Parker 51 And Pilot Prera

[czanguine]

Full "review," with images

 

I just managed to pick up my Parker 51 from Fountain Pen Revolution and my Pilot Prera from HK-based Stationery Art today. This isn't much of a review, just a blog post wherein I tell of my new loot, first impression, writing samples and all.

 

Good news came my way yesterday: after a whole month’s worth of waiting, the packages I’d been expecting all September have finally arrived! Two out of three packages, that is.

 

One of them came from India.

 

The other came from Hong Kong.

 

Both contained fountain pens of my choice. What could be more splendid than one of these (the former) being a gift? How I came by this gift is a long story, and I was instructed personally to give out as little details about it as I possibly can, if I were to speak of it to the public. However, I must say that my benefactor is one with a golden soul, and a wonderful personality! God bless this person. Because of what he has done for me, I am inspired to grant another newbie the same privilege once I gain the ability to do so. I thank Kevin Thiemann of Fountain Pen Revolution for ensuring the delivery of this lovely pen — the loveliest specimen I own to date! I also commend him for maintaing excellent communication throughout the delivery process, effectively assuaging my worries that “anything could happen along the way.” Well, something did — it arrived safely at the post office (after a month and numerous desperate phone calls to Quezon City Post from an impatient young lady, yes). I was so excited I did not wait until I’d left the post office before tearing off the packaging…

 

My Parker 51 had finally arrived! No words could describe the joy I’d felt upon first holding the pen in my hands – a genuine 1948 Parker 51 Aerometric– just my second vintage pen, and the best one in that category so far.

 

There I was, at the post office, barely able to control my screaming delight! I thought the pen was the end of the deal — and I was completely satisfied. Even the manner of packaging was superb and evidently well attended-to, hence the PVC pipe the pen was housed in (as it did not have a case of its own), which served as shock-proofing for it, I assumed, and the tubular roll of bubble wrap stuck in the package to serve as extra cushioning.

 

It wasn’t until I’d gotten home and showed the pen to my mom that I realized there was something else — right inside those layers of bubble wrap:

 

The Serwex 100 is an Indian-made school pen with an eyedropper-fill mechanism. It is worth $5 on Fountain Pen Revolution. Whatever its worth, I was extremely pleased to receive an unexpected freebie! Such a pleasant surprise this was to me. (Quite timely, too, as I had been wanting to buy similar Indian pens from Kevin himself).

 

The 51 was screaming out for me to try it, so I hadn’t a moment’s hesitation to ink it with black Parker Quink:

 

The aerometric filler was a breeze to use and the ink came out beautifully. It is a fine specimen of a pen that lives up to its age-old promise of delivering the best writing experience conceivable.

 

It looks like I have found a reliable “daily writer” — were it not for the fact that the pen is vintage and not to be abused.

 

The second package contained my order from Stationery Art, a Hongkong-based online store specializing in pens and papers and everything else stationery/artistic (hence the store name). They sell items at reasonable prices, sans the stigma of “China.” Everything is guaranteed original

 

As of this time I have not inked this pen. I have yet to give it a thorough rinsing/cleaning with distilled water + a soap/water solution, the way I always do for new pens, to get rid of factory residue and other nuisances that might get in the way of the smooth writing experience most pens are supposed to deliver out of the box. Unfortunately, when I opened the fridge, there was no more bottled water left! (Prior to discovering fountain pens I didn’t know bottled water could be so useful; I’d always thought of them as expensive items only the foolish and lazy would patronize, on account of water being everywhere, and seeing as clean water is easily obtained by simply bringing tap water to a boil.)

 

When I do, however, I will certainly post a review.

 

Meanwhile, I await a pink Lamy Safari (limited edition, and now quite rare), which was purchased a few days after I cast my order for the Prera. Hopefully by next week it should be ready for pickup.

 

(Note to Filipinos who are interested in having packages delivered: The Quezon City Post Office is an ancient structure with an eerie, semi-abandoned feel to it. Do not let this surprise you — the building is actually home to a host of activities within. It is located along NIA Road and can be accessed via red tricycle along BIR Road. Dropoff point is at Quezon Avenue – Agham/BIR Intersection. The claiming point for parcels is Window 37 and there is a charge of P40 per received package.)

 

http://orsimplycza.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/GEDC2265-300x225.jpg

 

http://orsimplycza.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/prera-300x225.jpg

Edited October 19, 2012 by czanguine

[wastelanded]

Thanks for sharing, enjoy your lovely pens!

[K. Cakes]

That Parker is gorgeous! Now I'm going to have to hunt for one in that color.

Edited October 19, 2012 by K. Cakes

[Seele]

Czanguine,

 

If you have the chance, ink up the Serwex as well; it might look very unassuming but I found the nib can do a bit of flexing, and that is a very good thing indeed.