Jump to content

My First P51 (Pictures + Small Review)


ARVA

Recommended Posts

Hello!

 

At least I got a little time write. A couple of weeks ago I was looking after my first P51 and thanks to farmdogfan now I am a happy owner of this magnificent pen!

 

The pen is a MKI aerometric with beautiful black body and lustraloy cap, there are no date marks but it has the basket clutch spring, and the black plastic ended converter so it is one of the early aerometrics (please correct me if this is not true).

 

I have to admit that I really hated this design before (bad lasting memories from childhood using P51 fakes at school) and I was a bit afraid. And I never really liked the idea of a hooded nib……BUT when I saw mine that beautifully proportioned shiny black barrel, the heavy cap that feels machined, that somebody really worked on it. And that solid clutch ring that divides the pen compositionally it is perfect, it just gives the necessary amount of detail to the pen body without being just a "decorative" element. If you divide the length of the visible barrel when capped with the golden ratio number 1,618 it gives the length of the cap (I observed this on more Parker pens) and these were just the looks.

 

Now to get to the tactile review. It just feels perfect for my hands, it is like a highly polished gem, jewel it does not feel at all like "plastic". The thickness is also extremely comfortable for writing in comparison the P75 seems a bit too thin for me. At 20grams the pen may seem light but not that light to feel cheap. Its a wonderful piece of architecture! Behind that streamlined body hides the technology, you know from the beginning that its an old pen but feels modern. It resembles pure elegance, professionalism in this minimalist design. I started to like this idea very much, that the nib is hidden, that only I know (from my colleagues) that there is a nice gold nib, most of them don't even recognise it being a fountain pen. It is like the pen reveals her secrets only for the user.

 

As for the writing performance its smooth, wet, holds a lot of ink. I use it as a daily user because I'm afraid that my P75 is too flashy in many situations.

 

Also as a comparison many compare it to the P51 Mustang but for me it is much more like the Mallard Steam Locomotive, as far as I know the most elegant and fastest steam engine.

 

Some pictures of my P51:

P51-1.jpg

 

P51-2.jpg

 

P51-3.jpg

 

Have a nice day!

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 10
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • ARVA

    3

  • Joe in Seattle

    2

  • inkstainedruth

    1

  • Arcadian

    1

Wonderful review, and great pictures!

 

I, too, am a P51 fan. Incidentally at first, and second, but my third one (which is awaiting delivery as I write this) is entirely deliberate, and a function of the infectious elegance of 51's.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Congratulations on your first 51, ARVA. What's the nib on yours? Mine are mostly Fs, but I have one EF (it's really for my husband, though, if he likes it -- although the first time I catch him not recapping it there's going to be An Intervention...) and the Plum Demi is, I think, an M. What does it say on the sac sleeve? That will help you narrow down the date, some, even without a date code stamp: if it says "Use Superchrome Ink" it's a pre-1957 model.

I hadn't realized that the Golden ratio was involved in the design of 51s. Huh. Maybe that's why they look so good. Like you, though, I find them a perfect size and weight for my hand.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

"It's very nice, but frankly, when I signed that list for a P-51, what I had in mind was a fountain pen."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the replies!

 

The nib could be an F, because the tipping size is almost like the size on my P75 F nib.

On the sac protector it says:

 

PARKER "51"

TO FILL

PRESS RIBBED BAR

FIRMLY 4 TIMES.

HOLDING PEN POINT

DOWN. WIPE POINT

WITH SOFT TISSUE

 

It does not say anything about superchrome /quink ink and where it was made.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is a great pen, and great photography too. The superchrome ink was specially used for the 51. it was too corrosive for other pens. All in all the 51 is a great pen. sadly i cant find one here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would be interested in any of your thoughts comparing the writing ease of the P 51 versus the P 75.

"how do I know what I think until I write it down?"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The P51 and P75 are my daily writers, however there are a few differences.

 

Both of them have excellent grip sections, but if the triangular section of the 75 would have the thickness of the 51 would be much much better. I would say that as for the shape triangular is better but as for the size 51 is better.

 

The 75 is like 23 / 25 grams, the 51 like 20grams unposted I like more the 75 because it has the weight I like, but posted it seems for me that the balance is wrong.

 

One thing that is because the conditions when I need to take some notes fast in places without light, is that when I quickly take the cap from 51 sometimes I don't see where the nib is and I need to rotate it on paper until I find the correct position of the nib.

 

The 51 seem more robust because there is an overlapping with the cap and barrel, on the 75 if there is a bending force, all of it is supported by the plastic threads. I don't know if I was able to explain this maybe I will make some explanatory sketches.

 

Other than a tiny springiness from 75 the nibs tend to behave the same way.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ARVA:

 

Thank you. I understand the differences. I value the 75 because of the consistency of the line it produces. Somehow the synergy between the nib the feed & the sack all contribute to a very reliable flow. To me, the 75 in silver is one of the Perfect pens.

"how do I know what I think until I write it down?"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

I can agree with people who admire P51 built quality; I bought mine vintage and it looks like it will just go on forever.

 

But one thing I don't get with these pens is...why not just get the rollerball or ballpoint instead? I mean, they look like a ballpoint, the line they write is pretty much same to the rollerball will have...

 

I know, you may say why do I use them and I only use them coz they are FP but as convenient as BP. And I am a snob, I wouldn't use a BP unless under a threat of enhanced interrogation technique (as they call torture Stateside)

Inked: Sailor King Pro Gear, Sailor Nagasawa Proske, Sailor 1911 Standard, Parker Sonnet Chiselled Carbon, Parker 51, Pilot Custom Heritage 92, Platinum Preppy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is a great pen, and great photography too. The superchrome ink was specially used for the 51. it was too corrosive for other pens. All in all the 51 is a great pen. sadly i cant find one here.

You can't find a P51 in India ? I collected all my 51s (seven) here in Pakistan . Indian pens, however , are not found here. Must I visit India to buy some of the beautiful indian pens? Well , may be.

Khan M. Ilyas

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a 51 I bought new in 1970. I have a couple of dozen or so other 51s. I also have at least 150 other fountain pens.

 

The Parker 51 aerometric seems to me to be the best pen ever made, the least troublesome pen, and as good a writer as the others, with a perfect size. I have the 51 in EF, F, M, B and stub nibs. Each time I use a 51 I feel foolish for having bought other kinds of fountain pens.

"Don't hurry, don't worry. It's better to be late at the Golden Gate than to arrive in Hell on time."
--Sign in a bar and grill, Ormond Beach, Florida, 1960.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33501
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26627
    5. jar
      jar
      26101
  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o
  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More
  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...