Parker 51 Comeback 2020?

[Estycollector]

Would the reintroduction be 'aeropmatioc" or "vacumatic?"

[Mercian]

Would the reintroduction be 'aeropmatioc" or "vacumatic?"

 

Neither.

Newellco’s customer services team here in Europe told me that it will be a c/c filler.

[wspohn]

 

Neither.

Newellco’s customer services team here in Europe told me that it will be a c/c filler.

 

Not a bad decision - that will mean that instead of having to pay the additional money for the on board filling system, owners of the new model won't have to worry about rebuilding the pens in 50 years, they can just toss out the converter and replace it for a few bucks.

 

Pen manufacturers that I have spoken with tend to be of the opinion that even if they did offer two versions of a pen model, one with expensive filling system and one with converter at a lower price, no one, or at least few, would pay the extra for the on board filler. Plus by eliminating the expensive filling system, they can offer the customer more features or better materials and still hit the price point that the expensive filling system would have com in at.

[Estycollector]

 

Neither.

Newellco’s customer services team here in Europe told me that it will be a c/c filler.

 

Thank you. Since this thread began I have acquired a couple vacumatic 51's. For me, a cartridge, 51 would be in name only. Sort of like the 51 without the guts.

[remus1710]

any news on this?

[Mercian]

any news on this?

Back in February, Parker’s (European) customer services team told me that the intended launch date for this new version of the “51” was September 2020.

 

I don’t know whether or not the Covid-19 pandemic will mean that they have to delay their plans. I guess we’ll find out in a few months, eh?

[pajaro]

 

Thank you. Since this thread began I have acquired a couple vacumatic 51's. For me, a cartridge, 51 would be in name only. Sort of like the 51 without the guts.

 

I bought a C/C adaptor made by someone in India. Made of brass, I replaced the regular guts with this adaptor and installed a converter. Ron Zorn suggested that ink would eat at the brass adaptor. I have not inked it yet, but kept it as a curiosity. Back in the 1970s I had a Parker C/C 51. I thought it was about as bad as a 45 by comparison to an aerometric 51. Those Parker C/C versions didn't have a collector. In the 70s I knew nothing of collectors, or anything of why the 51 was so good. My present Parker 51 modified to C/C form has no collector either. I can imagine how it will perform. I predict ink starvation. Hope I am wrong.

[peroride]

 

My present Parker 51 modified to C/C form has no collector either. I can imagine how it will perform. I predict ink starvation. Hope I am wrong.

 

I was re-looking at the pics again and the under nib/feed looks really curved without the 0.5mm feed bump i see on the P51, WS601

 

I do not have a Jinhao 51A but it does write and hard to beat at $5.

 

I wanna stay optimistic but I think you may be right Will new gen be a Jinhao 51A but upgraded quality and branding?

Here's my preference in performance:

• Parker 51 aerometric with collector/breather tube
• Wing Sung 601 vfakeumatic with collector/breather tube
• Parker 45 c/c but the converter is Parker

Nevertheless that collector/breather tube setup looks like a key feature.

 

One would think after all this time between this new generation launch and the last P51 made, some thoughtful design choices were considered over a straight re-brand marketing ploy.

 

Maybe the thought goes toward getting the cachet and essence to win over new audiences who are not P51 fans

 

Or dumb nostalgic suckas like me

[Mercian]

I wanna stay optimistic but I think you may be right Will new gen be a Jinhao 51A but upgraded quality and branding?

 

It will have a screw cap, so totally different to the Jinhao

Edited May 13, 2020 by Mercian

[thx1138]

According to Parker Australia the 51 re-release has been put on hold due to covid 19.

[Batman]

According to Parker Australia the 51 re-release has been put on hold due to covid 19.

I hope they don't cancel it all together, I'm really excited about this re-release.

[Beechwood]

I think sales will be strong, especially if Parker recreate a 1940s style box. I would not be surprised if many people didn't buy two of the new 51, one to use and one to put away which is what happened with the new Gillette DE razor, sold out very quickly which encouraged Gillette to produce a second verson which is $29 at Walgreens, without the old style box and glamor, but still selling very well. Sounds like clever marketing to me not that there is anything wrong with a bit of business savvy. Create the desire with a old style version and then sell the profitable item.

