Parker 51 Restoration

[Jobesmirage]

Hi guys,

 

I bought a 51 recently on the EBAY.. and there are a couple of issues.

 

1. The nib is misaligned

2. The clip (collar/arrow) spins

3. The clip (collaw/arrow) has sprung

 

If I send the pen to be restored will a full restore include fixing these issues or not? In terms of filling and writing there isnt much of an issue however these aesthetic things are.

 

Thanks,

[Sasha Royale]

#2 and #3 are simple repairs, given the correct tool. #1 : The condition of the nib is unknown. I believe "full restoration" means putting the pen back into useful service. Cleaning and adjustment would be part of the service. Parts could be additional.

 

A reputable technician would give you an estimate, before beginning work.

 

Servicing the nib requires pulling the section on your Parker 51. I would leave it to someone who has done it many, many times. Break the section, and you have a "parts" pen. I recently had a Rolex watch (oyster case) restored to a fine instrument. A properly-restored Parker 51 is fine instrument, as well.

[ac12]

If in doubt, specify what you want done.

Then let the pen tech tell you if it is included in the basic rate or if it is additional.

 

However, final cost estimate cannot be done until the pen is in his/her hands and the pen disassembled.

- Maybe the clip is not restorable due to a crack and has to be replaced.

- How much work to fix the nib, it may be more than just misaligned.

Edited June 7, 2016 by ac12

[Jobesmirage]

Do you guys know anyone who would provide these types of repairs I see that most people just have a "restoration cost" that I think might refer to getting the pen working again and not so much the cap

[ac12]

Since you have specific issues to fix, email the different pen techs and ask them directly. Then you will get the straight story, and not a distorted one.

 

In no particular order than how they came to my mind:

- Ron Zorn, Main Street Pens

- Linda Kennedy, Indy-Pen-Dance

- Danny Fudge

etc.

 

There are many more pen techs that just the ones that I listed.

Also ask them about the wait time. As I understand that some of them have a rather long waiting list of people in front of you. So your pen may spend 6-9 months in the repair queue, before it is even looked at.

Edited June 7, 2016 by ac12

[FarmBoy]

I am reading 'misaligned' to mean the nib and hood are not centered relative to each other. If so, correcting this would be routine in a restoration.

 

Work on caps can be part of a restoration for some but not other and there are people that specialize in cap/metalwork repairs. Removal of the clip is not without risk, if the jewel survives removal (and they usually do in the hands of experienced repair persons) straightening and tightening a clip on a 51 is straight forward.

 

Where you have the pens serviced may depend on where you are located. In some cases a pen mechanic may be close to you, other times, not so close.

[mitto]

All the three jobs can be done safely at home if in case one has sufficient knowledge of disassembling a 51. There are good videos on YouTube that tell you how to remove the hood, clip and jewel of a 51. The clip once removed can be straightened, and the retention screw be tightened. The nib and hood tip alignment would take just a few seconds once the hood is removed safely.

 

Wish you good luck with your 51.

[Erik Dalton]

I know it seems a daunting task now. But many of us have been there and I tell you that you and your pen will survive it. Go on YouTube and soak up all the P 51 repair tutorials. I guarantee you will feel much more confident after a few days of that. At that point you will have enough knowledge to talk intelligently to a repair tech, or make the decision to take on the job yourself.

Don't be afraid to come back here with questions if you get stumped.

 

Good luck. And, by all means show us before and after pix!

[pajaro]

Depending on your skills you could probably fix the pen. The cap jewel could be broken, though, if you are not very careful. If the hood over the nib is not loose, you would have to use heat to loosen the hold of the shellac sealant. These things are fraught with trouble for the inexperienced. Depending on how you think you are with your hands, and dependent on how adventurous you are, you might want to try the fixes or just send it out if your faith isn't that great. Personally, when I only had a couple of 51s a long time ago, I was afraid to mess with pens and repairs, since every pen that developed an issue was destroyed by my attempts to fix them. Good pens I didn't want to mess with. When I had more 51s I started to mess with them. I have never messed with my first 51, though. That one I bought brand new in 1970 and I revere it.

 

So, some things to consider. You might want to get this one professionally fixed and leave the messing around to pens acquired later.

[the_gasman]

Hi Jobesmirage,

 

About 6 months ago, I bought a Parker 51 to see what all the eulogies were about. I bought an inexpensive one (£30) on eBay so that I could dismantle it and restore it without risking a fortune. After reading info on here and watching many YouTube vids, I embarked on my refurbishment. I learned loads about 51s by taking a DIY approach. When I first got the pen it would barely write and the nib/hood were misaligned, like yours. I also had to heat-set the nib/feed/hood -- you see, it was a wide-ranging learning process.

 

After it all I had a pen that wrote with a wonderfully wet, smooth line. Unfortunately, I have also learned that I don't share the near universal love that people have for the Parker 51, so it will languish in my pen draw for a while and then end up back on eBay. The Parker 45, on the other hand, is a pen that I started off despising but now is one of my preferred writing instruments, especially the one that I found with a double-broad oblique stub italic nib (swoon!). My 45 love-in belongs in another thread -- sorry about letting my infatuation spill over here.

 

Cheers,

David.

 

PS: I meant to say that the cost of your P51 may decide if you are willing to risk a DIY approach. Personally, I would be more inclined to use an expert restorer if I had paid a lot for my pen. Mine was bought specifically to use as a learning experience.

Edited June 7, 2016 by the_gasman

[mitto]

I have never messed with my first 51, though. That one I bought brand new in 1970 and I revere it.

 

 

The one that your father said was his?

[mitto]

Hi Jobesmirage,

 

About 6 months ago, I bought a Parker 51 to see what all the eulogies were about. I bought an inexpensive one (£30) on eBay so that I could dismantle it and restore it without risking a fortune. After reading info on here and watching many YouTube vids, I embarked on my refurbishment. I learned loads about 51s by taking a DIY approach. When I first got the pen it would barely write and the nib/hood were misaligned, like yours. I also had to heat-set the nib/feed/hood -- you see, it was a wide-ranging learning process.

 

After it all I had a pen that wrote with a wonderfully wet, smooth line. Unfortunately, I have also learned that I don't share the near universal love that people have for the Parker 51, so it will languish in my pen draw for a while and then end up back on eBay. The Parker 45, on the other hand, is a pen that I started off despising but now is one of my preferred writing instruments, especially the one that I found with a double-broad oblique stub italic nib (swoon!). My 45 love-in belongs in another thread -- sorry about letting my infatuation spill over here.

 

Cheers,

David.

 

PS: I meant to say that the cost of your P51 may decide if you are willing to risk a DIY approach. Personally, I would be more inclined to use an expert restorer if I had paid a lot for my pen. Mine was bought specifically to use as a learning experience.

Hi, the_qasman,

 

You sound truly in love with P45. How many have you accumulated, so far? Especially with the 'special' nibs?

[pajaro]

The one that your father said was his?

Yes. His was a 1950s pen. Mine had the Parker halo logo from the 60s. He found his later.

[mulrich]

- Ron Zorn, Main Street Pens

- Linda Kennedy, Indy-Pen-Dance

- Danny Fudge

 

 

I know Greg Minuskin also specializes in repair work. Any of the above people can fix the pen if it's fixable.