Welcome to the Parker Forum!

[fpn00b]

Like my name implies I'm new to fountain pens. I've only been at it for about a year and a half. My collection started with an interesting vacumatic 51 I won on ebay. India black with a lustraloy cap, it is dated last quarter of '48. It is odd in the fact that even though it is from after the phase-out of the blue diamond clips, it has a gold plated blue diamond clip.

 

My second 51 was an oddity as well. An ebay win again, a boxed 51 Special, also India Black. The odd thing with this pen is that the cap has a grey pearlescent instead of a black cap jewel. The most pleasant surprise however was that it had a gold nib. A medium nib at that. I later was told that some Specials were made with gold nibs.

 

For a third 51 I once again found it on ebay. This was a rather unremarkable 51 aerometric. Strangely enough it follows on the heels of the vacumatic in production as it is a first quarter '49. The cap is lustraloy.

 

I tried my luck once again with buying a Special that had a pearlescent cap jewel. It is a burgundy barrel. When it arrived I found that it had an octanium nib. Still in all it is a decent writer.

 

My most recent addition has been quite a nice one. I won for a fairly low price a 51 Flighter with wedding band cap. The only drawback I saw from the posting was the small ding in the end of the barrel. I was mistaken, as when it arrived I found that the nib was ruined since it was both bent backward and the tipping was gone. I had it restored and fitted with a medium nib and it sits as the centerpiece of my collection.

 

As far as related ephemera goes I have some magazine adverts and boxes as well. Overall vintage Parker is the best!

[Rishi]

thnx for this forum...enlightening stuff.

[Tom Aquinas]

  On 3/15/2006 at 12:00 PM, amin said:

Welcome everyone to a forum created for discussion of all things Parker!

 

As most of you know, Parker's innovative technology and design have led to several of the most significant pens of the past century.

 

Whether you enjoy vintage or modern Parkers, you are in the right place!

 

I look forward to learning with you all as we continue to build on the already rich source of Parker information found here at the Nuthouse .

 

I had the most remarkable experience during which a brace of Parkers that mean a lot to me accompanied me. As a lawyer I was travelling to a suburban court for a trial. When i have a trial I carry three fountain pens. All of them neant a lot to me. The first was my late fathers Parker 51, which he won as a prize in the Army in 1953, I signed the marraige register with it and the Roll of Barristers. The next was a Parker 75 that was given to me in 1970 as a 21st birthday present. The third was a sterling silver Sonnet with matching jotter that my wife gave me upon our engagement. I was hit by a semi trailer that ran a red light and totalled my car and I survived. I can't help but want to imagine my pens helped me. Needless to say the trial was adjourned , but although hospitailsed for observation I live to tell the tale.

Tom Aquinas

[eli2011]

I recently purchased a NOS Parker Super 21 from Peyton Street Pens. It came very well and carefully packed and had an unexpected Sheaffer School Pen as a bonus. Unfortunately, the 21 was scratchy and loud. Several detailed cleaning and flushing operations didn't advance the situation. When I contacted Teri once again about the lack of progress the suggestion came to send the recalcitrant instrument back for more serious adjusting than I could manage. Teri soon wrote back that the tines were somewhat misaligned but that all would be taken care of including a mild nib polishing. A week later I had the pen back superbly smooth and a pleasure to write with. Very impressive service all the way down the line !

Edited April 17, 2012 by eli2011

[restlesscourage]

I received my first full-sized fountain pen for Christmas (previously I just had a couple of little Ohto Rooks). I had a certain pen on my wish list, but when I opened the box that I knew had to contain a fountain pen, I was surprised to find this note from my father:

 

  Quote

This is not the pen from your wish list - when I saw they carried your grandfather's life long brand I decided to get it in memory of him. I hope you enjoy using it and thinking of grandpa.

 

The pen was a Parker IM. Inexpensive, to be sure, but it writes like a dream and I love it.

 

My grandfather passed away on Easter two years ago, so this is just the second Christmas without him. He was a very significant person in my life and I miss him very much. I had no idea that he had a preferred pen brand (although, since seeing the characteristic Parker clip, I do remember seeing similar pens on his desk). It was a really special thing to receive this pen, even if it is a low-end Parker - it was like getting a present from my grandpa.

 

So now, of course, I've decided that any future fountain pen purchases must also be Parkers, in honor of my grandfather. As if I needed some other aspect of fountain pens to obsess about.

[Leria]

Good evening) I'm a newbie)

I've got a question that worries me for 2 years, maybe here someone can help me. I'm writing with Parker Vector Steel for all these two years and using it I have almost no grades of handwriting - just normal wide lines or no ink at all instead of really thin lines. Is it the problem of my handwriting or of the pen? Have anyone had the same problems with it?

