My Very First Parker 51!

[gammada]

Finally managed to get my hands on a beautiful Parker 51 fountain pen!

 

It seems to be quite an odd Aerometric MK I model with a cap that might or not belong to this very pen. The cap has the Parker inscription over the clip (like the Vacumatics) but no diamond. It also says its was Made in Canada. The barrel or section don't have any inscriptions at all, while the filler mechanism says Made in USA.

 

It's got what appears to be a medium nib that is super smooth and quite wet and a body that looks terrific after a mild polishing. The cap has small dents but nothing easily noticeable. I paid a mere $45 for it so I guess I didn't do that bad.

 

Here's the pen, what do you think of it?

 

 

[FarmBoy]

Correct, wrong cap.

[mitto]

Cap is from a vac 51 and as such wrong for the aerometric pen as FB said above.

[truthpil]

Regardless of the mismatched cap, you got a ridiculously good deal! Congratulations on your first Parker 51!

I remember it being a milestone for me in this hobby.

[gammada]

  On 9/29/2018 at 4:45 AM, FarmBoy said:

Correct, wrong cap.

On closer inspection, it could be the cap is ok but the clip is not. Seems the jewel is not like the one its supposed to have. But, who cares! It writes like a dream!

[gammada]

  On 9/29/2018 at 7:11 AM, mitto said:

Cap is from a vac 51 and as such wrong for the aerometric pen as FB said above.

The thing that doesn't really match is that all Vacumatics I've seen have the diamond above the Parker name. Blue or otherwise. Yet to see a cap -or a clip like this one.

 

Already looking for another 51, these pens are addictive!

[gammada]

  On 9/29/2018 at 11:43 AM, TruthPil said:

Regardless of the mismatched cap, you got a ridiculously good deal! Congratulations on your first Parker 51!

I remember it being a milestone for me in this hobby.

It's a milestone for me too! I can't quite believe how much this pen model influenced the entire industry.

 

I'm loving it. Thanks!

[truthpil]

  On 9/29/2018 at 3:59 PM, gammada said:

It's a milestone for me too! I can't quite believe how much this pen model influenced the entire industry.

 

I'm loving it. Thanks!

Yeah, I live in China and most of the best quality pens here are modelled after the P51. If you like the feel and want a much cheaper alternative, the Wing Sung 601 feels almost exactly like a P51 in the hand and the filling system is an improvement on the old P51 vacumatic.

 

That being said, there's still no substitute for an original aerometric Parker 51. I've got five of them now and almost bought another this week haha. They simply feel like perfection in the hand and are designed to get the job done.

[pen lady]

Enjoy it, but be warned P51s are addictive. I wouldn't worry too much about the cap being "wrong". If you bought the pen to use for yourself and you love it, then what the heck!

[gammada]

  On 9/29/2018 at 4:16 PM, TruthPil said:

Yeah, I live in China and most of the best quality pens here are modelled after the P51. If you like the feel and want a much cheaper alternative, the Wing Sung 601 feels almost exactly like a P51 in the hand and the filling system is an improvement on the old P51 vacumatic.

 

That being said, there's still no substitute for an original aerometric Parker 51. I've got five of them now and almost bought another this week haha. They simply feel like perfection in the hand and are designed to get the job done.

 

 

I've been eyeing one of those Wing Sung's 601. The demonstrator versions really appeal a lot to me and I've seen they've got different filling mechanisms. They haven't gone unnoticed, trust me!

 

Just dipped my toes with Chinese pens early this year with a Duke 209 with a Fude nib. While it's not a pen that anyone will die for in terms of looks and performance, I came away pretty impressed by the overall quality, the nice nib, and the fact that it came loaded with its own converter.

 

Do you have a Wing Sung 601?

[gammada]

  On 9/29/2018 at 4:24 PM, pen lady said:

Enjoy it, but be warned P51s are addictive. I wouldn't worry too much about the cap being "wrong". If you bought the pen to use for yourself and you love it, then what the heck!

 

I buy all my pens to use them! The concept of keeping them behind glass, doesn't appeal a lot to me. Kind of better like how they look on my hands and how the ink flows towards the paper on them.

 

And yes, they're quite addictive. Just spend the better part of the morning flirting with the idea of creating my very own Ariel Kullock version!

