Hi All,

I have two Parker '51's that I just love (black and midnight blue). They are my daily carry pens these days, but I occasionally find the section covered in ink when I uncap the pens. It happens to both pens and only when I'm carrying them in my jeans or shirt pocket. I'm pretty new to these pens, so I'm hoping there is a simple reason/fix for this. I'd appreciate any insight.

Thanks,
Ryan

I have also had two 51s with exactly the same behavior.
In the first case - I had to remove the section shell and apply rubber cement at the threads - to stop the leaking. I tested it for a long time and there was no problem.
The second one - I am in the testing stage.

Hello Ryan, I suspect the seal at the clutch ring has gone. The hood collects ink around a fir tree shaped feed and the ink should only come out via the nib, however if the seal at the metal ring comes loose etc it will leak. It is easily fixed by removing the hooded part (a good oportunity to give the pen a good clean) and seal back up with shellac or any compound that will create a watertight seal that can be "broken" if required.
You may find the hooded section difficult to remove, soak overnight in water and then give it a go. Be as gentle as you can. The whole thing is pretty basdic inside and should not be too difficult to reassemble.
Gary

Hi,

I have a few parker 51's I gave up sealing the shrouds with rubber or shellac I now use silicone grease on the threads and around the clutch ring. It dosnt need much and I have never had any ink escape. The one big advantage is its an easy job to remove the shroud to clean the collector.

Kevin

Don't jump to conclusions here -- the leakage may not be at the clutch ring at all. The original post described ink on the section (hood or shell, that is), which likely as not is being transferred from the inner cap.
First thing to check and clean is the inner cap; then, figure out how ink is getting into it. Since it only happens when the pens are being carried close to the body, it could well be heat and agitation pushing ink out of the nib opening.
Are these Vac-fillers, or Aerometrics? If the former, are you clearing the collector when filling them, and do they have fresh diaphragms?

Thanks for the info, all. I resealed the the clutch ring, and I also cleared the collector when refilling the pen. Hopefully, I won't find any more dirty sections.

Thanks!

Well done Ryan I hope it's fixed. I always clean out 51's so as to remove any stubborn ink in the collector anyway.

Pardon my ignorance, but when you say "clearing out the collector" are you saying that the hood/collector should be disassembled and rinsed out periodically? Or do you mean that one should just make sure to expel all of the ink periodically when refilling the pen? And why should that be different for a vac vs. an aerometric "51"?

Inquiring minds want to know...

TMann

TMann, good question. Inside the hood is a firtree shaped feed that always seems to hold old ink and flushing with water etc never seems to get it clean imho.
I'm not saying to do this regularly, I do it when I acquire a 51 and also check the breather tube etc..

"Clearing the collector" is done after you've filled the pen with ink. As you know, the "51", regardless of filling mechanism, does NOT fill on just one stroke/press/pump, etc.

With regards to the Vacumatic filler version, what you may not realize, and may not be doing, is pressing and holding the button / plunger on the last pump (when filling), and pulling the pen out of the ink, BEFORE releasing the button / plunger. If you simply press and release the plunger (on the last pump) while the pen is still in the ink bottle, the collector will become soaked with ink. If you then wipe off the hood, then put the cap on the pen without "clearing the collector," you'll find upon removing the cap, the hood may be covered in ink. It is much the same idea as modern pen manufacturers instructions which tell you to fill the pen with ink, then release 2-3 drops of ink out of the pen back into the ink bottle. In that case, you're trying to clear out the feed of excess ink. In the case of the "51", you're trying to clear the collector.

Note, you do NOT need to remove the hood from the pen in order to clear the collector.

I think Woody described exactly what my problem was. I was neglecting the instruction to expel a few drops from my Aeros, and I think that explains why it was happening to both of my "51"s. Regardless, I now have a fresh seal on my clutch ring


On a side note, I've definitely been bitten by the P51 bug. Just looking at the collector and nib after removing the hood made me gain a whole new appreciation for the design. I just ordered my first P51 vac filler and an Aero demi tonight from Parker51.com

Glad to see another one infected with the P"51" bug! The combination of brace of "51"s with a fine and medium/broad nib is my perfect daily combination! You won't go far wrong with a pen from Ernesto!

Jim