What Makes Parker 51 So Great?

[______Zaphod_Beeblebrox]

If you insist....

 

I am not sure the Parker is a great pen? Are any pens great?

 

Why is it so popular with collectors? maybe because they made tons of them so their are plenty around for everyone to collect.

 

It is said to be s good writer, an every day pen, so is a Lamy Al-Star but I would not call it great.

 

The question should be, what is the average age of the pen collector that collects The Parker 51. Collecting things can have a lot to due with what we remember as a child, it has nostalgic value to people of a certain age group.

 

I personally do not like hooded or hidden nibs.

 

I do not necessarily agree to any of the above, just pointing out possible "other side of the coin" points of view.

But I will say this for me personally, "for me growing up they the 70's and 80's Parker pens had the image of cheap pen set (ball point and pencil) that you give some one at graduation. It was not of any real value and because of this they have forever tanted their image.

I relegate Parker, Cross and Sheaffer pens as not worth owning.

I mean no disrespect to anyone it is just the way I feel, does not mean it is true.

[Romagno]

I think most of the high points of the popularity of the "51" have been hit:

 

1. it is an icon of functional industrial design that has continued to to be both pleasing to see and utilitarian - similar to the Bowie knife.

 

2. its incredible durability

 

3. its fit, balance, and comfort in the hand

 

4. good advertising and self-perpetuating image in pen lore (like the Marine Corps, the "51" no longer needs to advertise to maintain its popularity)

 

That having been said, I understand that some people like a smaller pen, lighter pen, heavier pen, flexible nibs, etc.

 

To each his own!

[WhoCares1537]

I would just like to point out that the price I put was from three (sold) 51s from nibs.com. It was only later that I learned their worth was due to a mix of good condition and lumanoy caps, which are apparently the most expensive. I didn't know certain caps other than more expensive metals like gold or silver would determine the cost of the pen.

 

I am on the look out for one now, and if or when I get one I'll post whether or not I like it along with it's estimated age and type. They are quite the piece of history and I love that.

 

However it seems all the positives to it have already been stated in abundance. If there are anymore negatives that haven't been mentioned that would certainly be interesting. I don't suppose anyone knows anyone that flat out hates the 51s? Seems like a pen that few could dislike and even fewer would be willing to post their dislike of it.

[amk]

I have a few P51s and they are admirable pens. I think the thing that makes them a classic is that the technology of the pen is as forward looking as its design. (The Pelikan 100 for me fills the same place in fountain pen history as a technical advance with an immensely influential design.) They are well made, robust, nothing on them that cuts corners or is cheap, and for me the design hangs well together - even down to tiny details like the clutch ring.

 

But many of them have less than lovely nibs. A lot of them seem to have fine nibs that don't give much sweet spot, at least if my selection of P51s is representative. The nibs aren't exciting at all. I find I have much more fun with my gold nib Parker 45s.

 

And I find because the nib is so very well hidden - far more than on a Lamy 2000 for instance, which I adore - the pen quite often turns a little in my hand and suddenly I'm writing on the edge of the nib and wondering why it's scratching.

 

Plus, of course, the collector means that flushing the pen is a darn nuisance. If you enjoy changing ink colour every time you ink a pen up, the 51 is a nuisance.

 

That said my broader nibbed 51s (grey custom cap aero, and beaten up Signet aero) are among my favourite pens and I've only just managed to throw them off my desk so I can play with my Edisons and a couple of Waterman).

[DrCodfish]

I bought one because I wanted to see what all the hype was about. I purposely chose a nothing fancy aero model off Ebay. That pen lived up to the hype, but I was thinking with a sample size of one I had a 50/50 chance of getting a winner.

 

So I bought another, this too was a run of the mill Ebay purchase with nothing special to recommend it. This pen turned out to be another very serviceable and very good writer. I bought a third because, you know, my inner skeptic was crying foul. A nice looking pen on the outside, which was also a great EDC and a great writer. All three of these pens were old, like 40's or 50's. and what I noticed was they all had really great smooth nibs. My burgandy with the gold cap, though quite well worn is I think the perfect image of an older gentleman, a sharp dresser who can still cut a rug even if the seat of the pants have a bit of a shine.

 

Long story longer, I now have maybe 7 or 8 and ALL of them, from the nicer finishes to the ones which have obviously spent time in the trenches are good to great pens, with no problems at all. A P51 is usually in the brief case along with a 'nice' pen when I travel. I've quit buying them to see if they are good or not, now I buy them expecting a great performer.

 

As to that design significance, I think that P-51 Mustang remark is just a bit off the mark. When Boeing came out with the 707, they eclipsed every other commercial transport offering on the markert and it stood as the world beater for more than 10 years. I think the impact of the P51 in pendom was similar. The big difference is you don't see many 707's on the tarmac any more, but the Parker 51 is still out there.

[OcalaFlGuy]

The big difference is you don't see many 707's on the tarmac any more, but the Parker 51 is still out there.

 

There's a 707 about 10 miles from here, fully flight ready.

 

It's parked in Johnny Travolta's back yard.

 

 

 

No, Really, it is.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

[SockAddict]

When I first saw the P51 (*note* I still haven't seen one in person, I'm talking pictures here*), I thought it was ugly. I really like a lot of the designs that came out of that era, but I couldn't warm to the 51. I'm not sure why. I know a lot of it was that hooded nib.

 

As I hang around Parkerville, though, I'm getting more and more into the 51 "vibe." I've just about decided that I will have to pick one up at some point, to try it out, and to bridge that gap between my older Parkers and my newer ones. (Actually, I only have one older Parker, a Vacumatic, but I know that won't stay my only one, and I can look at the Vacumatic and see it as an ancestor of my Sonnet.)

 

At this rate, when I actually get a 51, I may think it's beautiful.

