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Parker "51" special

Mrsal

By Mrsal
in Fountain Pen Reviews

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Mrsal Vintage

Mrsal

Posted
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I. Appearance and design- 9

this pen had a very simple, easy going appearance. nothing but black and chrome. the body on mine has been somewhat worn down, and is not very shiny, nor very dull looking. id say that the cap is in good condition, only a few scratches, and there was a bit of discoloration on the chrome, but it wore off after a while being slipped into my pocket, so thats all good. i believe the special has the short arrow clip, its not that big, so i think, and it has the black cap jewel to match the barrel.

 

http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af71/salleggieri/DSC02080.jpg

 

II. Construction and quality- 10

id say that this is a very well made, sturdy feeling pen. everything sits flush with each piece, the cap is very strong and thick walled, and feels nothing like the cheap hero pens that immitate the p51. yup, this pen is a tank!

 

http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af71/salleggieri/DSC02084.jpg

 

III. Weight and dimensions- 8

just to give you guys an idea, its about 2mm shorter than my lamy safari uncapped. with the cap posted, its about 3mm shorter than my lamy safari, and it is about the same length with the cap closed. it is a bit thicker, and weighs about the same. not sure if these dimensions go for the regular p51 though.

 

http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af71/salleggieri/DSC02081.jpg

 

IV. Nib and performance- 9

well, the little nub of the nib on this thing that you actually see is suprisingly small. but it does have the 2 things that i like in a nib. 1) is is stiff. that means that i can write faster with it, and that i can put a bit more pressure on it when i feel like it. 2) it is not very smooth, i dont want it to be like butta except for personal writings and stuff like that. it has a bit of feedback, and with feedback, comes control.

 

http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af71/salleggieri/DSC01984.jpg

 

V. Filling system and maintenance-9

its a simple filling system, the second version of the aerometric, the hoop filler. i did have to do a lot of cleaning to get it to work though, everything was clogged with dried ink, especially the breather tube. so after a good hour of cleaning, it came out just fine to use for school.

 

http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af71/salleggieri/DSC02083.jpg

 

VI. Cost to value ratio-10

well, the most id pay for one of these is $200, but only if it is in good condition and has a great nib. what did i pay for this pen in particular? only 50 cents and some elbow grease. not to shabby, huh?

 

http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af71/salleggieri/DSC02085.jpg

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diplomat Antique

diplomat

Posted
Posted

That's a P51 in the wild, for sure!

 

Thank you for the nice review and photos.

 

Andre

<font face="Verdana"><b><font color="#2f4f4f">d</font></b><font color="#4b0082">iplo</font></font><br /><br /><a href='http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?showuser=6228' class='bbc_url' title=''><font face="Trebuchet MS"><br /><font size="4"><b><font color="#8b0000"><font color="#696969">Go</font> <font color="#006400">To</font> <font color="#a0522d">My</font> <font color="#4b0082">FPN</font> Profile!</font></b></font></font><br /></a>

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Nikhil Vintage

Nikhil

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may I ask, $.50. Get me one, or 20 while your at it and I pay double the retail!

A Proud 14 Year Old Fountain Pen User!

What I want:[/color]

Aurora Talentum

Pilot Custom 823 Amber Bought on 4.1.10

Lamy 2000

Omas Paragon

Sailor Realo

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jar Ancient Artifact

jar

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Welcome to the world. Keep looking for them little suckers, they are still out there. Don't get worried though if you have to pay even a dollar for the next one.

 

 

 

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jar Ancient Artifact

jar

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Hi guys, thanks for the nice comments! Don't worry jar, I wont worry!

 

 

Couple points. IIRC all the 51 specials had a black jewel and I think they sold new for about $12.50 or so. They came out around 1950 so your pen may be almost 60 years old.

 

 

 

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MYU Donor Pen

MYU

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Nice score there, Mrsal. That's one of the more rewarding feelings in the world of fountain pens--finding a non-working pen and managing to get it back to fine working order. The P51 is indeed a tank. Although I prefer piston fillers and converters to squeeze bladders, the good thing about the aerometric P51 is a single moving part that is maintenance free.

 

About the body, you can polish it with a good plastic polish/compound to bring out the original luster.

[MYU's Pen Review Corner] | "The Common Ground" -- Jeffrey Small

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Nikhil Vintage

Nikhil

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I have a Hero Parker 51 immitation and it stinks!!! I guess you win or lose buying these pens and this time it seems you won.

 

This pen is not a knockoff, he says it doesn't feel like one.

A Proud 14 Year Old Fountain Pen User!

What I want:[/color]

Aurora Talentum

Pilot Custom 823 Amber Bought on 4.1.10

Lamy 2000

Omas Paragon

Sailor Realo

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Pepin Collectors Item

Pepin

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Beautiful photos. I approve.

A man's real possession is his memory. In nothing else is he rich, in nothing else is he poor.

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Mrsal Vintage

Mrsal

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I have a Hero Parker 51 immitation and it stinks!!! I guess you win or lose buying these pens and this time it seems you won.

 

yes, i have the real deal, and i have to say that it is much better than the hero 330s that i had.

 

I have an almost identical "51" Special, and I love it. I love the black jewel :)

 

yea, i like the black jewel too!

 

Beautiful photos. I approve.

 

thanks pepin!

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georges zaslavsky Museum Piece

georges zaslavsky

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nice 51 :) I myself was never comfortable with 51s because they are too thin for my hand, I prefer a big red senior flat top.

Pens are like watches , once you start a collection, you can hardly go back. And pens like all fine luxury items do improve with time

 

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