Search the Community

So I see this pen listed on fleabay It is listed as a 51 MKIII But from what I have seen online, next photo from Ernesto Soler, the 51 in this particular color only came in the 51's with the flattened not rounded barrel. Am I wrong to suspect this is a 21?

I can't even remember how I came to own my fountain pens, but in any event I have a couple of Parkers. One is this Parker 51 Aerometric. I'd appreciate anything people might be able to tell me about it based on the pictures. (there's two small dents on the back of the lid here - character!) Thanks !

For the Parkers using the pliglass sacs, I have seen two different adhesives recommended when replacing the sac, Shellac or clear nail polish.... Which is correct, or better if either can be used? I have a slimfold that well best non technical term for the sac is gooey. No idea what caused it to be that way but when I took the pen apart I peeled that sucker right off and chucked it... and a Parker 21 that looks like they used some sort of permanent black ink in it, so for esthetic purposes I wish to replace. Thanks

Parker experts: When did Parker produce the 51 aerometric with a brushed stainless cap engraved with Made in USA and an up pointing arrow logo with an ellipse around it? Thanks.

I found an aerometric Parker 51 locally for cheap, but its clip is broken. I'm looking for a clip to replace it, doesn't necessarily have to be a Parker 51 clip. What other clips would fit it?

Hello all, Did my best preliminary research trying to find out what Parker pen I have here and wanted to verify and get your opinions or thoughts! Seems like I might have a Parker 51 but the aerometric inside has etchings calling it a Special which is confusing me. I think it is a Navy Gray Parker 51, likely 1960s. Why the engraved "Special" inside? Is the cap from a 51 and capping a Special? Filler: Aerometric (1948-), engraved with "Parker 51 Special", instructions to squeeze 4 times Cap: looks like Lustraloy, with pearlescent jewel (not black like the Specials) Cap engraved "Parker 51" with no date markers (1953-) Color: Navy Gray Body: breather hole on the side (1960-) Thanks for looking at my new to me pen! Ink note: Already got Waterman ink for it as I heard Iroshizuku inks might feather hard in these after a while due to evaporation. Let me know if that's off base.

The Legacy of the Parker 51 is unmatched. The name Parker 51 has got its own volume in the pages of fountain pen history. A pen launched in 1941 marking the 51st anniversary of the company, still stands up to its marketing slogan of "the world's most wanted pen". It took eleven years for the development of the pen and sold over 20 million pens between 1941 to 1972 and returning a whopping 400 million dollars in revenue for the company. The pen was designed to resemble a jet fighter with a brand new tubular nib to fit the pen. Turning the pages of worlds history, in last century the iconic Parker 51 was used to sign the surrender of Germany and Japan in World war II, General Dwight D. Eisenhower used 2 Parker 51s to create a symbolic V for victory and the late Queen Elizabeth II preferred choice of pen. The Parker 51 has its own place in the Whitehouse. From the late US President John. F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson to Ronald Reagan, Parker 51 had played its vital, final and firm role in world politics. It would be absolutely apt to call this legend of a writing instrument "The True King of Pens". Parker 51 NG The year was 2021 and the management of Parker woke up from a deep slumber and decided to live upto their legacy i.e. to introduce a pen during a worldwide crisis just like their predecessors did with the launch of Parker Vacumatic during the great depression or the launch of Parker Victory and the 51 during the second world war. Unlike their predecessors who are renowned for their innovations and novelty in launching new products and making it a phenomenal success, the sluggish, average Joe current generation planned on relaunching a neo version of an old legend and the retired legend they chose to resurrect was the Parker 51!. Hearing this I lost my sleep. Owning and using a few of the Vintage 51 myself, the expectations rose sky high. Not an exaggeration but there were so many nights where the thought of this relaunch used to be my sheep count to put me to sleep. The D-day arrived and the pen was officially launched and YouTube was flooded with reviews. Most of the reviews were for the steel nib version and I wouldn't lie, each of those reviews were a punch to the gut. All my imaginations and expectations started crumbling and let the thought of buying the pen pass. Few months later after the on and off use of the vintage 51s, I chose to revisit those YouTube reviews. An odd point stood out. Most of the reviews were steel nib and from my limited decade old experience in using fountain pens, the thought that struck me was each fountain pen has an unique character and a million dollar question of how could a renowned brand like Parker make an absolute blunder with a legend like the Parker 51. With the above justification and reasoning out a thousand times with myself to spend INR 26,500/-, I took the infamous dive down the Rabbit-hole. Placed the order for the plum golden nib through a good friend Mr. Rajesh Pillai and the pen arrived safe and sound. First Impressions The pen arrived in the box of premium standards. The pen sported the precious resin with chisel golden cap and trims. The weight was apt and well balanced pen for my medium sized hand (Glove size 7.5). The breather hole at the bottom or the side as seen with the vintage was absent. The classic cap jewel was replaced with a metal one with a gap!! Not sure if the design is supposed to mimic a propellor of the P-51 fighter jet or a very outdated and unnecessary breather hole. However I couldn't think of any use to the gap in the cap. The major design change was the screw type cap in place of the slip on/push cap and to make matters worse it was metal on resin, popping the question of lifespan of this pen. The classical hooded design was replaced to a semi hood covering half the 18KT gold fine tip nib and a very noticeable gap between the tip of the hood and the nib. The resin threaded barrel again screws up to a metal nipple. On observing this all I could do was keep my fingers crossed and pray that this pen lasts for a considerable amount of time in my hands and my hard earned money that I spent on this pen doesn't go down the drain in the near future. The pan came with a conventional cartridge and a twist convertor. First Write After making the above observations it was zero hour. The time to put the resurrected legend to action. The ink of choice was Montblanc petrol blue and with the first dip and few twists the convertor was filled with a tiny air bubble. The moment of truth. the first stroke of the pen was flawless, nothing less than the vintage Parker 51. It was totally an flabbergasting experience given the thought of negative reviews racing in your head and personally observing and highlighting the flaws in the design. The wetness along with the feedback of the nib, the weight and balance of the pen vanished the fears of flushing the money spent on this pen down the drain. It was pure bliss and joy to write with this pen. Rising up to the challenge With all things said and done, it is the duty of this particular model to stand up to its predecessors glory. This pen according to me had a great challenge to face down the road. The vintage original Parker 51 had two primary objectives. One the aerodynamic design resembling a fighter jet which the 51 NG managed to achieve in its own way with few flaws. The second Himalayan task ahead was the no dry flawless writing with no skips especially on long storage which was a boasting promise of Parker on the original vintage 51. It so happened that after two days of acquiring this pen, I had to leave the country for a week for a conference. Leaving behind the 51, I flew to Japan and on coming back after a week, I could see the 51 staring at me from my pen stand. So with no further ado, I unscrewed the cap and placed the nib on my personal journal, and there was the dot of ink on the paper. The pen started to write with no skips jus like its ancestors from the last century. That was the moment my fears and doubts were completely washed away. There was no drying up issue and the NG had proven itself. I have been using it for a period of two months now, not once has the nib dried up nor had any skips during my long writing sessions. Final word It was a gutsy move from Parker to resurrect a classic successful model and kudos on the effort. Yet it was absolute ignorance, dim-witted boneheadedness to think that they could resurrect a classic from the last century with no proper R&D, using the existing parts, to tag a price that is pompous and wheedle out of the situation. The Parker 51 NG to me is no blast from the past appearance wise, however putting it to use, it is no way less in terms of performance and stands equal to its predecessors. In a profession where people judge you in a jiffy this pen can be an EDC for two reason, One not too flashy for an observer to notice and the second reason being a reliable flawless writer. This pen has been my EDC for the past two months putting my trusted Waterman Hemisphere which has been a loyal companion for a decade to rest. To conclude the vintage/original 51 Is the late Queen Elizabeth II and the 51 NG is King Charles III. I'll leave the interpretation open to the readers. Rating Looks - 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Build - 2/5 ⭐⭐ Nib - 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Value for Money - 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐ As an EDC - 👍

I acquired numerous bottle of brand new Parker 51 in in Red and Green. All the bottles were unopened, but all dry. I want to figure out how to reconstitute them. Before adding distilled water, I wanted to check to see if anyone had good knowledge of the chemistry of ink. I've rescued some dry pigment into good ink, but never this much product and of this particular type. I see no reason to let this product go down the drain.

Hi All, I have few Parker 51 Fountain pens.One of them writes pretty dry.This pen is a NOS Green Aerometric model, Made in England.I don't want to disassemble it.Please give me some useful tips so that I can turn it into a wet writer without doing any harm.I'm not a specialist. So I'd like to request you to give me some easy and simple tips in this regard. Thanks in advance.

I bought vintage parker 51 few days ago(it's my first vintage fountain pen), the seller told me it is 'navy grey' but it didn't seems like navy grey... I think it's more similar with dove grey.🤔 I want to make sure about it's color... Can anybody give me some advice? What do you think about my pen's color? more about my pen(only I know) : 1/10 16k gold filled, vacumatic (photos under the desk light) (photos under the natural sunlight)

After trying a vintage 51, and two vintage Sonnets, I want to try a new out of the box Parker pen with a gold nib. I really liked the way the 51 wrote, and one of the Sonnets, they felt nearly frictionless and the way I write that's helpful. They were all Medium nibs. The options for that, at the best price I can find here in Canada at the moment, are: Parker 51 re-issue"next-generation" in Plum, "Deluxe" model with Fine 18k nib. OR Parker Sonnet Classic series Black lacquer, palladium trim, Fine 18k nib (rhodium finish). The 51 is slightly more expensive, but for the purposes of this let's say they're both about $160 USD. And they're both only available at these prices in the Fine nib, so there's that. Thank you for your votes and wisdom, and scolding, and whatever else you have in store for me.

Hi Friends: I have my eye on a Parker 51 Vacumatic here in a local shop. It is described as burgundy--and looks it--and it has a blue diamond gold filled cap. First of all, did Parker make a burgundy that fits this description in that date range, or is it in fact a cordovan brown? Second, it is described as dating 1948, and I was under the impression that the blue diamond ended in 47. Am I wrong? Many thanks

Hi, I’ve had this Parker 51 reissue for just a few weeks, and have noticed these grooves in the middle of the section—anybody else? (trying to upload a photo)

Dear readers, I bought this 51 the other day, and I don't understand what goes wrong. It was like this when I got it (at a steal) and I thought it would improve after disassembly and reassembly. Not the case, unfortunately. I can't figure out which parts don't match. The hood (nose somewhat damaged) and barrel match colour-wise and it's sporting an original 14kt nib. The feeder fits the inner part neatly. Any advice on what to replace to make this a decent 51? Many thanks!

Good afternoon- Snow day here in New Hampshire- I have been catching up on grading and planning, but am taking a break to ask a few questions- I have a "parts collection" parker 51 that I am working on. First, the new breather tube- has a small hole in it- that end goes into the feed, correct? But the tube does not go far enough in to... align that little hole with the hole in the feed tube. Am I correct in understanding this? That IS how I have assembled it, and it seems to work... the pen pulls ink into the sac, and it write well... Second- are parker 21 sac protectors interchangeable with Parker 51? Full size or demi size? As of now, this "parts collection" 51 does not have a sac protector on it. But it still writes, of course. Sincerely, Bob W

