Commencing in the latter half of the 1920’s there was a sea change in the marketing of business and office writing products. Until then, it appeared that the desk set would require many years before its acceptance as an indispensable piece of office equipment.
It is worth noting that Parker was uniquely able to capitalize on a structural advantage that only its Duofold possessed – simply screwing a taper to the end of the barrel transformed a pocket pen to a desk pen. Similarly, removing the taper restored it to a Pocket Pen. The conversion of an ordinary pocket pen to a desktop unit and vice versa, accelerated the process of public acceptance. Through constant research and improvement, unique and exquisite designs, and expansive advertising campaigns the Company promoted the benefits of getting two pens for the price of a single fountain pen. Parker demonstrated why this value could not be obtained from any other writing instrument manufacturer.
”Like two pens in one” By getting a free cap and clip with the purchase of a desk base the public had the feeling of purchasing a more valuable product than from its competitors George Parker in his complementary statement thus promoted the benefits of the Parker desk sets.
The desk set revolutionized the writing instrument market and eventually led to its acceptance as an essential item for home and office. The Parker desk pen played a prominent role in this process.
Walter Guyot moved to Janesville from Attleboro in 1921 with George Gilman to work at Parker Pen and at American Metal Co. In January of 1926, Guyot filed a patent application followed by two subsequent improvements for a “ball-and-socket” swinging and collapsible movement, which was a substantial improvement over the rigid sockets theretofore produced. Guyot’s patent was not awarded until 1929* because of a competing application filed by the Wahl Co. which filed its own patent application for a more basic adjustable socket a few months earlier.
(*) In May of 1927, the lawsuit was settled in favor of Parker who received the patent while Wahl receiving a license. Pursuant to subsequent agreement among both companies and Sheaffer, this patent was assigned to their jointly owned Pen Desk Set Co.