P21 Questions

[Eccles]

I just acquired a couple of inexpensive P21s that are understandably less than perfect, albeit a bit less perfect than hoped.

Q1. The section hoods have shrinkage - how difficult are they to source and replace?

Q2. When flushing them under water, there seemed to be a bit of ink squidding from the aerometric filler to section junction - how are these parts connected, is a slight leak normal with age, and is it hard to fix?

If repairs are not economical they can always be parts pens or users.

Thanks in anticipation for the usual wealth of wisdom about such matters.

Glenn.

[richardandtracy]

Answers:

Q1: Almost impossible to find them without shrinkage. Availability is low-poor.

Q2: This shouldn't happen and will make the pen drip/leak. Take a good look at the section, it may be due to a crack, or just broken shellac inside. If it's a crack, then it's a parts pen. There is no real way of dealing with it. Otherwise, gently remove the section (which may be shellacked in situ) and re seal with shellac (after having checked that the connector isn't cracked.

The life of a cracked hood may be extended if you can find any of 'Captain Trolley's creeping crack cure', but I wouldn't expect it to cure the pen of a crack.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[OcalaFlGuy]

What baffles me is there isn't any apparent (to me anyway) rhyme or reason to the shrinkage.

 

You can have 2 equally minty otherwise, any series P-21s, one will be fine, the other so shrunken the hood is distorted.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

[JotterAddict62]

I had one P21 when I was soaking in water for cleaning and forgotten about it for a day and the

hood just disintegrated in my hand when I took it out of the water. Could not understand what had happen.

I have more in my collection... so I was not worried about the loss.

Edited October 16, 2014 by JotterAddict62

[Sasha Royale]

An oldtimer at a pen company, told me that the Parker 21 (a budget version of the iconic Parker 51)

used thinner, cheaper plastic, that aged badly. (Don't we all ?) Deforming and cracking is common.

When they were new, they functioned like the Parker 51, but at a low price. This is a good description

of my four Parker 21's, ever the NOS one.

 

Remember that any replacement parts will be 40-year-old P21 parts.

 

By the way, did I say that the Parker 21 "Look-alike", the Parker 51, is a really nice pen with none of the problems ?

[Eccles]

Thanks everyone.

I can live with shrunken hoods. And I too have others that are still fine, so I can easily agree with Bruce's 'no rhyme nor reason' comment.

No cracks found; must be shellac issues... if I can fix that they are definite users.

Or get someone to fix it. I think there is a NZ repairer I could try for the benefit of shorter travel times and lower postage; I have low confidence in Aus ones after my Melbourne experience.

I HAD noticed that my 51s are much better behaved.

Thanks again, all; as usual, the collective feedback has been very informative.

Glenn.

[OcalaFlGuy]

 

By the way, did I say that the Parker 21 "Look-alike", the Parker 51, is a really nice pen with none of the problems ?

 

Once Parker Finally managed to nail the 21 down to as close to a 51 Special as it could get, there was a bunch of the final rendition that were unwritable. I have one, it's nearly

NOS. Won't write at all. Teri M at Peyton Street pen had a Bunch of the duds. The last fix I heard was opening the tines up. I've been too PO'd at mine (and too crappy at nib

work) to mess with mine anymore.

 

Pity, it's a Red Mk III like I wanted and it's Minty.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl