You've Got Your First Found In The Wild Parker 51 In Your Hand, Now What?

[Colourfingers]

You're not going to believe this but I've managed to get the black one working. It just writes and the line is not excessively broad although perhaps Waterman Havana Ink is a bit too wet for it. On the Teal Blue one it is still erratic and far too broad for my handwriting so I'll have to let it go because the cost of affording to get the whole thing restored as well as the nib tuned or replaced is probably going to be prohibitive.

So apologies for my frustration of earlier with the 51 I've only been trying to get it going for a year.

[Crazy4penz]

Hello,

 

I am new to this network, I am currently looking for a double jewel Parker 51 red band. Anyone have one or have any suggestions

[OcalaFlGuy]

On the Teal Blue one it is still erratic and far too broad for my handwriting so I'll have to let it go because the cost of affording to get the whole thing restored as well as the nib tuned or replaced is probably going to be prohibitive.

So apologies for my frustration of earlier with the 51 I've only been trying to get it going for a year.

 

I know there are at least a couple restorers in the UK.

 

It should not cost more than $25-30 to have an Aero opened up, sonicated clean and the nib tuned. You've got to remove the hood anyway to (correctly) remove the nib for tuning.

 

If a pen as nice as a 51 isn't writing as it should, Make It write that nice.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

[Sham69]

just got the nicest P51 slim fold for 25 dollars. this is literally mint condition looks as though it just came out of the factory, the nib is as smooth as a baby's bottom. writes beautifully the box also looks brand new and came with original papers i almost feel like giving the ebayer some more money as it is not often one does not get ripped off on the bay.

 

this is the best condition slim fold i have ever found

http://s2.postimg.org/a6ogfneex/KGr_Hq_RHJ_4_FJug_Td_IYZBSc1kh_UVTw_60_57.jpg

[Ru4scuba]

Many thanks for this. Years ago I had two P51s and sold them...always regretted that decision. I've recently re acquired an aero and have cleaned it out once...think I'll do it again via this method to be sure.

 

Appreciate it!

[SilverBullet400]

Hello, thanks to Bruce for this extremely helpful post!!

 

I just got my first "51" off eBay and, unfortunately, it's not exactly as described.

 

It is an aerometric that was described and pictured as blue, when it's actually dark green (Nassau green, maybe? Looks darker than what I see pictured on google pics, maybe because of aging?). The cap has a couple of dents on it and, according to what I've read on several websites, it might actually be older than the rest of the pen. Hopefully someone here can help me confirm or dismiss what I think...

 

The cap is all golden, its tip is plastic and silvery in color. Has a short clip with a small blue jewel (some paint gone). The lip has two lines that read "1/8 14K gold filled/Made in the USA". From what I've read, this would date the cap somewhere between 1947 (blue diamond discontinued) to 1951 (clip shortened).

 

The barrel has no markings (so, it should be post-1952) and the clutch ring is all silver colored (does this mean it could have worn off? or just confirms the barrel is newer?). The aerometric fill casing is brushed steel with "Superchrome" on it, so this places the pen somewhere between 1953 and 1957.

 

Everything tells me this pen is the result of a mix and match but, given your experience, do you guys think it could be a mix and match from the factory, trying to get rid of remaining old parts? Or just my bad luck overpaying for a worthless pen?

 

As far as writing is concerned, the seller sent me the pen fully inked and writes very smoothly. Seems to be a M point or broader. Just waiting for the ink to run out to do perform a "BruceNuke'em" cleaning!

Sorry for the long write, will post pic as soon as I learn how to!

 

-Sam.

[OcalaFlGuy]

Sam, I've spent a good amount of time on Ernesto's Chronology page and you seem to have done the same too and picked up your needed clues quite nicely.

 

I'm no expert but I agree with you the cap doesn't match the barrel.

 

I however DISAGREE that as such, you bought a "worthless pen".

 

Maybe from a pure C-Worder prospective but that's not so important to Everyone.

 

I myself Purposely Purchased an Aero with a Sterling Silver Vac cap specifically Because I'm Not so fond of Vacs but AM quite fond of the Sterling caps.

 

It is completely inconsequential to me that that combination is lacking in C-Worder cachet.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

Edited January 14, 2014 by OcalaFlGuy

[Flounder]

I wouldn't say it was worthless just because it's non-matching at all! I do prefer the looks of the blue diamond clip, just makes it a bit more special. Same goes for slightly less common broader nibs, and I see way more blue than green 51s too. Yours sounds splendid.

Edited January 14, 2014 by Flounder

[SilverBullet400]

Thanks, guys!

 

Sorry about my poor choosing of words... By "worthless" I meant "with a collectible value, or real value, much lower than what I paid for it". The guy who sold it pictured a beautiful blue 51 with a mint silver cap, with blue clip jewel, and matching blue cap tip. The one I received is some kind of ugly dark green (compared to the blue, which happens to be my fav color) with an all gold, dented cap, silvery looking cap tip, and no beautiful blue anywhere to be seen. Now, as a fountain pen it performs incredibly great, very nice and superbly smooth for its age, no complaints there!

