1946 Parker 51 Desk Pen Vs The Pandemic

[express]

Attached is "Harold," my 1946 Parker 51 desk pen. I got the name from the faint engraving "Harold E Aldrich" on it, which no doubt helped me afford it. At first, I didn't like the idea of having some long-ago person's name on my pen, but I made the name into my alter-ego for initialing engineering designs I don't agree with but am told to do anyway. My bosses have taken it with good humor so far.

 

But here's my story:

 

I usually take pretty good care of my pens. I use gentle, modern inks (usually Waterman), flush with water on a reasonable frequency, treat them gently and NEVER leave them extended periods of time with ink in them. Nothing new to patrons of this board. Then again, sometimes there are extreme circumstances, as on March 12, 2020, when I received the text in my Philadelphia office from my wife: "Here we go, schools closing tomorrow for two weeks, county asking to restrict all non-essential travel." As many did, I had suspected this was coming, and quickly packed my cinder-block of a laptop, phone headset, and as many immediately important booklets and papers as I could cram into my bag. There was no room to transport Harold safely, and after a sad look I dashed off for the train, leaving a mostly-full fountain pen for an indefinite time. Sorry, Mr Nishimura, this doesn't usually happen.

 

I wasn't quite so naïve as to think I was coming back in "two weeks," but nor did I think it would take three months, written permission from a company VP, and a mask on a Sunday morning to go back into the old office just to get some important materials for long term work at home. Of course, the real sadness of the pandemic is well-documented in the media in the form of pain and lost loved ones. Mine (so far) does not compare to that. There was, however, a symbolic sadness when I thought of my children's (ages 8 and 5) school supplies and drawings sitting forlornly at their closed schools, or Harold sitting in the old office next to my March calendar with my long-cancelled vacation marked on it. Perhaps antique fountain pen enthusiasts are just a sentimental bunch.

 

Happy Ending: I found Harold on June 21st right where I left him, dried out. Two quick flushings back home in my lousy basement office and he's writing as well as he ever did for me, and probably as well as he did in 1946. No need to worry with one of the greatest pens ever made. And it's just comforting somehow, knowing that the pen has survived 74 years, and can now add this pandemic to the list of things it has seen, and go right on writing.

 

Be well, everyone!

 

Jon

Edited June 23, 2020 by express

[Parker51]

Hello,

Is your basement office something you are permitted to redecorate?

If so, then perhaps if you take some pictures and post them some of us on FPN can give you some suggestions on how to help make it less lousy. My current "home office" is space in our second floor loft space. Eventually after our adult, married daughter clears out her old room we will redecorate it as a real office, so my wife and I have been doing a lot of talking about this sort of thing.

[jchch1950]

A happy pen story in the corona virus pandemia. Nice to read your post.

[IThinkIHaveAProblem]

Great pen! Really nice base! Glad it's home and being put back into service

 

A desk pen "51" is on my list, it can sit right next to my burgundy snorkel desk pen!

 

I have three engraved "51"s,

William Jamieson; a 1949 Teal Aero

S Kates; a black demi Aero

and JG a black gold caped Vac with matching pencil

 

Jamieson was my first "51" the cap is dinged the Medium nib is actually worn in! But it fits my writing angle and as beat up

as it is, it's likely to be the last pen i would sell if i had to liquidate my collection

 

 

Richard Binder has a great article on personalized pens

http://www.richardspens.com/ref/history/pers_pens.htm

Edited June 24, 2020 by IThinkIHaveAProblem

[Estycollector]

Very nice story and happy ending, thank you for posting. One of my "51"'s has KEF engraved initals which I figured meant, kids eat free...LOL!!

Edited June 24, 2020 by Estycollector

[inkstainedruth]

None of my 51s are engraved, but I have a few other pens which are. The Wearever a guy at an antiques show GAVE me (claimed he couldn't sell it...) turned out to have the name of a jewelry store about a half hour or so south of me in the 1940s (more recently an antiques store, but which sadly closed before I could get down there and show the pen off). The mini-pen I think is a Welsharp just has initials, but they're pretty obtrusive -- black against the white marble celluloid). I have not been able to find out any information about the person who used to own the 1937 red Shadow Wave Vacumatic, sadly; I'd love to be able to contact that person's heirs and say "Look! The pen still writes!"

I do have a question about "Harold", though, since I'm not much for desk pens in general. Is Harold an Aerometric or a 51 Vac? I'm guessing the latter due to the date, but wasn't sure how that would work for a desk pen, since it doesn't have the normal blind cap due to the tapered barrel.

Thanks in advance.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[IThinkIHaveAProblem]

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/185574-parker-51-desk-set-questions/?p=1872896

 

This post shows how a vac 51 just has a longer blind cap for a desk pen.

[inkstainedruth]

Thanks. That link answered my question. It was hard to tell in the photo that express posted, because the entire pen is black.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth