vjreviews Parker 51 NG Gold nib - Disgrace to the legacy or NOT?

[VijayGS]

The Legacy of the Parker 51 is unmatched. The name Parker 51 has got its own volume in the pages of fountain pen history. A pen launched in 1941 marking the 51st anniversary of the company, still stands up to its marketing slogan of "the world's most wanted pen". It took eleven years for the development of the pen and sold over 20 million pens between 1941 to 1972 and returning a whopping 400 million dollars in revenue for the company. The pen was designed to resemble a jet fighter with a brand new tubular nib to fit the pen. Turning the pages of worlds history, in last century the iconic Parker 51 was used to sign the surrender of Germany and Japan in World war II, General Dwight D. Eisenhower used 2 Parker 51s to create a symbolic V for victory and the late Queen Elizabeth II preferred choice of pen. The Parker 51 has its own place in the Whitehouse. From the late US President John. F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson to Ronald Reagan, Parker 51 had played its vital, final and firm role in world politics. It would be absolutely apt to call this legend of a writing instrument "The True King of Pens". 

 

 

Parker 51 NG

The year was 2021 and the management of Parker woke up from a deep slumber and decided to live upto their legacy i.e. to introduce a pen during a worldwide crisis just like their predecessors did with the launch of Parker Vacumatic during the great depression or the launch of Parker Victory and the 51 during the second world war. Unlike their predecessors who are renowned for their innovations and novelty in launching new products and making it a phenomenal success, the sluggish, average Joe current generation planned on relaunching a neo version of an old legend and the retired legend they chose to resurrect was the Parker 51!. Hearing this I lost my sleep. Owning and using a few of the Vintage 51 myself, the expectations rose sky high. Not an exaggeration but there were so many nights where the thought of this relaunch used to be my sheep count to put me to sleep. The D-day arrived and the pen was officially launched and YouTube was flooded with reviews. Most of the reviews were for the steel nib version and I wouldn't lie, each of those reviews were a punch to the gut. All my imaginations and expectations started crumbling and let the thought of buying the pen pass. Few months later after the on and off use of the vintage 51s, I chose to revisit those YouTube reviews. An odd point stood out. Most of the reviews were steel nib and from my limited decade old experience in using fountain pens, the thought that struck me was each fountain pen has an unique character and a million dollar question of how could a renowned brand like Parker make an absolute blunder with a legend like the Parker 51. With the above justification and reasoning out a thousand times with myself to spend INR 26,500/-, I took the infamous dive down the Rabbit-hole. Placed the order for the plum golden nib through a good friend Mr. Rajesh Pillai and the pen arrived safe and sound. 

 

 

First Impressions

The pen arrived in the box of premium standards. The pen sported the precious resin with chisel golden cap and trims. The weight was apt and well balanced pen for my medium sized hand (Glove size 7.5). The breather hole at the bottom or the side as seen with the vintage was absent. The classic cap jewel was replaced with a metal one with a gap!! Not sure if the design is supposed to mimic a propellor of the P-51 fighter jet or a very outdated and unnecessary breather hole. However I couldn't think of any use to the gap in the cap. The major design change was the screw type cap in place of the slip on/push cap and to make matters worse it was metal on resin, popping the question of lifespan of this pen. The classical hooded design was replaced to a semi hood covering half the 18KT gold fine tip nib and a very noticeable gap between the tip of the hood and the nib. The resin threaded barrel again screws up to a metal nipple. On observing this all I could do was keep my fingers crossed and pray that this pen lasts for a considerable amount of time in my hands and my hard earned money that I spent on this pen doesn't go down the drain in the near future. The pan came with a conventional cartridge and a twist convertor. 

 

 

First Write

After making the above observations it was zero hour. The time to put the resurrected legend to action. The ink of choice was Montblanc petrol blue and with the first dip and few twists the convertor was filled with a tiny air bubble. The moment of truth. the first stroke of the pen was flawless, nothing less than the vintage Parker 51. It was totally an flabbergasting experience given the thought of negative reviews racing in your head and personally observing and highlighting the flaws in the design. The wetness along with the feedback of the nib, the weight and balance of the pen vanished the fears of flushing the money spent on this pen down the drain. It was pure bliss and joy to write with this pen. 

