A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

adjustable nib

a gauge on top of the nib controls the degree of flexibility.

Aerometric filler

Type of filling mechanism in which the bladder and a pressure bar are exposed and the filling is done by squeezing the bladder to cause a suction. 

Arrow clip

Parker used an arrow shaped clip beginning with the Vacuum Filler pen [Vacumatic]. 

Arrow nib

Parker's distinctive nib with a boldly imprinted arrow design.  

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B

BCHR

black chased hard rubber

BHR

black hard rubber

bladder

rubber  "sac" which acts as a reservoir for ink.  

blow filler

A pen filling system in which a hole in the end of the barrel is blown in like a whistle to compress the bladder, when the blowing stops, the compression stops thus causing a suction that would fill the pen. Most often found on Crocker pens. 

brassing

areas where gold plating has worn away revealing the underlying base metal (usually brass).  Traditionally caused by continued & prolonged contact with vest or jacket by a pen placed in a shirt pocket.  Today, it is more frequently cause by pen enthusiasts using buffing wheels to polish pens.  We firmly believe ALL pens should be polished by hand.

bulb filler

a pen filling system in which a small bulb like bladder is squeezed and causes a suction that fills the barrel of the pen.

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C

cap

part of the pen that is placed over the nib end when not in use.  Protects the nib from damage & everything else from ink.  Referring to the cap as a lid or top is just as "criminal" as referring to the nib as a tip or point.

cap band

metal rings around the circumference of a cap.  These were not only for decorative purposes but also to help control cracks caused by posting the cap.

capillary filler

Filling system mostly associated with the parker 61 in which the pen draws the ink into the barrel in the same manner a cloth will absorb a spill.

cartridge

replaceable, pre-filled, plastic ink reservoirs.  Used in place of a bladder or sac.  With very few exceptions, pens referred to as vintage do not have cartridges.  This term applies mainly to modern pens & those produced since the 1950s.

casein

an early, milk derived plastic.  Sometimes used in the manufacture of vintage pens.  Very susceptible to damage from moisture.

chasing

decorative patterns impressed in to hard plastic pens.  Also referred to as a "chased" design.

clip

A metal clasp attached to a pen cap to keep it firmly in place in your pocket.

clipless

This does not mean that the clip is missing. It means that the pens was designed to be used without  & never had a clip.

coin filler

an opening in the pens body allows the user to insert a coin and directly apply pressure to the pressure bar.

combo

a fountain pen and mechanical pencil combined in to one writing instrument - pen on one end & pencil on the other.

crescent filler

Another filling mechanism that involved a semi-circular or "crescent" shaped metal bar that protruded from the side of the pen barrel. When depressed depressed & released cause suction in the bladder. Mostly associated with Conklin pens, but also was modified and used by Evans and Wirt.

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D

Demi

Usually means a woman's size or small pen. Mostly associated with the parker 51.

a pen or pencil that allowed salesmen to demonstrate to prospective buyers how the item worked. Usually made of clear, transparent plastic but can also be a "normal" pen with cut away sections to reveal the inner workings of the pen or pencil.

Usually a white pen.  Sets usually included a  matching thermometer case.

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E

ED

eye dropper fill

not much to explain here. These pens are filled with a common, household eyedropper.

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F

feed

The part of the pen that supplies or "feeds" the nib with ink from the sac. Usually located under the nib but can also be on top of the nib. In all cases, it will rest against the nib.

metal overlay featuring an open work or cut work design.

Parker pen models that feature stainless steel caps & barrels.

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G

GF

gold filled

gold filled trim

Gold filled is created by bonding a layer of metal between 2 layers of gold.  It is NOT like gold plating - which wears off with time & use.   It  was then run through rollers until it was thinned down to the desired thickness. At this point it would be like plywood or veneered wood. The item was then punched out or cut from the sheet and the bare edge covered. It was used in watch cases & jewelry.

