New Parker 51

[Targa]

On 2/4/2025 at 11:42 PM, VacNut said:

Yes, you are correct. 5 vintage 51’s are probably worth more than the Mona Lisa.

😂😂😂

If I did not know the history, I'd guess that the enigmatic smile is due to her receiving a 51 for her birthday.

[inkstainedruth]

7 hours ago, FarmBoy said:

I think the question is what would you sell your Plum pen for? 

Sell?  

That's the pen they'll have to pry from my cold dead fingers.  Unless I can someday find an AFFORDABLE full size Plum....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[VacNut]

3 hours ago, inkstainedruth said:

Sell?  

That's the pen they'll have to pry from my cold dead fingers.  Unless I can someday find an AFFORDABLE full size Plum....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

I know a farmer guy with a NOS Full Size Set with tags and case. The outer Parker cardboard box is labeled “Plum”.

It seems to be a gift that was put aside after it was opened. 

[Estycollector]

I didn't know until I read the Parker51 site the "plum" was only made a short while and in the late "40's. I really like those first year clips best. 

[VacNut]

1 hour ago, Estycollector said:

I didn't know until I read the Parker51 site the "plum" was only made a short while and in the late "40's. I really like those first year clips best. 

Plum is not my favorite color, but I can understand the appeal. I really like the blue-greens like the Nassau. It’s a shame they cost more money.

[Sheptonian]

3 hours ago, VacNut said:

Plum is not my favorite color, but I can understand the appeal. I really like the blue-greens like the Nassau. It’s a shame they cost more money.

I know what you mean. Selling my Nassau Green Vac was not one of my better decisions.

[inkstainedruth]

I wanted a Plum 51 -- not because it was a "rare" color, but simply because it was PURPLE....

OTOH, I bought a Forest Green 51 Aero (might be a Demi but my inventory notes don't say that -- I'll have to double check) at an estate sale a few years ago for $2 US (didn't know it was also a "rare" color until posting about the purchase after the fact.  And then just bought another Forest Green 51 Aero earlier this afternoon at an estate sale for $5 -- and the new to me one is definitely a full size one; there seems to maybe be a crack in the barrel, but I'm hoping that the filler is working okay and that there won't be any leaks (I had to double check the imprint to make sure it wasn't a 51 Special).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[FarmBoy]

4 hours ago, inkstainedruth said:

I wanted a Plum 51 -- not because it was a "rare" color, but simply because it was PURPLE....

OTOH, I bought a Forest Green 51 Aero (might be a Demi but my inventory notes don't say that -- I'll have to double check) at an estate sale a few years ago for $2 US (didn't know it was also a "rare" color until posting about the purchase after the fact.  And then just bought another Forest Green 51 Aero earlier this afternoon at an estate sale for $5 -- and the new to me one is definitely a full size one; there seems to maybe be a crack in the barrel, but I'm hoping that the filler is working okay and that there won't be any leaks (I had to double check the imprint to make sure it wasn't a 51 Special).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

Wow!  Almost as good as when someone here got a Plum 51 in that price range.  Keep looking!

[Estycollector]

What was the color that over time evolved into black? Perhaps one of the blue colors? 

[Beechwood]

27 minutes ago, Estycollector said:

What was the color that over time evolved into black? Perhaps one of the blue colors? 

 

Not sure about the evolution but I bought a 51 in Cordovan Brown and it changed significantly after a polish.  off topic but I had a Moore, a mini little thing, bought as a black and was as black as your hat,  it changed to dark blue after a clean and all the better for that.

[thx1138]

On 2/8/2025 at 8:22 PM, Beechwood said:

 

Not sure about the evolution but I bought a 51 in Cordovan Brown and it changed significantly after a polish.  off topic but I had a Moore, a mini little thing, bought as a black and was as black as your hat,  it changed to dark blue after a clean and all the better for that.

Dirt or oxidation do you think?

[Beechwood]

2 hours ago, thx1138 said:

Dirt or oxidation do you think?

 

Not sure thx, 

 

The pen had been sent away for a new diaphragm and came back with the note 'I don't know what colour this is meant to be'. I went straight to my regular pen polish, a gentle rub and the dark purplish brown went a couple of shades lighter, it might just have been really dirty, almost ground in.

 

At the best of times I struggle with identifying colours around this range browns/purples and  deep dark reds at the best of times. Typically, I would say, I see you have bought a purple T shirt, partner says its brown.

 

 

 

 

 

[OCArt]

1 hour ago, Beechwood said:

I went straight to my regular pen polish,

What polish do you use?  Thanks!

[Beechwood]

35 minutes ago, OCArt said:

What polish do you use?  Thanks!

 

A long time ago now, could have been Simichrome or a plastic polish, probably the latter.

[Estycollector]

On the Parker51 site there is a burgundy described as "bloody red". Perhaps the technology in plastic production was not where there was consistency in subsequent batches. 

[inkstainedruth]

Hmmm.  Wondering if that's what I've referred to as "British Bloody Burgundy" -- which is a much brighter color than the "standard"  US production Burgundy.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[VacNut]

The pen could be those colors or just an off color batch.

 

I do not know the manufacturing process DuPont used to fabricate Lucite (based on DuPont few people actually know the full process. They also claim it never yellows if properly cared for.

 

I am sure both DuPont and Parker had quality control process; but many of the 51’s were made during the War or shortly after the War, at a time of material shortages. 

 

I don’t have documented proof, but it would be difficult for Parker to reject a batch of Lucite because the color was not exact. So long as the hood color matched the barrels, I don’t think it mattered to the average consumer of the time.

 

I personally am not worried about whether or not a 51 is an exact color match to the prescribed colors.
 

Some of the variations may be due to fading but the buckskin beige 51s come in various shades of beige.

 

The more important message is “go vintage!”

[Estycollector]

Definitely go vintage, but we are talking about 50 shades of grey, so to speak. People spend lots of money to obtain a color that may be hard to confirm and simply a matter of whatever is in the eye of the beholder aka seller. 

[Glenn-SC]

8 hours ago, VacNut said:

 

<<<snip>>>
 

The more important message is “go vintage!”

 

1 hour ago, Estycollector said:

Definitely go vintage,
<<<snip>>>

The message is to buy what you want!

 

My “51” collection may not be able to match those of the famous, great, or  powerful; but I own versions from “First Year” through current production (including domestic, foreign, homages and reproductions) and they are all great pens.  As in everything else in life, if the pen is within your financial means and you want to add one to your collection, go ahead and do so.  

[Estycollector]

9 minutes ago, Glenn-SC said:

 

The message is to buy what you want!

 

 

Absolutely! 👍