Need Info/advice On 4 Old Fountain Pens Inc. An Osmiroid 65 & Parker 51

May 20, 2013

Hope I've put this in the right place - there's a Parker in the mix but as there's other makes too I've put this in the 'other' topic. I've had four old fountain pens for years, I think they all used to belong to my father. They haven't been used for a long time though I do remember using a couple of them as a kid.

First up is a grey 'Ero' which takes standard small ink cartridges. Not in very good condition - the plastic is cracked on the barrell and also the cap and some slight rust at the top of the clip. Also has 'Ero' embossed on the barrel too.

Second is the black one marked 'AA' which has a plunger (which still moves albeit a bit stiffly) and plastic ink reservoir. Sadly the nib on this appears to be bent, otherwise in good condition. I can't see any markings on the pen otherwise.

Thirdly is the rather colourful but sadly poor condition Osmiroid 65. Love the multicoloured 'marble' finish on this but unfortunately the end has been chewed a bit and I think my dad tried to scratch his name into the side! Cap unscrews to reveal an italic nib though it's two 'vanes' appear misaligned annd it seems quite scratchy. Nib says 'Osmiroid, Italic, Medium Oblique, then England. The cap unscrews but just pushes onto the top of the pen. It has a clip for drawing ink into the pen. Can't see if it has a sac or not, I presume so and that it's well and truely perished!

Lastly is a pen I've seen a few people talk about - a Parker 51. This seems to be in better condition - unfortunately the sac inside has a small hole in it so probably perished. Nib looks intact though. Think the cap is gold plated - as well as 'Parker' it also says '1/10 12ct. R. Gold' which I presume means 12 Carat Rolled Gold. Edit: Just found in very faint writing on the body of the pen it says 'Parker, Made in England - 6'. There may have been a mark/character after the 6 but could also just be a small scratch.

I'd love to get some of these working, especially the Parker 51. All of the pens have old, dried ink over the nibs - what's the best way of flushing this out, running warm water through the pens? Also, can I get a replacement sac for the Parker? I can't seem to get the mechanism out of the pen, does it come out or not - don't want to use too much force and damage anything! Also can't see how the Osmiroid comes apart - does that come apart as I'm presuming it'll need a replacement ink sac. Also can the nib be bent back into position without risking damage to it?

I've uploaded some pictures, hope they're not too big and have attached OK

Edited May 20, 2013 by sammyboy

May 20, 2013

Nice history, to have your Dad's pens.

The 51 should be reasonably easy to get working again, although you will need a new sac. David Nishimura http://www.vintagepens.com/catill_nibs_parts.shtml has pli-glass sacs available , and I also found some for sale on Ebay UK.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-INK-SACS-FOR-PARKER-51-AEROMETRIC-/321117619135?pt=UK_Home_Garden_PensPencils_WritingEquipment_SM&hash=item4ac41a03bf#ht_2145wt_1356

51s can be a bit challenging to take disassemble, so definitely do some research in the repair forum to look for procedures and pitfalls. A source of heat will be necessary to help soften the adhesive and get things apart - a hair dryer should do.

I believe the Osmiroid may have the screw-in nib unit, so you should be able to bring that back to life easily. It will most likely need a new sac, and you will need some shellac to secure it. There's a good tutorial in the Esterbrook forum on repairing a lever filler, and also a very good write up on Richard Binder's web site.

http://www.richardspens.com/

May 20, 2013

Thanks for the advice and links, looks like the parker is 'doable', though the Osmiroid might be beyond my capabilities! Found a couple of those sacs on Ebay, might invest in one and get the Parker up and running. It looks like the filler mechanism may screw out - or is it also glued in place? Noticed as well looking at other '51s that the cap tip should be more 'pearl' effect - on mine it's black but it looks like it's covered in cruddy old ink. What's the best way of getting this off?