 

 

Rising up to the challenge

With all things said and done, it is the duty of this particular model to stand up to its predecessors glory. This pen according to me had a great challenge to face down the road. The vintage original Parker 51 had two primary objectives. One the aerodynamic design resembling a fighter jet which the 51 NG managed to achieve in its own way with few flaws. The second Himalayan task ahead was the no dry flawless writing with no skips especially on long storage which was a boasting promise of Parker on the original vintage 51. It so happened that after two days of acquiring this pen, I had to leave the country for a week for a conference. Leaving behind the 51, I flew to Japan and on coming back after a week, I could see the 51 staring at me from my pen stand. So with no further ado, I unscrewed the cap and placed the nib on my personal journal, and there was the dot of ink on the paper. The pen started to write with no skips jus like its ancestors from the last century. That was the moment my fears and doubts were completely washed away. There was no drying up issue and the NG had proven itself. I have been using it for a period of two months now, not once has the nib dried up nor had any skips during my long writing sessions. 

 

 

 

Final word

It was a gutsy move from Parker to resurrect a classic successful model and kudos on the effort. Yet it was absolute ignorance, dim-witted boneheadedness to think that they could resurrect a classic from the last century with no proper R&D, using the existing parts, to tag a price that is pompous and wheedle out of the situation. The Parker 51 NG to me is no blast from the past appearance wise, however putting it to use, it is no way less in terms of performance and stands equal to its predecessors. In a profession where people judge you in a jiffy this pen can be an EDC for two reason, One not too flashy for an observer to notice and the second reason being a reliable flawless writer. This pen has been my EDC for the past two months putting my trusted Waterman Hemisphere which has been a loyal companion for a decade to rest. To conclude the vintage/original 51 Is the late Queen Elizabeth II and the 51 NG is King Charles III. I'll leave the interpretation open to the readers. 

 

 

Rating 

Looks - 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Build - 2/5 ⭐⭐

Nib - 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Value for Money - 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐

As an EDC - 👍

[doriath19]

Great review! Thanks for sharing! The vintage 51 has been on my wish list for a long time. I almost bought one at the Commonwealth pen show in Boston, but then the vendor handed me a Waterman with a semi flex nib. I loved the Waterman and as funds were limited, I passed on the 51. I have a Wing Sung 601 which looked a lot like the 51, and I’m really happy with it. So going with the Waterman was the right choice for me. The 51 will have to wait for another day. 

[K Singh]

Like the detailed review 👍 The pricing is hard to digest for this pen though, considering you can get 4 vintage 51s in that price. 

[VijayGS]

46 minutes ago, doriath19 said:

Great review! Thanks for sharing! The vintage 51 has been on my wish list for a long time. I almost bought one at the Commonwealth pen show in Boston, but then the vendor handed me a Waterman with a semi flex nib. I loved the Waterman and as funds were limited, I passed on the 51. I have a Wing Sung 601 which looked a lot like the 51, and I’m really happy with it. So going with the Waterman was the right choice for me. The 51 will have to wait for another day. 

@doriath19I am glad you liked the review. The Wingsung 601 Vacumatic filler is based on the Mark I Parker 51. I hope and pray for your wish to come true in the near future. 

[VijayGS]

27 minutes ago, K Singh said:

Like the detailed review 👍 The pricing is hard to digest for this pen though, considering you can get 4 vintage 51s in that price. 

@K SinghAbsolutely agree with you sir. The collective apt resale value of the five original 51s in the post still falls short by INR4000/- when compared to that of the NG 51 price in India. 

