Your Top 5 Parker Models List?

[Hbanger]

Of the few pens I have, my favorites

vacumatic blue plastic filler mid 40s 

51 vacuum fill early 50s

duofold blue vacuum fill mid 40s

21 med nib 

vacumatic debutante 1937 black lockdown filler

i seem to like vacumatics they are the best!

[Nethermark]

 

7 hours ago, Hbanger said:

i seem to like vacumatics they are the best!

Vacumatics are great!

[david-p]

I have never understood why others find the 61 too slim. I guess I should measure the difference between it and the 51, though I am not sure that the dimensions of either stayed absolutely constant throughout their manufacturing lifetime. But my point is that the difference in girth between the 51 and the 61 is not large.

 

On the other hand, I have a Parker ballpoint pen that I find too fat, preferring my slim Papermate ballpoints.

 

The question that then arises is why I should prefer a slimmer ballpoint in comparison with a fountain pen for both to feel comfortable to me. Maybe it is because one presses down on the ballpoint and needs a tighter grip.

 

David

[Glenn-SC]

7 hours ago, david-p said:

I have never understood why others find the 61 too slim. I guess I should measure the difference between it and the 51, though I am not sure that the dimensions of either stayed absolutely constant throughout their manufacturing lifetime. But my point is that the difference in girth between the 51 and the 61 is not large.

It’s not the maximum girth, although the 61 looks slimmer, it is the taper.  The “51” maintains a thicker diameter much closer to the nib.  

[david-p]

Aha!  I measured them and my 51s and 61s are actually the same diameter at the barrel. I hold them higher up than most do, which probably explains why they feel approx the same to me.

 

David

[TheRedBeard]

On 9/21/2021 at 5:17 AM, Hbanger said:

Of the few pens I have, my favorites

vacumatic blue plastic filler mid 40s 

51 vacuum fill early 50s

duofold blue vacuum fill mid 40s

21 med nib 

vacumatic debutante 1937 black lockdown filler

i seem to like vacumatics they are the best!

 

Thank you, Hbanger. 

In spite of having many Parkers, I am still on the way of finding a nice P51 Vac for my collection. 

[TheRedBeard]

On 9/23/2021 at 8:29 AM, david-p said:

Aha!  I measured them and my 51s and 61s are actually the same diameter at the barrel. I hold them higher up than most do, which probably explains why they feel approx the same to me.

 

David

David, you are not alone in this  

I also normally hold all my fountain Parkers much higher than other people do, almost at the clutch ring, so that is why I started using my 61s even more often than 51s during last months  

 

On your earlier comments on ballpoints: I have found that I also prefer slimmer BPs like Classic Flighter and 75 Fligher...

 

 

 

 

[TheRedBeard]

There is my revised list again  

The same faces, but slightly changed order   

 

1. Parker 51 Aero (mid/late-50s)

2. Parker 61 (capillary filler) 

3. Parker 75 (Sterling Cisele or other GP/SP-plated models of late-60s/early-70s)

4. Parker 100

5. Duofold Centennial Int. (modern)

 

I should admit that nowadays I am using my 61s the most...

[Carguy]

6 hours ago, TheRedBeard said:

There is my revised list again  

The same faces, but slightly changed order   

 

1. Parker 51 Aero (mid/late-50s)

2. Parker 61 (capillary filler) 

3. Parker 75 (Sterling Cisele or other GP/SP-plated models of late-60s/early-70s)

4. Parker 100

5. Duofold Centennial Int. (modern)

 

I should admit that nowadays I am using my 61s the most...

Your list matches my Top 3 exactly! I’d probably put the 45 in place of the 100 I don’t have, and a vintage Vac instead of modern Duofold.. However, I have just started using my Sonnets again since I’ve  been able to fix the drying out problem and I like them also.

[TheRedBeard]

14 hours ago, Carguy said:

Your list matches my Top 3 exactly! I’d probably put the 45 in place of the 100 I don’t have, and a vintage Vac instead of modern Duofold.. However, I have just started using my Sonnets again since I’ve  been able to fix the drying out problem and I like them also.

Great  And I see that since June you have revised your Top 3 List, too, replacing P21 with P75  

 

[TheRedBeard]

Times flies... 

There is my revised Top 5 list again  

 

1. Parker 51 Aero (mid/late-50s)

2. Parker 61 (capillary filler) 

3. Parker 75 (Sterling Cisele or other GP/SP-plated models of late-60s/early-70s)

4. Duofold Centennial Int. (modern)

5. Parker 100 

 

I started liking modern Duofolds even more, while I found P100 too dry... though I should admit all my P100 I tried are with F nibs... perhaps I should try M nibs on P100?.. 

[VacNut]

There are so many variations within a particular model, I need to be more specific:

 

1. Junior Size Golden Web Vac

2. Burgundy Vac Dble Jewel Maxima

3. Dble Jewel 51 with Fish Scale Cap

4. Black Vac Dbl Jewel Maxima 

5. Green Vac Shadow Wave

 

[TheRedBeard]

18 hours ago, VacNut said:

There are so many variations within a particular model, I need to be more specific:

 

1. Junior Size Golden Web Vac

2. Burgundy Vac Dble Jewel Maxima

3. Dble Jewel 51 with Fish Scale Cap

4. Black Vac Dbl Jewel Maxima 

5. Green Vac Shadow Wave

 

Thank you, VacNut  Interesting list: only Vacs...   

[donnweinberg]

In no order of preference, here are my top 7 Parker models:

Parker 51 (vacumatic and aerometric)

Parker 61 (capillary preferred)

Parker 45 (my first "love" in pens, and I've got a huge collection of them)

Parker 75 Premier and regular 75 (really the same pen with different sizes)

Parker VP

Parker Duofold (modern versions)

Parker Vacumatic

 

I prefer nibs at least medium and wider.  I didn't list the Sonnet, as although it's nice-looking and I also like flexible nibs, I've always had difficulty writing with the Sonnet's flexible nibs.

 

[Penguincollector]

5. Classic

4.Slimfold

3. 51 gold nib

2. 80s Duofold Centennial

1. 180

[OCArt]

@donnweinbergI never knew there was a Parker 75 Premier, thanks.  Good to learn something new. I found more about them here, and here for other members who, like me, weren't familiar with this model.

[TheRedBeard]

13 hours ago, Penguincollector said:

5. Classic

4.Slimfold

3. 51 gold nib

2. 80s Duofold Centennial

1. 180

Great to see P180 on the top   

[TheRedBeard]

11 hours ago, OCArt said:

@donnweinbergI never knew there was a Parker 75 Premier, thanks.  Good to learn something new. I found more about them here, and here for other members who, like me, weren't familiar with this model.

P75 Premier is a brilliant pen. 

I am still hunting for one in NOS condition...

[donnweinberg]

I have several Parker 75 Fps and about four Parker 75 Premier FPs, which are taller than the former but have the same nib.  The feeds in each can differ, depending on when made.  The earlier feeds are much thinner than the visibly combed feeds of later manufacture.  The Parker 75 nibs are 14K gold at best, but the Parker 75 Premier nibs normally are 18K gold.

[TheRedBeard]

US-made nibs on P75s are usually 14k ones, while 18k nibs are French-made ones. 

It is true for the most 75s I have seen though I believe there are some special combinations available as well.