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The other brand sections have this kind of thread, and I couldn't believe we don't have one for Parker. So here we go. What Parkers have you added to your collection lately? We have 100 years worth of pens with the Parker name, and some of us are addicted to gathering them up. I have a number of items on order, both vintage and modern, and I will mention those as they arrive over the next few weeks. But to get us started, here's the ebay photo of a P45 I just scored: Burgundy Parker 45, 14k Medium - described as NOS. In fact, that's how I found it. I was searching for gold P45 nibs. I had to grab this one because: 1. I don't have this color yet. (I am hoping it's not the same color as my red one.) 2. A gold Medium nib is my P45 sweet spot. (I do have a 14k broad nib unit on the way, too, to upgrade one of my two steel Fines.) 3. That squeeze converter alone could cost half of what I just paid for this pen, and I only have one of those. My other P45s use carts or one of the modern twist converters. So, now it's your turn. Let's keep this one going, shall we?

http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/m496/gclef1114/New%20Stuff/A1475F3F-C37A-4C43-8754-984F4DCAD63D.jpg http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/m496/gclef1114/New%20Stuff/02D49648-F831-48B2-A911-C1019007F687.jpg http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/m496/gclef1114/New%20Stuff/AFF39F21-BF62-4476-A54A-0BB3AA9F653A.jpg

I haven't ventured much into the world of vintage Parker pens, but after hearing endless good things about the 51, I am thinking of getting one. I am curious to know where you would recommend looking for one (best online stores) and what prices to look for. So far it looks like I could potentially get one for around $80 or so (looking for a regular sized vacumatic P51) but I want to make sure it is restored and in decent condition (I am looking on Ebay, but I have had some bad pen experiences on Ebay and I would want to make sure it is a good seller). So, what price should I look for with a P51 Vacumatic, and where should I look? (I have also been scanning classifieds but I don't see many there). Thank you for any info Edit: Likely doesn't matter, but I am okay if it doesn't have a nib in it - just might give a few more options

I plan to never sell my Parker 51, nor purchase another for that matter, but I've been wondering how much it's worth. Are blue diamond Parker 51s worth more than later ones without the blue diamond. Correct me if I'm wrong, but most P51 Vacumatics have the blue diamond. The cap is gold filled, with a tiny, almost unperceivable dent, and the pen is completely restored. All the parts were cleaned in an ultrasonic cleaner, and the diaphragm is new. All other parts are original. It's from the 4th Quarter of 1945. Thanks guys!!

I've seen a couple of pens on ebay in a box labeled "Parker "51" -- Super "21". They're advertised as 21s. Does anyone know if that's what's likely to be in the box? Thanks!

Hi Gang, Just a quick note to rave on about the Parker 51 aerometric that I recently acquired, and to pose a question. As you’ll see in the picture below its stunning and as close to NOS as I've been able to find. I've long wanted an English made, Navy Grey P51 with a broad nib as it's just like the one my father bought some time back in the 50's. As a 10 year old in the mid 70's I found my father’s Parker 51 and tried to fix it for him. I'm not entirely sure what had happened to his pen up until that point, but my memory was that it wasn't filling properly and the nib was all over the place. With a 10 year's patience and skill level my repair went as could be expected and the pen disappeared into the mists of time. Fast forward to last week and I've picked up the pen pictured above. I ran with the, "You've Got Your First Found In The Wild Parker 51 In Your Hand, Now What?", playbook and then inked it. It was smooth as silk, but drier than it should be. After a few days of flushing and ultrasonic cleaning it wasn't getting any better and so it was time to look under the hood. I expected it to have some caked in Superchrome or P51 ink that needed to be sorted out. Amazingly, it was crystal clear, the only issue was that the feed & nib weren’t correctly aligned with the collector. A quick check of “Da Book” indicated that the wide channel should be directly above the nib, but it was actually rotated about 70 degrees. I reassembled it, inked it; perfection! I was originally looking for a P51 to use as a daily writer. My problem is that as this pen really is near new old stock, complete with chalk marks and a perfect period correct box, I’m really starting to think that I should preserve it rather than use it. That said, pens are to be used, and a pen as glorious as this deserves to be written with every day. So there it is. What would you do?

Hello! At least I got a little time write. A couple of weeks ago I was looking after my first P51 and thanks to farmdogfan now I am a happy owner of this magnificent pen! The pen is a MKI aerometric with beautiful black body and lustraloy cap, there are no date marks but it has the basket clutch spring, and the black plastic ended converter so it is one of the early aerometrics (please correct me if this is not true). I have to admit that I really hated this design before (bad lasting memories from childhood using P51 fakes at school) and I was a bit afraid. And I never really liked the idea of a hooded nib……BUT when I saw mine that beautifully proportioned shiny black barrel, the heavy cap that feels machined, that somebody really worked on it. And that solid clutch ring that divides the pen compositionally it is perfect, it just gives the necessary amount of detail to the pen body without being just a "decorative" element. If you divide the length of the visible barrel when capped with the golden ratio number 1,618 it gives the length of the cap (I observed this on more Parker pens) and these were just the looks. Now to get to the tactile review. It just feels perfect for my hands, it is like a highly polished gem, jewel it does not feel at all like "plastic". The thickness is also extremely comfortable for writing in comparison the P75 seems a bit too thin for me. At 20grams the pen may seem light but not that light to feel cheap. Its a wonderful piece of architecture! Behind that streamlined body hides the technology, you know from the beginning that its an old pen but feels modern. It resembles pure elegance, professionalism in this minimalist design. I started to like this idea very much, that the nib is hidden, that only I know (from my colleagues) that there is a nice gold nib, most of them don't even recognise it being a fountain pen. It is like the pen reveals her secrets only for the user. As for the writing performance its smooth, wet, holds a lot of ink. I use it as a daily user because I'm afraid that my P75 is too flashy in many situations. Also as a comparison many compare it to the P51 Mustang but for me it is much more like the Mallard Steam Locomotive, as far as I know the most elegant and fastest steam engine. Some pictures of my P51: Have a nice day!