 

I was just a little frustrated by the whole situation, but your wise words kind of put things in perspective... I should enjoy my first 51 for its performance, rather than its looks. Given enough time, experience, and better knowledge, I can always go on a more "educated" search for another "51", in the future!

 

-Sam.

Edited January 15, 2014 by SilverBullet400

[SilverBullet400]

Pics of the perp, XD

[Inkysloth]

Pics of the perp, XD

The cap jewel should be silvery - grey, so your jewel is correct. It showing blue in the original photograph is interesting - I am but a newbie, but to my knowledge cap jewels were not made in blue by Parker. Its appearance as blue in the seller's photographs hints that the colour balance in their photos was incorrect.

 

When you say the cap pictured was "mint silver" do you mean "mint condition" - meaning perfect, untouched condition, or do you mean mint silver as in coin silver? Sorry if I seem picky, I'm just wanting to make sure I understand you correctly, as if you were expecting a perfect condition cap, and you got a worn & dented cap, you have every right to complain to the seller.

[SilverBullet400]

@Inkysloth, I've been talking with the seller and yes, seems like the source of our disagreement lies on camera effects. The cap looks mint (as in very good condition) and silver in the nicely lit pics on the auction listing, and the jewel at the tip of the cap seems to be solid blue. The dings are not visible on the pics, except for one of them, where you can see a slight uneven coloring at one point in the cap, when you super zoom it (not that you can tell that it's actually a ding, but...). Same for the jewel, looks solid, deep blue in all pics, but in one of them that is a little darker, you can see the jewel has some very slight transparency to it. So, even though most of the pics are misleading, I guess I should have been more careful when examining the pen.

 

That said, the only fault on the seller's part I can really pick on is that he stated it to be a Cedar Blue pen, which would make it a Mark I pen (Vacumatic). Given its green look under the naked eye (it does look blue-ish when pictured on camera), and the fact that the pen is listed as an Aerometric (mark II), I'm thinking it's actually a Teal Blue pen, as Cedar Blue was supposedly offered only on the Mark I (Vacumetrics).

 

That, or I'm just going nuts since I'm no expert, either!

[Inkysloth]

@Inkysloth, I've been talking with the seller and yes, seems like the source of our disagreement lies on camera effects.

 

That said, the only fault on the seller's part I can really pick on is that he stated it to be a Cedar Blue pen, which would make it a Mark I pen (Vacumatic). Given its green look under the naked eye (it does look blue-ish when pictured on camera), and the fact that the pen is listed as an Aerometric (mark II), I'm thinking it's actually a Teal Blue pen, as Cedar Blue was supposedly offered only on the Mark I (Vacumetrics).

 

That, or I'm just going nuts since I'm no expert, either!

You aren't going nuts, at least not from evidence presented here!

 

I suspect your pen is teal, as you suggest, and the seller isn't particularly knowledgeable or bothers with researching what they sell, as information about P51 colours & filling systems, as you've found - is readily available online.

[pajaro]

I recently received a 51 black vac filler, gold filled cap, eight one dot. Pen's as old as I am and worked perfectly. I think it's worth testing them carefully before total disassembly. Can't believe it works. Nice fine point.

[Flounder]

I recently received a 51 black vac filler, gold filled cap, eight one dot. Pen's as old as I am and worked perfectly. I think it's worth testing them carefully before total disassembly. Can't believe it works. Nice fine point.

 

I absolutely agree with you, always test before disassembly.

[bbshriver]

Is there a source to get a new diaphragm for the vacumatic 51? Parker51.com does not seem to have it. Or is that a strictly professional job?

[OcalaFlGuy]

http://www.pensacs.com/New%20Pages/parker.html

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

[Komitadjie]

Hey, actually just signed up to drop a thanks to OcalaFlGuy for this extremely helpful how-to. Just picked up my first 51 aerometric (fairly sure it's a Mk1), hasn't even arrived yet (Ebay, decided to live dangerously), and have been looking around for what to do to get things going once it shows up. This is a very, very helpful guide, and I'll be following it as soon as my 'new' Parker shows up!

[b1lynch]

Great post - thanks. I have just bought a 51-demi and while it's picking up ink I see no bubbles when I depress the plunger. It seems it's picking up enough ink that it's not just "dipping" that's picking up ink so I am thinking that the demi (4.75") is so small that I can't see the bubbles. I will test in a clear glass of water to see if I'm just not seeing the bubbles in the dark ink. Suggestions?

[OcalaFlGuy]

Do whatever you have to to determine the bubbles answer.

 

No bubbles or bubbles on only 1 or 2 pushes and it's a new diaphragm for sure.

 

Danny Fudge is the cheaper, quicker person to do that.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl