The original Parker 75 Insignia, this pen, was introduced in 1965, very shortly after the first Parker 75, the Silver Crosshatch version.
The pen is constructed in Brass with a 14Ct. Gold filling and Gold filled 'stack of coins' end studs, the barrel stud is flat and the cap stud dished. The Parker 75 is a cartridge / converter filler, this pen is fitted with the original slim Parker metal ink converter and supplied with a new cartridge so it is ready to write in either configuration.
One of the most innovative features of the parker 75 is the adjustable nib, it is also the most underused. The nib can be rotated in the section to give the best angle for a particular hand. The section is moulded in such a way as to have three 'facets' at 120 degrees to each other. This allows the pen to be held in the same orientaion each time it is used and the nib angle is preserved.
The pen is very unusual in that it has an 'Octanium' nib. This was offered, for a very limited time, as an option on the Parker 75. It is exactly the same shape and dimensions as the gold nib, it was made using the same dies and process. Octanium was so named as it was made from eight different materials, Parker published the merits of Octanium when it was introduced as a nib material:
Strength and hardness:
40% Cobalt
15% Nickel
20% Chromium
High resilience:
7% Molybdenum
2% Manganese
15% Iron (approximately)
Additional strength against all stresses and climatic conditions:
0.04% Beryllium
0.15% Carbon
As this is the first Octanium 75 nib I was eager to try it out, and I wasn't disappointed. It is an outstanding nib, ink flow is excellent, it writes with no pressure and produces a wonderfully smooth and consistent fine line.
The box is new and unbranded but will serve well for protection, transport, and display.
The Parker 75 was a very expensive pen when new but succeeded because of the extremely high quality construction and timeless design. Parker 75 Insignias in are not easy to find and the Octanium nib version is a very rare pen. The 75 makes a really good vintage daily user and also has a good deal of prestige.
Read a full Parker 75 review here