Parker 51 Aerometric Review

[lmarine0510]

I would like to preface this review by saying that i really lucked out on this pen when i bought it. Buying these things untested off of eBay is literally a gamble because the condition of the pli glass sac and the breather tube is anything but a constant with these pens. As i am sure all of you know, the superchrome inks would often corrode the silver breather tubes due to their alkaline nature, which would make the pen fill up to a fraction of the sac's capacity and make the pen perform rather poorly. however, it seems that the eBay gods were looking out after me on this purchase. Without any work other than a good flush with plain tap water, it seems the pen fills up to its capacity (i counted 11 good sized drops when I dumped it right after filling) and it works like it should.

 

After constantly reading about the 51 for quite some time, i finally bought one to see what all the hype was about. I am not disappointed with it all. to put it simply, this pen just works. when i open it up after a couple of days worth of sitting, it immediately starts up with no skipping or hesitation at all. it always lays down a buttery smooth fine line that is constant and perfect. this thing was meant to write.

 

1. Appearance & Design (9/10) – To be quite honest, i am not the biggest fan of the hooded nib, but it is just as many functional qualities as it has aesthetic qualities. This thing has a very streamlined look that was very popular back in the 40's and 50's when the 51 was popular. the 51 is not a flashy pen by any means, but it still has its own level of class.
2. Construction & Quality (10/10) – Without a doubt, the Parker 51 is the most precisely and qualitatively constructed pen that I have ever owned. this thing is pure genius by design, and every aspect of it was well thought out by whoever designed it. The clutched, precision fitted cap is the best slip-on cap there is, and is the only slip cap pen i have confidence putting in my pocket without a pocket protector. the barrel of the pen is as smooth as glass and the cap is a very nice matte finish that is just as smooth. the only thing that i would have done differently if i had designed it is that i would have put a spring loaded clip on the cap, but the clip on there seems to hold tight regardless. overall, this pen is constructed in a fashion that is rugged, yet very elegant at the same time.
3. Weight & Dimensions (10/10) – this thing is very well balanced and comfortable to write with both posted and unposted. it is 5 and 1/16 inches long capped, 5 and 5/8 inches long posted, and 4 and 23/32 inches long uncapped. the circumference at its widest point is approximately 1 and 3/8 inches, making the diameter about half an inch at this point.
4. Nib & Performance (10/10) – the nib on this pen is a 14k F, which is about the most common nib size and material for the 51. the vast majority of 51 nibs are either F's or XF's. M's are uncommon and anything else is just plain rare. due to the mechanical constraints of the hooded nib, a flex or semi flex nib is impossible and stubs can be readily fabricated from a standard nib if so desired. regardless of this, my nib is very smooth and flows very nicely as i said earlier. no complaints in this department.
5. Filling System & Maintenance (10/10) - My 51 uses the Aerometric filling system. it is a very rugged and reliable means of filling a pen that is tried and true. it employs a proprietary sac known as the "Pli-Glass" sac that Parker developed especially for the 51 that will last indefinitely as long as it is not punctured. these sacs were originally clear from the factory and are very prone to staining, but it does not reduce functionality at all. my pen is all original and untouched mechanically. all it needed was a good flushing and it sucks in a good amount of ink from the bottle. i have yet to measure the exact amount of ink that it holds, but when i last filled it, i dumped it out and i counted exactly 11 good sized drops go back into the bottle. i would estimate that it holds ~1 mL of ink like it it is supposed to from the factory. for those of you who do not know, to fill an Aerometric 51, first you unscrew the barrel from the section, then you hold the nib down into the bottle and firmly press the ribbed bar above the sac 5 times, let the sac fill up, remove it from the ink and then wipe it off and reattach the section to the barrel. all in all, this pen has an amazingly rugged and simple filling system that is on my list of all-time favorites.
6. Cost & Value (10/10) – I snagged this pen off of eBay, as-is, for a buy-it-now price of US $49.00 with free shipping. i feel i got an excellent deal on the pen because i could probably turn around and sell it for 70 or 80 dollars in working condition if i wanted to. I would have felt like i got an excellent deal if i had paid the going rate rather than the discounted price that i paid for it.
7. Conclusion (final score: 59/60) - this pen comes from an era in writing when pens were simply made to write and write this pen does. this pen is one that everybody should own, be you a hard-core collector or a novice that is just starting out, this is a pen for you. it truly is "the world's most wanted pen"

