What Parkers Have Joined Your Collection Lately?

[titrisol]

My father in law's 51 (from the late 1940s)  joined my ranks a few months back

Sent it out to be serviced and came back like new

 

I never liked the aesthetics of the 51 but it's alovely EDC pen

 

[inkstainedruth]

51 Vac or a 51 Aero?  

I love my 51s, especially the Aerometrics, which -- on nearly all of my Aeros -- just needed a good flushing out and then wrote like a charm (the 51 Vacs often needed new diaphragms and/or some nib work -- but one of the Cedar Blue ones, once it got rehabbed and some tuning was done on the EF nib?  That's my go-to pen for when I need to do research and take copious amounts of notes.

I actually like the aesthetics -- although I have a friend from my local pen club who doesn't like hooded nibs.  But for me?  The thing I appreciate is that every design decision (including the hooded nibs) was to make 51s what they are -- superb writing instruments.  And even though mine are 75-80 years old, they are a perfect size and weight for me and don't look "old-fashioned" like some vintage pens do.  

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Carguy]

Another blue 51 with a super fine nib that I cleaned and replaced the cap jewel on. Needed another blue 51 like a hole in my head, but who’s counting anyway any more!

[jchch1950]

Not a need, only the joy of a new pen in the collection even if it has similar ones living there.

[Penguincollector]

  I just realized that I have 2 new to me Parkettes that I never mentioned- a blue 1950s one and a black earlier model from the 1930s. I will add a picture when I get to my hobby room; enjoying the spring weather in the garden at the moment.

[titrisol]

23 hours ago, inkstainedruth said:

51 Vac or a 51 Aero?  

I love my 51s, especially the Aerometrics, which -- on nearly all of my Aeros -- just needed a good flushing out and then wrote like a charm (the 51 Vacs often needed new diaphragms and/or some nib work -- but one of the Cedar Blue ones, once it got rehabbed and some tuning was done on the EF nib?  That's my go-to pen for when I need to do research and take copious amounts of notes.

I actually like the aesthetics -- although I have a friend from my local pen club who doesn't like hooded nibs.  But for me?  The thing I appreciate is that every design decision (including the hooded nibs) was to make 51s what they are -- superb writing instruments.  And even though mine are 75-80 years old, they are a perfect size and weight for me and don't look "old-fashioned" like some vintage pens do.  

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

Thanks Ruth

This is an Aerometric 51 (F)

I got it serviced and they put a new sac and cleaned the breather tube

 

It is a great pen, smooth and starts immediately, mine didint leak during air travel and that is a huge plus

 

 

[Sheptonian]

Not been doing much collecting recently - these are from the past several months:

 

 

 

[Geslina]

A few weeks ago I was at a vintage/antique store and bought a Parker 25.  It has Made in England on the cap, and I read that it was changed after the 1970s to Made in the UK, so I’m assuming mine is from the 1970s.  It’s in great shape, looks to have been barely used, and had an old empty Parker cartridge in it.  I just can’t get it to write properly.  I tried soaking the nib, that didn’t work.  I tried soaking it longer, and flushing it.  Still won’t work.  If I dip it in ink, or right after I fill it, it will write, but if I put it down, within a day, it seems to be dried up again.  Am I going to have to take it apart (yikes!) and see if cleaning it that way helps…or could it be the old cartridge?  Is there a type of converter that will fit in this pen?

[Penguincollector]

  

4 hours ago, Geslina said:

A few weeks ago I was at a vintage/antique store and bought a Parker 25.  It has Made in England on the cap, and I read that it was changed after the 1970s to Made in the UK, so I’m assuming mine is from the 1970s.  It’s in great shape, looks to have been barely used, and had an old empty Parker cartridge in it.  I just can’t get it to write properly.  I tried soaking the nib, that didn’t work.  I tried soaking it longer, and flushing it.  Still won’t work.  If I dip it in ink, or right after I fill it, it will write, but if I put it down, within a day, it seems to be dried up again.  Am I going to have to take it apart (yikes!) and see if cleaning it that way helps…or could it be the old cartridge?  Is there a type of converter that will fit in this pen?

 

  It most likely had a squeeze converter installed when new, so try one of those, or a new cartridge. It’s possible that a modern converter will work, but I would have to try one in mine to be sure ( I prefer the squeeze, so the rest are in the way back part of the drawer. Try cleaning it out with a bulb syringe before installing a new cartridge or converter. Maybe soaking in a 1:10 ammonia or vinegar to water solution will dissolve any dried ink left. If you have a hollow syringe, you could fill the empty cartridge with the solution and let it drip,down through the section and nib into a small cup.

 

[FlighterGuy]

 

Golden Falcons

 

[Penguincollector]

Breathtaking, @FlighterGuy!

[Geslina]

1 hour ago, Penguincollector said:

  

 

  It most likely had a squeeze converter installed when new, so try one of those, or a new cartridge. It’s possible that a modern converter will work, but I would have to try one in mine to be sure ( I prefer the squeeze, so the rest are in the way back part of the drawer. Try cleaning it out with a bulb syringe before installing a new cartridge or converter. Maybe soaking in a 1:10 ammonia or vinegar to water solution will dissolve any dried ink left. If you have a hollow syringe, you could fill the empty cartridge with the solution and let it drip,down through the section and nib into a small cup.

 

Thanks, will try ammonia or vinegar, both soaking and in the cartridge.  

[Penguincollector]

1 hour ago, Geslina said:

Thanks, will try ammonia or vinegar, both soaking and in the cartridge.  

 Good luck, let us know how it goes! 

[Sheptonian]

7 hours ago, FlighterGuy said:

 

Golden Falcons

 

 

Ooh - rather special, those - quite a find! 

 

Loving the shield pattern - how close to the P45 one is it?

 

 

[TheRedBeard]

8 hours ago, FlighterGuy said:

 

Golden Falcons

 

Marvelous...  Congratulations!  

[TheRedBeard]

13 hours ago, Geslina said:

A few weeks ago I was at a vintage/antique store and bought a Parker 25.  It has Made in England on the cap, and I read that it was changed after the 1970s to Made in the UK, so I’m assuming mine is from the 1970s.  It’s in great shape, looks to have been barely used, and had an old empty Parker cartridge in it.  I just can’t get it to write properly.  I tried soaking the nib, that didn’t work.  I tried soaking it longer, and flushing it.  Still won’t work.  If I dip it in ink, or right after I fill it, it will write, but if I put it down, within a day, it seems to be dried up again.  Am I going to have to take it apart (yikes!) and see if cleaning it that way helps…or could it be the old cartridge?  Is there a type of converter that will fit in this pen?

What is the colour of the section and trim?..

 

[FlighterGuy]

10 hours ago, Sheptonian said:

 

Ooh - rather special, those - quite a find! 

 

Loving the shield pattern - how close to the P45 one is it?

 

 

Not at all, this pattern is a double line elongated honeycomb with the line width and depth on par with the Signet pattern on the gold Falcon.

The 45 Shield is more like acid etched.

[inkstainedruth]

On 5/15/2024 at 2:35 PM, titrisol said:

Thanks Ruth

This is an Aerometric 51 (F)

I got it serviced and they put a new sac and cleaned the breather tube

 

It is a great pen, smooth and starts immediately, mine didint leak during air travel and that is a huge plus

 

 

Yeah, I love all of mine!

Everything about 51s were designed for functionality -- including (at least with the Aerometrics) not burping during flights (although with modern planes, changes in air pressure during takeoffs and landings are less of an issue).  

I know some people don't like the hooded nibs but of course that was ALSO part of the "functionality".   And they were the flagship line for Parker for something like 20 years.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[inkstainedruth]

On 5/18/2024 at 5:41 PM, Geslina said:

A few weeks ago I was at a vintage/antique store and bought a Parker 25.  It has Made in England on the cap, and I read that it was changed after the 1970s to Made in the UK, so I’m assuming mine is from the 1970s.  

1970s is "vintage"?  Ouch....

But then, a couple of days ago I was having a conversation with someone and we were sort of comparing notes about what concerts we had been to in our lives, after I told her that my husband had found the "updated" version of "Alice's Restaurant" online (which involves him going to Jimmy Carter's Presidential inauguration).  She hadn't heard the video (I think my husband found it on YouTube), but saw him and Pete Seeger perform at a concert at Wolf Trap in Virginia and got to see Arlo Guthrie perform it *live*!   And of course she probably was like me and old enough to remember Beatlemania -- when it was HAPPENING....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Sheptonian]

22 hours ago, FlighterGuy said:

Not at all, this pattern is a double line elongated honeycomb with the line width and depth on par with the Signet pattern on the gold Falcon.

The 45 Shield is more like acid etched.

 

Thanks - I can see now that you have pointed it out. I have a Signet. It isn't a patch on your beauties!