Parker51 Desk Pen

[corgicoupe]

I was looking at the Parker51 dot com site in an attempt to ID a Parker 51 desk pen that I acquired a few years ago. It shows two pens, only one of which can be my pen:

My pen has an 8 date code [no dots], and the aerometric filler says press 6 times, which I think places it in the 1940s since my 1950 [date code 50] Parker 51 says press 4 times. However, my pen looks more like the shape of the lower pen in the photo on the Parker "51" web site, which the site says is from the 1950s. My pen is exactly 6" long. Which pen do you folks think I have?

 

 

Edited September 20, 2020 by corgicoupe

[pajaro]

Somewhere, packed for moving, I have a pen that looks like the one in that picture, and ir has an "8." code. 1948 third quarter for mine. It is possible that the barrel was changed, of course, but I believe the "press 6 times filler sheath is 48 0r 49, but I can't claim to be an authority. I'm not sure about 1950. I think my 1950 pens had "press 4 times."

 

I collected "8" date codes with however many or no dots. I was born in 48. There are small caches of 51s around the house, though.

[joss]

The "press 6 times" Aerometric filler is correct indeed for an early (1948-49) Parker 51 Aerometric.

 

When looking at the picture on Parker51.com, I think that your pen rather looks like the top pen with stump taper rather than the bottom pen with a slightly longer taper that is slimmer at the top.

 

P51 Aero desk pen barrels can be switched but the design of the taper changed slightly from 1953 onwards when a golden top cone was added (as seen on the rare P51 blue desk pen that is also shown at Parker51.com).

[corgicoupe]

Yeah. I wish there had been a length measurement on those two pens. Ernesto [Parker "51"] wrote to say that my pen was indeed a 1948, and that perhaps the longer tail may have appeared earlier than the 1950s.

[joss]

For what it is worth: I have a similar P51 desk pen as yours that is also 6" long and has a 1951 date code.

[corgicoupe]

Interesting. Does the filler sleeve say Press 4 times or 6 times?

[joss]

Interesting. Does the filler sleeve say Press 4 times or 6 times?

It is a "4 times" filler which would be correct for 1951.

[pajaro]

I have a mark III desk pen with one of the tapers that has a golden or brass nob at the top, the standard nob. Do you think someone changed this taper out?

[joss]

I have a mark III desk pen with one of the tapers that has a golden or brass nob at the top, the standard nob. Do you think someone changed this taper out?

A picture might be helpful but a taper with gold top is correct for all Parker 51 desk pens that are later than 1953.

 

What you call Mark III is likely the version with the narrow P61-type clutch ring? This version appeared circa 1959. Is the Aerometric filler of your pen marked "Parker 51" or simply "Parker"?

[pajaro]

Narrow clutch ring. Filler marked "Parker."