The Parker 180 in Thuya was introduced in 1980, this superb example is date coded for the last quarter of 1984.  It is a deep lacquered pen, part of the prestigious 'Place Vendome' collection made in Meru, France. 

Shortly after this pen was made the 'Place Vendome' 180 was discontinued and replaced with a cheaper, solid coloured version with a steel nib, this pen has a medium 14 Ct. Gold nib it is stamped as such.  The parker 180 nib is quite spectacular, although it could be lethal in the wrong hands!

The pen is in immaculate condition throughout, it came to me as a new old stock pen.  The original ink converter, which also shows no signs of use, is included in the box 180 is a slim pen and standard Parker converters won't fit so the inclusion of the converter is an important issue with these pens.  A Parker ink cartridge is included, in the original box, so the pen is ready to write in either configuration. 

The 'thuya' colour was a replacement for both the 'tortoiseshell' and the 'woodgrain' finishes used on the earlier Parker 75.  The name is taken from the thuya tree, wood is usually taken from the root. The Gold filled 'stack of coins' cap stud also seems to have been 'borrowed' from the 75.  The deep lacqered, multi layer surface is in excellent condition and the gold filling, also pristine, appears deeper and more richly coloured than usual, it may be 18Ct.  A useful feature of the 180 is the flared band at the end of the barrel.  This 'clicks' into the cap when the cap is posted to prevent the rim of the cap making contact with, and scratching, the barrel when the pen is in use.

The 'Place Vendome' lacque pens had a relatively short production run and the Thuya version is quite a rare, hugely attractive, and very collectable pen.