$125 Shipped Nos Aero, Not Bad, There's Still Deals Out There

[OcalaFlGuy]

So a FPNer in want and I were watching this. It passed their budget limits. Someone still did OK in my book.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PARKER-51-Fountain-Pen-Nr-Mint-Some-Chalk-Marks-to-Barrel-/400884494184

 

Look at it this way, you're getting essentially a new 51 for a bit less than a new Lamy 2000.

 

The 51 IMO, still by far the better pen.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

[Matlock]

Nice pen at a good price but certainly not near unused. Look at the ink sack.

[OcalaFlGuy]

I don't know why I didn't see the sac, that could be a first fill left to dry.

 

The rest of the pen appears near new. It doesn't take much handling to remove those chalk marks.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

[Matlock]

I don't know why I didn't see the sac, that could be a first fill left to dry.

 

The rest of the pen appears near new. It doesn't take much handling to remove those chalk marks.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

You could be right about the ink. Chalk marks are strange I have a fairly well used Parker and some marks have refused to be obliterated. The nib looks a little out of kilter but that could be just the photo.

[mitto]

You could be right about the ink. Chalk marks are strange I have a fairly well used Parker and some marks have refused to be obliterated. The nib looks a little out of kilter but that could be just the photo.

 

No doubt the pen is in great condition but look at the feed , Matlock. Is it the accomulated dried ink there or what?

Edited March 26, 2015 by mitto

[Matlock]

No doubt the pen is in great condition but look at the feed , Matlock. Is it the accomulated dried ink there or what?

Agreed mitto. But still a good price for the pen.

[ink-syringe]

I recently got a never inked personalized P51. For a bit less than that. Even better it has a gold filled cap (converging lines pattern which I LOVE)

 

Totally clear sac & still had the sticker (and lots of goo).

 

I was till skeptical, even though it was bought from a well-known dealer but when it arrived I looked it over with a loupe and whoever "Harry Davis" was, he did not care a lick for fountain pens and seemingly stuck it in a draw.

 

Well I Inked that sucka up and it was like going back in time. It is probably my overall best pen for every day work. I usually don't like back and gold but this pen looks sharp and writes great.

 

A never inked P51 is a rare and beautiful thing.

[ink-syringe]

Meet "Harry Davis"

 

(pardon the terrible photo, it is dark here)

[ink-syringe]

Awesome '51 there and cool story bro.

 

also: way to kill a thread.

[pajaro]

I think $125 is a bit high for a fairly common color, teal, with a lustraloy cap, lightly used. Even if the sac looks clear, you can tell by the feed if ink has been used, dipped or filled. The feed will look different. For collectors, it's good to have a reference pen for comparisons. The medium English nib is more attractive to those who like to have lots of inky flow. If the market is high enough now for this to be a real bargain, stick a fork in me, I'm done.

 

Not too long ago I got an NOS demi 51 set, aero, teal, fine nib, for $65. Demis are cheaper. The box is wrath of God. So, who can say? I didn't think this was a great deal, and I don't know why I bought it. I think I might have wanted it for parts. Getting old.

[Cryptos]

 

Not too long ago I got an NOS demi 51 set, aero, teal, fine nib, for $65

 

Do you still have it?

[pajaro]

 

Do you still have it?

Yes, but I have inked the pen. Well, I thought I had inked the pen to test the nib size, but I just filled it with water and can't see any ink in the sac or coming out. I do like to have a fairly new 51 around to look at the frosty cap.

 

Aside for those misguided people who think that you should hold the filler bar down while withdrawing the pen from the ink: Filling this almost new 51 with water, after four squeezes the sac filled with clear water. Squeezing down and holding the bar down expelled the water, and there was next to no water left after releasing the filler bar. End of another BS theoretical instruction.

Edited March 28, 2015 by pajaro

[Cryptos]

The demi you gave me is on its way to a new home. Despite the cracked hood it will still have a purpose in life! I've said it before but thank you for the opportunity to try a 51. It was my first one.

[pajaro]

I think I had bought this demi set for spares to fix that. Then the bank I worked for was bought out, and I got too busy and lost track of finding a replacement hood.

