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Parker 51, Eisenhower, Buckskin, Cocoa


Beechwood

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I am in the middle of doing research on the 6 pens that were given by Eisenhower to key WW2 personnel, in particular the pen given by Eisenhower to Cunningham which I think is the only known pen still to exist and is stored in a museum.

 

There are letters which record these pens from 1943 between Parker and Eisenhower and a single hand written letter from Cunningham to Eisenhower saying thanks for the pen.

 

There are two key concerns in my mind:

 

1. The colour of the pens is described by Parker as being khaki tan, this is not the name of the colour simply a description. The pen in the museum has a colour that could not be described as khaki tan, much closer to cocoa.

 

2. It is said that elsewhere (not in the Parker or Eisenhower corresponce) that the filing system on these pens was unique, which I take to be not Vacumatic. I find it hard to imagine that this could be the case although the museum image of the pen said to be from 1943 does not appear to show a blind cap.

 

I find it difficult to imagine that Parker would have produced 6 Parker 51s in 1943 that were in any other colour than their general range and also with a filling system that was not Vacumatic.

 

It is possible that two pens were given to Cunningham, one in 1943, and also a 1948 aero cocoa, both pens could have had an inscription which from memory reads something to the effect 'to Andrew Cunningham, Mediterranean Commander' 1943 team. My guess would be that the earlier pen was actually a Parker 51 Buckskin, the second 1948 having been placed in the 1943 Parker case by the Cunningham family.

 

I know very little about the 51 Buckskin other than they are very rare now, was the colour regarded as being exclusive at the time, perhaps even reserved as presentation pieces?

 

The current position is that I have asked the museum for more photographs, they have not been able to remove the cap.

 

In summary, I am looking for assistance on four questions:

 

1. Does anyone know if any of the other 5 Eisenhower gift pens continues to exist.

 

2. Is it logical that Parker could have done a run of 6 pens in a unique colour.

 

3. Is it logical that Parker could have made a 51 filling system in 1943 that wasnt a Vacumatic and that run being only for the 6

 

4. How limited was the production of the Buckskin 51, was there any sense of it being restricted to presentation pens.

 

 

For ease of reference I show the Parker 51 Buckskin and the exhibit from the museum.

Edited by Beechwood
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Great topic and great questions! I have no answers, possibly more questions:

 

4. How limited was the production of the Buckskin 51, was there any sense of it being restricted to presentation pens.

Buckskin can not be regarded as a rare colour for a Parker 51 Vacumatic but it might have been rare in 1943. When was Buckskin introduced on the Parker 51?

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The DJ pen you show looks to be Yellowstone not Buckskin.

 

The pen in the museum is a Buckskin single jewel pen.

 

Buckskin has a lot of color variance.

 

Of the production pens Buckskin is the least common. On the three less common colors Nassau, Yellowstone, and Buckskin the occurrence of single jewel pens is very limited. In both cases Buckskin is the most difficult to find.

 

There is no evidence another filling system was used and this is the first time I have heard that suggested.

 

I’d be happy to discuss with you If you want to call me.

San Francisco International Pen Show - The next “Funnest Pen Show” is on schedule for August 23-24-25, 2024.  Watch the show website for registration details. 
 

My PM box is usually full. Just email me: my last name at the google mail address.

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Great topic and great questions! I have no answers, possibly more questions:

 

4. How limited was the production of the Buckskin 51, was there any sense of it being restricted to presentation pens.

Buckskin can not be regarded as a rare colour for a Parker 51 Vacumatic but it might have been rare in 1943. When was Buckskin introduced on the Parker 51?

At least one example of a 1941 date coded Buckskin is known to exist.

San Francisco International Pen Show - The next “Funnest Pen Show” is on schedule for August 23-24-25, 2024.  Watch the show website for registration details. 
 

My PM box is usually full. Just email me: my last name at the google mail address.

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Thanks guys for comments.

 

I have been very busy in the couple of hours since I posted and have obtained extra photographs from the museum.

 

Farmboy is exactly right.

 

This research came out of the suggestion by another person that the 6 pens given my Eisenhower to very significant people in WW2 were a unique colour and (i think) that there was also a suggestion that these pens had a special filling system. I found this difficult to believe.

 

The photographic evidence from the museum, as suggested by Farmboy, is that these 6 pens were simply single jewel Buckskin 51s with a vacumatic filler, nothing more complicated than that. The words 'Khaki Tan' have been used in the past with the implication that this was the name of the colour, I believe it was simply an attempt to describe the shade or colour of the Buckskin Beige P51 for Eisenhower's benefit.

 

Apologies if this has been an overlong rant but I wanted to have a better understanding as to what we were talking about for these special pens, internet misinformation can easily become a matter of record and therefore permanent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Of the production pens Buckskin is the least common.

I commented above that Buckskin is not rare but that was a comment on colour, not on the P51 Vac version (double jewel vs single jewel).

 

I agree, of course, that the Buckskin single jewel P51 Vac is a very rare pen.

 

So are we discussing single jewel models only in respect to the Eisenhower pens?

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This research came out of the suggestion by another person that the 6 pens given my Eisenhower to very significant people in WW2 were a unique colour and (i think) that there was also a suggestion that these pens had a special filling system. I found this difficult to believe.

 

I agree!

Edited by joss
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Thank you Beechwood for posting this. It is very interesting.

"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.

 

 

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I have no clue as to the answers to your questions, I'm afraid. I'll admit that I clicked on the thread, expecting to see some post from a certain person who I believe has been banned from the forum but keeps popping up under new names....

Is there any mention of these pens in the book about Parker 51s that was written a few years ago? I don't have that one, just the one (same authors, IIRC) about Vacumatics.

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."

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I have no clue as to the answers to your questions, I'm afraid. I'll admit that I clicked on the thread, expecting to see some post from a certain person who I believe has been banned from the forum but keeps popping up under new names....

Is there any mention of these pens in the book about Parker 51s that was written a few years ago? I don't have that one, just the one (same authors, IIRC) about Vacumatics.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

 

I dont have the David Shepherd book to hand Ruth but IIRC there are pics but no details. A large part of the reason I started this was because I had doubts about what was being claimed in the previously removed thread, it didnt make sense.

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Buckskin was definitely a First Year (1941) Parker 51 color. Probably limited production but not pre or 1940 color. My Buckskin First Year 51 has a 2nd Q 41 date code on the blind cap. Parker also used the term "Buckskin Beige" to describe the color of a 51 glass desk base in a Life Magazine November 30th 1942 ad. So "Buckskin Beige" dates to 41 or 42.

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