Parker Registry
parkerpens.net / parkercollector.com [source]
Parker · c. 1930s-1940s
Parker Duette / Premiere MK I
Golden Age
Filling System
Button filler / Lever filler
Nib
14k gold or steel
Material
Celluloid and plastic
What to Look For
Low-cost pen and pencil combination sets. The Premiere MK I is related. Often found in sets with matching mechanical pencil.
Low-cost pen and pencil combination sets from the Depression era — Parker’s answer to the need for affordable writing instruments.1
Design
The Duette line offered matched pen and pencil sets at prices working families could afford.1 The pens used button-filler or lever-filler mechanisms with steel or gold-plated nibs. Available in multiple celluloid and plastic colors.
Thriftime
The Thriftime sub-line was the most budget-oriented, offered in attractive two-tone color combinations — Bronze & Black, Cherry Red, Green & Gold, and others.2