My First Parker 51 (Still Looking For Info On It's Origins)

[KBeezie]

My first Parker 51, and of course an 'impulse' buy for me. (Pray for my bank if I ever make it to a Pen Show... seems having tried it in person makes it harder to refuse).

 

I don't have much information about this particular one just that it has the following characteristics:

• Cap: 1/8 14K Gold Filled Made in USA

• reddish/brown barrel/section (Cordovan Brown?)

• vac filler with a yellowed plunger (black band filler)

• Barrel's stamp : Parker "51" Made in U.S.A

• Next to Stamp: A tiny '8' with three dots under it (1st quarter of 1948?)

• Clear (with faint amount of blue tone) Jewel on top

It's a fine nib, very smooth, purchased from a local seller here in Grand Rapids (I got an Eversharp Skyline in Burgundy from him off eBay and noticed he was located in Grand Rapids, so decided to meet up for a local pick up).

 

A P51 has been sort of on my 'wish list' for a while but never got around to getting one until I could actually look at one and feel it.

 

http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/p51_gold_brown/uncapped.jpg

 

http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/p51_gold_brown/write.jpg

Edited August 16, 2014 by KBeezie

[MKeith]

Congratulations on a nice catch. Looks like you are right on in your identification, however it just may be the light but it looks like a burgundy to me, but it could well be a cordovan. A good reference is this: http://parkercollector.com/parker51.html

 

It has a nice cap as the gold ones are usually dented up to some degree. A little simichrome on the body, but not the cap, will get rid of most if not all of the scratches. Overall a nice 51 but if the diaphram is very old it would pay to have it restored. Danny Fudge at www.thewritepen.org is excellent and his cost is only $20.00.

 

Welcome to the 51 club.

Edited August 16, 2014 by MKeith

[KBeezie]

It was sold to me as restored. (the seller restores them himself), he's local so I can always ask about the diaphrag, and if nneeded I got my own guy I use all the time (Sean Nicholson of write on time pen and watch restoration, all the ones he's done for me has come back like new, even if they had chew marks).

 

I don't have quink ink, tthat's what was in it when he handed oit to me, I decided to keep it inked with that so I can see if I like quink blue.

[dave-]

Nib certainly does not look like a restored pen. It looks like they look when I buy them from somebody who has left it in a draw for decades.

[KBeezie]

Nib certainly does not look like a restored pen. It looks like they look when I buy them from somebody who has left it in a draw for decades.

Can you elaborate on the nib ?

 

Far as the color it's definitely brown (will need to get a shot next to my Grey cards).

[FarmBoy]

Can you elaborate on the nib ?

 

Far as the color it's definitely brown (will need to get a shot next to my Grey cards).

I'd like elaboration as well.

 

Cordovan Brown = Vacumatic fill

Burgundy = Aerometric fill

[Apothic]

Welcome to the P51 club! That looks like a very nice one. I love the feathered clips on Vacumatic fillers. Fine example of the transitional period for Parker. My guess it would have a date code of 8? 1948?

[KBeezie]

I'd like elaboration as well.

 

Cordovan Brown = Vacumatic fill

Burgundy = Aerometric fill

Never knew the two were unique to their filling method, but ya this is a vac filler.

 

Welcome to the P51 club! That looks like a very nice one. I love the feathered clips on Vacumatic fillers. Fine example of the transitional period for Parker. My guess it would have a date code of 8? 1948?

Yea it's an 8 with 3 dots (first quarter)

Edited August 16, 2014 by KBeezie

[KBeezie]

*Blanked* (edited to above post)

Edited August 16, 2014 by KBeezie

[dannyboy]

Looks like you've got yourself a nice 51 there! Look out, though, those little boys like company--and there are many varieties of the 51!

[dave-]

Can you elaborate on the nib ?

 

Far as the color it's definitely brown (will need to get a shot next to my Grey cards).

 

Ok I will show you a picture of a 51 I restored, nib looks brand new from the factory :

 

http://i1374.photobucket.com/albums/ag429/dave2614/056_zps693b67bf.jpg

[KBeezie]

Looks like you've got yourself a nice 51 there! Look out, though, those little boys like company--and there are many varieties of the 51!

The same rthing happened with my vintage Sheaffer.

