In the 70s Parker at Newhaven thought they had spotted a niche in the market that needed filling: an inexpensive pen that would appeal to the 18 to 30 age group. Part of the design brief was to make a low end market pen with as few parts as possible, designed for easy/automated assembly, finishing processes should be held to a minimum as well as repair and servicing be as simple and minimised as possible. Definitely a pen for easy, mass production. They engaged the services of Kenneth Grange, a successful industrial designer, already well known for designing a range of successful products such as the Kodak Instamatic camera, Wilkinson Sword razors and the InterCity 125 high-speed train. In line with the design brief, his intention was to create a pen of functional simplicity, inexpensive to produce and well-nigh indestructible. The pen was marketed as having a “ Rugged, functional, space age design”. The Parker 25 first appeared as a flighter in 1975 with blue trim and a black coating in the UK in 1978 and USA in 1979. The fountain pen was also joined by a fibre tip pen, rollerball pen(1981), ballpoint pen and pencil. Mark I - Nib Breather Hole. Flat End. "Made In England" On Cap. Mark II - No Nib Breather Hole. Flat End. "Made In England". Mark III - No Nib Breather Hole. Dimpled End. "Made In England". Mark IV - No Nib Breather Hole. Dimpled End. "Made In UK".
Common Colours:- All Parker 25 pens have a metal cap and barrel with a plastic shell section leading to a metal band around the steel nib unit. The plastic lower shell colours should correspond with the colours of the plastic logo on the clip and common colours include: Rolled Steel Body Blue Plastic Trim 1975 to 1994 . Rolled Steel Body Black Plastic Trim 1975 - 94
Less Common:- Black Body Pens 1978 - 83. The Parker 25 B which was black epoxy coated metal body, usually with black plastic trims although some other trim colours have been found. Rolled Steel Body Green Plastic Trims
Rare Colours :- White Body Pens 1983 - 87. A white epoxy coating over metal usually with blue plastic trims and often have one or two blue bands on the cap. Rarer versions are without the lines on the cap and rarer still will have no lines and black trims. Rolled Steel Body Orange Plastic Trims 1975 - 76. The rarest of the P25 family date from 1975 to 1976 before Parker stopped production.
Although the Parker 25 production ceased in 1994 there are pens that can appear with dates codes up to as late as 1999. This is primarily due to the excess stocks at the end of production.
All of the Parker 25 range from the flighter to the rarer colours enjoy a very strong collectors demand.
On offer is a mark III Parker 25 white fountain pen in an epoxy matte white finish with blue trim and chrome clip. As indicated above these models of pen were produced between 1983 and 1987. The pen sports a plain stainless steel clip with a blue colour coordinated plastic insert with white Parker logo inserted at the base of the clip. The cap end is again in colour coordinated blue plastic with the ridged design. The cap also has “Made in England”, Parker”, Parker logo and IE indented on it. The date code on this pen indicates this pen was produced in the first quarter of 1984 at the Newhaven plant in the UK. The cap also has one dark and one light blue ring around the cap near the base. The fountain pen has a ‘medium’ stainless steel nib with no breather hole. The pen has a parker converter fitted to it but can also be used with standard parker ink cartridges if preferred. ( not supplied )
This pen is in very good age appropriate aesthetic condition for a 40+ year old enamel coated pen with no appreciable dents, dings or any personalisation, although as with any used vintage pen there will be the inevitable micro signs of use. In this case they are some scratches where the cap has been posted onto the pen (last 2 photos). Having said this the pen/cap ends are not damaged, which are generally the areas in these pens that are subject to the most use/ damage. The pen is presented in an original Parker 25 box.
I would urge you to review the photographs closely to satisfy yourself as to the pen’s overall condition and as they form an integral part of the description.
The pen will be despatched via Royal Mail 2nd class signed for post within two days of receiving full payment.
Thank you for taking the time to consider this pen. I also have other pens for sale that may be of interest to you.