New Parker 51, which ink?

[MCH]

Which ink do you find  the best to use in Parker 51? Thanks. 

[inkstainedruth]

Do you mean a vintage one or one of the modern "reboot" models?

I have only vintage ones, but both 51 Vacumatics and 51 Aerometrics.  I'm a bit more cautious about what ink to put in the Vacs, but have managed to get some vintage Quink ink in various colors over the years.  The Aeros are a little more forgiving, and I've even put some Noodler's inks in one or two of those without issue, as long as I make sure that the ink doesn't dry out in the pen (the 51 Aeros are just tanks, and even the ones I've found in the wild and need to be thoroughly flushed out, 90% of the time they'll then just write -- with no issues (you have to be a bit more careful with the 51 Vacs because the diaphragm might need to be replaced).  

I wouldn't use a shimmer ink, though.  But since the 51 Aeros were originally designed to use with a particularly nasty kind of ink (forget what Parker called it, but it apparently ate the gold breather tubes), I figure that NOTHING modern -- other than shimmer inks -- is going to be as bad....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[welch]

The P-51 Aerometric will write happily with almost any ink. There are a few, a very few, troublesome inks that many of us warn about. Lately, I have been using Scribe Indigo, which is an updated version of the "unobtanium" Parker Penman Sapphire. Updated by the engineer who designed the Penman inks. Monteverde Horizon Blue looks a lot like Penman Sapphire. And I have nearly used up a new bottle of Parker Quink Blue, available from Amazon. NOT Quink Washable Blue, which has a nice color but goes too light once it hits paper. Last week, I re-opened an old bottle of Diamine ASA Blue. It is good. I've been pleased with all the other Diamine inks I have used. 

 

I use all these inks in the Vacumatic P-51; not the heavily saturated inks, such as the Private Reserve blue inks.

[jchch1950]

 In my experience, Lamy inks work well in the new versions of Parker 51.

[MCH]

Thank you for your replies, it is a new model 51. Amazon Spain are doing a good deal in EU, £141 delivered with fine gold nib.

[OCArt]

10 hours ago, MCH said:

Thank you for your replies, it is a new model 51. Amazon Spain are doing a good deal in EU, £141 delivered with fine gold nib.

Do read reviews of the new 51. The "old" 51 can be had for that price or less and is a *very* fine pen.

[TheRedBeard]

16 hours ago, OCArt said:

Do read reviews of the new 51. The "old" 51 can be had for that price or less and is a *very* fine pen.

+1 👍

For that money it is certainly possible to find P51 Aero in perfect or even NOS condition on some occasions.

[Glenn-SC]

I have the latest “51” and it is a great pen.  If you want one you should certainly get one. 

[Mike B]

With respect to the new Parkers, I have had good success with the Diamine inks I have tried (Oxford Blue, Blue Black). Sheaffer Black works well. Kaweco's blue black (Midnight Blue) also works well -- it is the one I seem to be using most frequently.

 

The Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black was a bit dry.

 

I have the fine steel nib on my new 51.

[Penguincollector]

What’s your favorite color? 

[Mike B]

Well, there’s blue black…