Hello All,
Could anyone tell me why the 51 is so special. is it lightweight or heavy? There is a picture of a magnificent silver 51 on this site. I'm not so keen on the hooded nib, but I could be persuaded if it's a great writer.
Love
Badge

Hi.

Do take a post at the Parker 51 eyecandy i plopped just above your note :-)

The 51 represented markedly new levels of engineering sophistication.

The 51 did not introduce the world to a a metal cap on a plastic pens (the more deco Wahl Coronet, the threaded-cap Sheaffer Crest and Parker's 51 preceded the 51's USA intro), but did make the look di riguer for most of the world. Yeah, the 51 looks lots like most of the pens out there today, because most of the pens today borrowed the look from the 51 ;-)

Many many variants are out there, factoring in shape, filling style, color, cap style, size, etc. One can spend a lifetime hunting these.

A working 51 can be had for <$50, whilst some cost several thousand.

All the right things to stimulate collecting appetites.

best

david
www.vacumania.com

Thanks Dave
Great picture.

Hi Badger,

Having seen David's selection (and what a selection it is ,51 afficionados will still be drooling quietly in the corner) you have probably got the 'looks' part of why do people like them out of the way and can understand it, they do look good.

The best thing about them is that even a run of the mill Black lucite and brushed cap 51 will write as well as any of David's gems if it is set up well.

There is however a serious problem with the 51. It was made in the days before health and safety warnings were thought of, or it would have to carry a warning that to people of a certain disposition it may be highly addictive and may cause serious damage to your bank balance, your peace of mind and that of your spouse/partner/significant other as well as that of your bank manager.

If you are fortunate and do not have that particular disposition you can enjoy a great pen at very modest cost with absolutely no danger, if properly looked after they rarely leak, the caps don't slip off in your your pocket, if the clutch is in good condition and the clip grips your pocket edge and won't slip off. Find one you like and even if you are drawn to many other pens the 51 will stay with you, you won't want to part with it, but be warned they do get lonely and you soon find that they multiply just ask Ruadhri and Jim and Griz and..............

Me I'm fine, I've only got a few, less than ten anyway, well 12 but......

Cheers enjoy a 51 soon, John

Amendment to previous post.......

Please insert an 'i' in between the 'a' and the 'd' in Rua(i)dhri in the last line, in order to prevent the wrath the Irish from falling upon me, it was an honest oversight on my behalf, with a surname like mine English was enough of a problem without starting on the Gaelic.

Mea culpa, John

It is so special because it is:



Seriously, it is a great pen to write with. Dependable, sturdy, and smooth.

Oxonian and Badger, as I mentioned on other threads, Parker 51s are "where it's at!!!" Forget Sheaffer Compacts and Parker Vacumatics. Those are only pretenders!!! Just keep thinking the correct fountain pen mantra, "Fifty one. Fifty one. Fifty one. Fifty one. Fifty one ..."

Cheers All, thank you.

Badger,

Do not despair, the eye candy that 'The Evil Dr I' posts is only there to drive folks like myself, DWL, Old Griz and the rest up the wall.

However I can tell you that the cheapest beat up "51" off fleabay, if it is clean and set up well, will write like a dream. The problem is that once you get a "51" you are then off on this endless Grail Quest to find the pen that write better. Trouble is it is like looking for a black cat, in a pitch dark room, that is painted black, only there is no cat

I have a "51" that I use daily that was made up from spare parts I found that I had after a few months of eBay trading, it writes just as well as my expensive "51" Vacs. I have used a "51" since '62, when my parents bought me a new one for getting a scholarship and I have still not found a pen to equal it :doh:

Jim

Badger,

Have a look at:
Richard Binder

And
Parker51.com

amongst others.

As Jim said there are plenty of very good user grade "51"s out there. Treat yourself.

Don't pay any attention to young Dr. I. He won't be showing those for much longer :ph34r:

Nor was I after the first acquisition, Badge. I looked at the 61s and thought, AH HA, that's why they put the guide arrow on the 61s...nobody could properly use the bloody hooded nibs without it. WRONG!

