Vintage Parker 45 DeLuxe fountain pen review

This is the fountain pen that started it all for me, as I outlined in one of my first blog posts. It’s a vintage Parker 45 DeLuxe (or sometimes known as the GT). The Parker 45 was introduced in 1960, and this model with the plastic cap was introduced in 1964. The Parker 45 has been hugely successful and is still manufactured today (I believe), a product lifespan of almost 50 years. It was Parker’s first cartridge filler and is a robust workhorse for everyday use. But I must also add, do not confuse this vintage model with those made this century though. For me, there is a world of difference.

Parker 45 – New at the top, vintage at the bottom

Design The Parker 45 has a classic, no-nonsense look; a streamlined shape, which tapers at the barrel and cap. Though simple, it is quite an elegant design in a functional sort of way. It has a nice look when the cap is posted, the long taper pointing towards the semi-hooded nib. Design 7/10 Feel This is a very light pen. It is not made from the most expensive of plastics, but there is a certain quality to the way it has been made. The push-fit cap fits snugly and lightly clicks into place, it posts well, the threads in the barrel just seem right and don’t come loose – its as though all the components have just the right level of tolerances in manufacturing. It has a good balance and is good to write with though nothing spectacular. Personally I do find the section a little slim for my fingers, meaning I hold it much higher up the barrel than I would another pen. I also find I adopt quite a light grip and use light pressure when writing. Dimensions: 136mm (5 3/8”) capped, 143mm (5 5/8”) posted Feel 7/10 Nib 14k gold. Stiff, fine (though not that fine), pretty smooth and workmanlike. It works well for those with a light touch. The great thing about the Parker 45 nibs however is the ease of interchangeability. They simply unscrew out and screw in. There is quite a wide variety of different nib grades available. Fine and medium are fairly common, but others can be harder to find. Particularly if you’d like to try an italic. Nib 7/10 Filling It’s a Parker, so naturally is uses Parker’s propriety cartridges and convertors. Though the convertors don’t hold that much ink. Sadly, this one came without a converter so I had to put in a modern one rather than the original metal cage version. Filling 7/10 Cost There is a collector base for these pens, but the long production run and popularity of this pen means there are lots about. Mint condition, boxed examples are readily available at quite reasonable prices. I got this one off ebay a few years back for about £8 if I remember correctly. And apart from the lack of convertor and a somewhat scratchy nib it is in mint condition. Clean and glossy. A great price, but you must remember this is a budget pen. Cost 8/10 Overall A good everyday user at a good price, and a good one to collect if you like them – lots of different variants and affordable. Overall 36/50

Not a Parker 45

This is one of those pens that can confuse even the most dedicated collector of English Parker pens – the ‘New’ Slimfold. It can also cause quite a lot of debate – particularly for such a simple, low profile pen.



The MKII Slimfold, known as the ‘New’ Slimfold, is very similar to the Parker 45 introduced in 1960. There are two main differences between the pens: 1) the length – the Slimfold being shorter; and 2), the cap – the New Slimfold is screw-fit compared to the 45 push-fit cap.

The New Slimfolds were only manufactured for three years (1972–1975) so are relatively rare. It is not to be confused with the ‘transitional’ model previously available that had the new 45 style cap, but retained the rounded end body and open nib of the first generation Slimfold.

My 'New' Slimfold is of particular interest because it retains the chalk marks used during the introduction of decimalisation in the United Kingdom. The decimal coinage system was introduced on the 15 February 1971 – the start of an 18 month period when the previous system of pound, shilling and pence was phased out. The chalk marks show the price for this pen in both ‘old’ and ‘new’ money. It is for this reason the pen is dated as between 1971 and 1972.

It all started with a trip down memory lane

When I was 10 or 11, my Grandparents gave me a fountain pen as a present. This was during my school days and sadly it was stolen a few months afterwards. I was heartbroken. Then a few years ago, I had a desire to replace it – a desire to connect with my late Grandfather – and so began my quest.

Parker 45 GT

Having searched the web and my memory I discovered the pen was a blue, gold-trimmed Parker 45. I can even remember, quite clearly, visiting Pen Corner in Hull to have a new nib fitted. I wanted a fine and not a medium. I have a feeling I'd dropped the original too and had bent it out of shape. My search started to find just such a pen and after seeing their site on the web, a visit to Penfriend in London

I didn't find the pen I wanted there, but discovered the world of fountain pens again. The Parker 51, Duofold and Vacumatic. Manufacturers such as Waterman, Pelikan and Mont Blanc. It was the 51 that really grabbed me, amazed by the smoothness of the nib, the beauty of the object and the joy of writing with such a pen.

But, the 51s they stocked were beyond my budget for a fledgling hobby. I didn't leave empty handed though. A bargain bucket, Parker Duofold AF from the 1940s left with me - my choice for an everyday writer.

The 51 kept coming back to haunt me though. A few days later a trip to Ebay performed the release, in the shape of a 1950, medium nibbed 51 for just £20. This was closely followed by a 1930s Vacumatic, an Eversharp Skyline, a Parker Slimfold .... and thus began my passion.