Contemplating a 61

[rak]

I will be turning 40 later this summer and was thinking about celebrating with a pen from the year I was born. Since I like my "51'" so much and my Lamy 2000, I thought I would add another hooded pen to my collection. In terms of a 61, what should I look out for in terms of problems with the pen. A capillary filler would be fine. What are some reputable sources for 61's to inquire when my budget allows? I especially like the look of the rainbow caps. What body colors did the 61 come in? How does it compare to the "51"?

[JimStrutton]

The 61 is a good pen, smaller and lighter than a "51" but they do have some issues. I keep a capilliary filler as a novelty, but they do need care and maintenance. The CC fillers are more reliable.

 

As usual, Mr Binder has a good article on the 61 http://www.richardspens.com/?page=ref_info/61_profile.htm

 

Should give you food for thought. Rick Propas has a few NOS ones too:

http://www.angelfire.com/mac/penguin0/

He is also a 61 fan as you will see if you read his Parker page.

 

The main faults are cracks where somebody has tried to strip the pen, the answer don't! And the loss of the arrow on the hood, I have used a modelers filler to replace it on a good user pen and it looked OK to me :blink:

 

Jim

[Michael Wright]

What Jim said.

 

I'd only add that the capillary filler is just fine, *provided* that you keep the pen in fairly regular use so it doesn't dry out. Used regularly, they're a great pocket pen, and good flyers. For a pen I was going to use, I'd rather have a capillary filler, though that's maybe just because of atypically unhappy experiences with Parker carts.

 

There are UK and US made pens around. IME, which may be skewed by living in NZ, cc pens are more commonly UK made. UK pens also seem a little more likely to come with a medium or broad nib.

 

The 61 isn't a great pen like the "51", but it's interesting technically, and very pleasant and practical as a user. But do look out for cracks on the hood. I also got a gold-filled model (? Signet/Insignia? -- aphasia moment), v. cheap in an op-shop, that was in such bad condition I didn't recognize what it was. It polished up nicely, and I found a new hood ornament, but the thread of the barrel onto the nib unit is marginal -- someone nearly stripped the plastic-metal join. The metal-barrelled pens are pretty, but maybe a plastic barrel is less likely to have suffered abuse.

 

Best

 

Michael

 

who wouldn't mind being 40 again