Parker 51 Photo Thread

[IThinkIHaveAProblem]

  On 3/23/2025 at 6:04 AM, jchch1950 said:

It is Spanish language but it is outmoded in the style.

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Well, it IS from 1942… a lot of the English texts from ads that old are a little dated too

[Estycollector]

  On 3/23/2025 at 8:41 PM, IThinkIHaveAProblem said:

Makes sense to me… the “51” ink didn’t require drying time. The pen was invented to be able to handle the brutal ink!  The pen/ink wars were all about practicality; faster drying times, cleaner filling, easier filling, less filling. 
 

you should post pics of your pen

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[IThinkIHaveAProblem]

  On 3/23/2025 at 9:23 PM, Estycollector said:

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Nice

[donnweinberg]

I’ve been working lately on assembling various Parker 51 parts into fully-functioning pens, using a combination of authentic Parker internals and both Parker and Kullock body parts.  Here are my latest creations.  “DJ” refers to double-jeweled (cap top and barrel bottom).  In the case of a DJ Aero model, there is no blind cap; the bottom jewel is a Kullock feature integrated into the barrel.

 

Aero: White-ish swirl barrel with Beige hood:

 

Aero: DJ - Transparent Green barrel with Forest Green hood:

 

VAC: DJ - Dove Grey body & Dark Grey blind cap with Kullock Red (GP trim) cap:

 

Aero: Bloody Red & Clear barrel with Plum hood:

 

Aero: Pearlized Blue DJ barrel with Teal hood:

 

Aero: Black “Shark Skin” body:

 

I have more pens than caps for them, plus I can mix-and-match at will.  I figure that when I actually ink-up and use them, I’ll borrow a cap from my other 51’s not actively in use.

 

**********

 

I also recently have purchased complete Parker 51 fountain pens in some nice Kullock designs, shown here:

 

Aero: White & Red Alternating Striped body with GP cap:

 

Aero: Light Turquoise Pearlized body with GP cap:

 

Aero: Transparent Pink body with GP cap:

 

I’m having a lot of fun with all this variety.

 

 

 

[IThinkIHaveAProblem]

wow.. that's a lot of "51"s!

 

I especially liked the light turquoise pearlized body and the pearlized blue DJ 

 

 

[Carguy]

  On 4/1/2025 at 5:53 PM, donnweinberg said:

I’ve been working lately on assembling various Parker 51 parts into fully-functioning pens, using a combination of authentic Parker internals and both Parker and Kullock body parts.  Here are my latest creations.  “DJ” refers to double-jeweled (cap top and barrel bottom).  In the case of a DJ Aero model, there is no blind cap; the bottom jewel is a Kullock feature integrated into the barrel.

 

Aero: White-ish swirl barrel with Beige hood:

 

Aero: DJ - Transparent Green barrel with Forest Green hood:

 

VAC: DJ - Dove Grey body & Dark Grey blind cap with Kullock Red (GP trim) cap:

 

Aero: Bloody Red & Clear barrel with Plum hood:

 

Aero: Pearlized Blue DJ barrel with Teal hood:

 

Aero: Black “Shark Skin” body:

 

I have more pens than caps for them, plus I can mix-and-match at will.  I figure that when I actually ink-up and use them, I’ll borrow a cap from my other 51’s not actively in use.

 

**********

 

I also recently have purchased complete Parker 51 fountain pens in some nice Kullock designs, shown here:

 

Aero: White & Red Alternating Striped body with GP cap:

 

Aero: Light Turquoise Pearlized body with GP cap:

 

Aero: Transparent Pink body with GP cap:

 

I’m having a lot of fun with all this variety.

 

 

 

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Wow! I have been doing this with Kullock pen parts for a while now and often put one together based on what I want on that day. I’ll have to take a photo of my drawer that shows my “creations”. 
 

I would KILL for that red and white stripe one though…. I am jealous!

[donnweinberg]

  On 4/2/2025 at 12:23 AM, Carguy said:

Wow! I have been doing this with Kullock pen parts for a while now and often put one together based on what I want on that day. I’ll have to take a photo of my drawer that shows my “creations”. 
 

I would KILL for that red and white stripe one though…. I am jealous!

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Hi, Carguy.  Please do share photos of your creations.  Do you gravitate more toward the 51 Vacs or the 51 Aeros?

[IThinkIHaveAProblem]

demonstration that not all "51"s write the same after 50-70 years in service...

same ink (Waterman Mysterious Blue) same user, all within a min or two of one another:

 

a slightly nicer to look at shot: (I hope...)

[jchch1950]

Same nibs? 

[IThinkIHaveAProblem]

  On 4/5/2025 at 3:53 AM, jchch1950 said:

Same nibs? 

