Advice Buying A Parker 51 Please?

[PhilTx]

I have found Estate sales are good. Found a 51, and Schaeffer snorkel.

[mitto]

I think people worry too much about buying a 51 and overthink it.

I don't. I buy 51s in whatever condition they are in especially the aero ones if in case the price is good. And, thus, I have accumulated enough supply of parts/part pens to complete some in need of parts. And I do that because I love bringing back to life ailing 51s or replacing dented and dinged caps on them with period correct caps in excellent/good condition as well as replacing hoods with chipped off tips with good ones etc etc. And I do that not because I would sell them but out of love for them.

 

I may think about selling my pens sometime in future but right now I am deeply in love with them.

[FarmBoy]

Mitto you are special, pajaro is correct.

[mitto]

Mitto you are special, pajaro is correct.

I agree. May be I, and others like me, may be exceptions. And thank you, F.Boy.

[Chrissy]

I have found Estate sales are good. Found a 51, and Schaeffer snorkel.

 

Sheaffer......

[Methersgate]

I bought my first 51 not long ago. I bought a cheap one on fleabay and followed the excellent advice pinned at the head of this thread. I don't have it now, because I gave it to my teenage son, to write exam papers with.

 

My advice is "buy an Aerometric 51 and it will probably be fine"

[MightyEighth]

I recently bought my first two 51's, both Aeros, the first at the Baltimore Pen Show earlier this month. I liked it so much I quickly got another from eBay. Each are in excellent condition and superb writers. I did next to nothing to scrutinize them before buying. If I didn't already have other pens, I think I could happily live with these two 51's alone.

 

- Marc

[pajaro]

I don't. I buy 51s in whatever condition they are in especially the aero ones if in case the price is good. And, thus, I have accumulated enough supply of parts/part pens to complete some in need of parts. And I do that because I love bringing back to life ailing 51s or replacing dented and dinged caps on them with period correct caps in excellent/good condition as well as replacing hoods with chipped off tips with good ones etc etc. And I do that not because I would sell them but out of love for them.

 

I may think about selling my pens sometime in future but right now I am deeply in love with them.

 

Farmboy is right. You are special. That love of bringing a 51 back to operating condition is admirable.

[Brian C]

 

I would buy one of those in a heartbeat.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Parker-51-Aeromtric-Pen-Converter-Adaptor-V2/183025734877?hash=item2a9d2f14dd:g:eyAAAOSwv95Z31zg

[Chrissy]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Parker-51-Aeromtric-Pen-Converter-Adaptor-V2/183025734877?hash=item2a9d2f14dd:g:eyAAAOSwv95Z31zg

 

Thank you for that.

[pajaro]

I think I might buy one of those to use with the Kullock swirly purple hood and barrel I have. Then I can get rid of the usual bulletproof aerometric works and assemble something that might dry out. The secret is in part to use a sufficiently wet ink. This might be an interesting adventure. I'm getting bored here in my old age.

 

Actually bought one.

Edited March 28, 2018 by pajaro

[torstar]

Go with a bold/broad nib on the vintage 51.

 

That's all I will posit.

[mana]

Go with a bold/broad nib on the vintage 51.

 

That's all I will posit.

I heartily second this, broad stubs or italic ones are even better (if you can find one that is... and one that doesn't cost an arm and a leg).

 

Of all the Parker 51 Aerometrics I have the BB stub/CI (1.0-1.1mm or so) is definitely my favorite, have a few broad ones as well but yeah... that one is just so much fun.

 

And yeah, you can't go wrong with 'em Aerometrics, you can buy those found in the wild with a relatively good peace of mind. Flush, fill and go is the usual story with them.

 

One thing I recommend is to post "Want To Buy" ads on local online auction/classified sites. I have had good success with that, currently negotiating a price on what seems to be a minty Parker 51 Aerometric with a rolled gold cap, not taking it to sumgai levels but not paying too much extra either (looking at 35-40€ or so, fair enough I reckon). Have found boxed Parker 51 Aeros for 20-50€ that way, in great shape too.

[pajaro]

I heartily second this, broad stubs or italic ones are even better (if you can find one that is... and one that doesn't cost an arm and a leg).

 

Of all the Parker 51 Aerometrics I have the BB stub/CI (1.0-1.1mm or so) is definitely my favorite, have a few broad ones as well but yeah... that one is just so much fun.

 

And yeah, you can't go wrong with 'em Aerometrics, you can buy those found in the wild with a relatively good peace of mind. Flush, fill and go is the usual story with them.

 

One thing I recommend is to post "Want To Buy" ads on local online auction/classified sites. I have had good success with that, currently negotiating a price on what seems to be a minty Parker 51 Aerometric with a rolled gold cap, not taking it to sumgai levels but not paying too much extra either (looking at 35-40€ or so, fair enough I reckon). Have found boxed Parker 51 Aeros for 20-50€ that way, in great shape too.

 

+1. Excellent suggestions.

[JotterAddict62]

Just shop around and you will find what your after. I have yet to find a P51 for $1. I have picked up 3 one day @ $2 each.

[steveycrow]

Hi all. If anyone's interested, I received yesterday my first P51. Picked it up on eBay for about £65. Seemed like a reputable seller - checked feedback and other items he/she had for sale before buying. It's good condition, no dents, cracks etc. Some hairline scratches with an old pen as you'd expect but not noticeable unless examined closely. It's navy grey I think, F/M nib. Brushed steel cap. Good working, non leaking aerometric filler. Seller said it's 1950s but I can't verify this - I'm not knowledgeable enough yet.

 

All I can say is I'm very, very pleased, I just love it. I've never bought more then 1 of a particular model but I'm sure I'll buy more of these! I like the look, the history behind it, the way it writes, everything pretty much. I bought my first "prestige" pen a few weeks ago which was a MB149, and I'm just as, if not more pleased and excited by this P51.

