Parker P51 recent eBay purchase, need to press nib firmly

[PinehillJoe]

I recently picked up an Aerometric from an eBay seller.  The pen looks fine cosmetically.  When I write, I find I have to press a littler firmer than the couple of pens I've bought from Peyton Street.  Is this a symptom of a misaligned nib?  I may send it to Parker51 to have it refurbished.   Lesson for me, unless the pen is a very unique or low cost, I'm finding buying from a good dealer is better overall value in the long run.  Buying from a dealer like Peyton Street, you know you are getting a good pen. 

Edited March 10 by PinehillJoe

[Beechwood]

20 minutes ago, PinehillJoe said:

I recently picked up an Aerometric from an eBay seller.  The pen looks fine cosmetically.  When I write, I find I have to press a littler firmer than the couple of pens I've bought from Peyton Street.  Is this a symptom of a misaligned nib?  I may send it to Parker51 to have it refurbished.   Lesson for me, unless the pen is a very unique or low cost, I'm finding buying from a good dealer is better overall value in the long run.  Buying from a dealer like Peyton Street, you know you are getting a good pen. 

 

 

 

I think you have come to a very wise conclusion, there is a lot to be said for buying the best you can afford. 

 

There used to be a beer commercial with the strap line, Reassuringly expensive.

 

I haven't used Parker51.com but an alternative is the Write Pen

 

https://www.thewritepen.net/

 

 

[jchch1950]

18 hours ago, PinehillJoe said:

 I'm finding buying from a good dealer is better overall value in the long run.  Buying from a dealer like Peyton Street, you know you are getting a good pen. 

I agree with your comment. Sometimes, the time and expense of resending the "bad" used pen constitutes a frustration and not a joy of getting a new writing instrument.

[VacNut]

I guess the question is whether or not the hobbyist is  a tinkerer or strictly a collector. There are benefits to buying a pen “from the wild” or from a dealer. Neither option has absolute guarantees.

The OP has purchased a reliable fairly troubled-free pen.

Was the pen flushed out a few times before being inked? The issue could be several things, but it appears the feed tube or feed is clogged with dried ink. If so, it is a very simple fix

[InkyProf]

6 minutes ago, VacNut said:

I guess the question is whether or not the hobbyist is  a tinkerer or strictly a collector. There are benefits to buying a pen “from the wild” or from a dealer. Neither option has absolute guarantees.

 

Agreed. I am also a tinkerer, but I still pursue both strategies. And while not every pen you purchase even from a reputable dealer will be perfect, the good thing about reputable dealers is that they stand by their work and will correct problems. Example: I bought a Kullock 51 from PSP that would barely write, and didn't want to disassemble it myself because the hood is basically irreplaceable -- but they took care of it immediately, no hassle, and now it works as flawlessly as every other pen I've bought from them. (Whereas even eBay sellers who purport to have restored pens are variable in their reliability, both in terms of how good a job they do in the first place, and how they respond if you have problems -- some are great, others not so much.)

That said, re: OP's pen, also agreed re: starting by flushing a finicky aerometric. This might resolve without even rising to the level of tinkering. There's an old post here with one detailed set of procedures for soaking and flushing an aero -- to which I'd add the caveat that I and many others now avoid ammonia-based cleaning solutions for gold nibs.

[Penguincollector]

What ink did you use? Some inks don’t play nicely with the ink collector. While the pli glass can handle just about anything, inks that are too saturated will clog. I learned to dilute certain inks if I’m using them in my 51s. 

[VacNut]

Great advice from the tinkering community.

[PinehillJoe]

thank you for all the feed back.  I read the linked post in InkyProf's post.  I will try the steps with pen.  I did soak it, but not for 36 hours, so no loss to give it a try.  I am using Pilot take-sumi ink.   I am a tinker'er, another reason I'm drawn to the P-51 Pen.  Taking one apart doesnt scare me.  I do want the first one I disassemble to be a low price pen I stumble on at an estate or yard sale. 

