Identifying a Parker 51

[GeoffMartin]

I spent the afternoon sorting out the 51s in my collection, using the information at http://www.parkercollector.com/parker51.html.
However, to simplify things, I drew up a decision chart that might be useful for others. I don't know if this has been done before, so if it has, apologies for the spam.

 

Comments & suggestions for corrections or additions are very welcome!

 

 

[Glenn-SC]

I will be interested to see where you fit in the Red Band and the C/C fillers and the Demis.  
Are you planning on adding Single and Double jeweled Vacs?

Adding footnotes for parts interchangeability messing with the whole logic scheme?
 

[GeoffMartin]

My original plan was to keep it simple, as a rough start for the www.parkercollector.com website,  but it would be an interesting challenge to take it further... I'll start working on it. 🙂

[Glenn-SC]

I am not an Expert, but, IMHO, It’s a wonderful effort and appreciated. 

[GeoffMartin]

Next steps:
- single vs double-jewelled

- demis

- notes regarding date formats and USA / UK variants

 

[Mechanical]

I found this quite helpful, @GeoffMartin.  From the first chart, I knew my Parker was a MkII-B (1950- ), but the notes added in the second version narrowed it down to a MkII-B between  1954-1956. 

 

The decision tree format is very friendly.

[Glenn-SC]

Were there not “double jewel” models post 1941?  Your flow chart seems to require that all pens with a “tassie ring on blind cap” to also have the “date imprint on the blind cap”.  Only the 1941 pens had the imprint on the blind cap.  I’ll have to check how late the double jeweled version was made.

[Glenn-SC]

I got a reference for the double-jewel dates.  According to David Nishimura (vintagepens.com):

”First-year examples, such as the pen above, had a number of distinctive features, including "jewels" at both the cap top and barrel end; from then through 1948, pens could be single- or double-jeweled -- though double-jewel pens postdating 1946 are very much the exception.”

[Carguy]

I should do something like this. I’ve got multiples of the same color with different nibs and several Kullock creations that I have assembled. I simply have too many and need to thin the herd soon.

[Armo]

I would love to see a chart like this about the variations in caps and the branding thereon.

[GeoffMartin]

Latest version.

@Glenn-SC: thanks for the double-jewel note. I think that changing that decision block fixes it...

 

 

 

[mariom]

Really great Geoff. I suspect this could get really massive. How about add cap clutch type?

Cheers

[FarmBoy]

Interesting. 

[mitto]

There are other aspects to be included in the chart.

 

1) The Press 6 times and the Press 4 times on the filler of the aerometric pens.

 

2) The use of Superchrome or Parker ink on the filler shroud of the aerometric fillers. 

 

3) The black end piece on the filler shroud and the all metal incased filler shroud on the aerometric fillers. 

 

4) Aero pens with breather hole at the end of the barrels and in the side of the barrels. 

 

4) Aerometrics with hoop fillers. 

 

5) Aerometrics with perlecent plastic jewels and with black plastic jewels. 

 

6) Aerometrics with 14k (both marked and unmarked) gold nibs and with Octanium nibs. 

 

[GeoffMartin]

Thanks for the comments, everyone!

 

Some of the requests have already been included (the number of presses and the kind of ink, for example).

 

Other requests would be good to add if I can get the associated dates (e.g. cap types, clutch lengths, black end pieces, breather holes).

 

For example, the parkercollector.com site has a long list of cap types, but without dates. My interest with this flow chart is primarily dating, as a starting point to be able to go father with other sources to identify a 51. I'm not trying to write a history - just the index. 🙂

[jchch1950]

GeoffMartin ; a useful guide to classify the Parker 51 pens. The clarity of it is amazing.

[GeoffMartin]

Thanks @jchch1950 !

 

I think that this might be my last version, however, I'll put some photos and links on my own site (http://www.pm-pens.com/2024/08/25/parker-51-identification/) to illustrate some of the differences. I certainly don't have enough 51s to cover many of the variants, but I can at least show some minor details of some of the aspects mentioned in that column on the left.

My assumption is that, after going through this chart, additional information can be obtained at either parkercollector.com or parker51.com.

 

 

 

[Armo]

Wow. Chart gets better and better. Well done and thanks.

[spacecoastpenny]

Awesome thanks for the effort, i've printed it and it is differently going into my pen info notebook.