Parker 45 Smoothness Versus That Of The Parker 51

[Bristol24]

I suppose this could be the beginning of a debate but I have noticed something that is a bit surprising to me. My experience (so far, at least) would indicate that the Parker 45 is typically a smoother writing pen than the "51." Let me explain:

 

About 5 years ago, I purchased my very first Parker 51, a1949 Aerometric from the daughter of its original owner, a man who obviously took good care of his Parker 51. The pen is the classic Forest Green with a 14K Gold-filled cap and is a wonderfully writing fountain pen. Since then, I have purchased two more "51s" truly "in the wild." Both of them are vacumatics. All three of my "51s" have the more common fine to medium fine nib and all three have about the same degree of writing smoothness with, perhaps, my first "51" being the smoothest.

 

Just a few days ago I posted a response on this forum about Parker 45 converters and an experience I had with my first "45." All of this got me to thinking because I now have 4 Parker "45s" and, with the exception of one of them, they seem to write with a smoothness one would expect from a "51." In fact those three "45s" write smoother than all three of my "51s." So my question is this:

 

Did Parker really perfect their expertise in "nibology" (is that a new word?) to the point that the somewhat inexpensive Parker 45 consistently writes with "51" or better smoothness or do I have three "51s" that are not characteristic of how smoothly a "51" can write? Granted, it seems that the "45" is typically a wetter writing pen and the finer nibs of my 3 "51s" would naturally "feel" less smooth because of a smaller contact surface but the question, I believe, is one worthy of comment by those of you with more experience in this area.

 

Cliff

[OCArt]

P51 and P45 are both great pen, each from a different era. Factors that can affect perceived smoothness are nib material, nib size, ink flow, ink, paper and the pen grip (at least partially determined by the design of the pen section.) I find that I write differently with different pens and the shape and diameter of the P45 is different enough from the P51 to change your hold and the amount of pressure you write with. Gold P45 nibs made in England have a bit of softness to them too.

 

Smoothness was one of my goals when I first started playing with FP's but I now find that if I align the tines, adjust the flow to my liking, and perhaps spend a moment with a manicure stick I can get most pens to match my preferred style.

[Matlock]

P51 and P45 are both great pen, each from a different era. Factors that can affect perceived smoothness are nib material, nib size, ink flow, ink, paper and the pen grip (at least partially determined by the design of the pen section.) I find that I write differently with different pens and the shape and diameter of the P45 is different enough from the P51 to change your hold and the amount of pressure you write with. Gold P45 nibs made in England have a bit of softness to them too.

 

Smoothness was one of my goals when I first started playing with FP's but I now find that if I align the tines, adjust the flow to my liking, and perhaps spend a moment with a manicure stick I can get most pens to match my preferred style.

 

Yes it is amazing how different nibs react. You mention the 14k English nibs but the 10k and 14k US nibs are pretty smooth and the Argentinian 14k are very much the same. Probably the best 45 nibs are the French 14k ones (but of course they can't be referred to as gold in France) and are pretty rare.

[pajaro]

I find that it has something to do with how much one has written with one's 45 or one's 51. I have a 51 I have used since 1970. It is smoother than my other 51s and smoother than any 45 I have used, with the caveat that I don't use 45s much. Their style has great 1960s verve but dry out issues. Using the pens over many years probably gives some frictional smoothing by now.

[Bristol24]

P51 and P45 are both great pen, each from a different era. Factors that can affect perceived smoothness are nib material, nib size, ink flow, ink, paper and the pen grip (at least partially determined by the design of the pen section.) I find that I write differently with different pens and the shape and diameter of the P45 is different enough from the P51 to change your hold and the amount of pressure you write with. Gold P45 nibs made in England have a bit of softness to them too.

 

Smoothness was one of my goals when I first started playing with FP's but I now find that if I align the tines, adjust the flow to my liking, and perhaps spend a moment with a manicure stick I can get most pens to match my preferred style.

I agree with you completely in that material, nib size, and ink flow, in particular all have a bearing on perceived smoothness. Most 45s tend to write wetter which would contribute to the perceived smoothness. The finer nibs of my 3 Parker 51s would obviously not feel as smooth as a larger nib. All in all, I just found it interesting to note the consistent smoothness of three Parker 45s purchase at random in the wild.

 

 

I find that it has something to do with how much one has written with one's 45 or one's 51. I have a 51 I have used since 1970. It is smoother than my other 51s and smoother than any 45 I have used, with the caveat that I don't use 45s much. Their style has great 1960s verve but dry out issues. Using the pens over many years probably gives some frictional smoothing by now.

I agree with this too, especially the dry out issue with the Parker 45 when compared to the 51. My 1949 Parker 51 Aerometric can be left in my pen case for a week or more and, when I uncap it and the nib touches paper, there is not the slightest hesitation to put ink on the page. I use Sheaffer Skrip Blue Black in that pen. Skrip Blue Black is known for being a bit of a dry writing ink in the first place so having the 51 start immediately after long periods says quite a bit about the engineering and build quality of the pen.

 

Cliff