I have had this parker 51 special as my everyday pen for 6 months or so. after a fall on my bike, the clip starting getting loose. i immediately stopped clipping it anything, but now the clip is so loose that is easily swivels.

could i repair this on my own? how much would it cost to get it fixed? i was thinking of replacing it with a new lamy pen is my everyday writer, would this be a more robust choice?

Is the cap jewel loose? That's what keeps the clip in place.

Barring more serious problems, they are tightened with friction from the top. The classic way is by pushing the cap hard into something sticky like thick rubber sheeting or tape to grab the end-jewel and allow tightening. Be careful that you don't allow the clip to rotate and score the cap.

Skip

It does sound like the jewel on the top of the cap is loose. What you can do is first place a little masking tape under the clip to prevent it from marring the surface of the cap, then tighten the jewel. If it's loose, you can use the bottom of a rubber mouse pad and apply a little elbow grease. Remove the cap from the pen, place the cap with the jewel facing down on the mouse pad, make sure you keep the clip aligned between your thumb and forefinger, press down on the pad and twist as you tighten the jewel.

wow, just followed your advice and it worked great. now i dont know if i should look into a more rugged everyday pen, but in the meantime, my old trusty is back in business.

i appreciate the help.

I had actually just taken apart my Paker "51" and wanted to expand on the working of the cap for a second if I may. The jewel doesn't keep the clip in place, it covers the brass screw that keeps the clip in place. If you really want to get the clip down for good, you need to remove the jewel, which will expose the brass screw. A flathead screwdriver will tighten the screw and clip all the way down, then you can replace the jewel. Torquing the jewel too much may break it off, as it is only plastic, and the threaded post really isn't that large, or meant for that kind of abuse. To remove the jewel, I used a rubber jar opener, and my thumb. It provided the right amount of grip to do it, though I had one helluva bruised thumb . Tryphon sells a great tool for removing the jewel painlessly. Sometimes that jewels may be stuck, so be careful. Anyway, hope I helped...

There is another easily available tool for removing a "51" cap jewel, BluTac. I found this by accident a while back when I could not find my usual piece of rubber. It needs to be shaed then left to get cold, 10 mins in the freezer should do it. You can then get it to bear directly onto the plastic and it comes out without too many bruised fingers. Sometimes the jewel can be sealed in with a bit of shelac and if so a quick dunk in some really hot water does the trick.

Jim

okay, so there is a screw under the jewel... that makes sense. so if i wanted to remove the jewel to tighten the screw, would i pull up or does the jewel screw off as well?

The jewel unscrews and then you can get at the real screw, which is threaded internally to take the jewel. I think Richard B''s site has a cut away drawing that might make more sense.

Jim

The jewel unscrews and then you can get at the real screw, which is threaded internally to take the jewel. I think Richard B''s site has a cut away drawing that might make more sense.

Jim

It does, under Reference Info,

Anatomy of a Fountain Pen IV: The Parker “51” (Aerometric Version)

The first illustration is the cutaway. The image is the same for the special as it is the regular "51"

Would all of this excellent advice to the Parker 21 as well?

Probably not. The cap on a Parker 21 is a bit different, as the clip and tassie on the 21 are not one piece AFAIK. I would assume a certain degree of similarity, but not exactly.

After I wrote my post, I attacked the loose clip and discovered that the "jewel" and the screw are one and the same on a Parker 21. All tight now, and good as new.

Glad to hear it, and good to know!