I just got my second parker FP -- got a 45 Flighter a while back to match the flighter pencil I had, and my mother promptly swiped it from me!

This one is the Mark 1, maroon with lustralloy cap. Some cracks at the screw fitting of the barrel, but nothing bad. Studs on the clutch ring amost gone, it got used a lot.

I rinsed the cap and filled the 21 with water, and it writes just fine!. Sac is a bit stiff, may have to replace it someday, but its OK now.

Still have trouble keeping the pen at the correct rotation to write, I'm spoiled by my Sheaffers, never have problems there, but on the Parkers I keep rotating the pen over and the nib stops writing. Probably habit. I'll have to post the cap so I can tell where the nib is -- between my middle-aged eysight and the hood I can't see it!

Very smooth, nice pen, larger diameter than my Snorkels, but nice.

Peter

Practice makes perfect

Once you have practiced, you can get a "51"

You will find that you either love 'em or hate 'em, I am over 40 years into using "51"s so there is no hope for me whatsoever.

Jim

I got my first Parker 21 (a "Super" in red, with a Lustraloy cap) at an antique show two weekends ago, and I am enjoying writing with it. The girth of the barrel makes it very pleasant to use, and the nib is quite smooth.

Normally, I don't go for hooded nibs but the price was right and I remembered that Richard waxed eloquent about it in this old FPN thread:
Losers that should be winners, Underappreciated pens