Looking on Ebay for the AA FP I found a couple of listings describing the exact pen as a 'Primavera' - made in Italy in the post-war period. The ones on there didn't sell so don't think it's worth much but hope to get that running. That has a plunger which still appears serviceable, just need to straighten the nib out.

The Ero pen is apparently German made, might try inking that up and giving it a go as it's a cartridge-fed pen. Just cleaning/flushing it out with some warm water.

It is nice to have a bit of history - I was thinking of selling the pens but might hang onto them. Sadly me and my father don't speak any more and haven't done for over 5 years now

May 20, 2013

Well, I'll be! I couldn't resist inking up the old '51 just to see how it wrote - and the sac appears ink-tight! It will still need replacing as it does have a nick in it but it doesn't appear to go all the way through!

And before anyone asks, it writes lovely - smooth, no scratching, a joy to use! I can see why these old Parkers get such good press on here

Managed to get the Osmiroid's nib off after a soak in warm water, the sac appears intact on that too after shining a torch down the barrel! Not sure how much I trust it though. The nib I think is damaged though, although trying with no ink it was very scratchy, despite gently trying to adjust it. It's scratchy to the point it damages/tears the paper too!

Managed to bend carefully the nib on the AA back - don't think it's perfect but again now writes smoothly with no dragging or scratchiness, has a nice fine line too so could be ideal for writing notes at work. However I think I'll be using the lovely Parker for that first!

May 20, 2013

Well, I'll be! I couldn't resist inking up the old '51 just to see how it wrote - and the sac appears ink-tight! It will still need replacing as it does have a nick in it but it doesn't appear to go all the way through!

Managed to get the Osmiroid's nib off after a soak in warm water, the sac appears intact on that too after shining a torch down the barrel! Not sure how much I trust it though. The nib I think is damaged though, although trying with no ink it was very scratchy, despite gently trying to adjust it. It's scratchy to the point it damages/tears the paper too!

Managed to bend carefully the nib on the AA back - don't think it's perfect but again now writes smoothly with no dragging or scratchiness, has a nice fine line too so could be ideal for writing notes at work. However I think I'll be using the lovely Parker for that first.

Wonderful, and good work! The Osmiroid's sac will almost certainly need replacement, but that truly is one of the simplest of pen repairs. I believe that Osmiroid and Esterbrook nibs will both fit that pen, so you have quite a variety available.

Parker 51s are wonderful pens. I'm carrying my 1944 vac 51 today, and it's a pleasure to use.

May 20, 2013

I'm very pleasantly surprised by the 51, so much so it's making me rethink fountain pens a bit. Even been out and bought myself a bottle of Quink for the 51 this afternoon, will use it at work tomorrow Apart from a nice Paper-Mate cartridge fountain pen I've got I've been a bit dissapointed by the FPs I've had but then again they've been cheap consumer models - even some of the modern, cheaper Parkers! Still like my Cross RBs/BPs but I'm a lot more open-minded to quality fountain pens now. And I've had this one under my nose for the last 15-20 years!

By the way what's the date of my 51? From what I've read the '6' printed on the barrel suggests it was made in 1956? Love the look and feel of it, especially since it's been in the family for a long time, probably from new!

Will keep an eye out for those nibs for the Osmiroid, be good to get that in rotation too.

Edited May 20, 2013 by sammyboy

May 20, 2013

Date codes - now you get to delve into the history a bit. Take a look at the Parker 51 profile at Richard Binder's site, and the history that Ernesto Soler has at the Parker 51 site - it really is quite fascinating.

http://www.richardspens.com/?page=ref/profiles/51.htm

http://www.parker51.com/gpage1.html4.html

Congratulations again, and have fun with your pens. Being in the UK, Diamine inks are a 'local' brand if you choose to stray into colors and shading.

May 20, 2013

Odd you should mention Diamine ink as I'd just been looking at those on Ebay - I'll mostly be using black but once I've used up the Quink bottle I bought today I'll probably go onto Diamine. They sound like a good brand.

From what I can gather after reading those links it's a mark I from 1956 that I have