Parker 51 Stub

[ncpenfan]

How rare are 51 stub nibs? I am trying to figure out supply vs demand issues.

 

Thanks.

[FarmBoy]

I’d not call them rare but you need to look to find them and they sell at a premium as bare nibs.

 

Often lower cost method is to have a damaged nib retipped to suit.

[thx1138]

Or talk to Mitto. He probably has a couple.

[mana]

IIRC from something posted here previously (several years ago) B-nibs for Parker 51 were produced in something like 1:10 ratio to finer nibs and stubs and other "more fancy" nibs in something of a similar ratio to B-nibs (not really surprising that this has been discussed before, you might find the thread if you search for it).

You can find wider nibs on pens made in England more readily... then there are the retipped stubby/CI nibs on ebay with an asking price of around 150€ or so (which I do find pretty steep).

Pens with factory stubby/CI/Italic nibs... one or two or none are usually available on ebay any given month but those are also priced around the same as baseline with NOS condition ones with wider (say BB-nibs) commanding prices about a double that. Still kicking myself for missing one auction last year for a NOS burgundy Parker 51 with an incredibly crisp and healthy italic BB-nib... no surprise the price went so high.

But yeah, not exactly hens teeth but very much uncommon and in demand.

[Erik Dalton]

 

 

 

IIRC from something posted here previously (several years ago) B-nibs for Parker 51 were produced in something like 1:10 ratio to finer nibs and stubs and other "more fancy" nibs in something of a similar ratio to B-nibs (not really surprising that this has been discussed before, you might find the thread if you search for it).

 

You can find wider nibs on pens made in England more readily... then there are the retipped stubby/CI nibs on ebay with an asking price of around 150€ or so (which I do find pretty steep).

 

Pens with factory stubby/CI/Italic nibs... one or two or none are usually available on ebay any given month but those are also priced around the same as baseline with NOS condition ones with wider (say BB-nibs) commanding prices about a double that. Still kicking myself for missing one auction last year for a NOS burgundy Parker 51 with an incredibly crisp and healthy italic BB-nib... no surprise the price went so high.

 

But yeah, not exactly hens teeth but very much uncommon and in demand.

You’ve pretty well summed it up. I find things to be exactly as you say. They are available but you have to hunt for them. The Uk pens do tend to have more medium or broad nibs. Personally I like a UK pen. They seem to take better care of their pens over there so a used pen is often in pretty good shape. Customs and currency valuations have been a bit of a pain lately, but that’s where I’d look for a pen.

For the last two years I’ve been looking for nothing but Medium, Broad and Stub nibs for the P51. I have 8 broad and medium pens now and one very crispy stub that i bought from the UK. It has absolutely no ink flow. Very disappointing, but I’m still working on it.

So, yea. If you want a broad or medium nib, be patient, they will come up.

[Carguy]

You’ve pretty well summed it up. I find things to be exactly as you say. They are available but you have to hunt for them. The Uk pens do tend to have more medium or broad nibs. Personally I like a UK pen. They seem to take better care of their pens over there so a used pen is often in pretty good shape. Customs and currency valuations have been a bit of a pain lately, but that’s where I’d look for a pen.

For the last two years I’ve been looking for nothing but Medium, Broad and Stub nibs for the P51. I have 8 broad and medium pens now and one very crispy stub that i bought from the UK. It has absolutely no ink flow. Very disappointing, but I’m still working on it.

So, yea. If you want a broad or medium nib, be patient, they will come up.

I concur with him ☝.

 

Every 51 I’ve gotten from a UK seller has been in great shape and most with what I’d call a B Nib that they considered M. I’m still hunting for the elusive truly stub nib but not any luck yet.

 

Who would I go to to try and convert a fine nib to a stub - any recommendations? I also have another nib that is twisted and needs retipping - could someone turn that into a stub perhaps?

[FarmBoy]

EM me after the LA show. I’ve been known to run a batch of 51 nibs through the big stub making machine.

[FarmBoy]

IIRC from something posted here previously (several years ago) B-nibs for Parker 51 were produced in something like 1:10 ratio to finer nibs and stubs and other "more fancy" nibs in something of a similar ratio to B-nibs (not really surprising that this has been discussed before, you might find the thread if you search for it).

 

You can find wider nibs on pens made in England more readily... then there are the retipped stubby/CI nibs on ebay with an asking price of around 150€ or so (which I do find pretty steep).

 

Pens with factory stubby/CI/Italic nibs... one or two or none are usually available on ebay any given month but those are also priced around the same as baseline with NOS condition ones with wider (say BB-nibs) commanding prices about a double that. Still kicking myself for missing one auction last year for a NOS burgundy Parker 51 with an incredibly crisp and healthy italic BB-nib... no surprise the price went so high.

 

But yeah, not exactly hens teeth but very much uncommon and in demand.

150 E for a retipped 51 nib seems a lot high.

[Erik Dalton]

EM me after the LA show. I’ve been known to run a batch of 51 nibs through the big stub making machine.

 

Please put me on the list for a few stubs.

[mana]

I actually chanced upon them again and they were a bit cheaper at something like 135€, still high.

150 E for a retipped 51 nib seems a lot high.

 

[pajaro]

Years ago I traded a Pelikan that cost me about $175 for a 51 Vac that had a broad stub. The stub turned out to be not a factory stub, but a Greg Minuskin stub. I put it in an aerometric Midnight Blue 51. So, they are expensive any way you look at it, but there's a limit that you might or might not think is reasonable. I am not sure it was worth it to get a stub in a 51 to use, but I personally would rather have the stub in the 51 than the one I have in a Montblanc 144 Bordeaux pen. Minuskin's stub is better, more solid and has interesting line variation. I happen to like 51 aerometrics better than any other pen at all.

[jchch1950]

A stub 51 nib is not easy to come by.I have been looking for one for some time without luck. So I have buy other pen brands with stub nibs .

[Carguy]

To my great surprise today I found a boxed maroon “Made in England” 51. It was pretty beat up until I got it home and polished it...... once I started looking closely at it, I realized it very well might have a M Stub nib. After several rounds of cleaning and polishing, it looks pretty good but it writes AMAZINGLY!,

 

More than I like to pay at $50.00 but now that I’ve played with it I don’t regret that AT ALL!

[Erik Dalton]

To my great surprise today I found a boxed maroon “Made in England” 51. It was pretty beat up until I got it home and polished it...... once I started looking closely at it, I realized it very well might have a M Stub nib. After several rounds of cleaning and polishing, it looks pretty good but it writes AMAZINGLY!,

 

More than I like to pay at $50.00 but now that I’ve played with it I don’t regret that AT ALL!

 

Well done. Nice find. Enjoy it.

[Inkysloth]

If you keep your eyes peeled for pens that aren't well described, and maybe not well photographed, you can pick up the odd gem.

This broad stub was on a Vac-fill 51, listed on Ebay as "Vintage parker pen black body stamped made in canada this pen is a 51" and with pretty blurry photos, but through the blur the nib looked "interesting",I paid £20 for this pen.

51 Vac, broad stub nib by Robin Inkysloth, on Flickr

51 Vac, broad stub nib by Robin Inkysloth, on Flickr

[Carguy]

If you keep your eyes peeled for pens that aren't well described, and maybe not well photographed, you can pick up the odd gem.This broad stub was on a Vac-fill 51, listed on Ebay as "Vintage parker pen black body stamped made in canada this pen is a 51" and with pretty blurry photos, but through the blur the nib looked "interesting",I paid £20 for this pen.51 Vac, broad stub nib by Robin Inkysloth, on Flickr51 Vac, broad stub nib by Robin Inkysloth, on Flickr

Now THAT is a great find and sweet deal!

 

I’m just getting started with going back to estates sales and the odd antique shop..... it’s becoming an obsession again.....

 

Mike

[mitto]

Or talk to Mitto. He probably has a couple.

[usk15]

I bought this Flighter 2 weeks ago from a local auction:

 

 

 

[hari317]

I bought this Flighter 2 weeks ago from a local auction:

 

 

 

superb find. Congratulations

[usk15]

superb find. Congratulations

Thank you!