In late 1947 Parker in Newhaven, UK, started to produce Vacumatic filler Parker "51"'s, although no double jewelled pens were offered and the pens only came in the colours of India Black, Cedar Blue, Dove Grey and Cordovan Brown. Tan (aka Buckskin Beige). Parker also manufactured 51s in Canada and England, and later in Argentina. Note the distict features, Double aluminium jewels, metal filler with diamond imprint. The majority of examples in circulation, however, date from the 1950s. Though of course, the hooded nib allows you to grip the P51 much closer towards the front, so it remains usable unposted. Ink is held directly in the barrel - the pen does not have a conventional ink sac, Above: Parker 51 Vacumatic in buckskin beige (also known as tan) with double jewels.
Parker 51 Custom Clutch Pencil in Teal Green and Gold filled cap. In MINT Condition. The Demi pens were not made in this style. Scarce USA Parker 51 in Forest Green with Stainless Cap. Specials also usually have caps that are polished bright rather than frosted, and a cap jewel that is black, not pearlescent (note, however, that late-production Specials from the 1960s resembled normal 51s, with frosty caps, pearl jewels, and gold nibs). Both transitional and blue diamond clips clips offered until 1948, while Parker cleaned out old stock. Also in 1950 the Parker "51" Flighter was introduced. Aerometric fill. The colours of the Vacumatic Parker 51's and the Aerometric Parker 51's. Secondly an imprint can be found on the top of the barrel, just under the cap clutch ring: Two Vacumatic filled Parker "51" in Dove Grey here are also examples of Demonstrators, a pen in all aspects like the ordinary Parker "51" but made in clear plastic, showing the workings inside the pen, primarely made for pen sellers.
Dove grey. Canadian Parker 51 Vacumatic in Black with Stainless cap and gold filled trim. Most European pens had screw or pump plungers (Mont Blanc, Pelikan etc) while the American pen companies preferred rubber sacs with different levers or plungers. Grey In MINT Condition. Sterling hammered Silver (intro 1942) Both in Mint condition in original box. Demonstrators in clear Lucite were made for dealer use, but not sold to the general public.
Read more about the great "51" in David and Mark Shepherds book "Parker 51". Parker 51 in Black with gold filled trim. Heirloom, all solid 14 k gold, two tone red/yellow lines
You can pick one up pretty much anywhere online at much less than the re-make in excellent working condition. 
In 1947 a court ruled in the US that products could no longer be sold with a life-time guarantee.
Many Parker 51s survive in usable condition. The gold nib is also noticeably smoother, with a more subtle hint of feedback.
There are two easy ways to date the early Parker "51" . Parker 51 Custom in Black with gold filled filled cap.
Fitted with the original 14kt gold, super smooth medium tipped nib. Powered by, L to R: Vintage P51 gold-filled, modern P51 Deluxe, Vintage P51 'Lustraloy', modern P51. I have a several vintage P51s, vacuumatics and aeromatics and they are terrific pens. Parker 51 Custom in Teal Green with gold filled cap.
In 1949, the New Aero-metric Parker 51 was launched in the USA and described as a clear case of improving on perfection. Not only does this 51 use cartridges, it lacks the sophisticated, ink-trapping collector of the original 51, and uses a small, conventional nib instead of the original tubular design. This transparent demonstrator reveals the fine-finned "collector" hidden under the 51's hood. The Mark I Parker "51" came in seven colours: India Black In Near MINT Condition. A short model, known as the Demi, was introduced shortly before the Vacumatic filler was phased out. Cap screw now in metal, section ring wider again. As an aesthetic nod to the original design, a metal ring just below the threads mimics the original clutch ring of the vintage 51.
Sterling Silver with vertical lines with GF clip and chevron band, a cap band sporting a pattern of repeated chevrons, this is the most common silver cap. HERITAGE COLLECTABLES FULLY RESTORED VINTAGE WRITING INSTRUMENTS.
Matching pencils and desk sets were offered throughout the 51's production run. Plum (aka Aubergine) The MKII type 2 pens were not produced in this colour Ink is drawn in to the pen by repeated pushing of a plunger at the end of the barrel. In Absolute MINT Condition. It's a very responsive writer, despite the tipping seemingly having a slight bit of baby's bottom. Parker 51 parts for sale. Scarce USA Parker 51 Custom in Cocoa with Gold filled cap. The c/c filling system was obviously to be expected. The metal 'jewel' finial is actually surprisingly historically correct, as the very first P51's came with an aluminum jewe! The gold-nibbed Deluxe version is a slightly different beast though. In Absolute MINT Unused condition in original Box. The big difference was that it sported an octanium (eight metal alloy) nib rather than one made of gold and it came with a shiny chrome cap only (the Standard Parker "51" were made in a matte chrome design). Fitted with the original 14kt gold super smooth medium tipped nib.