Edited March 12 by PinehillJoe

[VacNut]

You can find unrestored Vac 51 or Aerometric for $40-45. Even less if you buy several in a lot. 
You can also practice on Parker 21s and 45s for $20-25.
Stay away from the 61s until you get more experience. They have a unique filler system.

[PenFisher]

Dear OP - The Parker "51" is an icon in the world vintage pens and perhaps without peer.  The aerometric version is as close to bullet-proof as possible.  I have restored many (hundreds actually) and I never cease to be amazed at the design and quality of build and materials used in these pens.  Often a 75 year old aerometric can be simply flushed and filled and everything still works as designed.  The pli-glass sacs, even though more than half a century, old are in most cases still pliable and work just as intended.  If you are able to write with the pen you picked up on eBay and simply need to press harder for ink flow, then it seems the problematic ink flow is improved as more tine pressure is applied which implies that extra pressure causes lifting the nib off the feed and spreading the tines making things begin to flow.  There could very well be dried ink or other obstruction in the slit of the feed or between the feed and nib that is the root cause.  Definitely try soaking for an extended period is a good start ... plain cold tap water is fine.  Every few hours (as you have time) just give the filler a couple of squeezes to move the water thru the internals.  If there is only minimal improvement try getting some Koh-I-Noor Rapido-Eze Pen Cleaning fluid and use it for another soaking session.  If this fails to improve things then look at videos on how to disassemble the "51" (there are many online).  Just take your time, don't force things, and enjoy your learning experience ... your "51" will thank you.

Good luck and have fun!

[Vcasa]

I am looking to start my quest for a Vintage Parker 51.  From what I have seen so far it appears that an aerometric would be the first thing to look for due to its bulletproof reputation.  Just wondering is there anything I should avoid?  I am a newby with zero tinker experience.

[welch]

45 minutes ago, Vcasa said:

I am looking to start my quest for a Vintage Parker 51.  From what I have seen so far it appears that an aerometric would be the first thing to look for due to its bulletproof reputation.  Just wondering is there anything I should avoid?  I am a newby with zero tinker experience.

 

Aerometric 51s often need nothing more than a flush and then ink. No kidding. Next, a "found in the wild" 51 might need its nib to be tuned. That is about a $40 job in the US, and many here can recommend people to tune a nib. 

 

Of course, some nibs will have been ruined over then last seventy or eighty years. I've had a few that seem to have been used to write on bricks or concrete sidewalks, but only a very few.

 

I guess that owners put their fountain pens away starting in the 1970s, as ballpoints and portable typewriters  became the mosty important writing instruments, and then a personal computers drove typewriters into oblivion. And, also, as the original owner of a great Parker 51 died, and their children saved the pen for its sentiment. I have and use a Vacumatic 51 that I gave Dad to replace a Vacumatic I smashed when I was about two or three. Somewhere, I have a Vac 51, maybe the first P-51 I gathered from EBay, that had engraved the owner's name and a town in Nebraska where he had lived. Parker 51s made before about 1960 were, and are, sturdy pens. 

 

Of course, this other thread is the best place to start when you think about your first P-51:

 

 

[Vcasa]

17 hours ago, welch said:

 

Aerometric 51s often need nothing more than a flush and then ink. No kidding. Next, a "found in the wild" 51 might need its nib to be tuned. That is about a $40 job in the US, and many here can recommend people to tune a nib. 

 

Of course, some nibs will have been ruined over then last seventy or eighty years. I've had a few that seem to have been used to write on bricks or concrete sidewalks, but only a very few.

 

I guess that owners put their fountain pens away starting in the 1970s, as ballpoints and portable typewriters  became the mosty important writing instruments, and then a personal computers drove typewriters into oblivion. And, also, as the original owner of a great Parker 51 died, and their children saved the pen for its sentiment. I have and use a Vacumatic 51 that I gave Dad to replace a Vacumatic I smashed when I was about two or three. Somewhere, I have a Vac 51, maybe the first P-51 I gathered from EBay, that had engraved the owner's name and a town in Nebraska where he had lived. Parker 51s made before about 1960 were, and are, sturdy pens. 