[Estycollector]

I think sales will be strong, especially if Parker recreate a 1940s style box. I would not be surprised if many people didn't buy two of the new 51, one to use and one to put away which is what happened with the new Gillette DE razor, sold out very quickly which encouraged Gillette to produce a second verson which is $29 at Walgreens, without the old style box and glamor, but still selling very well. Sounds like clever marketing to me not that there is anything wrong with a bit of business savvy. Create the desire with a old style version and then sell the profitable item.

 

The old Gillettes were made of brass and steel. I suspect the new ones are made of pot metal which does not hold up over time. I paid $7 for a 1947 Gillette Super Speed (first year). For me, I would always prefer a functioning antique.

[Beechwood]

 

The old Gillettes were made of brass and steel. I suspect the new ones are made of pot metal which does not hold up over time. I paid $7 for a 1947 Gillette Super Speed (first year). For me, I would always prefer a functioning antique.

 

 

And so would I Esty, every time. The only problem is that much of the world thinks Amazon when they want to buy something and it has to be new and shiny.

 

I think that the new ones are actually stainless steel for the head and brass for the handle and made in China in all probability. Wouldn't we all prefer to may a little more for a Parker 51 or a Gillette razor that was made in our home country?

 

But that is not going to happen.

[Estycollector]

 

 

And so would I Esty, every time. The only problem is that much of the world thinks Amazon when they want to buy something and it has to be new and shiny.

 

I think that the new ones are actually stainless steel for the head and brass for the handle and made in China in all probability. Wouldn't we all prefer to may a little more for a Parker 51 or a Gillette razor that was made in our home country?

 

But that is not going to happen.

 

Based on my experience with Eastman Strings and a couple Snakewood bows, I have great respect to the manufacturing skills of the Chinese. That said, the company doing the outsourcing is specifying how the product is made. I think the Chinese are often cast as the reason items are made cheaply and do not last. The responsible party is the US ,or other country. companies. I have no doubt the Chinese could build as good or even better Parker 51 that was made in 1940. Proof is the Wing Sung 601.

 

Just think what you could do if you could choose the materials, only the best plastics, rubber, metals!! Since I love the old Autopoint pencils, I would choose Bakelite, stainless, the most ink friendly rubber gaskets, whatever the considered the best nib material. However, I am not considering profit.

 

Yes, Esty is our friend!!

[Batman]

 

Based on my experience with Eastman Strings and a couple Snakewood bows, I have great respect to the manufacturing skills of the Chinese. That said, the company doing the outsourcing is specifying how the product is made. I think the Chinese are often cast as the reason items are made cheaply and do not last. The responsible party is the US ,or other country. companies. I have no doubt the Chinese could build as good or even better Parker 51 that was made in 1940. Proof is the Wing Sung 601.

 

Just think what you could do if you could choose the materials, only the best plastics, rubber, metals!! Since I love the old Autopoint pencils, I would choose Bakelite, stainless, the most ink friendly rubber gaskets, whatever the considered the best nib material. However, I am not considering profit.

 

Yes, Esty is our friend!!

 

Spot on, China is at a turning point much like Japan was post WWII. Made in China probably won't have such a negative connotation in the distant future, after all they make all of our smartphones and we don't seem to have any trouble with those. It's up to the company to specify their tolerance levels.

[vicpen123]

If it's a real P"51" equivalent I might not be around to compare it with my 1950s P "51"s.

 

Pass it onto my grandchildren to send me a message in 50 years time.

[mikerph]

I just saw on the pens of Far East chat group elsewhere on this forum an ad (possibly Chinese) about the “new” Parker 51. It has the new corporate arrow clip and is a c/c filler. There was some talk that the ad had been removed from the internet shortly after it was seen(and posted) here. It may have been a feasibility study or prototype. I think that if it’s got that far, it must be true- might just be Asian release?

[adamselene]

 

Speaking as one who was alive and reading in 1941, I can say the original Parker 51 was meant to be, and really was, both a fashion item and a premium product.

Exactly. But the world was different....

[inkfade]

Fahrney's has an in-stock notification set up now for these:

 

https://www.fahrneyspens.com/ItemSearch--search-Parker-51--srcin-1?src=Facebook&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=Parker51&fbclid=IwAR2ety3Fyx7klB3yYD7oLvuhhroImYazpSCwRmrkTL0K2gKPlke4bk6fVCo