You'll find that you develop an insight for the correct orientation of nib to paper. If you put the nib to paper a little off the mark, you newly developed sense for the nib will, while the first stroke is being made, cause you to rotate the nib in the correct direction for just the correct amount and, bingo, you're at the sweet spot and writing away contentedly.

Worst case scenario... You acquire a "51" and just plain don't care for it after a proper trial. Keep it, anyway! It's a tribute to the world's most popular pen that all pen folk should manifest.

Worst case scenario (corrolary No. 1)... You love your "51"! Pity, because now you fall into line with all the pathetic ones like - hmm, better not go there.

I like your thinking Roger, I might just do that.
Love
Badge.

Thanks for the sites Ruaidhri, how do you pronounce that?

Hi Badger,

Ruaidhri is pronounced carefully...... I wouldn't dare even try to explain, Gaelic is a language too far for me.

On the subject of 51's

If you would like to try a 51 without buying one, as you are in the UK and if you don't mind paying to post it back to me I am quite happy to lend you as basic, medium nibbed 51 Aero little black number to try for a week or two. Send me a PM with your address if you want to try it, postage to you is on me.

This offer is restricted to Badger by the way, I only have the one lender pen.

Cheers John

Here's the usual explanation -

Ruaidhrí - the í is "i fada" (fada = long) in Gaelic
Pronounced Rooree
Anglicised as Rory
Rua rooah= Red, Rí Ree = king --> Red haired King.
Actually sparse blonde-ish and definitely not a king

You are not the first to ask - and probably won't be the last. Same on PT & L&P

Badger-

Here is my "51" story. My interest in fountain pens is less than a year old. But early on my work travels took me by an "Antique Mall". I asked the old fellow behind the check-out desk if he knew of any stalls selling fountain pens. He showed me a couple of outrageously high priced Wearevers. I said "No thanks. That seems a little steep." He asked If I had an hour and he invited me to his home to look at some of his pens. Turns out he's a retired attorney. He looked through drawers and came up with 4 pens: A green '48 aero "51" with a gold converging lines cap, a green '48 aero "51" with lustraloy cap, a cedar "51" Special with his name imprinted and a black Sheaffer Imperial III.
All were in nice shape, but not perfect- he used them every day until he retired in 1980. Then he flushed them with water and put them in that drawer. I tried to put on my best poker face and asked him how much he wanted for them. We settled on $20 each for the "51"s and $15 for the Sheaffer.

I have since sold the green lustraloy and rarely use the Sheaffer.
But I use the "51" and the Special all the time.

Here is the really great thing: I know their story. Every time I use them I think of Larry. That is one of the main attractions for me to fountain pen collecting- It is a personal tool which links me directly to the past. It connects me to my father and other guys with white shirts, skinny ties and hats. FP's connect me to vets who were putting together their lives after a war robbed them of their youth and innocence.

I won't say "51's are the only pens for me. Now I have a thing going with Parker Vacumatics that is scorching holes in my bank account.

But the "51" is an icon. To me it symbolizes post-war optimism.

And all you have to do is pick one up and you know it's cool.

Jack

I'm looking at a magazine ad for the "51" from February 1946.

World War II has barely ended, and demand for pens is at an all-time high.

Parker could have slapped together pens and sold them as fast as they sent them out the door.

Instead, the Parker ad shows a blueprint of the "51." It's marked with the legend: "No tolerance to exceed plus or minus 1/1000th of an inch." Under the headline: "WHY THE PARKER "51" PEN CAN NEVER BE 'MASS PRODUCED," this is what they tell their customers:

"Parker 51's are limited by their very precision. The craftsmen who make them work to standards of accuracy never before attained in fountain pens. Their pride in producing 51's equals the pride of those who own them."

And that's why these wonderful pens, 60 years later, still write circles around anything that's out there today. Even factoring in the puffery factor of 1940s advertising, these pens are engineering marvels. Because the people in Janesville and Toronto took such care in building these pens, we still get to enjoy them today.

I wonder how they got so many of them out the factory door if they weren't "mass produced." For sure, they had lots of expert workers, but I would still call the "51" a mass-produced pen.

Maybe the term had a different valence when used in the ad?

After 60+ years, it may be the best mass-produced pen ever!

