About the modern Parker Snake project: 

In most cultures snakes and serpents are powerful symbols.

They stood for healing in ancient Greece; in later ages they symbolised wisdom; and in the Orient, a snake encircles the tree of life.

One of the world's most desired pens is also among the rarest

The 1997 Parker Limited Edition Snake Pen embodies the same powerful mystique that is the breath of legends.

Created as a strictly limited edition using precious metals, the 1997 Snake Pen has already become a collectors' item. It is based on the original Snake Pen that

Parker introduced in 1906. Now rare and valuable, these unique pens are museum pieces.

The Parker 1997 Snake Pen retains all the features that made its predecessor a classic writing instrument.

Parker has enhanced some aspects of the pen: emeralds are now used for the snake eyes, instead of green glass used in the original and the hand-cast acrylic of the sleek black barrel retains its shine far better than the vulcanised rubber of the antique Snake Pen.

5000 of the 1997 Parker Limited Edition Snake Pens are cast in sterling silver, and a very limited number of 250 have been fashioned from 18K solid yellow gold.

Manufactured for the modern writer, the pen incorporates the latest fountain pen technology.

The flexible 18K gold nib benefits from the expertise that Parker has accumulated in over 100 years of writing. Highlighted with platinum, it has a hard wearing tip for smooth writing, and carries a beautiful snake design.

Inside the barrel is a precision engineered, twin channel feed and collector system, which ensures a controlled supply of ink even at high altitudes.

The most captivating features of the pen are entwined around the outside. To create the extraordinary snake design, Parker looked to an ancient technique called lost wax casting, still practised by highly skilled traditional craft jewellers today.

With lost wax casting a skilled silversmith makes a wax model of the finished object, and surrounds it in plaster to form a mould. Applying heat to the mould melts away the wax. To form a perfect replica of the original model, the silversmith casts metal into the cavity left by the 'lost' wax. For the Parker Snake Pen, a master pattern has been specially created in reverse, and the castings made from it retain all the intricate detail of the original fine wax carving.

The enchanting coiled snake slides into place over the black acrylic body.

Then each pen is assembled and hand polished, before being meticulously inspected and individually numbered on the cap plaque and engraved on the barrel.

The prestigious, genuine leather presentation box is an ideal way to proudly display the Parker Snake Pen. Echoing the spirit of the Victorian era, the soft contours of the magnificent design complement the artistry, craftsmanship and technology of the pen

Inspiration for the exotic snake design is thought to have been fired by the descriptions and drawings of ancient civilisations, Aztec and Mayan carvings, and their serpent gods. Such as the Medusa, one of the three gorgons of Greek mythology whose head Perseus cut off to present to Athenes as an ornament for her shield, and the ancient mythological Egyptian

"sky serpent", prophesying providence. Throughout history, the snake or serpent has been held as a respectful symbol of power, life and rebirth.

A WORK OF ART

An acknowledged work of art, the original Parker Snake Pen was crafted by hand in sterling silver. The snake figure, with penetrating green eyes, is coiled round a hard, black vulcanised rubber base.

The Parker 1997 Limited Edition Snake Pen unites the most advanced technology with the skill of traditional silversmiths and pure aesthetic appeal.

Based on the original Parker Snake Pen that was introduced in 1906, the 1997 Parker Snake Pen, created for the modern writer, has the same powerful mystique that is the breath of legends.

AN ANCIENT CRAFT

To create such an extraordinary design, Parker looked to an ancient technique called "lost wax casting", still practised by highly skilled traditional silversmiths today.

Lost wax metal casting dates back in time beyond Egypt's pyramids. More than a thousand years BC, artisans of the Shang Dynasty in China created delicate filigree objects of bronze as sophisticated as any high-precision casting of today.

Surviving Aztec artefacts also reflect mastery of the same casting techniques, rivalling the best jewellery craftsmen of modern times.

A model, or pattern of the finished object is created in wax by a skilled. craftsman. The model is then surrounded by plaster which hardens to form a cast or mould. When the mould is heated, the wax pattern melts away and is "lost". Metal is cast into the cavity, recreating the original wax pattern. For the Parker Snake Pen, a master pattern has been specially created in reverse, and a perfect casting achieved, with all the intricate detail of the original fine wax carving.

The hand-crafted, open filigree snake design is cast in sterling silver, the glittering, genuine emerald eyes faceted and matched for colour and size. Each pen contains a total of 32 grams of silver in the decorative snake motif and the banding on the cap and barrel. The cap and barrel are made from a solid block of hand cast black acrylic, polished to a brilliant, scratch resistant finish.

When completed the coiled silver snake motif slides carefully into place over the polished black acrylic body. Then each pen is specially treated and hand polished

MODERN TECHNOLOGY

Although its dramatic, mystical design has been crafted using a skill whose beginnings are lost in the mists of time, the new Parker Snake Pen is a superb, modern writing instrument.

At the heart of the pen is a technically advanced, precision engineered, twin channel feed and collector system which ensures a controlled supply of ink to the nib even at high altitudes.

The flexible 18K gold nib, highlighted with platinum, carries a beautiful snake design and has a hard wearing tip for smooth writing

Only 5000 sterling silver Parker Snake Pens have been manufactured, each carrying its designated number etched into the cap and into a barrel plaque to indicate its provenance and authenticity. All are stamped with the UK sterling silver hallmark and convention hallmark.

The prestigious, genuine leather presentation box is an ideal way to proudly display the Parker Snake Pen. Echoing the spirit of the Victorian era, the soft contours of the magnificent design complement the artistry, craftsmanship and technology of the pen itself.

The Parker 1997 Limited Edition Snake Pen is a collectors' pen and a work of art that will delight and give a lifetime of writing pleasure.

Nota Bene:

If you have any questions, please feel free to message me for more information.