The Parker 50 Gold Falcon was introduced in 1981 and production of all parker 50s ended in early 1982, making the pen an 'instant collectable'. This version of the Falcon pen alone sold, when new, for $125, four times that of the base model Falcon.
The set, comprising a fountain pen and pencil, has a 12Ct. Gold filled finish with longitudinal lines and a blank cartouche. The familiar Parker 'Arrow' clip has a different look, the feathers are not individually defined. I find this quite odd for a pen called a 'Falcon'!
A cartridge/converter filler, it is a slim and elegant pen that looks much like other high end Gold filled, slim Parkers until the cap is removed to reveal the revolutionary and unique 'unitary' nib section. Only one other pen had this, the ill fated and now super rare T1. The T1 was constructed in Titanium, a metal which proved too expensive and difficult to efficiently be coerced into the complex shapes required by the design. The Falcon is essentially an updated T1 made in a more realistic material.
The pen is fitted with the original ink converter and a new ink cartridge is included so the pen is ready to write in either configuration.
The pen is in remarkable condition, it has a splendid finish and is devoid of any dings or bumps. It has been fully serviced and tested. The nib performs extremely well, producing a super smooth medium to broad line. The shape of the nib also makes it subtly different in the hand to conventional firm nibs, it has a most pleasant 'soft' feel.
The pencil is a 'continuous feed' mechanism, operated by pressing the cap to extend the lead to the required length, eith a manual retract. The design of the 'nozzle' of the pencil echos that of the fountain pen.
In addition to the short production run and relative rarity of the Parker 50 Gold Falcon the pens future as a very collectable item is further enhanced by its unique and very striking design and the fact that this particular pen is the 'top of the range'.