Been an interesting week.

Ron Zorn (secret identity as pen restorer El Zorno, also Ron Z here at FPN) and I are friends and neighbors here in sunny Syracuse. A couple of founding members of the Syracuse Pen Club, we go back to the days before Ron went public with repair work. Indeed- and on this rare moment i speak without usual flippancy- i both remain charmed by and recall with fondness my being the very first person on this ol' globe (besides Ron himself) to have a pen restored by Ron.

Who knew what could result from a simple plea one night at pen club, "Ron, i just sold a pen that i'd had restored year or so back, and it isn't filling! I can't send it out agin and wait two months for another restoration. Could i pop over to your place? You seem to fix your own pens nicely. I'll happily pay for a quick one-time repair. PuleeeeeeEEEEEeeeeze!".

I saw the sort of work Ron did on that visit a I was very impressed. Hundreds of restorations later, i'm still very impressed. Actually, even more impressed, what with having shotgun view on the inroads he has made into progressively esoteric restoration techniques.

So, when rumor circulated of a pen hoard wandering near Syracuse it only made sense to team up and try to grab some stuff. I need pens. Ron needs pens and parts. Ron does so many 51 repairs.

When all was said and done, we managed to grab a bunch of stuff. No, this is not the spread of 100 or so 51's i posted here a few weeks back.

Paul Erano has a great section in his book, regarding spotting diamonds-in-the-rough. This applies to most pens found unrestored. Lots of tarnish and dull surfaces. Of course, after the good restorers get done with the pens, they can look nearly new. This batch has some key Vacs in it. Couple high-cachet 51's. LOTS of parts pens and Lots of 51's that will be very presentable once restored.

So... some Show and Tell. Not bad haul for couple hours spent chatting over pizza and iced tea, i believe. And, this doesn't include the Sheaffers

Anway, here is our pen find. Not too shabby

Regards

David

Nice find, gentlemen. 119 variants of the 51...good Lord. Any idea how many of 'em will be restorable?

I would say that a significant number of them can be restored.... But parts are as important as complete pens! Just try to find a usable 51 jewel, or clip.

Wow de wow wow. Did this come from one place or many?

Holy Moly! That's some fine pens!

Trouble is your eyes pop out on the first tray. Then you see the second, and third...... I think my eyes ended up somewhere around Fort Worth by the last tray!

Way to go!

Believe me, Ron, I've been there and done that. You ain't kiddin'!

One bunch.

Better way to spend couple hours than hunting ebay

-d

Well, not 119 "variants". Many are similar color/model

The majority (and then some) will be made whole. But, many will be grand parts donors.

-d

Hmm, all those for-parts pens... Let me know if you guys can put together a hybrid Gray 51 for me, where the body is from a Navy Gray aero, but the cap is with a blue-diamond clip, from a vac.

Variants, as in some are pencils and some are pens. Any way you slice it, it's a fantastic haul.

I'm not complaining

-david

Very nice. Thanks for sharing!

that's it, I'm movin' to Syracuse.

goodbye green mountains,

hello secret pen hoards!

quite a parker gold mine, you have found david were there any duofold senior among these in the gold mine?

Not in this batch. Perhaps in the next...

-d