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Was This A Mistake (51 Or Not?)


southshorecarol

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I am a sucker. Bought a cheap non-working pen that resembled a 51 in a salmon color for $25. As far as I know, 51's were never made in this color, however I can't find the color at all, even in a Hero 616.

Upon further examination, it's a coral 41. Says so right on the sac housing.,

 

So HOW MUCH of an idiot am I? It is very pretty and went with my outfit. I wore it as jewelry all day. post-13500-0-28972400-1525748770.jpgpost-13500-0-85615400-1525748790.jpg

Carol in Chicago

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Very pretty. I would love to have a lipstick that colour! I hope tou can get it woking.

Happiness is a real Montblanc...

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I think it was a good deal. It shouldn't be hard to put iin a sac and make it work. I don't think 41s are all that common. I love the color.

"Don't hurry, don't worry. It's better to be late at the Golden Gate than to arrive in Hell on time."
--Sign in a bar and grill, Ormond Beach, Florida, 1960.

 

 

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Steal a sac from a 21 or a 51 Special.

San Francisco International Pen Show - The next “Funnest Pen Show” is on schedule for August 23-24-25, 2024.  Watch the show website for registration details. 
 

My PM box is usually full. Just email me: my last name at the google mail address.

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The coral section or barrel alone would sell for $25.00 so if the pen is without cracks, $25.00 is indeed a great deal for this pen.

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I have a Parker 41 that I found in a box of mostly ballpoints at an estate sale. I paid 50 cents for it (I could have paid five bucks for the entire box, but what am I gonna do with a bunch of ballpoints? ) B)

That pen got appraised at $37-$150. And it was turquoise, not one of the more exotic colors like yours. I don't use it a lot, but it's a nice writer.

I'd say that as long as there isn't any cracking (the problem with 41s is that they use the same lower grade of plastic as on Parker 21s -- so they are prone to cracks) you did extremely well for $25. I would definitely see about having a pro get it working for you (although the pen might just need to be flushed out well -- see the pinned thread about finding your first 51 in the wild because the flushing regimen would be similar.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

edited for typos

Edited by inkstainedruth

"It's very nice, but frankly, when I signed that list for a P-51, what I had in mind was a fountain pen."

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How is it? I saw the same exact pen (missing the sac) on eBay. All I knew is that 41's came in many colors, are overlooked by collectors, and sport the classic clip.

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Actually not as many colors as 51s. According to Tony Fischier's site, they came in seven colors. 41s were marketed by Parker as "ladies' pens" apparently, and priced in between the student grade 21s and the top of the line 51s (their flagship model at the time). But they apparently didn't sell well and were only on the market for a couple of years (partly because they WERE made of the same cheaper grade of plastic as the 21s). So, unlike 51s (of which millions were sold) there aren't a lot of 41s out there. So, now highly collectible, especially if they don't have cracks in the barrel or hood. (I think I read that the remaining stock got morphed into the Super 21 model, but I don't know that for sure, and have never gotten a straight answer from anyone about the differences between 21s, Super 21s, and 51 Specials (other than that the 51 Specials used the hoop filler and octanium nibs of the lower tier models but were made of Lucite like the regular 51s).

When I got mine, I kept digging through the shoebox of random pens and pencils, and towards the bottom of the box I spotted the arrow clip. Pulled it out and thought it was a 21 until I read the imprint. Then after I got home with the pen I had to do research, because at that point I had never HEARD of the model.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

"It's very nice, but frankly, when I signed that list for a P-51, what I had in mind was a fountain pen."

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It does have cracks near the nib. I have some ideas about a mechanical repair (not cosmetic) using shellac to stop the leaks. I suppose I could tint the shellac. I have ordered sacs. It will be my first "restoration." I don't think the cap is original - it does not have 41 etched into it.

Carol in Chicago

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The cracks could be an issue. I've got a 21 that developed cracks and need to replace the hood (I got lucky and found a spare for not a lot of money). (I also have a Vacumatic with a crack in the cap, and that is going to be a long and very expensive repair; even though I was able to find a replacement cap at a pen show for not too much money, the replacement has a chip under the cap band). I don't know if shellac will work. You might want to check with a pro (I know that with the Vac it was going to need MEK to solvent weld the celluloid, and I'm not sure exactly what the plastic on 21s and 41 was).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

"It's very nice, but frankly, when I signed that list for a P-51, what I had in mind was a fountain pen."

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