 

Of course, this other thread is the best place to start when you think about your first P-51:

 

 

Thanks so much for your help

[rochester21]

On 3/10/2026 at 2:08 PM, PinehillJoe said:

I recently picked up an Aerometric from an eBay seller.  The pen looks fine cosmetically.  When I write, I find I have to press a littler firmer than the couple of pens I've bought from Peyton Street.  Is this a symptom of a misaligned nib?  I may send it to Parker51 to have it refurbished.   Lesson for me, unless the pen is a very unique or low cost, I'm finding buying from a good dealer is better overall value in the long run.  Buying from a dealer like Peyton Street, you know you are getting a good pen. 

The lesson here is that not every fountain pen that you buy at random, especially a P51, will write after you buy it. The odds are against you.

 

Let's face it, these pens are older than most of the people who buy them now. 

If you buy a 60 year old car from someone's yard, would you expect it to run after you put gas in it?

 

 

[VacNut]

I have had contrary experience. The Aerometric and Duofold pens with the plyglass-type filler usually works after a simple flush,

[inkstainedruth]

Yeah, me too.  The 51 Vacs might need more work (such as a sac replacement), but the Aeros I've bought?  Just needed a good flushing out -- even the most recent acquisition (the 51 Signet I got at an area antiques show recently for an AMAZINGLY good price!)

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[rochester21]

9 hours ago, VacNut said:

I have had contrary experience. The Aerometric and Duofold pens with the plyglass-type filler usually works after a simple flush,

With a bent or heavily misaligned nib, corroded breather tube and/or solidified old ink inside, no fountain pen is going to write properly.

 

I bought about a dozen Parker 51 so far, half of them did not write. Not because of bad quality, but because of abuse.

 

The trick on ebay is to avoid the cheap ones, you may spend $120 on a expensive one, but it's usually worth it. The $50 ones can be bought for spares, if any are in good condition.

 

I've also learned that pens that come in their original box tend to be in better shape, probably because their owners took the time to keep the box or is a sign that the pen was not used.

 

Of course, the best way to go about it is to buy from sellers who include a writing sample and a clear picture of the nib, these are strong clues about the condition of the pen.

 

There are also a few ebay sellers I know and trust, but if you go into it blindly, like I first did, your experience will vary greatly.

 

Americans are also greatly favoured in this hobby, simply because the USA was and is the greatest market for quality fountain pens, so getting vintage Parker pens for example is easier for an american that it is for me going to the store to buy a mug, for example. USA is the place to be if you want stuff. Also worth pointing out, american sellers are usually not knowledgeable at all about what they are selling, meaning you could either get the best deal ever or a dud, depending on luck and your own expertise.

 

 

[inkstainedruth]

I'd mostly agree with you, except for the part about "American sellers".  The most recent 51 I got was a 51 Signet, F(?) nib, at an antiques show south of me recently.  The vendor said her late husband had been a pen guy (I had wanted to see a little Peter Pan ringtop in a case on one of her tables), and then we got talking.  And she pulled out the 51 Signet and told me she was selling it for $30 US (!).  Am I gonna say "no" to a deal like that?  CERTAINLY NOT!  Of course, it took me about 3 days to flush out whatever red or burgundy ink had been in it (who knows how long it had been sitting there, turning to dry sludge).  But the pen (being a 51 Aero, of course) writes well (I have vintage Quink Permanent Royal Blue in it at the moment).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[PinehillJoe]

I sent the Pen to Tim at Parker51, refurbishment is in work.   I have purchased a couple from Teri at Peyton Street and have not been disappointed.  Most recent is a 1946 Vacumatic 51 with a fine nib.  Its wonderful and is becoming my daily pen.  I'm keeping an eye out for a 51 low enough in price to try refurbishment myself. 

[Targa]

Firstly, I have stated so in other posts, but it's hard to go wrong with anything from Peyton Street Pens.  Teri is as skilled, fastidious, and honest as you can get.

Second, I do my own nib tuning, and have become pretty good at over the last 30 years or so.  While I understand that some just are worried about damaging a pen, I would feel less attached to my pens if I had not restored and tuned them all myself.  I do the same with (most) watches.  IMHO it's worth just learning how and having the extra fun.