The "51" was introduced in 1941. The name apparently comes from
the anniversary of the Parker company, rather than the same urge that
caused a lot of consumer junk in the early 1990s to have a "2000" stuck
into its name. Of course, the advertising didn't ignore the
futuristic potential of both name and design. If you look at the
chonological
lineup
of my collection, this is a pretty radical
departure from the norm in pen design at that time. It was not
just a new shell, either-- there were all sorts of new things going on
under that hood that hides the point-- primarily a large, finned
"collector" that kept a supply of ink right by the point for instant
use. I've got a picture of this pen reduced to its components
(which is, unlike the rest of this paragraph, not just a shameless
reuse of existing material), which is usefully compared to the "normal"
pen at the top of the HOW PENS WORK page.
One thing that makes me less of a fan of the "51" is the stiffness of
the point. The point is tubular, and thus stiffness is somewhat
unavoidable, and there are certain advantages in the area of
reliability which for many people make up for this failing, but I quite
like some flex in my pens. I prefer this pen to my first "51", a slightly later version;
unlike that one, this has a gold clip which contrasts interestingly
with the steel cap.
This set is an example of the first pattern of the pen, with the
vacumatic filler-- the body impression indicates its from the 1947
(probably fourth quarter, but the impression is almost gone) run at the
Canadian plant. There is some sense of it having had a repair in
the past, as the point is a second-quarter 1950 make, and the clip
lacks a blue diamond which is apparently also a mark of a visit to the
repair department. As an aside, flushing a vacumatic "51" is much
more difficult than the same operation with the Vacumatic pen-- the
collector will hold onto something like a quarter of the fluid from the
reservoir, and the pen will simply blow froth rather than empty.
Specifications:
Fine gold point. Vacumatic filler. 13.7cm long
capped, 15.2cm capped.
Condition: The body is free of blemishes, to the point of being
almost free of the body impression. The hood has some kind of
staining in its forward half, which appears to be simply from age and
exposure to ink.
Repairs: Prolonged and eventually successful effort to
remove the ravages of India ink (it can
be done!). Replaced diaphragm and missing clutch ring.
Location: My collection.
For sale?: Yes, as I've now got one I like better.
$50.00, which is something of a bargain as far as "51"s go, but
it's not a perfect example of the type, is it?
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