Vintage Parker 51 C/c

[aalmcc4]

I just picked up a Parker 51. It's black and in excellent to like new condition.

 

It has a vintage Parker squeeze converter in it. It is not an aerometric. So I did a little reaserch and while this pen was not a commercial success, I guess it is rare? Only made for a few years (1958-61?)

 

I have a few questions.

 

Will a new parker converter work in it? Will new parker cartridges fit and work correctly.

 

It's in excellent shape. It had been inked but apparently used very little.

 

Are they worth more than a comparable aerometric?

 

I got a good deal on it, I think. $28.00.

 

I'm an accumulator not a collector. I use any pen I buy. Are they junk?

[icardoth]

You got an excellent price, by the way. Not junk at all. It's still a 51, but with a different collector system. I have two of them and I tried several converters in order to find one that fits properly. I'm using an old squeeze converter in one of my pens and a slide converter (syringe-type) in the other. Others (like the twist modern converter) have the nipple too big to fit well. Normal Parker cartridges will do fine as well.

[welch]

You are triple lucky. Legend says that Parker stopped making the c/c 51 because they felt that a top-line pen should not have the same filling system as the P-45. At the time, Parker was also selling the capillary P-61. The 45 was their low-end "school pen". The c/c 51 was not junk, and, at $28, you qualify as a genuine Sumgai.

 

I am envious!

[Sasha Royale]

$28 ! You have a Parker 51 for $28. The ink supply system is

non-standard, and unusual. I hear that it works fine. It was not

popular. So, by my equation > > >

 

UNPOPULAR + 50 YEARS = RARE

 

Take really good care of it. We know what becomes of "RARE".

[farmdogfan]

Did´nt the 51 "special" have a squeeze converter?.

[mitto]

Did´nt the 51 "special" have a squeeze converter?.

 

No. As far as I know.

[icardoth]

Did´nt the 51 "special" have a squeeze converter?.

 

No, it's still aerometric but with a hoop filler just like a 21.

[farmdogfan]

O.K. Thanks.

[aalmcc4]

Hmmm, I didn't think I stumbled on anything special. I love my other 51s and thought the CC/ 51 was the ugly step child, so to speak.

 

Thanks for all your comments.

 

I found it at an antique shop, in the wild. It was marked $35, but the clerk was more than happy to come down a bit. Ultimately to $28.

 

While I was hunting that day I also found, at another shop a Gray (battleship gray) regular aerometric 51. It's dated 1948 (first year aerometric?) and is in as fine shape as the 51 C/C. I snagged the gray aerometric 51 for $40. It was marked $40, firm and they wouldn't come down at all.

 

All in all, I'd say a really great day! And the funny thing was I wasn't even looking for pens. I was hunting for vintage single and double edge razors!! (got one of those too, but that's for another forum!

[mitto]

Congrats on both the 51s. You got lucky. Wouldn't you show us the pens. Both I mean.

[welch]

Where are these antique shops???

 

I went to some antique stores in Missouri, but the best I found was a WASP, for WA Sheaffer Pen Company, a Depression era economy brand of Sheaffer. Opened the cap to find that it was missing a nib, and a section, and a filling system. Cap and barrel only.

[icardoth]

I snagged the gray aerometric 51 for $40. It was marked $40, firm and they wouldn't come down at all.

 

 

Many, many people think a C/C 51 is a broken aerometric pen. I bought one listed as such for only $21.50.