Parker 61 Filling System?

[derryderrydown]

While clearing my grandmother's house, I came across something that's probably a Parker 61.

 

(Picture is hopefully attached or is at http://i755.photobucket.com/albums/xx199/phantomflasher/modifiedDSCN0335.jpg)

 

However, while the instruction leaflet with it refers to the capillary filling system, a bit of googling has told me that, whatever this pen has, it ain't the capillary system!

 

Can anybody tell me what system it actually has, how to get it usable, and how to actually use it?

[icardoth]

It's a cartridge/converter Parker 61. You can remove the converter and replace it with normal Parker cartridges, or fill the converter through the pen from an ink bottle.

 

Cartridge/converter Parker 61s came out in 1963, after discontinuing the capillary filler.

[pmn]

Yup, that's a 61 allright, but hat one works like the aerometric.

You dip the nib into a botle of ink and squeeze the bar 3 or 4 times to fill.

 

As it sat unused for some time (I'm guessing) maybe you'll want to flush it clean first.

I'd recommend, as a first approach, you go through a few cycles of filling it from a glass of plain water followed by emptying to the sink.

(to empty just squeeze the bar again)

 

Enjoy, that's a great heritage, with box and all.

[rochester21]

The removable cartridge/converter system is better than the capillary filler in the long run, but it`s rarer in comparison. You should definitely clean more often !

[derryderrydown]

Yup, that's a 61 allright, but hat one works like the aerometric.

You dip the nib into a botle of ink and squeeze the bar 3 or 4 times to fill.

 

As it sat unused for some time (I'm guessing) maybe you'll want to flush it clean first.

I'd recommend, as a first approach, you go through a few cycles of filling it from a glass of plain water followed by emptying to the sink.

(to empty just squeeze the bar again)

 

Enjoy, that's a great heritage, with box and all.

 

It's been about 25 years since it was used, at a guess, so I think a bit of rinsing through will definitely be in order!

 

Thanks for the help. It was my grandfather's, so I'm looking forward to getting it back into use.

[welch]

Plus, your grandmother's 61 still has its hood arrow. They tended to flake off. You have a gem.

[tmenyc]

...and, as a 61 veteran, I'll say that if it hasn't been used for >25 years, consider yourself lucky you have an aerometric version...it would've taken a week to flush out that fill unit. Now just use the instructions above and you're good to go!

Tim

[sherbie]

But its a bit of a franken pen. It has a black section with a green hood. It should be all one colour plastic.

[sherbie]

now not sure what happened here but I,ll have a guess. is the tassie on the end of the grey/green barrel gold plated or silver? it looks gold plated to me, which means that the inlaid arrow should also be gold plated - but it looks silver in the photos.

 

this suggests, to me at least, that the barrel may be original, and the section, nib and filler has been changed at a later date - most likely when the original capillary filling system stopped working ( or maybe your Grandfather complained and Parker switched his pen to the updated more flexible c/c filling system). this is consistent with your instructions, which are for a capilliary P61.

 

Regardless, this is how your Grandfather used and cherished his pen, so clean her out and ink her up and enjoy

 

cheers, Paul

Edited June 8, 2013 by sherbie

[derryderrydown]

now not sure what happened here but I,ll have a guess. is the tassie on the end of the grey/green barrel gold plated or silver? it looks gold plated to me, which means that the inlaid arrow should also be gold plated - but it looks silver in the photos.

 

this suggests, to me at least, that the barrel may be original, and the section, nib and filler has been changed at a later date - most likely when the original capillary filling system stopped working ( or maybe your Grandfather complained and Parker switched his pen to the updated more flexible c/c filling system). this is consistent with your instructions, which are for a capilliary P61.

 

Regardless, this is how your Grandfather used and cherished his pen, so clean her out and ink her up and enjoy

 

cheers, Paul

Hi Paul,

 

The barrel's dark grey (might just be the photo making it look green) and all the metal is silver. So I have no idea what's going on with it but, as you say, any mismatched weirdness doesn't affect the sentimental value of using my grandfather's pen.

 

I gave it a bit of rinse out last night, tried it out this morning, and it was writing beautifully, even without me putting any fresh ink in it!

 

Thanks for your help, everybody. It's going to be really nice to get my grandfather's pen back in use.

[fpnnm]