About The Pen

Mandarin Yellow
The Pen

The Parker Pen Company's Duofold "Mandarin Yellow" Fountain Pen

George S. Parker Creates the Duofold

In 1921, George S. Parker, President of the Parker Pen Company (located in Janesville, Wisconsin), startled the pen manufacturing world and his critics by introducing a new model pen (Parker named it the "Duofold") that not only was unusually large (5-1/2" with the cap on; and, 6-7/8" with the cap posted), but also was a bright red color, defying the tradition that fountain pens were manufactured in black. Parker nicknamed the pen the "Big Red", and the name caught on. Parker priced the pen high for its time ($7), but offered a 25-year guarantee with it. The Big Red was a great success sold as quickly as Parker's company could manufacture the pens.

Parker Travels to Asia

In 1926, Parker and his wife traveled throughout Asia, spending much time in China. Parker was smitten, and he returned to Janesville enamored by all things Chinese. He instructed his factory to produce a Duofold in a new color for pens - Imperial Yellow. Parker met opposition from his board of directors and from his marketing and sales departments, but he was adament. In late April 1927, the first Duofold Mandarin Yellow fountain pen became available.

The Pen

Variously known as the Mandarin Yellow, the Imperial Yellow or the Chinese Yellow Duofold, the Mandarin Yellow never caught on with the buying public for two principle reasons: The pen was fragile and cracked easily even when used carefully; and, its yellow threads and barrel often showed staining from the ink. It is likely that the pen would have been quickly discontinued if its champion, George S. Parker, had not been president of the company. In any event, very few sold, and the model was discontinued early in the 1930s.

Today, Duofold Mandarin Yellows are highly prized by collectors. A Mandarin Yellow without staining or damage, especially to the lip of its cap, is rare, indeed, and much sought after by collectors.