Hello all in the Parker Forum,

I am relatively new to the Fountain Pen network.
I do not have much experience with reviving a long ignored fp.

I have a small collection of five fountain pens which have lain ignored in a box for twenty years or so.

After reading these forums for a while I have decided that I need to have a working fountain pen.

After examining my pens I find that the Parker “51” Special seems to be the one in the best state of repair. In fact besides what I would call normal everyday scratches it appears to be in pristine condition.

I have soaked the tip in cool water and filled and emptied the ink sack until it runs practically clear. I have read several places on these forums that it is a good idea to soak a long ignored pen overnight, I will do this.

I also have a few questions which I would appreciate some help from you fountain pen experts here in answering.

1 - what size is the nib on a “51” Special considered to be, say in comparison to the sizes offered on Mont Blanc pens for example,…. F,….M,…. Other?

2- I’d like to pick up a bottle of ink in a local store without having to order one. I live in the North Eastern U.S. and have the regular office supply houses ( Staples, Office Max, etc. ) all in the area. What nice dark black inks might I expect to find in my area which you feel would work well in this pen? If these sort of stores do not carry bottled inks, but only cartridges, I am sure I can find a stationary store which does carry ink. Any particular brands which you might recommend?


Thank you for any information


~ Agatsu

The pen will have one of the above sizes installed. Depends on what was put in at the factory!

You will find Parker Quink at Staples, maybe Office Depot, but I'd not go so far as the call it dark black, mine is more medium gray!

You will find out what size the nib is once you get some ink in the pen and write with it.

I would soak it overnight, then empty as well as you can and leave it tip down, cap off, in a glass with some paper towel wadded up in the bottom to wick out the water, a few hours anyway. Otherwise your first fill of ink is likely to be diluted, that collector holds a lot of liquid.

Peter

Peter,

Thank you for the reply, especially the suggestion on using the paper towls to dry out the pen.
I have an office depot just down the road, so Quink it will be.

Regards,


~Agatsu

I always believe that Parker Quink is the best ink. Buy that. And lots of it.

Regarding nib-size, sometimes the nib-size is indicated somewhere with a letter (F for FINE, M for MEDIUM etc etc).

If no-such letter exists (It's usually on the nib, or on the feed), then the only way to find out is by trial.

Thanks Shangas

The nib on this pen is pretty well covered and I don't see any markings on the feed.
I'll be picking up a bottle of Quink, thanks for the recommendation


Regards,


~ Agatsu

I don't think "51" Specials have a size marking on them, generally-- the three I've got, of diverse ages, have none. Try it and find out. If you can find some, Pelikan's 4001 ink is good in fountain pens and the black absorbs light pretty well. I'm not against Quink (the blue-black is one on my regular fills), but you were asking for suggestions.

Either Quink or Skrip. My Staples only has Quink, but I scored a bottle of Sheaffer Skrip at Hobby Lobby in the art supply section.

Enjoy your "new" pen. I love my Specials.

Ernst Bitterman
WVBettlebug

Thank you for the replies. At this point I feel myself lucky to have found any bottle of fountain pen ink. The fact that I was able to lay my hands on a bottle of the Quink black I was looking for is even more fortunate.

After trips to five different retailers and then a few more phone calls I was able to locate a Staples office supply store which actually had Ink in stock. None of the other shops carried any ink at all, let alone Quink. I am sorry to say the most frequent comment I heard from the “younger” clerks at these shops was “ hmmm? I’ve never heard if it”…meaning bottled fountain pen ink.

The fact that these were all shops which carry fountain pens which were all kept in nice glass cases with prices ranging upwards of around two hundred dollars (American) surprised me a bit that they did not carry bottled ink. However, I suppose most customers at these stores might use cartridge refills. The clerks at two shops, who were of course trying to be helpful, even offered that they carried stamp pad ink if that would help me.....

I suppose I am aging myself (although, I am only in my forties) when I say I remember when every store which carried any sort of school supplies “at least” carried the ubiquitous Sheaffer Skrip bottled fountain pen ink. You know the one, the bottle with the little well at the top which collected a small amount of ink which you dipped you pen into to fill it.




I am certain I could still dig up a few possessions which have stains from when these bottles were tipped over years ago by me or a sibling.

Well enough of that,…the point here is that for the first time in twenty years I am writing with a fountain pen. It does give a different feel to anything you write.
• I do like the Quink black very much.
• The nib on my “51” special must be a fine as it is an “extremely” fine line.
• For a product which was made roughly sixty years ago I must say that I am impressed with how this pen writes. It seems to have picked up where it left off with no evident problems

I look forward to trying out other pens. I know I want a pen which writes with a wider (bolder?) line for signatures and personal correspondence.

Thank you again to all who helped me out, it is much appreciated.

Regards

~ Agatsu

Agatsu,

I have also begun to collect vintage ink bottles. I recently acquire two of the Skrip bottles you have there. I like the little ink reservoir. Actually, the bottles I found were partially filled with ink and still smell and look as good as they did some 40 years ago.

My black Special 51 has a very nice wet fine/medium nib. It is my signature pen. It writes like a rollerball. It's "My Baby".

If you find yourself with a Sheaffer snorkel, the Skrip-well is the best thing on earth. For fatter writers, I would say keep an eye on the Marketplace for "51"s which others describe as medium or moreso, and also keep an eye out for Sheaffers of the 1950s and '40s with a triumph point (the wrap-around type). The ones I've got with a medium or wide point are wet to the very edge of continence, and thrive on a diet of Quink, and the chubby versions of the 1940s seem the smoothest things on earth.

For other inks, try art suppliers, but be cautious that the inks are safe for fountain pens-- many at art stores aren't. Sheaffer, Waterman and Parker are uniformly safe (right, gang?), Pelikan's 4001 line is but they make some that aren't, and just off the top of my head, I'd steer clear of anything by Windsor & Newton. Beautiful but utterly deadly... for old fountain pens.