Anyone Ever Heard Of A Rainbow "201" ?

[ANM]

I've never heard of one before today but found one and got it for giggles. It is one of the more serious attempts to make itself look like a "51" than any other pen I've seen. I don't know how to take out the nib but it looks like it might even be gold.

[ANM]

Here are some quick snapshots

 

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii101/matthewsno/DSCF3425.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii101/matthewsno/DSCF3427.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii101/matthewsno/DSCF3429.jpg

[Ernst Bitterman]

First time I've seen the pen, but coincidentally I've had Genesis's "Silver Rainbow" in my head for the past couple of hours. It does look somewhat... Heroic.

[ANM]

Do you suppose it could be a Chinese pen?

[Azuniga]

I also thought it could be a Chinese pen...

[nxn96]

First time I've seen the pen, but coincidentally I've had Genesis's "Silver Rainbow" in my head for the past couple of hours. It does look somewhat... Heroic.

Nice pun and probably correct as to who made it.

[ANM]

Now that I think about it, it is highly likely to be Chinese even though the thought didn't occur to me until Ernst brought it up.

[paolino_paperino]

Nice. Something more to be aware on fleabay when bidding on "p51s" with a single extra-blurry photo from unknown sellers :roflmho:

 

Anyway, is it a good writer? And where did you find it ?

Edited August 27, 2011 by paolino_paperino

[adamon]

Rainbow, like Hero (Herb, Wing-Sung and some other), is a chinese pen. 100%.

There are many P51 copies produced in China (Hero 616 - for example - pens from the very early period of production (shortly afterwards the nationalization of Parker's plant) were even made from the original Parker's parts).

[ANM]

I didn't get it on eBay. I found it in an antique store. The ink sac was a goner and it looked like it had some age. I knew from the start that it was a copy and it was cheap, but it seems fairly well made, now that I have looked at it closer. It does write a little scratchy though but I cannot see any reason why it should.

Edited August 27, 2011 by ANM

[ticoun]

i've found something interesting in an antique shop this summer. a display box with its 20 tiny "51" lookalikes. the pens were about 3 inches long capped. bulb fillers, with clear barrels, but oddly enough none had any remnants of the bulb or adhesive... the shop owner said that he didn't want to sell them individually, and he asked 75$ for the full box of chinese cheapies. didn't buy, but it was a neat find.

Edited August 27, 2011 by ticoun

[ANM]

That does sound interesting. This pen was in one of several antique glass canning jars with wire bales (bails?). This one was filled with shoe horns, Zippo lighters and Gillett or similar looking razors and this pen. They wanted $30 for the jar and everything in it. I asked if they'd sell the pen alone for $12. and they said yes. In retrospect, I may have over paid for it. I think I also over paid for an Eversharp Skyline with gold derby, flexible nib, and wide cap band but thankfully, I don't do that too often.

Edited August 27, 2011 by ANM

[flighter51]

I think it's cool and personally I love the 51 copies. Does it write well?

fern

[ANM]

It writes very well after I cleaned it in ammoniated water a couple of times. It is scratchy though. I guess I'll have to smooth it out. It isn't mis-alighned.

[jslallar]

I had one nearly 40 years go as a school kid. Mine was black.

 

By far the best chinese copy of 51.

 

The clutch rings are actually ink window if I remember right.

 

Dont find them selling anymore - factory closed??

 

I loved it then because it was about the same size as my fatther's 51, almost in every respect.

[Ayaz Ali Laghari]

I have used the Rainbow 202 pen during 1990-91, the pen is same as Rainbow 201. That pen is made in China, and its steel cap spread the Rainbow spectrum while in sunlight. That was really a best pen. I still remember it very much.

Edited November 27, 2012 by Ayaz Ali Laghari

[Ayaz Ali Laghari]

I had one nearly 40 years go as a school kid. Mine was black.

 

By far the best chinese copy of 51.

 

The clutch rings are actually ink window if I remember right.

 

Dont find them selling anymore - factory closed??

 

I loved it then because it was about the same size as my fatther's 51, almost in every respect.

 

You are right, the clutch rings are actually ink window.......

[Ayaz Ali Laghari]

I've never heard of one before today but found one and got it for giggles. It is one of the more serious attempts to make itself look like a "51" than any other pen I've seen. I don't know how to take out the nib but it looks like it might even be gold.

 

The nib can be pulled out easily after opening its feed section area, which can be opened by twisting after opening the barrel.

Edited November 27, 2012 by Ayaz Ali Laghari

[jslallar]

I've never heard of one before today but found one and got it for giggles. It is one of the more serious attempts to make itself look like a "51" than any other pen I've seen. I don't know how to take out the nib but it looks like it might even be gold.

 

The nib can be pulled out easily after opening its feed section area, which can be opened by twisting after opening the barrel.

 

 

Hello Ayaz

Welcome to the forum. Nice to see another Pakistani flag flying here - for a long time I thought I was the only active member flying this flag.

 

Dear ANM

I have used the modern Hero pens, much talked baout here as good copies of the P51, but as you must have seen the Rainbow is better. Another good but smaller copy was the Youth pen and that too had an ink windos although different looking, a broader steel band for a clutch ring with horizontally cut oval holes in it. But it was even thinner than a modern Wing Sung.Haen't used either in three decades or so but they were both well made copies of the P51 / 21 family.

[ANM]

I have never used a Hero so I can't compare it, but this one is well made and writes nicely. The nib looks gold but it might be plated. I have not taken it out of the pen.