Elo,

I have what i believe to be a Parker 61, that i can't twist open! not the cap. the cap comes off. however, i can't twist it open to fill it. any ideas?

Thanks.

First find out if it's actually a 61 -- if the cap is lustraloy (frosted finish stainless steel) it will be stamped with "Parker 61) just above the lip.

Custom (gold filled) caps, alas, do not have the stamping, but they usually have the Parker arrow through an ellipse mark and "Parker" stamped at the lip.

There will also be a celluloid "jewel" on the top of the cap and the end of the barrel, unless the barrel one is missing, in which case there will be a threaded hole for it. The end of the barrel is squared off. If it's cigar shaped, likely you have a "51".

There is a trim ring between the hood and the barrel on a 61, this is where it unscrews. If it simply won't come undone, I'd soak it in water over night, this may dissolve the dried ink that I assume is holding it together. Right hand thread, by the way, the usual -- don't try to unscrew it left hand!

If the trim ring sticks up above the barrel, you don't have a 61 -- it's either a "51" or a 21 Super.

Don't use too much force, the barrels are notoriously brittle and either the hood or the barrel will crack badly if you use to much. The barrel should unscrew easily.

If it's a 51 instead, make sure you don't have a vacumatic one -- the barrel does NOT unscrew on those, instead there is a small cap on the end of the barrel that unscrews. There are double "jewel" "51"s out there, so try to unscrew just the very end of the barrel. If the filler is original, the blind cap on the end of the barrel will be nearly invisible until you unscrew it.

Peter

There's an easier way to identify a P61. Is there an arrow on the hood just above the nib, or a recess for the arrow? If there is, it's a P61.

If you do establish that it is a P61, then the you are limited to your options in getting the barrel off if it's excessively tight.

First check you're trying to unscrew it in the correct direction. Sorry, I know this is like teaching you to suck eggs, but occasionally everyone has brain fade (my wife frequently 'undoes' threads by tightening them as hard as she can..). The barrel thread is a right hand thread, so when holding the section, the barrel needs to be turned anti-clockwise when looking at the end of the barrel.

First thing I'd suggest is soaking it overnight in water or - if available - diluted household ammonia overnight. Then try unscrewing the barrel.

If that doesn't work, put the pen in as hot water as your hands can stand (but no hotter) and soak for 5 minutes. See if you can unscrew it then.

Next effort is to try 2 car oil filter strap wrenches (the sort that use a rubber band to grip the oil filter). Put the bands around the pen close to the connector and try to unscrew.

If it still doesn't work, it's likely that this suggestion won't either & you may crack the barrel using this method - it's a last resort really. Wrap a soft fabric or something similar around the barrel within 3/8" (10mm) of the joint and do the same on the section. Then, gripping as lightly as you can manage while still applying twist to the barrel, use waterpump pliers or something similar to try to unscrew it. Something will give doing this, but it may be the barrel.

If nothing has moved by now, try a sledge hammer. It won't do any good, but it'll make you feel better.

Regards

Richard.

Elo,

Thanks for the replies. first of all, it is a parker 61, because it has the golden arrow on the tip and well, there's a 61 written on the cap!

i will try the things you told me about and get back to you!

Thanks!