Andy

Yes, old magazines advertisement are very entertaining. You can't say things like that these days if your selling to the mass market. If the FTC doesn't get you, a disgruntled consumer's lawyer will.

Thank you John for the very generous offer of trying out your Parker 51, however I'll have to decline as I'm very nervous about any harm coming to it and I'd be riddled with guilt for years to come and have to join a nunnery, but thank you anyway.

I have decided to take Rogers advice and put the 51 on my birthday wish list as even if I'm not keen on the style, or don't like the way it writes it is a little bit of history.

Love

Badge

Hi Badge,
No worries.

One of the things about Aerometric 51's is that as long as you don't play darts with them, drop them from a great height nib first or drive over them on a concrete surface they are pretty near bombproof and besides there would be no need to join a nunnery I have one of everything to put a black/stainless one back together, except a filler unit.

I hope your birthday wish comes true, the chances are you'll like it even if you don't love it. If curiosity gets the better of you before your birthday drop me a line.

Cheers John

But to temper the 51 love fest

I have bought 3 of them at various times usually after seeing a bunch of posts about how close to god's pen the 51 is. I buy one and then realize why I sold the last First off I forgot how much I dislike a hooded nib to me seeing the nib is part of the writing process. As well the clutch ring on the body hits right in the middle of my grip not giving a comfortable hold.

Secondly a nice rollerball will give the same experience as writing with a 51. Yes there may be special nibs that give you a different experience but you're going to pay for them or be very lucky to find one in the wild.

Lastly the material of construction is nice but there are lots of others out there that have more pizzazz for a comparable price. As with the nib the unusual and very nice configurations are expensive or you're lucky to find one in the wild.

So to paraphrase someone famous. this is the sort of thing that you'll like if you like that sort of thing.




K

Boy, are you going to get hate mail. I must admit that I have been resistant to the 51 pressure here on FPN, and I think as opposed to really gorgeous pens, such as the Parker ring celluloid Vacs, 51s look kinda funny. Which may be why I only have four of them.

I've picked up four as well and I must admit still not that sure about them. It could be having had a 61 flighter (converter type) for 30 years makes me think there should be a gold arrow, but the writing experience really is not any better than my early 45's and these are easier to flush out completely when changing ink colours..

John

I'm trying to learn every day.
I've edited my previous post because it was too snotty.

I like the 51 'cause they fit my hand well.

They appeal to my 40's - 50's nostalgic bent.

And unlike some modern all metal pens, they don't pull my shirt pocket down to my belt.

Jack

I believe much of the love, respect and admiration that the "51" receives is the result of a near perfect balance of form, function, construction and design that have blended to create a remarkably durable writing instrument. While not the most inspiring in many areas the "51" has no real glaring weaknesses. The aero fillers may be both the simplest and the most ruggedly reliable filling system available. The acrylic material may not be the most eye catching (like some vintage celluloid pens) but by golly it, unlike many others, holds up remarkably well over the years. The caps fit solidly in a predictable and reliable manner, without damaging the pen. The clips, while not as useful as the spring loaded Sheaffer clips, are well made and very easy to adjust. And while many don't like the look of the hooded nib, the practical benefits from a writing standpoint are difficult to argue with.

I have grown to appreciate Sheaffer pens, in part because their lower end models do tend to hold up better and be better made than some of the lower end Parkers, and the Snorkel is a clever design that in terms of fit, finish and materials is equal to the "51" - but it is a good deal more complicated to repair and less robust than an aero "51".

There are other pens with more complicated filling mechanisms, that hold more ink, that have more eye catching materials, with more dynamic nibs, and more fanciful designs. But when push comes to shove, if I could only have one pen (perish the thought ) it would be an aero "51".

I have to side with the people that don't see the 51 as the most perfect pen in existence.

I have 4 or 5 of them, and yes, they write very nicely, thank you, but no better than many others I can name.

And I have to say that using them, I always feel like I have taken a nun on a date to the beach. You don't need to have all your wares hanging out in the breeze, but as much of the artistry of fountain pens is related to the nibs, it would be nice to be able to actually SEE the flipping thing......where is that darned thing???

I think this is one of the reasons I like the 45 - you can see more of the nib which is nice - plus so easy to unscrew, clean and change. The 51 is very functional but very plain looking.

John