Thank you for attention)

[kongepen]

HI, I have a PARKER BIG BEN 40. It is burnt in the side of the pen. It has an 14 k goldnib. But it seems that there is nog informations in any forums about this particular pen, AM I wrong

[usk15]

I never heard about this. can you post some pictures, with good details? maybe is a different model and somebody can help you.

[kongepen]

Thank you for shoving interest in my question, I'm sorry to inform that I made the mistake to think it was a PARKER, but it is not. Nowhere the Word parker is on the pen, It is a just a Big Ben 40 with 14 k nib. I forund afterwords that it is a Danish produced pen.

[Rob G]

My first fountain pen was a Sonnet Ocean Blue ST. You never forget your first love... Now there are four of them, one a rollerball. That first one got lost for two weeks and my daughter found it buried in the gravel in my driveway. It had been run over and rained on several times, from the looks of it. A good rinse, and it worked just fine, thank you very much. (The cap lost some of its finish, but to me, that just gave it more character.)

[sangman]

Hi and thanks for the forum on parkers. I remember using a parker when I was aged 10 it belonged to my gran and what I liked about it was( long pause) yes the arrow on the lid. When my gran died it went to my mum who promised it to me, however it was stolen from her. Today though ineed a bit of help. I have just brought a duofold very cheaply only because it a birth year model. It does however have a name ingraved on it. Is there please any way I could remove it? Get it removed? Or indeed is there any suggestions you can think. Any thoughts on this are welcome. Thanks for your help.

[Tack]

Hi, so pleased to have found both this site and - in particular - this forum.

Have used parkers ALMOST exclusively all my life. Given them by my parents as gifts for birthdays, occasions etc. Sadly, I suspect I have used - and discarded - several fountain pens over the years that would now be regarded as classics....

Having said that! I am now on a quest to remediate that issue. I have started with a Parker 75 inherited from my father. Classic early cisele in Sterling silver. Flat top, zero mark on the section and plastic thread. 14k gold nib in excellent condition. The barrel and cap are not perfect - the result of at least 40 years regular use by my father - so little dings here and thee and some brassing starting on the tassie..

(Pardon my spelling of these terms... Huge learning curve for me ). I wouldn't change anything about it for the world - huge sentimental value.

Now on a quest to get a nice 51, perhaps a duofold etc. love the idea of trying to restore them.

 

Looking to YOU. For advice as/when I need it. Been bitten by the pen bug and the blood levels are toxic!

[mitto]

Be patient. Your sweet 51 would arrive at your doorsteps sooner than later. Just keep hunting.

[ingk]

Hi Guys ... New to this forum, so not sure where I should post this.

 

Bought my Parker 51 back in the 50's . Unfortunately a few months ago it landed nib first on a concrete floor.

 

I managed to straighten it with great care and it writes reasonably well. However after many long years of service decided that a new nib was a good idea.

 

As far as I can find out there is no way I am going to be able to get a replacement 0.9mm italic nib used or unused. Is this correct?

 

Also can anyone recommend a repairer in Australia for the Parker 51 pens?

 

In the mean time have ordered a Franklin-Christoph 03 pen with a custom ground .9mm italic nib to keep me going.

[mitto]

Google parker '51 replacement nibs' and yould be able to find several sources. I just saw italic nibs among others offered for sale.

[mitto]

For repair in australia :

 

 

http://www.melbournevintagepens.com.au/pages/specialist-pen-repairs

[loulu10]

Howdy and Greetings,

 

I just found this FPN site a few days ago - and this Parker forum today.

 

. I've been researching nd dreaming about fountain pens. I had 11 FPs in my tiny collection - mostly inexpensive brands. Happily, I just found another Parker FP from my grandfather's estate in a box of jewelry I needed to research. I recognized it after trolling FP sites today!

 

• 75 Arrow
• Vacuumatic, dual jewels, blue diamond clip, Geo S, USA 5

So now I own 12 FPs - yay!

[The_Noob_Eternal]

I just acquired a couple of Parker pens (one a ball point, one a fountain pen) in a black leather case. There's a third elastic loop for, perhaps, a missing pencil. Do any of you know of pages or websites to identify such lucky finds?

Edited June 30, 2017 by The_Noob_Eternal

[mitto]

This is the right place to ask about the identity of your Parker pens. Any pictures?

Edited June 30, 2017 by mitto

[DominatoSpace]

Hello! Is this pen real or fake? Please tell me, specialists! I want to order it online from a guy. Here is the photo.