My first Vacumatic was not the one featured in the photo, it was a ‘golden pearl’ model that I purchased from eBay. The neither the photos nor the description prepared me for the condition the pen was in. The body and blind cap looked as though it had been chewed then dragged behind a car for some time. The rest of the pen was fine so I planned to restore it the best I could. Working with a pen in this state helped me better understand the properties of the body material and filling system without fear of damaging it. I had assistance from a local Vacumatic collector to get this pen functioning again and purchased a few spare parts in case the body was beyond salvaging. Which as you see from the photo came in handy.

Brand: Parker Pen Co.
Model: Vacumatic Junior
Year: 1946
Nib: 14k fine, semi-flex
Colour: Black



Appearance & Design
     The body material and filling system are elements of the Vacumatic that drew me to this pen. The clear celluloid rings alternating with coloured allow the entire body enough visibility to see the filling system function as well as check ink levels with ease. I prefer the visibility that the black colour offers over the ‘azure blue’, ‘golden pearl’, ‘green’, and ‘burgundy’ models. The pen has an understated transparency similar to the Pelikan 400NN in that at a glance it may not be apparent that you can see into this pen. The pen has a cigar shape with a jewel on the cap end of this model, there are numerous models of varying sizes and trim details. I prefer the banding trim detail because it reflects the material banding of the body/cap material.
Construction & Quality
     The pen is well crafted; the majority of the connection points are threaded including the clip. This makes the pen easily serviceable. The blind cap is seamless , cap posted tightly and the materials selected form a solid, sturdy pen. Typically with these Vacumatic pens it is only the rubber diaphragm and pellet cup holding it in place that ever need replacing.

Weight & Dimensions
     The junior model is a little slim at the section and I find that the section area is smaller than I prefer. My fingers are forced onto the threading more often than I would like. Luckily the threads are smooth and still comfortable to hold. The pen is light and well balanced when posted. The length allows the pen to be used posted or not. Apart from having to shift my grip due to the section size the pen is comfortable to use for longer writing sessions.

Nib & Performance
     What I really like about this nib is that it is shaped in a way that allows me to shade when flipped upside down clear of the section. The nib is 14k gold and semi flexible. The nib lays down a fine line and a moderately wet writer. The nib preforms well on a variety of papers but flexing on cheaper paper demonstrated less than ideal results.

Filling System & Maintenance
     The Vacumatic filling system is really efficient in delivering a good fill every time, I feel it is due to the addition of a breather tube. This system was introduced into the Vacumatic line allowing better exhaust of air vs. ink when filling. The ink capacity is 1.8 mL, which is high in comparison to contemporary pens of the late 40's. The section would typically be sealed with shellac which made it difficult to clean. Considering the section is threaded, I prefer to use silicon grease to seal the section so that I can easily remove for flushing ink out of the pen.

Cost & Value
     The Vacumatic is vintage, a pen produced in the 30's through the 40's prior to the famous Parker 51. The pen was very popular but it is difficult to service, for these reasons you can find a Vacumatic for a good price.

It is a vintage pen that performs well, holds a ton of ink, and has great features. The ink window and filling system did it for me. The Parker Vacumatic is a beautiful pen for many reasons, I would recommend it to anyone.