How long can a Parker 51 sit around capped and unused before it will stop writing

[inkstainedruth]

Given that I don't know the chemical formulae for inks, and what some of the component dyes might be, I'd think that licking a nib would NOT be a good idea....  

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Carguy]

Probably not, but it’s just a quick swipe to get it going. Hasn’t killed me yet….

[inkstainedruth]

Maybe not immediately, but a lot of those chemicals are pretty toxic if ingested (I had the same issue with stuff like oil paints when I was an art major in college -- even turpentine is pretty nasty...).  And some of the dyes can build up in your system so the effect can be gradual but with no recovery....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[blue in green]

thank you both for your input, that helps! and i am glad that i did not open a seperate thread for it... my glass of water next to me stay's also to rinse my "spring"-seringe ... and the one time when i'm on the go and the problem should appear (never happened in the past years, i write too much) i have a resort with me, saliva on my hand should do the job, again thank you both for sharing your thoughts on my (our) behalf!!!

[Bo Bo Olson]

Look on your ebay or flea markets for old rubber postal sponge/stamp cups.

 

Or order one from Europe. In Germany we still use the old lick a stamp trick....so have the sponge in the rubber cup. 

 

All you have to do is jab any nib that has a pen that has 'dried' out, three times in the damp sponge and it's good to go....well worth going out of your way to get....

I often had had and just now again have 17 pens inked. so sooner or later I'm going to run into a dry pen.

That or a shot glass.

 

If you want keep a pen 'wet' while you read or type, just slip the pen into the cap with out closing...keep it in your hand or let it lay....it should be good for hours of no use.

[Sailor Kenshin]

On 10/10/2023 at 12:21 PM, Penguincollector said:

I bought a 51 Special at a barn sale once, I put the nib on my fingertip just to see what it looked like before I handed over the princely sum of $2, and got Blue-Black on my finger for my troubles. The person who sold it to me said the pen had belonged to their mother and had not been used in decades. The only time I had a hard start with it was when I put modern Parker Quink Black in it.  I have anywhere from 10-18 pens inked at a time, and my 51s (and 45s, for that matter) start right away. 

Consensus seems to be that modern Quink Black is Evulz.

[Penguincollector]

10 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

Consensus seems to be that modern Quink Black is Evulz.

 Yep. I’ve been using a cartridge I bought in the ‘90s and the difference is night and day. I have some NOS with Eversharp branding and am curious to see how those do. 

[inkstainedruth]

1 hour ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

Consensus seems to be that modern Quink Black is Evulz.

I dunno about that.  I put Quink Black in my first 45 (which has a medium 14 K nib) and it was a DREAM combination -- like dancing on ice across the page.... 

It's just that there are black inks I like BETTER....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth