Can A Parker 51 Be Grinded To Cursive Italic?

[chunli]

Just wondering if a Parker 51 be grinded to cursive italic. I already asked one grinder who doesn't grind parker 51s. If it can be done, do you know who can?

 

Melinda

[Silvermink]

Don't see why not, really. Have you asked, say, Richard Binder?

 

What nib do you have and what kind of width are you looking to get out of it? A lot of the 51s are fine, which would result in a very fine CI without some retipping.

Edited October 26, 2010 by Silvermink

[OldGriz]

Of course it can... HOWEVER, you will need to start with at least a medium or broad nib to do it properly and therein lies a problem as they are a lot less common than the fine and xf nibs found on most 51s

The other and better solution is to take a fine or xf nib or even better yet one that has tipping damage and send it to someone like Greg Minuskin who can retip the nib and then grind it to the required shape

[richardandtracy]

There are a few original CI nibs about. I was very lucky to get one in an E-Bay sale where the photo was so bad you were guessing if the nib was a medium or broad & it's gorgeous. My CI nib is actually softer than the modern Duofold ni & is a real joy to use. The line is 1.1mm wide on the down strokes and 0.35mm wide on the side strokes. I've had the pen permanantly inked for the last year. Get an original if you can...

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[richardandtracy]

Of course it can... HOWEVER, you will need to start with at least a medium or broad nib to do it properly and therein lies a problem as they are a lot less common than the fine and xf nibs found on most 51s

...

This seems to be true of the US.

My experience would suggest that UK pens have a higher proportion of mediums than the US, and the UK medium is wider, so it may be better to start with a UK made pen before even contemplating a re-grind.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[thrage1]

Pendleton had some great italic Parker 51's at the NYC pen show

[OcalaFlGuy]

I have a Vac and a Aero CI that started as Mediums, both ground by Mike Masuyama. They are smooth, wet and wonderful.

 

The line variation looks alot nicer in person than in these pics.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

 

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_XB-IYvzxVyY/TG7et1JFa1I/AAAAAAAABl4/Sj0UECVoVOM/s800/51sb.jpg

Edited October 30, 2010 by OcalaFlGuy

[Aysedasi]

There are a few original CI nibs about. I was very lucky to get one in an E-Bay sale where the photo was so bad you were guessing if the nib was a medium or broad & it's gorgeous. My CI nib is actually softer than the modern Duofold ni & is a real joy to use. The line is 1.1mm wide on the down strokes and 0.35mm wide on the side strokes. I've had the pen permanantly inked for the last year. Get an original if you can...

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

 

 

Trouble is, if you can find one and the seller knows what he's got, you're going to have to pay a lot of money for it.......

[richardandtracy]

Yep, but when they don't and the pen ends up costing £18 (approx $27) it makes for a pretty good feeling.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[Surfbits]

I have a Vac and a Aero CI that started as Mediums, both ground by Mike Masuyama. They are smooth, wet and wonderful.

 

The line variation looks alot nicer in person than in these pics.

 

 

Bruce, that looks like what I need for Parker 51..

Can I ask what Mike charged you for that service?

[OcalaFlGuy]

Mike has done my nibs only at shows and there he charges $30 for the grind and any

flow adjustment. Richard Binder at least at past shows has charged $40.[1] Here is Mike's

webpage and from it, it's unclear (to me anyway) on sending in nibs if flow adjustments

are in addition to grinds.

 

http://www.mikeitwork.com/NibRepair.html

 

You might want to go do an advanced search on say "grinds" or "masuyama" and my nic in

the writing instruments forum. I've done a couple posts there on having nibs ground at

shows that might be helpful.

 

IMO, no matter how inconvenient, if at all humanely possible, you should have your nibs

ground in person/real time. For 2 different shows, I've driven 600 and 700 miles roundtrip

to do that. IMO, there just isn't any comparison (mailing them in) to sitting across from

the nib technician and being able to back and forth the pen until it is exactly the way

you want it. FPNer Bo Bo Olson has a saying, "Chase the nib, not the pen." and I'll agree he

has a point there. IMO, so many are just content with their pens because the nibs in them are

just "sufficient". Not bad, but not superfluous either. Life is too short to write with a

pen with a nib that isn't exactly the way you want it to be and the best way to attain that

is in person, sitting across for the person doing the grind.

 

[1] IMO, Richard's and Mike's grinds are both wonderful and comparable to each other. Richard

has ground mainly Sheaffer Imperials for me as Mike prefers to remove the feed from those

pens and can't do that at shows. Richard WILL grind inlaid nibs at shows so he has done my

inlaid Sheaffers while Mike has done the rest of my grinds.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

[Brian C]

Ooh, I have a medium nib 51. I have to get this done!

[OcalaFlGuy]

Be ye forewarned...

 

It isn't often said (if fact, I may be one of the few to say it) but having a nib on a pen you already Really Like custom ground isn't so much the slippery slope as it is the screaming vertical plunge into the abyss. (Nearly so for not having one ground but having it tuned to be EXACTLY <mainly flow wise> the way you want it.)

 

Once you get one ground and it's PERFECT, you're likely to get bored pretty quickly with nibs you already had that you were, you thought, basically happy with.

 

The good news is, you'll be in good company...

 

What I didn't mention about me going to pen shows is, at three different shows so far, I have YET to buy a single pen.

 

But, the carpet behind me has been left smokin' with me jetting to get in line at Mike and Richard's grinding table.

 

Now, to me, the even better news is, even though many of these pens I was basically **content** with, to me, I got THE BEST DEAL OF ANYONE at the show, I got basically a *brand new* pen for $30-40. :clap1:

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

[Surfbits]

Very well said Bruce, thank you.