 

I even picked up a fairly cheap Parker 45 when I was on eBay and not disappointed with that either!

 

Thanks for all advice from everyone, it's much appreciated.

[surprise123]

Hi all.

 

I'd like to add a P51 to my collection. My first "vintage" purchase. Only problem is, I don't know where to start. Of course buying an older or used pen is not without its problems, especially if like me, you don't actually know what you're doing! I've tried reading and gained a few tips, but there's lots of info and I'm frankly finding it a bit of a minefield. I've seen lots for sale online but I don't know what online retailers are reputable or what I should be paying.

It seems I can pick one up on Ebay for very little money, but their quality at that price makes me suspicious.

 

On the other hand, I've seen a fully serviced example on www.vintagefountainpens.co.uk but at a cost of £145.

 

Is there a list of reputable websites here on FPN? What should I look for in a pen? I only know that I really like the teal colour and preferably a medium nib and it seems aeromatic are a good place to start.

 

Any advice greatly received.

Be patient and look for them on eBay. I snatched mine for 50 USD, which started right away the second I flushed, cleaned, and inked it up. However, be sure to clarify that the breather tube is intact because that is a monster to get out if it snaps. Most aerometric 51's will work, due to the fact that the pli-glass sacs are nearly indestructible. I suggest paper and a hard surface to retouch the shine of the Lucite if you're in a pinch like I am.;

[Glenn-SC]

I have a B (maybe double "51" that I got for $65 and, although it works perfectly, I find B nibs almost useless.

 

Get the size that works best for you, I find all "51" nib sizes work very well no matter which you prefer.

[inkstainedruth]

@ Steveycrow -- Congrats on your first 51 (although I'll admit that I personally think Navy Gray is not the most attractive color out there, I did pay more for an English-made one last summer in the auction at the Triangle Pen Show than I paid for my other 51s, simply because I was bidding on the OB nib; my others have EF, F, and M nibs). While those extolling the virtues of B and BB nibs may be right (I do like the OB nib), they are wicked hard to find.

Make sure you check out the pinned thread about "So you've found your first 51 in the Wild" and it will give all sorts of useful info for flushing and such.

I've gotten a lot of mine on eBay. When I decided I wanted one, I asked for the assistance of FPN member OcalaFLGuy (the guy who started that thread), and he gave me advice on what questions to ask the seller (such as about condition -- cracks, chips, bite marks, whether the tines seemed to be aligned, etc). And Bruce also very kindly helped scope out some likely ones in the colors I wanted, and would give me estimates about what he thought they should go for. And that gave me the confidence to bid without blowing my budget or getting stuck with a lemon. But I've also found a few in the wild, for very good prices -- I picked up my "sumgai" merit badge a few years ago with a Cedar Blue 51 Vac and a late Mark II Burgundy Aero in a local-ish antiques mall because the pens had the wrong caps on them (I paid more for replacement caps than I did for the pens themselves... ) because I knew what they were and the booth holders apparently didn't.... In the case of the Cedar Blue, it was my Best Poker Face Ever -- I thought it was going to be a junker like the other two pens in that case until I pulled the cap and thought "Wait.... This is a hooded nib! Let me investigate further...." And since it didn't have a price tag the guy who opened the case gave me a price in between that of the badly discolored Epenco and the Wearever with a slightly mangled nib. And I said, "Yeah, I can do ten bucks on it...." The Burgundy Aero? It was marked as being a Parker Frontier. (Well, it was a Parker Frontier *cap*, anyway...).

I've paid a bit more for most of the ones I bought at pen shows (that Navy Gray one, and a lovely Midnight Blue Aero with an M or F/M nib). But really, I don't think I've really paid more than $100 US for any of mine -- including repairs on some of them (mostly the 51 Vacs) for any of them other than the Navy Gray. And if you don't want "minty minty" you may even be able to get deals on some of the rarer colors, although the price has been creeping up since I got my user-grade Plum Demi on eBay (thanks to Bruce's coaching).

But surprise123 is right -- sometimes you just have to keep scoping out for them. I thought I'd never be able to afford a Plummer because the Demi I'd bid on first went for about $30 over what I could afford to pay. And the one I got? Didn't even hit my intermediate maximum bid -- including with shipping. Go figure. I guess the people who bid against me were afraid my maximum was in nosebleed seat territory -- while at the time I was convinced that "What is this 'snipe' of which you speak? I'm gonna get plain outbid and some other poor sucker will get sniped..." because the auction ended at 4 PM on a Saturday afternoon Eastern Time and I wasn't going to be home. And yet I won it. Now the odds of ever getting *another* one for under $72 US are probably pretty slim. But I don't need another Plummer (okay, maybe a full sized one, but I'm not greedy). Weirdly, it was easier -- and cheaper -- to get that pen 5 years ago than it was to get the Midnight Blue last summer (I didn't *think* that was a rare color -- but most of the ones I saw were for way more than I wanted to pay, especially since MOST of mine I got for under $60 US...).

Remember -- Parker stopped counting how many they made after 12 MILLION of them (estimates are as high as 20 million 51s got made over the 20 year run.

As for dating the pen? It might help to know what the text on the sac sleeve says (unfortunately, Parker stopped doing date codes in the early 1950s) but if it says "Use SuperChrome Ink" you can pretty reliably put the pen's manufacture to before 1957. Some of the real experts can give you more detailed info (such as whether it says to press the bar 4 times or 6 times).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[mitto]

I now have used nearly all size tips on the 51 including stubs and obliqes. I am now after a double broad left oblique for Arabic/Urdu script. I love the B and BB size nibs on my 51s.