Parker 51 For A Buck And 4 Bits..

[Aredfalcon]

Hi Guys and Gals.. I don't know a ton about vintage pens beside what I've learned here and a few websites .. and only have a few in my growing collection and hope to get a few more.. I did pick this up in a under $2.00 box plus 3 other vintage pens found in the very bottom of a ton of junk..

Gang can you tell me if I'm on the right track here

it's has the markings on the Cap that read 1/10 16k gold filled made in the U.S.A.) does this really mean gold Plated ?

then it says on the barrel it self Parker 51 with a small number 8 with NO DOTS next to it ..( does this mean 1948 4th quarter ?) this is only info I got on the parker51 site.?

 

the Cap has a Blue diamond and 1 jewel ... it seems to write as a fat medium but I'm not to sure because I love Pilot pens and everything seems fat..

also it's been holding about 1.4 mil of ink on a fill ( vac pump back under the blind cap ) for about a week now i've been using it with no leaks

and color would be DOVE GRAY ? or am I off here?

 

 

Can you tell me if I'm on the right train of research here ? some scuff marks on the barrel and two dings on the cap.. writes super smooth with a hint of feedback..

 

Is it worth anything so I can tell my wife my obsessive compulsive personality disorder Fountain pen interest is a thing she just might have put up with a bit longer ( just kidding ) ?

thanks gang and I do appreciate all the help and fun this board has given me

 

Any thoughts or info would be beyond amazing !

Sorry for the big pictures still learning how to post here

 

my blog .

and I make puppets .

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qyqce0O8wYI/VSoKa-3iucI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/M6Thjjdds2I/s1600/parker-51-a.jpg

 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-koThSzT2cTg/VSoKauWzFoI/AAAAAAAAAbU/0JFXac3Ssfo/s1600/parker-51-b.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Bq6p7MwskKU/VSoKavmod8I/AAAAAAAAAbM/kkqlgC_7wWE/s1600/parker-51-c.jpghttp://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1qJHsXCyno0/VSoKbsH1MGI/AAAAAAAAAbo/TiAM_ZEoQYM/s1600/parker-51-d.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7qpVcduKJQk/VSoKb4pfSmI/AAAAAAAAAbk/KQ5HSrKJpJQ/s1600/parker-51-e.jpg

Edited April 12, 2015 by Aredfalcon

[mitto]

Beautiful 51 vac pen with gold cap. Yes , gold filled and gold plates are the same thing. Normally USA made pens are marked as gold filled while English made are marked as gold plated. You may need diaphragm replacement in your pen even if it seems in working condition in order to avert sudden failure.

Edited April 12, 2015 by mitto

[Aredfalcon]

Thanks so much ... Even though it's been holding for a week ? So I guess the seals in side might react to having ink in them after all these years ?

"Sudden failure "sounds like a thing I need to avoid... Good plan

Thanks again

[Matlock]

Thanks so much ... Even though it's been holding for a week ? So I guess the seals in side might react to having ink in them after all these years ?

"Sudden failure "sounds like a thing I need to avoid... Good plan

Thanks again

mitto is quite right, a sudden failure can be quite something. Having said that I do know of 51 vacs that are still working perfectly with no attention, but......

[Aredfalcon]

Is this something I can do my self ... I've done sac's in a few of my older finds .. Can some one share a link in how this is done . And I have heard of a special tool needed .. But is it need for this model ? .. Might be a newbie today ?? But tomorrow I will be oldbie ??

[mitto]

Is this something I can do my self ... I've done sac's in a few of my older finds .. Can some one share a link in how this is done . And I have heard of a special tool needed .. But is it need for this model ? .. Might be a newbie today ?? But tomorrow I will be oldbie ??

Read this and find answers to your queries.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/223983-youve-got-your-first-found-in-the-wild-parker-51-in-your-hand-now-what/

[Jerome Tarshis]

Beautiful 51 vac pen with gold cap. Yes , gold filled and gold plates are the same thing. Normally USA made pens are marked as gold filled while English made are marked as gold plated. You may need diaphragm replacement in your pen even if it seems in working condition in order to avert sudden failure.

Gold-filled and gold-plated are not the same thing. I leave it as an exercise for the keen student to find out what is the difference. It is pretty easy to find out.

[mitto]

Gold-filled and gold-plated are not the same thing. I leave it as an exercise for the keen student to find out what is the difference. It is pretty easy to find out.

 

Ok. Let us know about your findings then. You may , however , read this thread as a first step in your research project. Best of luck.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/285979-p51-rgold-vs-gold-filled-cap/?do=findComment&comment=3288988

[Matlock]

Ok. Let us know about your findings then. You may , however , read this thread as a first step in your research project. Best of luck.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/285979-p51-rgold-vs-gold-filled-cap/?do=findComment&comment=3288988

Gold Filled and Rolled Gold are the same thing, where a thin layer of gold is applied to the base metal. (Gold Filled in USA, Rolled Gold in UK). Gold plated refers to electro plating.

[mitto]

Gold Filled and Rolled Gold are the same thing, where a thin layer of gold is applied to the base metal. (Gold Filled in USA, Rolled Gold in UK). Gold plated refers to electro plating.

Thank you , Matlock. I made a mess not realising we are talking about Gold Filled versus Gold Platted and not Gold filled versus Rolled Gold. Sorry also to OP.

[Aredfalcon]

This was a HUGE HELP in my learning curve here ! thanks Stef !!

[penmanila]

Very nice find, a Parker 51 Vacumatic.

 

If the diaphragm is holding up, then you're lucky for now, but it will fail sooner than later, so it's better that you get it replaced before you get an ugly mess of ink all over your fingers and clothes. Someone like Danny Fudge (thewritepen.net) can do it for you fast and cheap.

[inkstainedruth]

Nice going. You have now OFFICIALLY joined the "Sumgai" Club with that one -- I thought I did well with a Cedar Blue 51 Vac for $10 US last fall, because it had some third tier cap on it, and the seller hadn't priced it (and the guy who opened up the case didn't know squat about pens, and ballparked me a price based on the other third tiers in the case). But you trumped me, big time. Irritating as heck, yet really awesome on your part.

Actually, though, looking a bit more closely at the photos -- is this a 51 Vac (having the blind cap on the end of the barrel)? I'm not seeing the line between the barrel and blind cap, per se. Or is this an Aerometric filler (squeeze bar and sac inside the barrel)? If an Aerometric, the sac might actually be fine, and not need replacing right away (they're basically made of a flexible plexiglass).

I've paid, on average, about $60 each for all of mine, including repairs and getting replacement parts if needed (for example, with the $10 sumgai you have to factor in $35 for restoration and $15 for a replacement cap). One of the Aeros has a 12K rolled gold cap, but I didn't have to pay shipping, and got the sac replaced by Danny Fudge a couple of years ago at the Ohio Pen Show (basically, while I waited he did that pen, and replaced the diaphragm on my other 51 Vac -- to the tune of twenty bucks a pop, and right there at the show).

Depending on condition (such as any engravings, or what repairs have to be done), yours, with the 16K GF cap, might easily be worth more, because I got most of my 51s a couple of years ago. I will let more knowledgeable folk -- and/or those with more discretionary funds than I currently have -- to give you a better ballpark figure. But even if it needs repairs you're already ahead of the curve on what you may have to spend., simply for how inexpensively you got the pen for in the first place.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Flounder]

Excellent deal!

[mitto]

Not a deal. He got it nearly for free.