[Mech-for-i]

well can't said it better ... there is good reason why many Big Name Business so cherish their famed and established branding and specific products / product branding , it take a lot to establish a reputation but it will only take one lousy greedy move to ruin it ( just take a look at so many ruined Hollywood movie sequels )

[A Smug Dill]

5 minutes ago, Mech-for-i said:

it take a lot to establish a reputation but it will only take one lousy greedy move to ruin it ( just take a look at so many ruined Hollywood movie sequels )

 

At the end of the day, nothing is sacred commercially; and no amount of sentimental attachment on the part of the individual customer, user/viewer/reader, devotee, etc. to a particular offering or brand gives him/her any say over the object of their attachment or allows them to usurp the absolute right of the current brand owner(s) to ruin the image, legacy, and/or future of that thing through either wilful or just unwise business decisions.

 

[MuddyWaters]

11 hours ago, A Smug Dill said:

 

At the end of the day, nothing is sacred commercially; and no amount of sentimental attachment on the part of the individual customer, user/viewer/reader, devotee, etc. to a particular offering or brand gives him/her any say over the object of their attachment or allows them to usurp the absolute right of the current brand owner(s) to ruin the image, legacy, and/or future of that thing through either wilful or just unwise business decisions.

 

Did anyone say that commercially they did not have that right?

[A Smug Dill]

3 hours ago, MuddyWaters said:

Did anyone say that commercially they did not have that right?

 

Not expressly that I can recall. However, in the absence of others stressing that fans and devotees have no say and no control over the image, legacy, and future of the brands and products they so adore, I think it's useful to cut to the chase by contrasting of the rights of the brand owners against theirs (i.e. nil), in a discussion not inherently intended to either pacify or commiserate.

[IThinkIHaveAProblem]

1 hour ago, A Smug Dill said:

 

Not expressly that I can recall. However, in the absence of others stressing that fans and devotees have no say and no control over the image, legacy, and future of the brands and products they so adore, I think it's useful to cut to the chase by contrasting of the rights of the brand owners against theirs (i.e. nil), in a discussion not inherently intended to either pacify or commiserate.

 

The problem here is that while you are absolutely correct, wrt the owners/companies vis their rights, it is equally true that it is monumentally stupid for them to ignore what the fans want/think.
 

Because it is the fans who will create and nurture that reputation and if you cross them (the fans) then that reputation/legacy losses value and can eventually become worthless. And therefore the fans DO in fact, to some extent “control” the future of the company. If you lose all of your fans (ie Paying Customers); your company has no future.
 

An example of this can be seen by the abysmal performance of Solo at the box office, where fans appear to have literally punished Disney for their most recent “trilogy”. 

 

Personally after what I have read and seen of current Parker production, I refuse to open my wallet for them for pens (i do use Quink BB as a testing ink) And I don’t think I’m alone. Hell they can’t even be bothered to make more than 3.5 colours of ink! 2.5 of which are blue! (“.5” because permanent blue doesn’t seem to be available anywhere in North America, so i don’t count it as truly existing)

 

While I’m glad the OP enjoys their 51NG, most reviewers I saw did not.
IMO the 51NG would have been better off if they had simply paid to rebrand a bunch of Wing Sung 601s!  

 

 

[A Smug Dill]

44 minutes ago, IThinkIHaveAProblem said:

Because it is the fans who will create and nurture that reputation and if you cross them (the fans) then that reputation/legacy losses value and can eventually become worthless. And therefore the fans DO in fact, to some extent “control” the future of the company. If you lose all of your fans (ie Paying Customers); your company has no future.

 

Not trying to invalidate your assertion per se, although it's possible for companies to find new markets and new customers for their brands and products, and survive or even thrive in the market tomorrow. Fans who are ‘stuck’ in the past, and yearn for or even demand a return to “the good ol' days” they so love, don't represent the entire market or customer base today.

 

It's no secret that I personally dislike Parker as a brand. But I see no reason why Newell Brands, or whoever buys Parker from it, cannot remake the company and its product lineup, to ‘screw’ (as in ignore and defy) expectations of both detractors like myself and fans who loved what Parker stood for back in its glory days decades ago. Shed the weight of the past, build a new base, and establish a new reputation. For all I care, even an Asia-based venture capitalist may yet — not turn the company ‘around’ per se, because that implies ‘returning’ — transform the Parker brand to something else, just as Sheaffer as a brand may be in the hands of its new owner.

