Shaped like a small cigar, it combines technical expertise with an aesthetic design. The Parker pen writes like a dream and satisfies all the senses: the curve of the barrel, the rich smell of ink, the quiet scratch of the metal nib on paper.
As a telegraphy instructor, George Safford Parker understood the value of a good pen. In his free time, he repaired the pens of his students and designed his own ink feed system, which he patented in 1888. Two years later, aged 26, Parker started a pen-making business in Janesville, Wisconsin. He created a smooth ink flow - the Lucky Curve anti-leak system used capillary action to drain unused ink into the reservoir.
In an era of handwritten documents, high-quality Parker pens were bestsellers. The firm created a jointless pen in 1898 and Quink (quick drying ink) in 1931. In 1941, it launched the Parker 51, inspired by the design of an airplane. In these days of cheap pens, Parker continues the philosophy of its creator: "It will always be possible to make a better pen."