[Cryptos]

If Pajaro ever gets off his butt and sends out the replacement hood, I have a 51 Demi here that you can have for free.

 

 

On the 51, I actually believe that the current hype is as manufactured now as it was then. In some ways it reminds me of the Alpha Industries MA-1 jacket. Originally designed for seated pilots - it's deliberately short and doesn't really make an ideal walking jacket, though some use that way - it enjoyed an immense revival after William Gibson (author) wrote a character (Cayce Pollard) in one his books (Pattern Recognition) who had a thing about Buzz Rickson jackets - based on the MA-1. Sales of the Alpha Industires version rocketed for a while. I get the same feel when I hear/read about what people think of the Parker 51.

Edited January 22, 2015 by Cardboard_Tube

[Sailor Kenshin]

When I first saw the P51 (*note* I still haven't seen one in person, I'm talking pictures here*), I thought it was ugly. I really like a lot of the designs that came out of that era, but I couldn't warm to the 51. I'm not sure why. I know a lot of it was that hooded nib.

 

As I hang around Parkerville, though, I'm getting more and more into the 51 "vibe." I've just about decided that I will have to pick one up at some point, to try it out, and to bridge that gap between my older Parkers and my newer ones. (Actually, I only have one older Parker, a Vacumatic, but I know that won't stay my only one, and I can look at the Vacumatic and see it as an ancestor of my Sonnet.)

 

At this rate, when I actually get a 51, I may think it's beautiful.

 

Aaaahhh, g'wan....you want to. It shows.

[yorktown5]

IMITATION the sincerest form of flattery? A Gold laminated 51 clone by Montegrappa

Forgive me if this doesn't come thru...1st try to upload a photo. If it posts, I'll show & tell more.

 

Rick

[yorktown5]

Oops. Help?

Edited January 22, 2015 by yorktown5

[OcalaFlGuy]

What a great analogy!

When I was out in Seattle a year and a half ago, I got to go to the Museum of Flight. And had my husband take my picture of me in front of the P51 Mustang they had in the WWII Gallery. Holding, of course, my Plummer.

Just wish he was a better photographer....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

<Missing clapping hands emoticon X3!>

 

 

 

I am reminded of the P 51 Mustang / Parker 51 analogy every time I read something Ocala Bruce posts...it's in his avatar!

 

I've had my eyes open for one of the original ads. They are hard to find. Theory has it that since it was during wartime, most of the

original copies ended up in paper recycling drives of the day. I finally bumped into one last year on Fleabay. I snagged it as a BIN for the going rate for nice ads. I consider myself fortunate. One of these days I'll frame it up nicely.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

[yorktown5]

I have no details really. Pen is laminated gold, marked Zenith with a machined aluminum "aero" filler and a huge inkview section.

 

Rick

[max dog]

Just to add to what others have said, the Parker 51 was revolutionary in it's time. There was nothing like it. Among other things, It was a fountain pen answer/response to the emerging ball point. It kind of looks like a ballpoint with that concealed semi-hooded nib that would not dry out just like a ballpoint. It is well behaved and rugged like a ballpoint, but the best part was, it is not a ballpoint because there is an actual nib. Parker made a fountain pen that had all the practicality of a ballpoint without stooping down to being a ball point. It retained it's nib and the ability to use ink, and nib was smoother than any ballpoint could be.....

Edited January 22, 2015 by max dog

[NABodie]

This place is a bad influence. Haven't been in here for months and a week with you guy and all this 51 talk has this bargain beauty on the way to me.

 

http://i573.photobucket.com/albums/ss177/VMF251/_575.jpg

 

Like I needed another flighter!

[WhoCares1537]

Just a quick question: is the nib steel or gold? I'm probably going to order one this weekend and was just curious.

[farmdogfan]

Just a quick question: is the nib steel or gold? I'm probably going to order one this weekend and was just curious.

All my "51"s have gold nibs, as far as i know only the "51" special has a steel nib ( and a little different filler), correct me if i´m wrong.

[Larry Barrieau]

Bruce, what is the name and date of the magazine that ran the ad?

[Stephen Lee Ogden]

One could pose the "what's so great about a [ fill in the blank ]" ... and really debate any pen. Clearly aesthetics are subjective and what defines “classic” is also debatable. For me, it has a timeless elegance and a clever functionality that I simply enjoy. Capped, it’s decorative and formal. Uncapped, and un-posted, it’s a very clean and simple design. It is showy if you want it to be and understated if you don’t. Trying to convince a nah-sayer that a 51 is beautiful is a futile exercise.

Which gets me thinking … is there a thread about fountain pen design? As a designer, I’m really torn viewing the fountain pen world. Often, there is a huge gap in visual object design quality between companies and products (just look at ink company branding … all over the map. Some worthy of display and others require hiding in a dark drawer ::::cough :::: private reserve). As pen lovers … often we are talking about non-functional beauty as much as functional features like vac-fillers and unique nibs. And that is a very subjective conversation.

Parker is a classic example. To me, they are the Schwinn of the fountain pen world. Once having made stunning high quality stuff and then flooding the market with too much questionable quality products to be trusted anymore despite high-end offerings. To me, the soul of Parker is gone and to the new pen user, it’s hard to view their rich past without looking through their ho-hum present.

[richardandtracy]

Initially the P51 nib was gold, and the P51S nib was Octanium.

 

Later, and it seems there are too many pens with the 'wrong' nib for it to be down to repairs, Parker seem to have been less choosy about which pen got which type of nib. The later pens seem to have either, but with a higher proportion of octanium in the P51S and a high proportion of gold in the P51 std. Either way, the writing seems unaffected. The only thing that will be affected by the nib type is the spares value if you break it up to sell as spares.

 

Regards,

 

Richard