[Chouffleur]

In self defense you will need to buy a mismatched pen and cap running the other way. That is an Aerometric cap with a Vacumatic body. Not because you *want* to. Purely in order to restore symmetry to the universe. ;-)

Edited September 29, 2018 by Chouffleur

[mitto]

+1

[jchch1950]

The writing quality of your pen is, in my opinion, the most important feature of it. Keep buying Parker 51 pens and someday you will be able to do the right matching of bodies and caps. Enjoy your new pen.

[truthpil]

  On 9/29/2018 at 11:37 PM, gammada said:

 

 

I've been eyeing one of those Wing Sung's 601. The demonstrator versions really appeal a lot to me and I've seen they've got different filling mechanisms. They haven't gone unnoticed, trust me!

 

Just dipped my toes with Chinese pens early this year with a Duke 209 with a Fude nib. While it's not a pen that anyone will die for in terms of looks and performance, I came away pretty impressed by the overall quality, the nice nib, and the fact that it came loaded with its own converter.

 

Do you have a Wing Sung 601?

 

I have two Wing Sung 601s, the clear demonstrator model and an army green one with 12k gold nib. Both write wonderfully and hold a ton of ink. They have the same weight, balance, and feel of a Parker 51, although of course the nib feels different. The main advantage of a 601 over a Parker 51 is that you can easily unscrew the hood to swap nibs or scrub out the collector whenever you want and without any tools. Wing Sung has a whole line of Fude nibs that can be bought separately and easily installed in the 601. The ease of disassembly also means you can put all kinds of crazy inks in the 601 that you wouldn't dare put in a P51 because you can take them apart to thoroughly clean.

 

I had a Duke 209 a couple years back; nice smooth writer but the section was too slippery for me so I gave it away.

[gammada]

  On 9/29/2018 at 11:45 PM, Chouffleur said:

In self defense you will need to buy a mismatched pen and cap running the other way. That is an Aerometric cap with a Vacumatic body. Not because you *want* to. Purely in order to restore symmetry to the universe. ;-)

LOL, promise I will. Already on the hunt for the proper jewel for the cap.

[gammada]

  On 9/30/2018 at 9:59 AM, jchch1950 said:

The writing quality of your pen is, in my opinion, the most important feature of it. Keep buying Parker 51 pens and someday you will be able to do the right matching of bodies and caps. Enjoy your new pen.

Thank you! I am enjoying it a lot. The writing experience is among the best I've ever experienced. More P51 coming my way!

[gammada]

  On 9/30/2018 at 10:27 AM, TruthPil said:

I have two Wing Sung 601s, the clear demonstrator model and an army green one with 12k gold nib. Both write wonderfully and hold a ton of ink. They have the same weight, balance, and feel of a Parker 51, although of course the nib feels different.

 

Will order one. Where do you buy the nibs? Are they sold on eBay? Also, do they accept other nibs such as Boch or Jowo?

[truthpil]

  On 9/30/2018 at 7:57 PM, gammada said:

Will order one. Where do you buy the nibs? Are they sold on eBay? Also, do they accept other nibs such as Boch or Jowo?

 

The Wing Sung 601 only takes the special nibs used for hooded pens. Here is where you can get the calligraphy nibs:

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/4Pcs-Fountain-Pen-Nibs-0-5-0-8mm-Bent-Nib-For-Wing-Sung-618-601-613/232921774174?hash=item363b38385e:g:I3gAAOSwGUhblU4y

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/4Pcs-Fountain-Pen-Nibs-0-6-1-2mm-Bent-Nib-For-Wing-Sung-618-601-613/232921772275?hash=item363b3830f3:g:8SAAAOSwvIFblU2M

 

And some other sizes from another seller:

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1pc-nib-for-wing-sung-612-wing-sung-618-wing-sung-601/283125975198?hash=item41eb9f889e:m:mBHGCRRP9DFFel4QHiF6jTA

[Erik Dalton]

I remember how excited I was when my first p-51 arrived. Welcome to the club. You did really well on the price. Enjoy your pen.

Like someone else said. If you enjoy writing with it, that’s all that counts.

 

I have a P-51 Flighter that I love to write with and often carry around in my shirt pocket. The barrel is standard, cap from some other p-51, and the section is gray(defiantly not original). But it’s unique, and dear to my heart.