The New Parker 51 -- photos and first impressions

[Dip n Scratch]

What is the nib like they are using?

I thought that it could be a standard nib hidden under the section. I like the Plum colour, which is a Deluxe, but not the price premium due to the 14K gold nib

A plum original Parker 51 seems  to be rather rare.

[Olya]

They use the same nib in the new 51 as in the Jotter and Vector.

[inkstainedruth]

If that's the case, then I'll stick to buying Vectors....  Spend a lot less money, especially on eBay.  

Heck, I just did a quick price check on the "re-boot" 51s and I've spent less apiece on nearly ALL of my vintage 51s -- including factoring the cost of repairs on a few (mostly 51 Vacs that needed replacement diaphragms).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Dip n Scratch]

I thought that might be the case. It is just a look-alike.

[Lithium466]

9 hours ago, inkstainedruth said:

If that's the case, then I'll stick to buying Vectors....  Spend a lot less money, especially on eBay.  

That's the case, a Vector/Jotter nib on the steel nibbed models. You can also look at the Majohn Ti500 that uses a surprisingly similar nib.

[erredierre]

On 2/18/2021 at 6:26 PM, donnweinberg said:

I've been writing with my new Parker 51 (stainless steel nib model) now for a week, and I really like it.  It has remained a smooth writer with its medium nib and has not skipped.  I've gotten used to the screw on-off cap with a Parker 51.  So, still a great writer after a week.

I have received today mine ordered from the Dutch Amazon, in Midnight blue with a fine nib, for less than 40 euro's, stunning! I also purchased the Vector last week in a shop, in a blister package in a beautiful kinda Turquoise color, complete with 5 cartridges, for only 16 euro's. They are both beautiful, I don't see why some people complains about these new 51's, especially because there is some gap between the nib unit and the casing, if you know what I mean. I think that if the pen does its job, it makes no sense to stick to some kind of details. There are so many bad comments and reviews on some pens that sometimes I have waited years before buying one because they held me from buying them. For example, the Conklin Duragraph, if you hear some, the brand on the cap is not aligned, this nib is not good, the other ones are worser. I have waited 5 years before telling my self :" just try one!" and I did it, bought one with a juicy fine nib, Orange nights model, very beautiful, also from Amazon and it writes perfectly, more on the medium side, probably for the ink, and arrived me with a converter included. Your Parker 51 models are also beautiful, I have an eye on the red one with the chrome and gold cap, but I am waiting to see first if the price goes down a bit because it's a bit too expensive.

[Dip n Scratch]

Forty Euros??

I just had a look & the best price I saw was 87 Euros. Still cheaper to buy the original. While I can see the appeal of the cartridge option. You could get an old Aerometric Parker adapter for a more authentic user experience.

[TheRedBeard]

On 9/4/2023 at 7:41 PM, erredierre said:

I have received today mine ordered from the Dutch Amazon, in Midnight blue with a fine nib, for less than 40 euro's, stunning! I also purchased the Vector last week in a shop, in a blister package in a beautiful kinda Turquoise color, complete with 5 cartridges, for only 16 euro's. They are both beautiful, I don't see why some people complains about these new 51's, especially because there is some gap between the nib unit and the casing, if you know what I mean. I think that if the pen does its job, it makes no sense to stick to some kind of details. There are so many bad comments and reviews on some pens that sometimes I have waited years before buying one because they held me from buying them. For example, the Conklin Duragraph, if you hear some, the brand on the cap is not aligned, this nib is not good, the other ones are worser. I have waited 5 years before telling my self :" just try one!" and I did it, bought one with a juicy fine nib, Orange nights model, very beautiful, also from Amazon and it writes perfectly, more on the medium side, probably for the ink, and arrived me with a converter included. Your Parker 51 models are also beautiful, I have an eye on the red one with the chrome and gold cap, but I am waiting to see first if the price goes down a bit because it's a bit too expensive.

EUR40 is a right price for NG51 - it is not worth more.

When this pen was eventually introduced to the market and I tried it I said that its fair price would make about $50...

So, no miracle...

As I also said before, within five years from now used NG51s should be available for $15-$20  

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mark from Yorkshire]

They work perfectly fine with cartridges but use converter at you peril, the ink dries, evaporates and runs out v fast

[Glenn-SC]

On 9/9/2023 at 8:45 AM, Mark from Yorkshire said:

They work perfectly fine with cartridges but use converter at you peril, the ink dries, evaporates and runs out v fast

Not mine!

[Lithium466]

On 9/9/2023 at 5:45 PM, Mark from Yorkshire said:

They work perfectly fine with cartridges but use converter at you peril, the ink dries, evaporates and runs out v fast

Weird. I used cartridges and Lamy converters in mine, and the drying up problem is always there. Apparently the inner cap can crack or something like that, on the earlier models.

So far I have been too lazy to try to disassemble the cap and fill the holes with silicone, like I did for a few cheap pens.

[thx1138]

No problems using converter with any of my 51's. All write well and don't seem to dry out (like some sonnets).

I will have to test a couple with cartridges to see how they compare.

[donnweinberg]

On 6/11/2023 at 6:27 PM, Olya said:

They use the same nib in the new 51 as in the Jotter and Vector.

 

That’s too bad.  Lately, I’ve been restoring and changing 14k nibs in my vintage Parker 51 Vacs & Aerometrics; I previously had purchased 14k nibs on eBay and from other sources, and I was fortunate to buy 8 broad nibs.  But, as the new 51 doesn’t use the same type of nib, there’s no point in trying to change out the nibs in those new models, as they must have completely different parts.  Of course, the new models are entirely C/C, so that is one major reason.  I suspect that the new models use entirely different parts from the Mark III C/C Parker 51 pens.

[Mark from Yorkshire]

On 9/25/2024 at 3:15 PM, donnweinberg said:

No they are not, put a converter in a fill it with ink at your peril. The things are strictly cartridge only. That is unless one wants to constantly fill them with ink every five minutes. Talk about a desert and quick drying.

[thx1138]

I'm sure my deluxe 51's came with a converter.  Will check and reply.

[Glenn-SC]

On 9/25/2024 at 4:21 PM, Mark from Yorkshire said:

No they are not put a converter in a fill it with ink at your peril.

What?

Mine it sure a cartridge/converter filler and has worked quite well with a converter since I got it when the latest version first came out. 

[thx1138]

My black 51 deluxe came with a converter.  No problems using converters with my two plum deluxe or any of my standard 51's. 

 

Perhaps you had a faulty pen?

[Mark from Yorkshire]

1 hour ago, thx1138 said:

My black 51 deluxe came with a converter.  No problems using converters with my two plum deluxe or any of my standard 51's. 

 

Perhaps you had a faulty pen?

That or faulty ink, I have since fallen out with and binned a full bottle of Diamine Onyx black. Mind you the 51 was not the only pen that, the in caused problems with also my sheaffer 100 and sheaffer intensity. I cant remember what other inks I've had in the 51, non of them lasted all that long.

 

Since I've been running it cartridge only it has been fine. 

[thx1138]

Thanks for that, I will try one of mine on a cartridge and see how it performs. 

[donnweinberg]

Why would a cartridge’s ink evaporate much less than the same ink in a converter in this pen?  I understand that the cap has openings at the top, but why would it matter whether you use a cartridge vs. a converter?