Janesville, Wisconsin is located in the southern part of a state known mostly for beer, cheese, and football – not necessarily in that order. It’s situated along the east bank of the Rock River, a tributary of the Mississippi River, which right around this time of year is great for fishing. The small town has over 60,000 people bumping around a city center that can lay claim to over 20 percent of the historically registered buildings in the entire state. Did I mention the beer, cheese, and football?
Let it be known, however, that Janesville is more than just a small town in the dairy state. It was also the site of the first Wisconsin State Fair in 1851, it’s the location of the world’s largest peace pole measured to be 52 feet tall and it’s also the town where George Safford Parker started the Parker Pen Company.
Mr. Parker taught the use of telegraphy equipment in the small Wisconsin town, but as a side job he sold and repaired fountain pens. His tinkering with the writing instruments compelled him to find fixes for the problems he saw most commonly, which mainly included leaks. After of a few years of experimentation, he had devised a completely new fountain pen and started the Parker Pen Company. The Parker Pen Company laid claim to having the largest pen factory in the world – right there in little old Janesville, Wisconsin.
If you haven’t paid much attention to Parker pen products, take a look at some of the great offerings we have at Executive Essentials. Here’s just a sampling of a few.
The Parker Urban Metallic Black Ballpoint Pen has metallic highlights and a glossy finish that set this pen apart from all the rest. This is one of the most popular, less expensive Parker ballpoints produced in recent times. The bulbous chiseled pattern helps give the Urban Metallic a comfortable grip and a stylish look.
The Parker Sonnet Dark Grey Fountain Pen is a lacquered metallic grey, with a black lacquer finish. An intricate chiseled design gives the pen a unique architectural look. The trim is nickel palladium and the nib is made of solid gold for high quality. Right now this pen is 20 percent off at Executive Essentials!
Parker Jotter Pens
If you’ve ever heard the expression, “I’m just going to ‘jot’ that down”, you should know that Parker helped bring that into common vernacular. That’s because Parker’s first, popular, retractable pen was called the Jotter. These functional, simple pens have what it takes to stand up to the rigors of everyday life. At EE we have two Jotters available either in black or stainless steel. Both come in at the very reasonable price of $16 (after the 20 percent discount). So check out the Parker Jotter Black Stainless Steel Ballpoint Pen.
Executive Essentials has great prices on ink refills for all the Parker Pens you own including; ballpoint, rollerball, fountain, gel and multi-point. Check out our prices and compare.
Parker Engraved Pens
Not a subset of pen types really, but I thought it would be good to mention that there are several Parker pens out there that can be engraved. Engraving is a great way to personalize a gift and is very effective on pens. Under the Parker brand, the Parker Doufold is a classic writing instrument recognized worldwide that becomes that much more special with a few words of wisdom or encouragement.
I hope you have a good time checking out the wonderful world of Parker Pens. They are truly one of the greats in the pen world and have worthy products that consumers and collectors should take the time to learn more about.