*I apologize for the bad pictures, my camera ain't all that great*

http://i327.photobucket.com/albums/k457/lmarine0510/D8D766BF-04C4-4EBC-B851-9034F44599C3_zpsk0zofuy4.jpghttp://i327.photobucket.com/albums/k457/lmarine0510/56DD653A-1944-4A79-BAE8-7E5852EC8702_zpszkhhehvw.jpghttp://i327.photobucket.com/albums/k457/lmarine0510/D5A36F96-B51D-4244-9933-EDD221701192_zpsrlrur6kg.jpghttp://i327.photobucket.com/albums/k457/lmarine0510/A2C43A67-2736-4DA5-A961-7AFD7CB2A8F6_zpsvdp5cqka.jpghttp://i327.photobucket.com/albums/k457/lmarine0510/66DA42DA-61CC-4406-80E4-3FEDDF9B3144_zps9cqdderf.jpghttp://i327.photobucket.com/albums/k457/lmarine0510/62e9c119-9d35-4839-84ca-4773125344d7_zps9f6cb09b.jpg

[inkstainedruth]

Nice find. You did better price-wise than I did on any of mine.

What's the color of it? it looks grey in some photos and green in others. Any date codes on the barrel? If not, what does the sac sleeve say? If it says "Use Superchrome ink" you've got one that's before 1957.

51s are superb writing instruments -- pricy pens in their heyday, but that went to engineering and design, not bling. The style was probably very modern looking for their time, but don't look at all dated now. Just classy -- personally I love the look and feel of hooded nibs (as opposed to the sections on some of my pens that are a little on the short side, or have an uncomfortable step up to the barrel).

I think you'll be really happy with it. Well, actually, no, soon you'll be itching to get another one.... (I've been pretty good in that I only had a *mild* case of 51 fever -- 3 Aeros and a 51 Vac).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[lmarine0510]

Nice find. You did better price-wise than I did on any of mine.

What's the color of it? it looks grey in some photos and green in others. Any date codes on the barrel? If not, what does the sac sleeve say? If it says "Use Superchrome ink" you've got one that's before 1957.

51s are superb writing instruments -- pricy pens in their heyday, but that went to engineering and design, not bling. The style was probably very modern looking for their time, but don't look at all dated now. Just classy -- personally I love the look and feel of hooded nibs (as opposed to the sections on some of my pens that are a little on the short side, or have an uncomfortable step up to the barrel).

I think you'll be really happy with it. Well, actually, no, soon you'll be itching to get another one.... (I've been pretty good in that I only had a *mild* case of 51 fever -- 3 Aeros and a 51 Vac).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

the pen is colored navy grey. it looks kinda green in pictures but it is indeed grey when in the right lighting conditions. it says on the filler "PARKER "51" TO FILL PRESS RIBBED BAR 6 TIMES USE DRY-WRITING SUPERCHROME INK THE PARKER PEN CO. MADE IN USA" and on the barrel just above the clutch ring it says "MADE IN USA 50" which would indicate that it is a 1950 (2 digit date codes were introduced in 1950), (that, along with the long arrow cap, which was only used on Aerometric pens from '48 to '50). i hope that i will not be itching too awfully bad to get another one. i ain't made of money. lol.

[lisadan]

Enjoy your pen. Sounds like a great buy and a very good pen. I don't have a 51 yet, just haven't had the chance to find one at the right price for me, and I rather invest my limited funds in more modern pens (my personal preference). The closest things I have to a Parker 51 I are two Parker 21s (and a Hero 616...)

