In February of 1981 Parker in Canada introduced a new promotional writing product called the Multy, on an advertising show in Toronto. It was described as an "executive toy or puzzle", but it was in fact a four ink-colour ball pen that could be clipped together to produce a single unit. And then be taken apart again. The plastic of the pens was especially made to hold imprints of company logos and advertising messages. It was also packaged in a transparent plastic cylinder that could also be printed with the company logos.
It was designed by Parker's Developement Center in Baden-Baden, Germany, but was manufactured by Parker in Spain. It was also offered in Canada, and was supposed to be introduced in the US, but it probably was not. There were two versions made. The Multy-4 had four ball pens in different colours, while the Multy-2 was offered either as a two ball pen version or with one ball pen and one pencil. They were manufactured in either black or white plastic with sections the colour of the ink.
The Parker Multy never really took off and items are relatively rare.
Special thanks to Graham Hogg
The two-pen version of the Multy (1981)