Alright, I bought a P51 Aero a while ago, sold it, and now I find out that I can't live without one. I've had to make do with pencils and cheap ballpoints, but writing isn't fun. I've decided to get myself a great P51 that'll last me decades, I'm not selling it this time. I have a few questions though... #1. Aerometric vs Vacumatic This is a common topic, but here are my main concerns. I am looking at refurbished pen sites (not eBay), so the Vacumatics should work fine out of the box. However, my concerns are twofold. I don't want to ever have to experience my pen turning into a sopping inky disaster, or otherwise lose faith in it because it ruined my things. The second is taking my pen on planes, I expect to do this a hell of a lot and I want to know if the Vacumatic would give me any trouble in that regard. In fact, I want to know if the Vacumatic will give me any trouble at all. It's not so much that I don't want to look after it (I'm OK with being attentive to my pen), I just don't want an unpredictable pen. #2. Flighter The Flighter is one of the best-looking pens I've ever wanted. However, I want a date-stamped pen, and one in excellent condition (i.e. frosty with no visible signs of use). How much is this going to cost me? I think buying new old stock is out of the question as I'd like to stay under $300. Is it a realistic goal to find an almost-mint to mint Flighter in this range? If I can't get a date-stamped one, can you at least tell what decade it was made in for certain? #3. Cleaning What's the best cleaning regimen for a P51? I'd like to know what do do with it on recieving it (before first fill) and then any monthly/bimonthly routine I should have to keep it in absolute tip-top shape for many, many years. #4. Nibs Is there such thing as a Medium/Broad nib, that is, neither Medium or Broad? This term continues to pop up and I think it has something to do with UK-made pens. I'm looking for a Medium (again) but I'm open to thinking about a Broad nib (I have small handwriting though). #5. Dealers I've looked through most of the pens for sale right now and I haven't found what I'm looking for. Until an Aero in Midnight Blue or Black, date-stamped and in frosty condition comes along (or a good M-nib Flighter), where should I look? My first P51 was bought from parker51.com, any other dealers that would have what I'm looking for? Is it important to have the nib retouched or no? Thanks!

Honestly, I’m not a P51 fan, I hate the hooded nib design but I couldn’t help taking these from the local flea market (the (in)famous Waterlooplein fleamarket in Amsterdam). Both: Approximately 13,5 cm long (capped) A sort of mother of pearl like tassie on the cap, no imprints on the cap. ETA: the caps seem aluminium but I'm not sure on that The same filling system, identified as ‘black band’. Best one: A very dark red, burgundy, I guess The somewhat faded inscription on the barrel near the barrel clutch reads: PARKER ‘51’ REG TM 540224 MADE IN ENGLAND At the point of the arrow some finish (chrome?) seems to be chipped off Dipped and writing smooth. The other one: Some blue-green, barrel is bulged with a black discoloration. Inscription “Parker 51” T7 (with two dots under the T) Made in USA The arrow on the clip is broken off. Dipped but not writing at all, the nib seems disaligned to me. Except that I’m starting with the study of OcalaFlGuys pinned thread (big thanks for that!) – any wisdom on what to do next with them? Given that I paid 15€ for the couple – what restoration costs are reasonable? ETA: the best one is very similar to this one, except that the cap has no imprint: http://www.ebay.nl/itm/PARKER-51-CORDOVAN-BROWN-LUSTRALOY-CAP-VACUMATIC-FOUNTAIN-PEN-BROAD-NIB-/161307597333?pt=UK_Home_Garden_PensPencils_WritingEquipment_SM&hash=item258eae9a15

I have a mystery Parker 51 in Cocoa, but I don't know which model. There are a few anomalies that I cannot figure out. The date code is 9, surrounded by the 3 dots, so I assume it is a 1949 version. The nib is gold, a firm XF. Other than these two details, nothing is as usual. When comparing with a regular 51: The silver cap is 1/8" longer The arrow is 1/8" longer The length of the barrel is shorter by 1/4" The nib section is shorter by 1/8" The cap is more tapered and has a smaller jewel on the end It looks like a 61 cap, but won't fit a 61 The overall pen length when capped is about 1/8" shorter The barrel widths are the same. It's not small enough to be a Demi, and not new enough to be a MK III transitional - as the end of the barrel is round. Since the nib is gold and the jewel is not black, I don't think it can be a Special. The Aerometric Filler is fully enclosed with a black plastic endcap, and says "...Press 6 times..." So it's a mystery. This cap does not fit any other Parker pen that I own, not a 51 or a 61. If anyone has ideas, I would love to know what you think. I took lots of pictures of the mystery pen side-by side with a regular 51 and a 61. Many Thanks!

Now I have a weird one for all of you: I recently bought a navy grey Aerometric filling P51 mk2. Somewhere along it's lifespan, the pli-glass sac was replaced by a latex sac. After cleaning it, in the fashion described in the pinned topic, I used it for a week with Sailor Gentle grenade. Not a single problem. I cleaned it again, and since two weeks filled it up with MB Friendship. And now it gets weird: It is like the sac is sweating. What I mean by that is everytime I use my pen for a while, a sort of mist appears on the sac in the ribbed bar hole. This mist is barely visible to the naked eye, but when I wipe the sac with a tissue, some blue clearly transfers. Anyone have any idea what this is ?