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no, that was kinda the point; the differences from pen to pen. 

Two of them are Octanium (Special) nibs, (3 and 4) but the metal they are made of makes no difference to how they perform or feel, only relative cost IMO

 

the close up shot is the "Florence Fetter" pen (number 4) and it's AMAZING

So is the first pen.

Both are fire hoses that just lay ink down like the stuff is going out of style and would make outstanding "signature" pens.

[jchch1950]

Thanks for your answer. Before, I thought that the same wide nibs write differently as a result of the way the previous owner wrote, but it seems that the same wide nibs perform in diverse ways, especially if they were hand-made at the factory.

 

[IThinkIHaveAProblem]

I think number 2 and 5 are likely M/F and relatively dry writing, while the others are B 

With two of them being absolute gushers and one being relatively dry writing. 

[Estycollector]

Not all Esterbrook 2556 nibs write the same as well. Maybe this is important to underscore, the variables of FP use that determine the outcomes. 

[donnweinberg]

I wonder:  Was there any ink in some or all of those pens that might have affected the color of the ink when you wrote the samples?  This is a question separate from the wet or dry flow characteristics.

[donnweinberg]

Today, I completed the assembly of 2 Parker 51 Vacs, using ORANGE barrels made by Ariel Kullock:

 

 

The top one also uses Parker-made Navy Grey blind cap and hood, plus a F 14k nib.  For that one, I used an after-market black aluminum filler unit.  

 

The bottom one also uses a Kullock-made “Egg Yellow” blind cap and a Parker-made blue hood (not sure which of the Parker blue colors), plus a F/M Osmiridium (Stainless Steel alloy) nib.  For that one I used an after-market red aluminum filler unit.

 

In each case, I made “difficult” choices about which blind caps and hoods to use, as I didn’t have anymore orange parts.  I considered using a black blind cap and black hood on one of them, as I’m a fan of the Baltimore Orioles Major League Baseball team.  I also considered using a blue blind cap instead of the Egg Yellow one.  I can still change out the blind caps easily if I wish.

 

Just to consolidate photos of my Orange Parker 51s here, my other ones are as follows (one or more of which I have posted either in this thread or others):

 

“Giant” (longer than standard) C/C-converted with all-orange body, which uses a brass connector made in India (available on eBay):

 

Double-Jewel (DJ) 51 Aero with all orange body & cap with orange jewel:

 

P51 Vac:  Orange barrel, Clear blind cap, Pearlized demonstrator hood with Orange cap, with an English B 14k nib (like a U.S. BB), which I showed way above in this thread:

 

Orange demonstrator Aero, in the style of a Parker 51 Mark III, with same type hood:

 

Orange capped Ballpoint, customized:

 

Orange P51 Mechanical Pencil:

 

I don’t show it here, but I also have an orange cap with ridges at the bottom that I can use with any of the fountain pens.

[IThinkIHaveAProblem]

  On 4/5/2025 at 6:14 PM, donnweinberg said:

I wonder:  Was there any ink in some or all of those pens that might have affected the color of the ink when you wrote the samples?  This is a question separate from the wet or dry flow characteristics.

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nope.   

'cause all of them were completely dissasembled entirely and ultrasonically cleaned by me, they were absolutely ink free prior to their receiving a partial fill of Waterman Mysterious blue, all from the same bottle within a week or so of one another. Colour variations are entirely due to the amount of ink laid down by the nib in question.

 

[IThinkIHaveAProblem]

  On 4/5/2025 at 6:40 PM, donnweinberg said:

 

 

Double-Jewel (DJ) 51 Aero with all orange body & cap with orange jewel:

 

P51 Vac:  Orange barrel, Clear blind cap, Pearlized demonstrator hood with Orange cap, with an English B 14k nib (like a U.S. BB), which I showed way above in this thread:

 

 

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I like these two, especially the all orange one!

[donnweinberg]

  On 4/5/2025 at 6:48 PM, IThinkIHaveAProblem said:

I like these two, especially the all orange one!

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They’re also my favorites among the Oranges.

[VacNut]

There are also orange 51 Vacumatics.

[donnweinberg]

  On 4/5/2025 at 11:31 PM, VacNut said:

There are also orange 51 Vacumatics.

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True.  I above pictured and identified as 51 Vacs three of them with Orange barrels that I assembled into functioning pens from Kullock and Parker parts.  

 

At least when I’ve checked with Kullock’s people, they’ve not had a red 51 Vac barrel, which I also would love to get.  Better yet, I’d love to be able to get or assemble an all-red 51 Vac (hood, barrel, and blind cap).  Have you or anyone else seen one?  I have a few red 51 Aeros.