Flighters with coloured sections

[Emver]

I have a few Parker 61 Flighters which I bought because I like the 61 model. They all seem to write beautifully, unlike my Vista Blue 61 which has never never written well since new in 1966.

Some of my Flighters have chrome clips and some have gold clips, but they all have black sections.

Today I bought one with a teal (?) section, so I'm wondering whether they were available new with section colours other than black, and if so which colours and why weren't they more popular?  This particular pen is in nice condition and I've no reason to suspect that that it isn't original. It was made in England and has the 51 style squeeze filler, marked Parker USA. Gold coloured metal jewels both ends.

 

Incidentally, the ebay seller described this as a "Cloud Series 61" for some strange reason.  But he also described it as a "ball point" until I queried it!

[TheRedBeard]

3 hours ago, Emver said:

I have a few Parker 61 Flighters which I bought because I like the 61 model. They all seem to write beautifully, unlike my Vista Blue 61 which has never never written well since new in 1966.

Some of my Flighters have chrome clips and some have gold clips, but they all have black sections.

Today I bought one with a teal (?) section, so I'm wondering whether they were available new with section colours other than black, and if so which colours and why weren't they more popular?  This particular pen is in nice condition and I've no reason to suspect that that it isn't original. It was made in England and has the 51 style squeeze filler, marked Parker USA. Gold coloured metal jewels both ends.

 

Incidentally, the ebay seller described this as a "Cloud Series 61" for some strange reason.  But he also described it as a "ball point" until I queried it!

It is not quite common for P61 Flighters to have sections other than in black or burgundy (not common either). 

However, in the past I asked two guys, who worked at Newhaven, about a similar matter (unusual combination of sections/barrels in other models), and they told me it was rather normal practice at Parker  to assemble pens from "residual" parts that were compatible  

So, that is why it is still possible to come across some examples of 51s, 61s, 75s (and may be other models) that cannot be found in official Parker catalogues, but they are absolutely legitimate factory-made pens. 

 

[crescentfiller]

What's going on around the arrow? It looks like there is glue residue or that there is some abrasion to the plastic. Or is it just old, dried ink?

 

FWIW, I have swapped out black sections for burgundy and blue in some 51s and 61s I use. I like the colors and there were nice nibs in those sections.

[FlighterGuy]

 

I like this game, I want to play!!  I assume the rules are fountain pen, stainless steel cap & barrel and non-black or non-stainless sections. The sections on the 25 FT/RBs (not shown) are also colored.

 

[austollie]

Hi Flighter Guy,

 

I'm a real fan of my Parker 25 Flighter (with black section) that I bought when I was in Uni.  I've also got one with a blue section.  I have never seen one with a red section, like you have.  That pen looks superb.  As does the one with green section.

 

I find the Parker 25 to be incredibly robust.  I still use my Uni pen as a daily writer.

[TheRedBeard]

4 hours ago, FlighterGuy said:

 

I like this game, I want to play!!  I assume the rules are fountain pen, stainless steel cap & barrel and non-black or non-stainless sections. The sections on the 25 FT/RBs (not shown) are also colored.

 

Nice set  

Is the 3rd from the left P25 with orange section and logo? 

[bsenn]

A few 45s.

[penlady1961]

i wish i could get my hands on one but money is an issue . i had one that my late dad left me but someone stole it . That and a long wool coat were the only things my dad had to leave me .I loved that pen and it was worth far more than money to me . The coat gets cleaned every year to keep it in good shape and my dry cleaner guy always says this coat is going to outlive me . I want to get my hands on a flighter . 

[FlighterGuy]

6 hours ago, penlady1961 said:

i wish i could get my hands on one but money is an issue . i had one that my late dad left me but someone stole it . That and a long wool coat were the only things my dad had to leave me .I loved that pen and it was worth far more than money to me . The coat gets cleaned every year to keep it in good shape and my dry cleaner guy always says this coat is going to outlive me . I want to get my hands on a Flighter . 

Please let me know which model of Flighter that you are referring to and what you have to spend.  

[FlighterGuy]

15 hours ago, TheRedBeard said:

Nice set  

Is the 3rd from the left P25 with orange section and logo? 

Yep orange P25, then green then blue then the newer blue P25

[TheRedBeard]

15 hours ago, FlighterGuy said:

Yep orange P25, then green then blue then the newer blue P25

Orange P25 is pretty rare and not easy to find nowadays... 

[jchch1950]

Few months ago I saw some solid gold Parker 61 with burgundy sections made in Argentina.Very nice pens and I think they were 100 % original. I have a 61 Flighter  with a grey section , that I thought was a replacement. The 45 with finials of the same colour of the sections look so nice.

On 7/30/2021 at 5:22 PM, bsenn said:

A few 45s.

pecial. 

[cabbie]

The Parker guys in Argentina apparently did some unusual stuff with 45s, 51s, and 61s. Some of the 45s had 61 style clips and a metal cap on the barrel.  They also did different colored sections on the 61s and some of the 61s had 2 metal dots instead of the normal arrow on the section.

[TheRedBeard]

3 hours ago, cabbie said:

.... and some of the 61s had 2 metal dots instead of the normal arrow on the section.

 

 

Not some but all Argentinian 61s had/have two dots instead of an arrow on the section. 

Only US and English 61s have an arrow there. 

 

 

[Carguy]

3 hours ago, TheRedBeard said:

Not some but all Argentinian 61s had/have two dots instead of an arrow on the section. 

Only US and English 61s have an arrow there. 

 

 

This is true….

 

I much prefer the arrow, but I recently bought 2 NOS Argentine 61’s  which I wish had the arrow, but such is life. One I bought was a Forest Green that wasn’t a color choice anywhere else and I simply cannot bear to ink it.

[TheRedBeard]

9 hours ago, Carguy said:

This is true….

 

I much prefer the arrow, but I recently bought 2 NOS Argentine 61’s  which I wish had the arrow, but such is life. One I bought was a Forest Green that wasn’t a color choice anywhere else and I simply cannot bear to ink it.

I prefer 61s with the arrow, too. 

But I am now considering to find and buy Argentinian 61 in Forest Green exactly due to its colour after you bought one some time ago and shared your impressions on another thread  

[Glenn-SC]

On 8/28/2021 at 9:34 PM, Carguy said:

This is true….

 

I much prefer the arrow, but I recently bought 2 NOS Argentine 61’s  which I wish had the arrow, but such is life. One I bought was a Forest Green that wasn’t a color choice anywhere else and I simply cannot bear to ink it.

I recently bought a used Argentine 61 with the dots; and on the first "soak in cool water" cleaning one of the dots fell out!

It was returned for a full refund.