[mitto]

Yes, but I have inked the pen. Well, I thought I had inked the pen to test the nib size, but I just filled it with water and can't see any ink in the sac or coming out. I do like to have a fairly new 51 around to look at the frosty cap.

 

Aside for those misguided people who think that you should hold the filler bar down while withdrawing the pen from the ink: Filling this almost new 51 with water, after four squeezes the sac filled with clear water. Squeezing down and holding the bar down expelled the water, and there was next to no water left after releasing the filler bar. End of another BS theoretical instruction.

What are the BS theoretical instructions? Could you please explain?

[ink-syringe]

When you fill a vac filler pen you should pump the vac filler several times until you have expelled as much of the air and taken in as much ink as the pen will allow and then pump one last time and hold the vac pump down, take the pen out of the ink and then let go. This will suck some air through the feed and collector so that they will not be flooded. The excess ink sitting in the front if the pen mostly gets sucked into the chamber. You will get almost a whole fill but you won't have all the ink stuck in the collector of the pen.

 

I have a vac demonstrator and can confirm that this is not just theory but exactly correct.

 

The thing is that some folks think you also need to do this with aerometric fillers as well and that is where the BS comes in according to Pajaro and others.

 

I am inclined to believe that is so. I don't hold the bar down when I withdraw an aerometric pen as I do with a vac filler. Since vac fillers and aerometric fillers work differently. If you hold down the bar when you remove the aerometric pen from the ink you end up with a pretty short fill.

[pajaro]

When you fill a vac filler pen you should pump the vac filler several times until you have expelled as much of the air and taken in as much ink as the pen will allow and then pump one last time and hold the vac pump down, take the pen out of the ink and then let go. This will suck some air through the feed and collector so that they will not be flooded. The excess ink sitting in the front if the pen mostly gets sucked into the chamber. You will get almost a whole fill but you won't have all the ink stuck in the collector of the pen.

 

I have a vac demonstrator and can confirm that this is not just theory but exactly correct.

 

The thing is that some folks think you also need to do this with aerometric fillers as well and that is where the BS comes in according to Pajaro and others.

 

I am inclined to believe that is so. I don't hold the bar down when I withdraw an aerometric pen as I do with a vac filler. Since vac fillers and aerometric fillers work differently. If you hold down the bar when you remove the aerometric pen from the ink you end up with a pretty short fill.

 

Thanks for confirming my empirical observations on my aerometric pen.

 

I am inclined to believe what you say about the vacs. I have never had the slightest idea of how to best fill them. If you saw that on a demonstrator, it must be the best way. With the vacumatic 51s I have been content to get some ink into the pen and then just fill it again before the next use. So, thanks, what you wrote helps clarify how to do it.

[ink-syringe]

Intentionally flooded

 

Here is the vac filled without holding down the plunger and removing the pen. The section is totally flooded and the pen writes wet and messy and could leak in your pocket.

 

 

[ink-syringe]

Hold down the plunger on the last go and remove from the ink and you can see that the section is largely clear of ink and the ink is only in the feed.

 

(not the best fill, I can get more if I am careful. This is just quick and dirty to show you all).

 

Sorry for the poor cell phone photos. I think you can get the point though. Dark day so I had to crank the brightness.

[ink-syringe]

So you sacrifice a tiny bit of your fill. But you get a collector that is not flooded and pen ready to write or throw in your bag/pocket.

 

So folks knowing this try to apply this same principle to the aerometric filler. The problem is the vac pump dispels a little with each pump, pushing the aerometric filler bar down expels a LOT more ink so (imo) doing the same thing on an aerometric pen makes no sense. You end up with a largely empty pen.

 

Sadly no demonstrator to show you that. . haha though the aero filler sack is usually not clear enough to see it anyway.

 

 

My aero pens are mostly filled with 3-4 pumps of the bar. The Vac filler takes a good 12-15 pumps to fill completely. The replacement of air with ink is a much slower process in a vac pen.

Edited March 31, 2015 by ink-syringe