In principo... (In the beginning...)
A Parker Duofold in Lapis Lazuli
Here at Ishin Pens, we believe that every pen has a story. This is my Parker Duofold (not to be confused witht eh modern cartidge converter of the same name) Senior Flat Top in lapis lazuli. All opinions stated in this blog are my own despite the fact that I'm the only person at the company.
A (Very Long) Blurb on the Duofold Seniors
The Parker Lucky Curve Model #26
A Parker Lucky Curve Model #26 (Cap and nib not original)
A Parker Lucky Curve Model #24
I can't really talk about the my Duofold without talking about its precursor, the Lucky Curve #26, which had reached a form similar to the Duofold around 1916 as depicted in the picture above. The Lucky Curve #26 was originally priced at $6, and made of black hard rubber (there were no other colours available). My Lucky Curve #26 has a Duofold cap though the original would have looked more like the Lucky Curve #24 pictured below it. The cap would have had an imprint advertising the Jack Knife cap seal in the cap.
The Duofold
Despite being priced at $7, Parker had a massive success in 1921 with the Parker Duofold which was basically a Lucky Curve #26, but with a red barrel and cap. Parker's competitors scrambled to make their own coloured pens. In 1924, Parker started making pens out of a type of plastic called celluloid and adding more colours to their pen line up. Lapis lazuli was added in 1927. All Duofold seniors were flat tops until 1929, and had one cap band until 1928.
A Parker 1928 Duofold in Red
Tariffs and Canadian Parker
In 1923, Parker had a bit of a dilemma regarding a market in which they were selling into, Canada. The year previous, the American whacked the rest of the globe with tariffs, a tradition they have continued on occasion since. Canada put up counter tariffs in 1923. Apparently, Canada was a large enough market to warrant Parker setting up a subsidiary and factory in Canada to keep on selling pens to Canadians. Many sources state that Parker Canada was set up due to import restrictions to the UK; however, having gone down the rabbit hole and ripped out my hair trying to find the specific restrictions on the UK parliament website, I was unable to find anything around the time Parker Canada was created. Admittedly, I'm talking out of my ass because only one article mentions Canadian tariffs on American goods, and Canadian laws from this period are extremely hard to find.
My Duofold and Canadian Parker Shenanigans
Judging by the colour, trim, and type of Duofold I have, there is a good chance that it was made in 1927; however, my rule of thumb when it comes to Parker Canada is that Parker Canada does whatever the heck they want. Parker Canada did after all make Duofolds into the mid-1930s. My pen originally came with a nib made in the states in 1924 or so which had a massive shank crack which I replaced with a nib that cracked past the breather hole do to a defective feed which I also replaced. At some point my pen ended up in Britain, either exported or brought there, before coming back to Canada in an auction lot I bought. Overall, it's a great pen despite a bit of wear and tear here and there, and I always find myself reaching for it.
Works Cited
Sheperd, David, and Dan Zazove. Parker Duofold. Brighton: Surrenden Pens Limited, 2006.
Fischier, Tony. “ Lucky Curve Logo and Other Parker Pre Duofolds 1894—1929.” Parker Pens Penography: Lucky Curve, www.parkercollector.com/luckycurve.html. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.
Tischauser, Leslie V. “Reciprocal Trade Act: History: Research Starters: EBSCO Research.” EBSCO, 2023, www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/reciprocal-trade-act.