I got my first Parker 51 on eBay. The seller claimed it is a Mark III. How can I tell. It is square shaped at the end of the barrel. Also, it writes thinner than my Western fines, does this mean it is a xf, or do the 51s run thinner? BTW, I paid $53 for this. Is it a good price, the pen IS in perfect working order.

Thank you gurus.

Hardly a guru, but $53 is a pretty decent price. Of course it also depends on the colour, cap material etc. The Mark III has the square ended barrel, so that seems right. 51 nibs are a bit thinner than modern western nibs (eg. Pelikan) but not THAT thin. An XF is really really thin.

Enjoy your pen!

Ralf

An XF with an ink which spreads well across the tip can write in-between what you might expect for fine and XF - what's the ink you're using?

By the way, a mark III usually costs double that (or more) if it's in good condition, so you can be said to have got a very good deal.

I use Pelikan Black and MB Racing Green. Also, the pen is black with a brushed silver cap and is in perfect condition (so it appears thus far). I guess I got a good deal.