Edited August 17, 2014 by lisadan

[lmarine0510]

Enjoy your pen. Sounds like a great buy and a very good pen. I don't have a 51 yet, just haven't had the chance to find one at the right price for me, and I rather invest my limited funds in more modern pens (my personal preference). The closest things I have to a Parker 51 I are two Parker 21s (and a Hero 616...)

like i said in my review, everybody who is serious about FP's should have a 51 (or at least try one). i feel your pain when it comes to having a limited fund for pens. my advice to you is to save up your pen budget until you can find one that you want. i highly recommend buying an aerometric as opposed to a vac. a lot of aerometrics found in the wild unrestored will work with a quick flush (not all of them, but a lot) while a vac found in the wild unrestored will invariably have a bad rubber diaphragm and will cost about $35.00 for a restorer to fix one, and even a lot of "restored" ones found on eBay will be done incorrectly and you will still have to have it done. (there are only a few select eBay sellers that i trust enough to sell me a "restored" product and actually have confidence that it was restored properly).

[lisadan]

I believe I will have a 51 eventually. I almost bought one fas a present for my last birthday, but at the end bought a special model Sonnet. It's just not my top priority. I prefer cartridge pens, which are usually younger models than the 51 (that is my personal preference, without judgment of other pens or collectors). Currently, I rather save for a modern mid to high end Parker or Sheaffer fountain pen.

[lmarine0510]

I believe I will have a 51 eventually. I almost bought one fas a present for my last birthday, but at the end bought a special model Sonnet. It's just not my top priority. I prefer cartridge pens, which are usually younger models than the 51 (that is my personal preference, without judgment of other pens or collectors). Currently, I rather save for a modern mid to high end Parker or Sheaffer fountain pen.

hey, to each his own, i personally would rather use one of those nasty dollar tree 10-for-a-dollar ballpoints than own a cartridge pen... just kidding... almost.

[lisadan]

Careful, you might start WWIII here, between the C/C people and others ...

[lmarine0510]

Careful, you might start WWIII here, between the C/C people and others ...

haha no kidding. i will just add that the fact bottle filling is a lot cheaper than cartridge is the main reason that i refuse to own a C/C. that and i will be the first to admit that i'm a bit of a purist and i hardly ever stray from a good ol' fashioned sac filler.

[lisadan]

I agree that bottled ink is much cheaper than cartridges (and there are many more colors and brands to choose from). A converter takes care of this issue. Syringe filling is even better, as it lets you accurately control the amount of ink in the cartridge (in case you like to rotate your pens frequently, like I do), and it's much cleaner process. However; there's nothing like getting your fingers stained with ink to make you bond with a FP, regardless of it's price and filling system.

Edited August 17, 2014 by lisadan

[lmarine0510]

I agree that bottled ink is much cheaper than cartridges (and you have many more colors and brands to choose from). A converter takes care of this issue. Syringe filling is even better, as it lets you accurately control the amount of ink in the cartridge (in case you like to rotate your pens frequently, like I do), and it's much cleaner process. However; there's nothing like getting your fingers stained with ink to make you bond a FP, Sac or C/C filler.

i agree with you there. i have no idea as to what turns me off from converters so much, though. maybe it's something to do with filling up my 100 dollar pen with a cheap piece of plastic. everybody that sees me on most days knows that i am a FP user, partly because of an old Parker Arrow clip or a Sheaffer white dot cap protruding from my shirt pocket/ clipped below the top button of my Polo shirt, but mostly from the stains on my fingers reminiscent of a blue or blue-black ink.

[M@rtin]

Nice pen, enjoy!

[Christi0469]

Lisadan- If you prefer c/c pens you may want to consider a Parker 45 with a gold pen. I bought one one the cheap in poor cosmetic condition. It look pretty bad (the original owner was apparently an avid pen chewer) but it writes like a dream and has some flex.

 

I recently bought a P51 aero desk pen in fair cosmetic condition and it writes like a dream as well. I was pleasantly surprised given the pictures the the pen was in excellent writing condition with what seems to be a medium nib. I find myself doodling with it when I really ought to have my mind on work. I had wanted to get one P51 to see what all the fuss was about (I already had a Super 21 so I already knew I should like it). Now I like the nib on the P51 so much that I am going to have to shop around for another one for an EDC. The P51s aren't my favorite pens aesthetically but they are great writing instruments that were built to last.

Edited August 26, 2014 by Christi0469