P51 Only Lasts 4 Pages

[OCArt]

I have a Parker 51 with a stubby double-broad nib. It runs out of ink after only four pages, is this normal? Thanks!

[Parker51]

No, but which filling system does it use?

[inkstainedruth]

I dunno -- but I suspect that it has to do with the nib rather than it being a Parker 51; I'd imagine that a nib that wide would put down a lot of ink. I seem to remember that my OB Aero is a lot less stingy than the one with the EF nib....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[IThinkIHaveAProblem]

None of my 51s run out that fast. But also none of mine are a double broad... (super jealous... North America: home of the fine nib... so hard to find broader nibs ...)

 

Is it an aero or a vac?

 

Maybe you could test to see exactly how much ink it draws from empty? And compare it to another one? Do you have a second one to compare it to?

 

Maybe it needs a breather tube and isn’t drawing enough as a consequence?

 

Just guesses.

 

Hopefully someone more experienced will chime in

[Parker51]

I asked about the filing mechanism to help with coming up with a possible cause. The feeder in the Parker 51 holds a lot of ink, so I am guessing the filling mechanism isn't filling properly and only the feeder is filling with ink.

[OCArt]

UPDATED INFO

Aerometric filler, says squeeze four times. It has a breather tube in place and it's not clogged.

Taking the advice from IThinkIHaveaProblem above I drained the pen into a syringe and got about 1cc of ink. I measured another P51 in the same manner and also got about 1cc.

 

If I measure the way Main Street Pens suggests I also get roughly 1cc, not the 1.6 to 2 cc that Main Street suggests both aerometric and vacumatic pens hold.

No, but which filling system does it use?

Edited March 25, 2020 by OCArt

[IThinkIHaveAProblem]

Sounds like you may have yourself a nib that lays down a LOT of ink then!

 

Must look amazing with a nice bright turquoise blue like noodlers Midway Blue...

 

(Still jealous!)

 

Seems as though you have to be rich twice to own a double broad 51! Once to buy the nib, and again to buy its supply of ink!

Edited March 25, 2020 by IThinkIHaveAProblem

[jchch1950]

A nib that use a lot of ink and maybe a filling system that is a little "tired". Also paper may not be helping to improve the mileage of your pen.

[Parker51]

UPDATED INFO

Aerometric filler, says squeeze four times. It has a breather tube in place and it's not clogged.

Taking the advice from IThinkIHaveaProblem above I drained the pen into a syringe and got about 1cc of ink. I measured another P51 in the same manner and also got about 1cc.

 

If I measure the way Main Street Pens suggests I also get roughly 1cc, not the 1.6 to 2 cc that Main Street suggests both aerometric and vacumatic pens hold.

Great,

So, how many times do,you squeeze the pressure bar to fill the reservoir?

If you follow the instructions, you will fill it, but not completely fill it.

Typically it takes ten squeezes to fill it fully.

I don't know if it always took ten squeezes and Parker simply put the minimum amount down needed to get the pen to write, four squeezes on the metal protective cover over the sack so as to not dissuade customers from buying the pen when Parker switched filling mechanisms from the more expensive and larger ink capacity Vacumatic filler to the cheaper, but much more reliable aerometric filler at a time when Parker had a lot of competition, or if the special Parker 51 ink they were using simply filled more quickly due to its unique characteristics which allowed it to be a very fast drying ink (it also ate feeder tubes so bad that pens started coming back for warranty service in a couple of years which resulted in the special ink being discontinued).

 

Also, please keep in mind the pen and its instructions were made in the 1940s, so while there are certain aspects of it that are highly precise, not everything about the pen is, kind of like the automobiles and firearms of the era. While machine made mass production had been going on for some things for a hundred years for other items, including highly complex and close fitted items such as Fountain Pens it had not and there was and actually is even today a lot of hand assembly and adjustment, so getting performance that exactly matches what is printed on or about the product may not be exactly accurate.

[Estycollector]

Great,

So, how many times do,you squeeze the pressure bar to fill the reservoir?

If you follow the instructions, you will fill it, but not completely fill it.

Typically it takes ten squeezes to fill it fully.

I don't know if it always took ten squeezes and Parker simply put the minimum amount down needed to get the pen to write, four squeezes on the metal protective cover over the sack so as to not dissuade customers from buying the pen when Parker switched filling mechanisms from the more expensive and larger ink capacity Vacumatic filler to the cheaper, but much more reliable aerometric filler at a time when Parker had a lot of competition, or if the special Parker 51 ink they were using simply filled more quickly due to its unique characteristics which allowed it to be a very fast drying ink (it also ate feeder tubes so bad that pens started coming back for warranty service in a couple of years which resulted in the special ink being discontinued).

 

Also, please keep in mind the pen and its instructions were made in the 1940s, so while there are certain aspects of it that are highly precise, not everything about the pen is, kind of like the automobiles and firearms of the era. While machine made mass production had been going on for some things for a hundred years for other items, including highly complex and close fitted items such as Fountain Pens it had not and there was and actually is even today a lot of hand assembly and adjustment, so getting performance that exactly matches what is printed on or about the product may not be exactly accurate.

 

Thank you. It is good to know more squeezes are necessary for these type fillers. I suspect the same is true for the lever fill and vacumatic type as well.

[inkstainedruth]

I was told that the pen was full when there were no more air bubbles coming out when squeezing the pressure bar/lever/button/whatever. I was also told (don't remember by whom) that you did a quick squeeze but then waited a second or so to let the capillary action take place before squeezing again (sort of the same way you might have to fill and then empty a twist converter more than once to fill it).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[IThinkIHaveAProblem]

I was told that the pen was full when there were no more air bubbles coming out when squeezing the pressure bar/lever/button/whatever. I was also told (don't remember by whom) that you did a quick squeeze but then waited a second or so to let the capillary action take place before squeezing again (sort of the same way you might have to fill and then empty a twist converter more than once to fill it).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

Agreed. You definitely have to wait after releasing the pressure bar!

 

And i don’t think I’ve ever had a full fill after 4 presses. 6-9 is more likely when the bubbles stop

[OCArt]

Thanks for the good tips, I'll try more squeezes. As Ruth said, I too had heard to squeeze fast and then wait a bit.

[Runnin_Ute]

Sounds like a 51 Special or a Demi. While an aerometric, it says press 4 times (I believe the Demi does also), while the regular 51 says press 6 times.

 

I wonder if the Special used the Demi's filler unit.

[mitto]

Sounds like a 51 Special or a Demi. While an aerometric, it says press 4 times (I believe the Demi does also), while the regular 51 says press 6 times.

 

 

I wonder if the Special used the Demi's filler unit.

The early aero 51s produced in 1948 and 1949, whether Regular or Demi, had the 'press 6 times' inscription. The Special was introduced later, I believe, in 1950. So you wouldn't find a Special with' press 6 times' inscription.

 

The aero Demis made in 1948-1949 had the fully encased filler shroud as that of the Regular 51s. Later production Demis have the hoop filler like that of the Specials.

Edited April 4, 2020 by mitto

[Estycollector]

With my first 21, a gift, I squeezed the sac because I didn't know to use the "hoop". It worked fine. Does anyone prefer the hoop to the more enclosed type?

[IThinkIHaveAProblem]

The early aero 51s produced in 1948 and 1949, whether Regular or Demi, had the 'press 6 times' inscription. The Special was introduced later, I believe, in 1950. So you wouldn't find a Special with' press 6 times' inscription.

 

The aero Demis made in 1948-1949 had the fully encased filler shroud as that of the Regular 51s. Later production Demis have the hoop filler like that of the Specials.

 

From top to bottom:

Teal Blue Special, Earlier model, Octanium Nib, Polished Cap, Black jewel

PARKER 51

SPECIAL

...Press four times...

...use Superchrome ink...

 

Burgundy Special (aka the Standard), Later model, gold nib, frosted cap, pearl jewel, "finger" type cap clutch... (yuck)

PARKER 51

SPECIAL

...Press four times...

...use Parker ink...

 

Teal Blue Demi, gold nib, gold cap

PARKER 51

...press four times...

...use Superchrome ink...

 

Navy Grey Demi SPECIAL, Octanium nib, polished cap, black jewel

PARKER 51

...press four times...

...use Superchrome ink...

 

Black Demi, Gold Nib, frosted cap, weird grey jewel

PARKER (No, that's not a typo, there is simply no number, this matches my USA Made parker 21's filler it could easilly have been replaced at some point in its life)

...press four times...

...user parker ink...

...made in Canada... (this is the only Canadian hoop filler I have)

 

Just figured I'd add to the confusion

 

With my first 21, a gift, I squeezed the sac because I didn't know to use the "hoop". It worked fine. Does anyone prefer the hoop to the more enclosed type?

I prefer the hoop type, you can SEE the ink level and you can get that last drop of ink out of the back end of the sac when cleaning it which is harder to do with the encased filler

Edited April 6, 2020 by IThinkIHaveAProblem

[pajaro]

What if someone put a "press six times" filler sheath and pressbar on a Special? You sometimes find improvisations in Parker 51s. I used to think about upgrading some of the 51 parts when I started out .

[IThinkIHaveAProblem]

What if someone put a "press six times" filler sheath and pressbar on a Special? You sometimes find improvisations in Parker 51s. I used to think about upgrading some of the 51 parts when I started out .

 

I'm not sure I would consider that an Upgrade. I personally prefer the hoop filler for regular use. But...

 

the "Press six times" was only from '48-'49 (source: https://parkerpens.net/parker51.html )

 

The special started in '50

 

a barrel from '48-'49 can be expected to have a date code stamped on it, so that would give away that something had been changed either by a later date, or no date. Nibs also often have dates stamped on them, another give away.

 

And, if you have a "Press 6 times" sac protector pen... I don't understand why you would remove that sac protector ...

 

Just me, but if I had a press 6 times pen, with barrel intact and date code, I would try and get that pen restored/fixed up the best I could!

 

As stated above, you likely wont find a special with a press 6 times, and if you do, some work has clearly been done.

[mitto]

What if someone put a "press six times" filler sheath and pressbar on a Special? You sometimes find improvisations in Parker 51s. I used to think about upgrading some of the 51 parts when I started out .

The press 6 times filler shrould would not fit into the later press 4 times connctor. The 6 time filler is screwed in and hence the connector end and the filler shroud both have threads. Yes, you can if you also replace the connector on the pen. And even then you would need a new hood compatible with the connector ie a hood that has no recess for the O ring.