Vintage Parker 51 Review

[Titivillus]

Hello everyone,

 

This is my first review of this vintage pen. I have owned several of the 51s over the years and have sold them all as they never seemed to get into my rotation but then again there are only three pens that have been with me for more than 2 years.

 

Soooo hope springs eternal so here is one that I just bought off of the marketplace and just pulled out of the box. I will amend the review when I can take some pictures.

 

First Impressions. (3/5)

Upon opening the bubble wrap I was greeted by a blue pen with silverish cap and gold clip. The blue is a muddly blue that would not stick out in a crowd. This is the vac version and I notice that there is one way to screw the blind cap on so it fits up nice while the other gives an offset. Take the cap off to show a hooded nib with a continuation of the color from the body to the hood. As well there are some cracks in the clip washer that look to be stabilized but I can't help think of how long they will be. No fleabites out of the hood with the feed a little to the left of the slit- maybe it won't cause problems but only time will tell.

 

I wouldn't describe the pen as "impressive" as it looks like it would be at home next to a disposable rollerball, being of approx. the same size. Length of pen is 5/5" and 7/16" in diameter. I can see the tipping material and some of the gold of the nib poking out but other than that it's the blue from tip to tail. I'd describe this as a very low key business pen. The clip is the only item that has any interest with the feathers and unfilled diamond. The tassie is of silver mother of pearl looking material.

 

Filling mechanism (4/5)

I love Vacs and wish I had more of those celluloid beauties but that's for another thread So the filler is something I know and expect to behave well. But to be a bear and a half when I decide to change inks. so that's the one point down.

 

Writing (4/5)

The fine point has some "feedback", don't know if I would call it tooth just yet and puts out a consistent line. It's a lighter pen than I prefer but feels about like any Pentel rollerball that I have used so I can think that it could become a workhorse. There is zero line variation, this is Waterman nail nib to the point that I don't think a person could tell if it was a ballpoint or this pen writing Not that there aren't cases when this would not be a problem but if I'm buying a fountain pen I like to see some variation in the line. As well I can't get over not being able to see the nib, :ltcapd: I guess it is something that is a love/ hate with a hoodie. Maybe over time it will change asI don't expect to be buying too many more pens I can hope that it will keep it's value.

 

 

Overall (3.5/5)

This pen has the nice basic looks to be an everyday writer, but not a "stunner" it's a pen that looks like it was created to write nothing more. And sometimes that's refreshing in this age of bundled items that do everything but noting really well. I do not expect to start hunting for more variations of this pen but so far it is a pen that writes.

 

K

 

[meanwhile]

That's exactly how I would have reviewed my 51 Vac when I first got it! A bit lower for Writing, maybe. And probably for the filler too.

 

But the pen has grown and grown on me. It writes longer than seems possible, and the subtle, initially bland, nib becomes more enjoyable with acclimatization.

Edited August 14, 2007 by meanwhile

[southpaw]

Well said, Kurt.

[rroossinck]

Well-written review, Kurt. The word that comes to mind on this one is "steadfast."

[Elaine]

I hope Richard chimes in here with his treatise on the Parker 51 that he gave at his seminar this past weekend. The gist of it shows that some of your observations are spot on. The 51 was not meant to be a showpiece, impressive or "pretty". It was meant to be a pen that worked. The main purpose of it's existence was to sell the Parker 51 ink, which would not work in any other pen very well. One, because the ink dried instantly it needed a pen where the nib was not exposed. Two, because it ate the material that pens had been made from. The Parker 51 is made from a material that withstood the 51 ink.

 

I love my teal 51 demi. It is in rotation often. It's the only 51 I own, and it is likely to stay an only child.

[georges zaslavsky]

Thanks for the review kurt

[PelikanPenman]

Good review Kurt, one question, what are three pens that have stayed with for two years?

 

Cheers.

[Titivillus]

Good review Kurt, one question, what are three pens that have stayed with for two years?

 

Cheers.

 

A followup to the review- the parker has been inked and continiously used since I got it.

 

 

As for the three pens they are: A barley Waterman Gentleman, A Carmine Balance & a Krone Metaphor.

 

 

K

 

[Djehuty]

An excellent review, spot on except for the bit about the color. You've pretty much described my "51," but I don't see the blue as muddy. It's a nice deep blue, with a definite hint of grey, so it isn't a simple Navy blue. It takes on different hues depending on the lighting; sometimes it seems more blue-grey, sometimes more midnight blue. I absolutely love the color (Cedar Blue, to use Parker's name for it), and it's set off perfectly by the Lustraloy cap. Of course, this is the most subjective part of the review, purely a matter of individual taste, so I can't say that you're wrong... but my "51" is sitting on my desk right now, and I think it would resent it if I didn't defend its coloring.

 

[JimStrutton]

Good review Kurt. After nearly 45 years of using a "51", for me the pen has stood the test of time, and for the most heavy usage in those years, during school then college, it was just one "51", the original my parents bought me for Christmas 1962, just after winning a scholarship to my senior school. I still have that pen and in the years I have owned it, apart from a regular clean, the only replacement part has been a new sac. I replaced the sac because the old one came from the nipple. I tried to set it back in place with a little shellac, but after about 18 months it leaked again, so I replaced it.

 

The nib is still perfectly functional, but as it is an English Medium nib, the tipping material in shall I say generous and shows no appreciable sign of wear. Having said all that, I rarely use that pen these days as the sentimental value outweighs its real monetary value.

 

What I would say is that it would be worth getting somebody to take a look at the pen Kurt. If the nib is off centre to the feed, that is a sign that it could do with a service. You may be happy to take the hood off yourself, cleaning it out is not difficult, getting the feed and nib aligned with the hood is more a matter of trial and error until you get the knack.

 

To truly appreciate the "51" you need to have it set up correctly. Now as I have said before, my parents bought me my "51" for Christmas 1962 and early in 1963 on a family outing to London for the traditional January sales, my father took me to the Parker Pen shop in Regents Street as it was then. They took a look at the way I wrote with the pen, the guy then checked the nib, not sure if he tweaked it as his workbench was below the counter, he then handed it back to me to try and it wrote like magic. I gave it back to him, he wiped it down, and put it back into it's case with a fresh blotter sheet and that is how I have used it ever since! So this tale shows that certainly in the heyday of fountain pens, the manufacturers like Parker took great care to make sure your new purchase wrote properly.

 

I agree, the "51" is maybe not to everyone's taste, but as a functional writing tool it takes a great deal of beating.

 

Jim