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The Parker Duofold is one of the most recognizable and enduring fountain pen designs ever. Launched in 1921, the original Duofold – nicknamed “Big Red” -- was a large (5.5 inches capped) pen made of a showy bright red hard rubber and priced well above its competition at a staggering $7.00. Despite the high price tag, the pen was a phenomenal success and put The Parker Pen Company squarely into the front rank of fountain pen manufacturers.
The original full-sized Duofold was soon joined by the smaller Duofold Junior, Duofold Special, and Lady Duofold--which featured a ring top rather than Parker’s patented washer clip. The pen was available only in black and red hard rubber until 1926, when Parker introduced the “unbreakable Permanite” Duofold (Permanite was Parker’s trade name for a plastic manufactured by DuPont). The first new color was a Jade Green, which was followed shortly thereafter by Lapis Lazuli blue and Mandarin Yellow. In 1928, Moderne black and pearl (black lined pearl) was introduced. In 1930 the Duofold line was streamlined with tapered ends replacing the familiar “flat-top” style. Additional colors were introduced: burgundy (red and black pearl); Moderne green and pearl (green lined pearl); and finally, green and black pearl (black lined green pearl).
But by the early 1930’s the Duofold’s design had grown dated. Parker launched its replacement, the Parker Vacumatic in 1933, and Duofold production stopped the following year. Over the years the name was revived several times for models that bore no resemblance to the classic 1920’s era model and never matched the original’s success. In 1988 (to celebrate the 100th anniversary), Parker launched the Duofold Centennial series of Pens (Fountain Pens, Rollerballs and Pencils). Later, they introduced the Duofold International line with models that also successfully evoked the classic Duofold design. The International size is smaller than the Centennial. There are also differences in the ink feeding systems. The modern Duofold is a key part of Parker’s product portfolio, and the original “Big Red” is the cornerstone of a vintage pen collection.