The Parker 75 Grain d'Orge (Barleycorn) was made in Meru, France as part of the prestigious Place Vendome collection. This example features the redesigned nib section and feed, added in the late 1980s.
The pen is 22Ct. gold filled and is in fabulous condition in all respects, it could well be new old stock. It shows no signs of use whatsoever, although I have inked the pen, once, for testing purposes.
The length of the pen, when capped is 13cm. The cap is a push fit, it snaps into place with a satisfying 'click' and posts securely in position for writing, although many users prefer not to post a metal bodied pen. The posted length is 14.5 cm.
At each end of the pen is a Gold filled 'stack of coins' stud, this was replaced by a plain stud in the very late models. Around the plain cap band are the words:
The Parker 75 is a cartridge/converter filler, a most convenient arrangement as it allows for the ease of use of cartridges with the flexibility offered by the use of bottled ink. The pen performs equally well with both filling systems and which one to use is merely a matter of personal choice, although in some cases the use of the converter may give better ink flow.
The use of bottled ink is probably a good deal more environmentally sound and is certainly much, much cheaper than using cartridges. The pen is fitted with the original converter and a new cartridge is supplied so the pen is ready to write in either configuration.
The box is new, it is of high quality and will serve well for transportation, protection, and display.
The pen is very comfortable in the hand and is an easy writer. It is also a very tactile item with an unmistakable top quality 'feel'. The Parker 51 is often referred to as 'the best pen Parker ever made' but I think this is a questionable assertion when it is compared to the fabulous Parker 75.