 

Far as the restoration :

 

Yeah it's restored. Complete disassemble soak and thorough cleaning of the feed and nib adjustment. Then replacing the diaphragm and lubrication. Disassembled the clip and got of anything under the clip and dried ink in the cap that prevents the pen from full closure.

Ok I will show you a picture of a 51 I restored, nib looks brand new from the factory :

 

http://i1374.photobucket.com/albums/ag429/dave2614/056_zps693b67bf.jpg

I'll get some macro shots when I get home, my pics don't put much emphasis on the nib as they're out of focus in both shots, and depending on how your monitor is calibrated they may appear differently. But I'll get some closeups for you.

 

But yes, usually I ask what's entailed in a restoration since some people will call a sac replacement but still has scratches as "fully restored"

Edited August 16, 2014 by KBeezie

[KBeezie]

*Blanked* Edited into previous post.

Edited August 16, 2014 by KBeezie

[dave-]

Oh no dont worry about the nib, the main thing is it sucks up ink, does not leak and writes well. If it does those three then its a good buy.

[KBeezie]

I went ahead and got some closeups, and could not find my white/black/grey card set so I balanced off a 97 bright sheet of paper.

http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/p51_gold_brown/nib.jpg

 

http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/p51_gold_brown/nib_bottom.jpg

 

http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/p51_gold_brown/cap_close.jpg

 

http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/p51_gold_brown/capfill.jpg

 

http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/p51_gold_brown/section.jpg

 

http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/p51_gold_brown/button.jpg

Edited August 16, 2014 by KBeezie

[Florida Blue]

Congrats on your first 51!

 

The nib seems perfectly fine to me. Judging from the tipping material, it could be a medium rather than fine, or just on the wider side of fine.

 

The hood does seem a little scratched up, but other than that, the pen seems to be in very good shape.

[KBeezie]

My first attempt at polishing it. I didn't touch the center of the body due to the stamp, just the end cap and the section (above the silver band.

 

http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/p51_gold_brown/polish_attempt.jpg

 

Congrats on your first 51!

 

The nib seems perfectly fine to me. Judging from the tipping material, it could be a medium rather than fine, or just on the wider side of fine.

 

The hood does seem a little scratched up, but other than that, the pen seems to be in very good shape.

Seems more like a western fine to me.

 

http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/p51_gold_brown/write2.jpg

 

Not sure what he used to lubricate the button on the back, but man that stuff is stinky, it's almost like motor oil with a zest of alcohol.

Edited August 16, 2014 by KBeezie

[Florida Blue]

Seems more like a western fine to me.

 

It looks quite lovely after the polish. Vintage nibs, I would say, are different from modern nibs. The tipping can be quite blobby, whereas the earlier 51 nibs were shaped by hand on a grinding wheel under high magnification. For example, a modern Parker nib is nowhere near as well-made as a nib like this, which is why you get cases of baby bottom, misaligned tines, fines that write like broads, skipping etc. However, after looking at the writing comparisons it may well be a fine.

[KBeezie]

It looks quite lovely after the polish. Vintage nibs, I would say, are different from modern nibs. The tipping can be quite blobby, whereas the earlier 51 nibs were shaped by hand on a grinding wheel under high magnification. For example, a modern Parker nib is nowhere near as well-made as a nib like this, which is why you get cases of baby bottom, misaligned tines, fines that write like broads, skipping etc. However, after looking at the writing comparisons it may well be a fine.

I mainly compared to modern nibs because it's easier to compare to a machined 'standard', ie: the Goulet nibs, made by Jowo seem to be a pretty good match to what's often considered "Western Standard", and the Pilot nibs being right down the middle of a "Japanese Standard" (and as such Jpn F = Wst EF).

 

Comparing it to my vintage Eversharps, Sheaffers, and Pilots would be harder to compare in my opinion, especially since most of the vintage nibs I have don't have a thickness indicator and I have a few variations of thickness between them, where as if I got several of the same modern pens of the same size markings they're usually identical in size, even if their performance may not be as good as some of the vintage ones.

Edited August 17, 2014 by KBeezie

[KBeezie]

Cleaned it up... (the nib/feed was clogged), and going to meet up with him later to go over some issues.

 

Anywho, here's a shot next to my grey card (finally) to get an accurate view of the color after I got it reassembled (soaked the feed and collector, etc).

 

http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/p51_gold_brown/reassembled_crop.jpg

Edited August 17, 2014 by KBeezie