Good morning- I am a classroom geography! teacher- and use my pens frequently for sketching- usually, in normal years, on field trips with my 7th graders. I have tried using some color ink, and have also recently tried using some watercolor washes over inked sections. Still experimenting. I mostly use Parker 51 pens and have a small assortment to use, and to loan to my students to "try out". I have a few pens that are "under construction". .. in particular, I am currently having difficulty with one, that seems to be a mix of full-size and demi-size parts. I expect I will be writing about that one, and asking for advice. Sincerely, Bob Woolner

Just got this and love it. Just about to ink it up.....it's so tactile. Gorgeous. Parker 51 with 'snail' bands....on the cap, and the barrel. Lovely to just hold and fouter with. The base is blank, a solid brass circle, which could be engraved.....any suggestions on how this might be done/by whom/where? I'm not planning to do it now, but might in the future,more than likely with the symbol on my ring which is in one of the photos(Order of the Unified Heart.....Leonard Cohen fans' symbol) Alex

Hello... I recently acquired a Parker 51 and while examining it I felt like the nib is not correctly aligned. I'm new to FPs so I could be wrong, and it'll be super to get your opinion on this. Also, if it is misaligned, is it possible to fix it, and where in Mumbai / Delhi can it be done? Here are some images:

I have a fairly dented Parker 51 cap that I'd like to take the inner cap and innards out for use with an Ariel Kullock fantasy cap. Mine has a metallic clutch ring with oval shapes. I know that there is a special tool for its removal, but it is expensive and not a worthwhile purchase for me. So I came up with an idea, inspired by my watchmaking caseback removal experiences. The plan: supergluing the clutch ring to some kind of a bolt. Then I'd pull the bolt from the cap to remove the clutch ring, and then dissolve them apart with a solvent that will only dissolve the superglue. Does anyone here think this will work? I'm trying to see what might be an obstacle, but if the only thing the special tool does it to grip the ring, I'm thinking the superglue will do the same. Would appreciate any input, thanks.

Good day all! I need help in identification of the colour of this Parker 51. It is a pale green, definitely not forest green or teal... It perhaps could be Nassau Green. It is an aerometric filler and as per Parker51.com, there were few aerometric filler nassau greens made for export. Any help in this regard would be very much appreciated! Regards, SS

Can anybody say anything about this pen?

I acquired my second Parker 51 this morning, perusing a local vintage fair. It was manufactured in England according to the cap, and it's in reasonably good nick. It's a Mark III and judging by the jewel, it was probably manufactured by 1973 at the latest, unless the factory in England did not bother updating the design to comply with some US regulation about removable small parts. It has a lustraloy cap (not sure about the spelling) and the barrel is black. There is some evidence that white letters were printed on it at some stage but they have mostly worn away. For this reason I think it might have been a corporate gift pen. The pen still had some blue ink in it when I got it home although it flushed out easily enough. I've filled it with Edelstein Mandarin and will flush it out again when that's finished as I suspect there are still some dry flakes slowly dissolving. It's cleaner than my first Parker 51 however which is much older and looks like it has been constantly filled with black ink for most of its life. The Mark III looks to be a medium nib and it's very obviously broader than the older pen. It cost me fifteen euro so all in all, unless I discover in the next week or so that it has a horror of a leak problem, I think I probably did pretty well for it.

I got a 'pen part'.....the base of a Parker 51 desk pen, brass bottom: Im wondering what the possibilities of having something engraved on it(ie the pens bottom, rather than my own: though age and gravity have taken their toll on my own, and it would allow more area to work on, I draw the line - no pun intended....this whole topic is daft enough without my adding to it.....though it's written to try to keep my spirits and sense of humour up, as the last couple if months have been very difficult....) Anyway, any suggestions? Pictures shown. It's a nice thing in any case - I have one already, complete with pen....beautiful, black, 'snail' turned pattern on the pen, and is a sweet writer and so comfortable. Hence I was wondering if this could have something engraved. I doubt if it's something one can do at home....or is it? Alex