 

Put another way: it's not those consumers who want what ‘was’ that most need to be serviced in the retail market, but the ones who will spend money on whatever is subjectively ‘best’ out of what is in tomorrow's market competing for wallet share. I don't think all fans of Parker, Sheaffer, Pelikan, etc. will quit looking, or put chastity belts on their spending, just because there is no return to yesteryear. They'll simply find something else to take their fancy, even if their dreams of restoring glory to what was once dearly loved are dashed. I have enough due respect for my fellow hobbyists to not think they'll cut off their noses just to spite their faces, if the Parker brand ends up being more like, um, Pilot than anything vaguely ‘American’ or reminiscent of the model 51, and competes primarily for the attention of the next generation of users who care nothing for either ‘you’ or me and our set ways.

 

[IThinkIHaveAProblem]

5 minutes ago, A Smug Dill said:

 

Not trying to invalidate your assertion per se, although it's possible for

… (abridged for space considerations)

generation of users who care nothing for either ‘you’ or me and our set ways.

 

I absolutely agree with everything you said. But if I ran a business (and I don’t) that came with included fans, I hope I would be smart enough not anger them before building NEW (richer?…) fans to replace them with…. 
 

I’m not sure Parker is doing that…  

 

 

[jchch1950]

The most important part of any pen is the writing quality. For me design, filling mechanism, colour, materials, price,  among others,   come after  writing satisfaction an instrument. Anybody can have different opinion about the main quality they want of a pen. 

[VijayGS]

@jchch1950 Couldn't agree more. My exact thoughts. When it comes to pens and nibs of any brand, it ultimately depends the user/individuals perception and demands. This Parker 51 NG in so many ways surprised me in terms of writing experience inspite of the design flaws. 

[bunnspecial]

Thanks for the great review!

 

A few months back, I actually bought two of the steel nibbed ones. Mine were both second hand and a decent deal and both together were not much more than a single one new in box. I figured it was a good chance for me to give the pens an honest evaluation without a ton of stake in them.

 

Even though it's been a little while since I've inked or used one of them, I was actually quite pleasantly surprised provided that I viewed them as what they are-a totally new product that's INSPIRED by the classic 51.

 

My only real pet peeve remains the screw cap, and it's mostly because the pens look similar enough to the original that I have to remember to unscrew the cap rather than pull it off. In principle I don't object to it, especially given that other recent Parker snap-cap pens like the Sonnet seem prone to dry-out.

[VijayGS]

@bunnspecial Congratulations on the new pens. I totally agree with you on the screw cap. I have never mustered the courage to carry both the original and the NG together in my pocket. As the saying goes prevention is always better than cure, better safe than sorry. 

[InesF]

Thank you @DrVijayGSfor this well written and informative review. And my congratulations for receiving a well writing fountain pen.

 

My steel nib new edition P51 did not perform so well, also has this wide open slits and does dry out. The ink concentrates when the pen is stored overnight with some initial words appearing much darker than the rest, becoming more intense with longer time not in use. That's a pity and reduces its attractiveness for regular (daily) use.

[VijayGS]

@InesF Thank you and am glad you liked the review. That’s really a bummer when it comes to steel nibs. However a friend of mine had some success regarding the hard starts by adding an agitator to the converter if you are using one on the steel nib. Again let me reiterate that it’s a hearsay from a friend and I don’t have a hands on experience of the above solution. Good luck. 

[TheRedBeard]

On 10/7/2022 at 12:23 PM, DrVijayGS said:

.......

The Parker 51 NG to me is no blast from the past appearance wise, however putting it to use, it is no way less in terms of performance and stands equal to its predecessors.

.

Good joke - I like it a lot  LOL!  

 

[VijayGS]

13 hours ago, TheRedBeard said:

Good joke - I like it a lot  LOL!  

 

Thank you. I am glad you enjoyed it.