 is a great pen. I prefer a pen with a bit more girth, but it works well in a suit pocket or when you need a particularly classy looking pen. I managed to snag a NOS version with a medium nib a few years ago when a noted collector (I can't for the life of me remember his name) sold off a few from his stash. Mine is around a 1970 date, if I remember correctly. It has the stepped Tassie and the Zero reference adjustment. Needless to say - it is no longer NOS - but slightly used in excellent condition; or as they would say on e-bay - Minty.

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    A sterling cisele-patterned 75 was my first fountain pen, almost twenty years ago now. I found it at a public library when I was 14, and the clerk told me that if no one claimed it within two weeks, I could keep it (which I did). I can't remember anything about the nib that it originally came with, but I do remember ordering an XF for it from a local office supply shop. I carried it for the remainder of the summer and into the fall during my freshman year of high school before someone swiped it. I keep hoping to get a note on Facebook from the guilty party fessin' up to taking it, and telling me that they still have it and want to give it back! (Yeah, I know...fat chance of that happening.)

    Failing the Facebook apology note plan...I WILL get another one someday, and when I do, I will likely do just as Julie did and pick up a 94 Medium Italic for it. This past month or two, I've had the good fortune to have an 18K Duofold 94 Medium Italic nib here in the shop, and I've absolutely fallen in love with it. It is, without question, the single best factory stub/italic/CI I've ever written with.

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    tomgartin (April 13th, 2014)

  6. #4
    SProctor
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    Quote Originally Posted by Okami View Post

    I became enamored with the Parker 75 shortly after beginning my travels in the fountain pen world.
    Great review! "Enamored" is an excellent way to put how I feel about my Parker 75 also... I believe Mine is from the early 1970's timeframe, too. Made in the USA. Gold-filled, stepped-tassie and Parker 65 type nib... and yet no zero mark (this perhaps due to the fact that the seller swapped nibs to a fine size for me at the last minute and may have just swapped the whole section instead of just the nibs). The 75 was always one of those fountain pens that I just needed to have, though not necessarily one of those highly desired "grail pens." I originally didn't have any expectations of it actually making it regularly into my rotation, but as soon as I tried it out, I was immediately "enamored" with it. I used it pretty regularly for nearly three weeks before I decided to switch to another of my daily users.

    I too am usually a wider pen kind of guy. Pens with more girth seem comfortable to me, especially if I have to write a lot. This just wasn't the case with my Parker 75. Perhaps it is the exceptional balance it has, regardless of whether it is posted or not. Even after all of this time having a Parker 75, I still enjoy writing with it. In fact, I just recently purchased another one recently from a good friend of mine. I guess that you can't have too much of a good thing, right?

    Very Best Wishes & Kindest Regards,

    Stephen P.

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    akonpittbull
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    I am the big fan of Parker pen from the childhood of mine. It is because of the ink quality and the ball point quality. But from when I started using the ink pen of the parker, I am mad about that. The first great thing about that is, My hand writing is fantastic like never before and now I love to write with it.

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    Junior Member thepianolist's Avatar
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    Count me among the "enamored" as well! Just as SProctor, I normally prefer a bit wider pen, but the "75" is a great writer and comfortable to use. I was lucky enough to find a gently used first year example and this probably adds to the enjoyment of the pen. I also have a 70's example, gently used. I have heard some say the section threads are a weak point on the later pens, but so far my later pen is just as tight in this respect as the first year with the metal threads. Having both an early and later pen, I have noticed some subtle differences between the two in addition to the obvious. Of course, the metal section threads, flat tassies and "O" reference on the section ring are well known. The thinner grid lines and clip notch in the cap tassie instead of the cap itself are a bit more subtle and not as well noticed. Both pens write nicely and will remain valued members of my meager collection! Have some pictures of the first year from the seller. I don't have a camera, so I can't show you the pen polished to a like-new shine. Both pens shined up perfectly with no loss of the black enamel in the grid lines. To me, the "75" is a great blend of the pen maker's and jeweler's craft!
    Bryant
    Parker 75.jpg

    More pictures here: http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/fo...1#entry1500542

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    tomgartin (April 13th, 2014)

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    Default Re: Parker 75 Cisele

    The content of the article is very good. This is a topic that I have always been researching retro bowl and it is a pleasure to read the information you share on this topic.

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    Default Re: Parker 75 Cisele

    What a disappointment, I always like to read about the 75 Cisele"............and then along comes Prick of the Month.

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    FPG Donor ♕ Chrissy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Parker 75 Cisele

    You can just ignore it and have another read of the article now. Also I would attach your label to herry and xwep... as well as lilycollins and emmausa
    Regards, Chrissy | My Review Blog: inkyfountainpens

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