Gold filled jewelry can be worn daily for years & years without the finish wearing off. Some manufacturer's use to call it "20 year gold" for this reason.  
Gold filled is not the same as rolled gold.

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H

hard rubber

Simply pure rubber which is not flexible. Predecessor to Plastic.

Filling system like a lever filler, but the "lever" is flipped completely over for use. 

nib almost completely covered by a plastic "hood"  - only the very tip of the pen is exposed. Sometimes called a shrouded nib.

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I

ink pellet

pill shaped piece of dry ink that was mixed with water inside or outside of a pen to make ink. Mostly associated with World War One soldiers who used them to make ink on the battlefield.

a clear section of a pen barrel which allows you to view how much ink remains inside.

the inner cap serves 2 purposes. It keeps the nib from being crushed against the inside of the cap by stopping the barrel from turning in too far. It also is supposed to stop ink leakage by creating a sealed pocket against the pen section. Many caps are discolored where the section and inner cap meet because this seal didn't work properly.

Gold being too "soft" and susceptible to wear for continued writing, nibs need to be "tipped" with a more durable material. Although other metals were also used, iridium has become the common term to refer to all tipping material. Most Iridium for vintage pens was mined in Russia.

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J

jewel

Decorative "stone" found on cap and/or barrel ends of some pens. These are usually plastic and are sometimes made of metal. Does not refer to an actual precious or semiprecious gem.

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K

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L

ladies pen

Usually a smaller size pen that has been fitted with a "ring" or loop on the cap top. These pens have no clip as they were not designed to be carried in a man's pocket. Generally worn on a ribbon or chain around one's neck. Also known as a ringtop pen.

Small rectangular box inserted into the pen barrel & held in place by tabs. The lever was then pinned to the box. Much more practical design & much easier to repair than earlier levers which were pinned directly in to the pen barrel.

A small metal "pin" on a pen barrel which fulcrums like a see saw and puts pressure on the bladder causing a suction which then fills the bladder with ink.

lever fill

a pen which does not use a lever to fill.

Liquid graphite used by Parker ball points.

liquid lead

Parker's stainless steel alloy pen caps.

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M

Mandarin

Refers to a bright yellow color used by Parker in their Duofold line.

in pen terms, it is the mottled  or swirled effect from combining different colors of plastic.

a hole in a pen barrel was used for inserting a match or  like object to depress the pressure bar and cause a suction in the bladder for filling the pen.

mottled hard rubber

a pen clip that mounts high on the cap allowing a shirt pocket to be buttoned down over the pen. A military "must".

Swirled combination of red & black hard rubber to create a more attractive pen before the advent of more vibrantly colored plastics. 

A true music nib has 3 tines and 2 vent holes and is used for writing music notes.

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N

nib

The end of the pen used to write with. At one time, a nib itself was called the "pen" and everything else was called the " holder". This was a "left over" from the days of dip pens and is the term is no longer used in that manner. In pen collecting circles, referring to the nib as the point or the tip is pretty much considered criminal behavior & is guaranteed to cause more than just a few harsh looks in your direction.

Also called German silver, this non-precious alloy was used in making trim for some vintage fountain pens. Resembles silver but, unlike silver is tarnish resistant.

New Old Stock - items that remained in stores unsold & in stock.  They are as they were shipped from the factory.  While MIB (mint in box) items may have been purchased & never used, NOS were never even purchased.

Piston filler made by Conklin. These pens have no sac, thus the name. 

nickel plated trim

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O

oblique nib

A nib with an angled tip. Can be right oblique or left oblique. Right or left being determined by the higher or further extending edge of the angel. Some people also refer to these nibs as oblique for a right oblique & reverse oblique for a left oblique.

An early type of feed which is located on top of the nib as in early Wirt fountain pens.

Metal covering - usually gold or silver. Can be solid or filigree. Some people refer to the entire pen as an "overlay" rather than just the covering itself.

