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A ring top Depression pen
from around 1934 stepped clip screw, ring top and three cap bands.
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xtremely
attractive pens the Duette, Moderne and Premier are
often referred to as Parker "Thrift time pens" or "Depression pens".
They are today rather rare. When offered they were cheap, somewhat brittle,
but extremely attractive pens somewhat similiar to the Duofold line.
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Great Depression cut sales for all pen makers dramatically. In 1929
Parker made a profit of an incredible $5 million and by 1932 sales
were down to under $1.2. Only between 1929 and 1930, Parker's
profits were cut in half. Many smaller companies of course didn't have
the stamina and disappeared alltogether. When things started to go downhill
two things happened in the pen market. Companies went bankrupt and closeout
sales started to flood the market with cheap pens. To compete the great
pen makers of the time found it wise to sell their product at discount
prices. There was an incredible amount of pens out there but not much
profit being done. Parker, who wisely prepared during the seven years
of plenteousness for the seven years of dearth (even if it was more like
five years), were well equipped to face the times. They decided not to
compromise the company and hurting the brand by selling expensive pens
cheap. Parker had spent years building the brand, especially the flagship
Duofold, persuading people to buy them at $10, when other similiar
quality pens went for $5. All this would go down the drain if they were
to sell them for a fourth of the price. Furthermore there would be a distinct
risk that faithful costumers — who indeed had paid $10 for
a Duofold — would be a tad irritated if their neighbors were able
to buy it for $3.
What to do then? Parker still needed revenues...
n
early 1927 Parker had introduced the attractive
slender and small ladies line pen nicknamed the Pastel.
They were ment as a ladies alternative to the rather dull black Parker
DQ (Duofold quality) and the Raven Black,
in the low price range. The Pastel sold for
$3.50 for the pens and $3.00 for the pencils. The Pastel
very quick became rather popular, much because of the bright and happy
colours they were produced in. The colours were of course a result of
Parker abandoning the the old hard rubber for the new plastic, known as
"permanite". The Pastel followed
the Duofold in
design, filling, mechanism, clip, attachment and general style. In short
in every aspect, save size and colour. And the Pastel had sold
well...
arker
developed and quietly began selling a new design, cheap school-pens in
1932. They sold in dime stores and were almost not advertised.
The only ads that appeared were as inserts in general merchandise catalogues.
They didn't have a brand name but one ad mentions the "Thriftime"
pen. The pens were produced in two sizes, both resembling the Duofold.
Eventually the smaller model (11.5 mm) was referred to as the Duette
and although the larger (12.5 mm) was only referred to as the "Gift
set", collectors view them as two sizes of a Duette. The
Duette Sr had a plastic clip screw, the colour of the pen, while
the Duette Jr had a metal clip screw. Some colours differ between
the two models.
wo
Thriftime models of similiar design and appearance was produced in Canada,
the Premiere (Duette Sr) and the Moderne (Duette Jr) which
followed the US design. There were also similiar pens produced in the
UK. Canadian pens often had English nibs, since the trade relations between
the countries were very good during this period. The Duette is
first mentioned in the January 1932 issue of the Parkergram
(a Parker in-house news letter) as "low priced Duettes" and
"To meet the insistent demand of the juvenile market". Irrespective
of the times, students had to be able to write. The Duette had
a very flat, gold filled brass clip screw and a Duofold style ball
ended clip. It sported a single, narrow, gold filled cap band, had a black
section, a blind cap the colour of the pen and was a button filler. The
nib was marked "Parker fountain pen". There are also examples
of ring-top Duettes with a metal "cap" that covers and
overlaps the end.
 |
A selection of colours
for the Duette Jr (small with metal clip screw). |
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Duette Jr sold for $3.75 as a pen/pencil set. $3.00 for the pen
and $1.50 for the pencil separately. The Duette Sr went for $5.00
for the set. The Duofold Senior kept selling for $10, despite the
depression, some people still had money to buy them.
The first Duettes came in the following designs:
Duette Jr and Sr:
-
• Grey and red
• Blue and black
• Mahogany and white (called Red onyx on the Premiere)
The second series:
Duette Jr:
-
• Cherry red
• Black
• Green pearl and black
• Bronze and black
Duette Sr:
-
• Bronze and blue
• Turquoise
• Cream and blue
• Red and black marble
• Green and black marble
• Camouflage
The final series were made from old Duofold stock:
Duette Jr:
-
• Green and pearl
Duette Sr:
-
• Lapis blue
• Black and pearl
here
are however examples of many more colour variations.
At least 18, maybe as many as 30. Here are some of them (repeating them
above):
-
• Grey and red (specks)
• Mahogany and white (lines)
• Cherry red
• Cherry red and bronze
• Black
• Pearl and black marble (Doufold Deluxe style Lines)
• Cream and black marble (lines)
• Cream and blue marble(lines)
• Cream and black (chunks)
• Red and black marble(mottled)
• Green and black marble (lines)
• Bronze and black
• Bronze and blue (chunks)
• Bronze and blue (lines)
• Bronze white and blue (lines)
• Bronze and cream (chunks)
• Turquoise
• Camouflage (lines)
• Camouflage with bronze (lines)
• Green pearl and black (Challenger style) (chunks)
• Green and pearl (Doufold style Sea green)
• Green and gold
• Onyx
• Blue and black (chunks)
• Grey and black (possibly) (chunks)
• Lapis blue (Duofold style)
 |
A selection of Duette SR
(plastic clip screw, larger size). |
The Duettes was very popular among students. This, and the fact that they are rather brittle and prone to ink-discolouration, makes it hard on us collectors. It is hard to find items without bite marks, scratches and so on.
here
were also a third pen, resembling the Duofold, offered in 1932.
Contrary to the Duettes it had the black clip screws and blind
caps of the Duofolds. It was offered with a clip or ring-top. Die
hard Duette collectors are reluctant to group these last Duofold-thrift
pens with the Duettes, although they were made in some of the same
plastics.
etween
1933 and 1935 a variety of cheaper pens in interesting colours
continued to be produced. Even if the depression lasted until 1939
or 1941 (depending on who you're asking) the Unemployment Relief
Act of 1933 made things look a little brighter. Parker discontinued
the Duettes in 1933, the unnamed Duofold-thrift probably
didn't even make it that far, they seem to be very rare. Other Depression
pens surfaced in a variety of designs, many very rare. There are three
ringed Depression pens with the middle ring being wider, there are Depression
pens with stepped clip screws, a feature adopted by the Parkette,
there are rounded pens, very similiar to the Canadian Televisor
but where Televisor had a black clip screw and blind cap this was
in the colour of the body. There are even strange stepped clip screws
with ring tops. Most of these pens came in marbled designs later adopted
by the Parkettes and Challengers to come. The Moderne
was revived in Canada in the late 1930's to clean out old stock.
It was in every way, save the body imprint, identical to the late style
Challenger. The Parker Parco, introduced in late 1932
actually eventually became the Parkette since the first
year Parkette was identical to the Parco
with the exception of the clip. The clip was a three step chevron similar
to the Parkette, with the exception of the step above
the chevrons.
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Duettes were produced for a short time only. Maybe just for a year
or two. But the strategy of never discounting top line pens had paid off.
By the end of the depression, the field was dominated by four companies,
in order of size, Parker, Sheaffer, Waterman, and Eversharp.
