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51 special edition


Sparky

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Several questions aobut the 51 special edition:

 

Technology: I read other posts that the 51 is not a true 51 because the pen technology is like a 45. However, since the 45 is a newer version, is the pen technology "better" than the original 51's.

 

Size: Is the size of the 51 special edition, larger or smaller, than the vintage 51's?

 

thanks.

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The technology is definitely worse. The 51 was a top-of-the-line model, while the 45 was seen as more of an economy pen. The only reason they didn't re-create a real 51 was that it would be too much work and therefore too expensive.

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The 51 SE uses 45 technology, which is newer than "51" technology. Modern is not always better.

 

Cartridge/converter filling has certain built-in limitations that make it inferior in a head-to-head competition against a self-filling "51" when both pens are tuned properly.

 

The 45-style nib has less metal and, made as it is of 18K, is much less robust. Its softness makes it quite easy to bend and difficult to align.

 

The 45-style feed is more positive than the original channelless "51" feed, but the introduction of the channel into the "51" feed solved that problem.

 

The 45-style collector, glued into the shell, is difficult to clean; in fact, there is absolutely no way to be sure it is actually clean. You can take a "51" collector out and get it spotless.

 

The 51 SE is made of a resin that is inferior to the acrylic resin used in the "51" Mark I and Mark II.

 

The 51 SE's cap clutch is no more positive than that of the original 51 SE, but it grinds and scrapes whereas the original "51" clutch is smooth and quiet. It seems, not to put too fine a point on it, that Parker simply forgot how to make a good clutch-ring clutch.

 

The 51 SE is exactly the same size as a "51" -- in fact, the caps interchange. (But no other part does.) But the 51 SE's cap is much thicker and heavier than the "51" cap, and the extra weight throws the pen's balance out of kilter when you post the cap. I don't normally post, but I can write with a "51" posted. I tried to write with the 51 SE posted, and it drove me up the wall because the pen kept wanting to lean back in my hand instead of resting forward; with my light touch and gentle hold, the pen kept slipping and skipping.

sig.jpg.2d63a57b2eed52a0310c0428310c3731.jpg

 

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I picked up a 45 at an antique sale for $5. It was immaculate and looked to have never been used. Had it for about 3 months now. I filled it and it keeps calling me back to use it. I like. It writes smoothly. It has sat for as long as 5 weeks unused and started writing as soon as I popped the cap off. Nib hood is marked with an "M", assume that means medium. Love that pen.

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Thank you for the details on this. (especially you Richard). I did not realize before your post that because the cartridge set-up is the reason why the 51 SE is different (inferior). A definite trade off between ease of use and quality.

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Borrow a "51" in proper condition - possibly at a pen show.

Take off the cap.

Put the cap back on.

 

Do the same with a 51SE

 

Velvet/silk Vs Grit/wobble.

 

And that's before you even use it :angry:

 

I was hugely disappointed Parker passed up on a golden opportunity.

Exit stage left, muttering..

Administrator and Proprietor of Murphy Towers

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Cartridge/converter filling has certain built-in limitations that make it inferior in a head-to-head competition against a self-filling "51" when both pens are tuned properly.

Richard,

 

I'm still learning how pens work. What are the limitations you speak of here? They wouldn't allow something like a "51"s collector maybe? I'm just curious....

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Steve

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Cartridge/converter filling has certain built-in limitations that make it inferior in a head-to-head competition against a self-filling "51" when both pens are tuned properly.

Richard,

 

I'm still learning how pens work. What are the limitations you speak of here? They wouldn't allow something like a "51"s collector maybe? I'm just curious....

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Steve

Ditto.

YMMV

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Richard:

 

Why did you call the 51 "self filling"?

 

Also, can you tell me how to open a 51SE, please? I asked this before somewhere and some one asked me to respect the design of the pen engineer and not to dismantle a pen. But being able to take it apart and put it back together is part of the great fun of this hobby. For me that is.

 

I could not unscrew the 51SE hood like the original 51, I don't see a connector like the old 51. I have a feeling that the nib needs to be pushed inward to get it out like the old Parker 21 Mark II, but I don't want to try it unless I am sure.

 

I remember seeing an old Stylophile article on the 51SE where the thing was taken apart. So I know it can be done. I even remember the nib on the 51SE is quite small, nothing like the old 51.

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I'm still learning how pens work. What are the [cartridge/converter] limitations you speak of here?

With a cartridge/converter pen, the ink and air must flow through a very restricted space just to get to the feed proper. Even though the nipple on Parker pens is larger in diameter than that of most other C/C pens, it's still a constriction that can, and often does, have the effect of throttling the potential flow. I've taken modern sac-filling pens with flow problems and drilled out the back of the nib collar to allow better access to the back of the feed, and suddenly the pens flowed the way a vintage pen does. The drill-out technique works so well that the Hamilton-Broadwell eyedroppers came out of David's shop that way. (My solution to the flow failures in the infamous Stipula Ventidue is a modification of the drill-out technique, in which I replace the Stipula feed with a vintage Esterbrook feed, in the process making the necessary modifications to the section.)

 

There are other ways to address the problem in C/C pens; these methods all involve modifying the feed to allow better flow. (Usually it's the air flow that is the problem, not the ink flow in the fissure.)

 

The C/C/ Parker 61 has a proper 61-style collector that the repairer can remove to clean. Pens using the 45 design don't have removable collectors.

sig.jpg.2d63a57b2eed52a0310c0428310c3731.jpg

 

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Why did you call the 51 "self filling"?

Any pen that has a built-in filling mechanism is a self-filling pen. See self filler in my site's glossary.

 

Also, can you tell me how to open a 51SE, please?

No. I'm sorry, but the 51 SE was designed not to be disassembled. (Note, please, that this is not the same as its not having been designed to be disassembled.) If the nib/section assembly needs service, Parker simply replaces it. Which is something of a problem if you should happen to send them a pen with a customized nib. Parker has paid me to regrind the nibs on pens that they swapped out. :o

 

Yes, you can get it apart, but only with a serious risk of destruction. I recommend that you not try!

 

I have a feeling that the nib needs to be pushed inward to get it out like the old Parker 21 Mark II, but I don't want to try it unless I am sure.

To get the nib out, you have to pull it out the front, with all the attendant risks of bending or scarring the gold or even popping the iridium. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. Don't try this at home.

sig.jpg.2d63a57b2eed52a0310c0428310c3731.jpg

 

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Agree, Offbase:

 

The 51SE is very smooth out of the box. I kind of like it as I am not against CC fill nor the heavy cap. But I don't like the cap clutching mechanism and I think the old 51 cap clicks much better.

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I recently received my 51SE xf, the first 51 of any variety for me. The xf nib is very smooth.

 

I do have some 'issues' with it, though they can be worked around. The cap is very stiff to put on and take off. I can do it easily enough, but my wife cannot. Is that a plus or a minus? Also, there is a slight amount of seepage inside. I pulled the converter and put in a black Quink cartridge. At a recent conference, it wrote wonderfully all day. Nib down, about 3/8 inch of ink remains visible in the cartridge above the section. When not writing, I kept it cap up in my shirt pocket. This morning, when I checked the ink level, there was a small amount of ink around where the cartridge enters the section and on the section threads. It cleaned off easy enough, but made me curious as to why. I suspect temperature changes, but don't know for sure.

 

To keep this on topic, how do common problems compare between the 51SE and prior verions?

 

Thanks.

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