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P

Permanite

trade name for an early form of plastic

A pen that the nib can be changed to suite a personal writing style. Most often found associated with Wahl pens and Esterbrooks.

pen for men

A pen filling system that involves a piston much like that of a automobile engine. The piston draws ink into the barrel when drawn back. Usually associated with Conklin and Mont Blanc pens.

Filling system were a metal or plastic rod is used to pull a piston back and draw ink into a pen. Differs from the piston filler in that the ink goes behind the piston in the plunger filler. 

Placing the pen cap on the end of the barrel when the pen is in use. While this may be fine for a modern $.79 ballpoint, it is not recommended for collectible vintage fountain pens as is promotes cracks in the cap lip. If you post your caps while writing, do so very carefully. 

Filling system in which a button is pumped to fill the pen or a piston is actually pulled out and pumped inside the barrel. Chilton used the second type.

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Q

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R

repeating pencil

A mechanical pencil that feeds the lead from the barrel and does not have to be fed through the point.

See oblique nib.

red hard rubber.

See ladies pen

A distinctive swirl patterned hard rubber pen produced by Waterman - colors were blue/green, olive, red & rose.

Like gold filled metal, but the sheets were rolled out before  being bonded. This is a cheaper material than gold filled and wears faster. 

A pen clip on which the ball at the end rotates or "rolls". It's purpose was to make placement in & removal from your pocket easier. Primarily associated with Wahl pens.

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S

sac

see bladder

Early fountain pens were called safety pens, it meant that they were less likely to produce ink spills. The term was loosely applied to various early pens. Moore and Waterman used it to describe their pens that had retractable nibs. Parker used it on a normal pen.

Basically an early parker feed that had jagged fins. Also called a Christmas tree feed.

The part of the pen that holds the nib into the barrel.

Term that was used to describe any pen that had a filling system, rather than being eyedropper filled.

Parker used this term to describe their pens that had gold filled caps and barrels. 

A sheath or sleeve on the pen barrel was turned or slid to expose a thumb fill or aerometric filling system.

Early caps which are not threaded. They do not "twist" on but are simply placed (or "slipped") over the nib end of the pen.

Sheaffer's pen model that had a filling tube that the user would extend from the feed in order to fill the pen. 

The second style of Parker Vacumatic filler that did not have to be locked down.

Parker tried to register a "star" as a trademark and got turned down. They did produce some clips with this star mark before they came out with the blue diamond.

Usually means a pen cap that is straight and the same size as the barrel. Associated with eyedropper filled pens.

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T

taper cap

Cap that narrows -almost to a point -at one end .

Metal ring on the bottom of pens for cosmetic purposes. It was used to balance the look of the pen. Mostly associated with parker 51's and vacs.

A pump style filler that fills the pen on the down stroke.

Sheaffer's wrap around nib.

filling system in which a knob on the barrel was turned. Usually just twisted the bladder to cause compression, releasing produced suction needed to fill the pen.

Gold nib with a 2 color effect usually from platinum plating.

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U

underfeed

Feed which is located underneath the nib - usually just referred to as the feed as this is normal position.

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V

Vacumatic

Model of parker pen.

Early name for the Parker Vacumatic.

Hole in the nib which allows air to displace ink in the bladder or barrel. Also could be on the feed instead of the nib.

Early spring loaded pen clip which was sold to many pen companies.

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W

warranted nib

14k gold "generic" nib - not usually or necessarily produced by or for the pens manufacturer.

A pen clip which has a open, round, washer style mount on top. Commonly used on Parker Duofolds.

A distinctive swirl patterned hard rubber pen  - was to give the appearance of the grain pattern in wood.

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X

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Y

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Z

Zaner Bloser

Developers & distributors of a hand writing course, they are still in business today. Parker Pen Company made special Duofold pens & pencils using Zaner Bloser's designs which were supposed to be contoured to "fit" the hand better & make writing easier. 

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