Aerometric fill. The great majority of 51s were made in the USA at Parker's Janesville factory, but 51s were also produced in Canada and England; distinctively English are the Aerometrics with caps in rolled silver, along with those with rolled silver caps and barrels (watch for fakes: if the barrel is not marked "R. SILVER", it is almost certainly a gold filled barrel that has been plated). As it stands now, only the Deluxe version gets one as standard. It might become grounds for confusion, but In this article the Vacumatic filler will be referred to as the MK I, the Aerometric with the rounded end as the MK II, the aerometric with the plastic jeweled "61" style cap and squarish end as the MK III and the aerometric with the metal jeweled "61" style cap as the MK IV. The gold nib remains stiff due to the hooded construction, but you can still feel the slight softness in the gold alloy despite not getting any line variation out of it. Among other things, this article provides annual sales figures for the 51: An important article by Fultz, Zazove, & Hiscock, "The Parker 51 Before 1941: Development and Test Marketing", is found in Pen World, 17/7 (Aug/Sept 2004). $50-$75 is about right. The Parker 51 went into production in 1941, and remained a best-seller for decades thereafter. This does not seem to have been a commercial success and was discontinued in 1963, Above: The 51 Aerometric Mk2 introduced in the late 1960s featured a 61 style cap with plastic jewel, a slightly shorter barrel with flattened rather than rounded end amongst a number of other differences. After numerous reports of cracked barrels, Parker manufactured a quantity of thicker-walled replacement barrels. All Aerometric pens were single-jeweled. This supply was soon exhausted, however, and before long it became clear that even the replacement barrels were crack-prone. Not worth the trouble to me!
This 51 externally resembles the double-jewel models of the 1940s, but its internals are considerably simplified. This new pen is a shadow of the original. From 1950 the single "year" digit on the body became 2 digits. Fitted with the original 14kt gold super smooth Medium tipped nib. It never leaked, always worked and rarely broke. A fantastic collection of double-jewelled Vacumatic filler Parker "51" 's" with rare caps. The small digit denotes the year of making for the barrel. Stunning USA Parker 51 Flighter SET in stainless and Gold filled trim. Navy Grey An uncapped Demi is about 11.2cms long whereas the full sized 51 is 12.8cms, In 1947, Parkers factory in England also started producing 51s for the British and European markets and, with the Vacumatic filling system being seen as overly complicated, Parker worked towards a new type of filler which was longer lasting, more reliable and simpler to use. Pens with breather tube problems will only fill to around 1/4 of their proper capacity, and with their reservoirs filled with air instead of ink, they will be prone to flooding and irregular ink flow. Scarce Parker 51 Custom Mark 2 SET in Teal Green with Gold fill caps. Aerometric 51s used a transparent synthetic sac that is extremely durable but prone to darkening (new replacements are available here. Teal Blue (aka Turqoise) A Signet/Insignia and a Flighter Parker "51". The MKII pens of course had a brand new filling system that was to be adopted by virtually all Parkers in the future, the Aerometric. View cart for details. Why oh why would any pen designer put airholes under the finial, except to use a little less metal? Mechanically, it seems to be closer to the 51 copycats of the 1940s, such as the Waterman Taperite and the Eversharp Fifth Avenue, or to the later Parker 45. Burgundy The Parker "51" aerometrics: Black, Navy Grey, Teal Blue, Midnight Blue, Plum, Burgundy, Blood Red, Forest Green and Cocoa. Lined Coin Silver and GF clip If you look around a bit, these can be had for a great deal, especially the Deluxe version is a great buy when you can get it at a discounted price!Thanks for reading! The most obvious variations were that the barrel imprints were at the filler end rather than next to the clutch ring, and both jewels were metal rather than plastic, Above: In 1947-48 Parker produced a demi-sized version of the 51 Vacumatic. There's been some confusion, since David Shepherd chose in this book "Parker 51" not to count the Vacumatic filler as MK I, instead starting with the first aerometric model. Sterling silver and coin silver caps were also available, but were discontinued before the introduction of the simplified arrow clip and Aerometric filler. Designwise, Parker stayed pretty true to the original. Those air holes under the finial are a killer for me, I'll never buy a Parker pen with these. Aerometric fill. Scarce Early USA Parker 51 Vacumatic Custom in Cordovan Brown with Gold filled cap with Chevron Cap Band. We sell, service and refurbish more of these Mk1 models than any other make or model of pen. This model, with many variations, was in production in the USA and UK from around 1948 to the late 1960s. I think opinions in general have already become a bit more nuanced, showing that it certainly isn't all bad as some would suggest in the past.
Fitted with the original 14kt gold super smooth Medium tipped nib. Fitted with the original 14kt gold, super smooth medium tipped nib. Sterling Silver plain with GF clip and chevron band Rant over. Mark I (1942-48), had the (late) Vacumatic filling system with a plastic plunger hidden behind a blind cap. Standard colours in the UK were black, burgundy, teal blue and grey. Design changes were relatively few.
Absolutely! The modern 51 measures 14 cm (5.51") when capped, which is about 4 mm longer than the vintage. As demand grew, premier models in Buckskin Beige, Nassau Green and Yellowstone (Mustard) were added along with some stunning cap designs in solid 14k gold such as the famous Empire State and the Coronet pattern owned by Dwight D Eisenhower. Also in 1960 Parker stopped imprinting the the year of making on the nib and body on European made (and Canadian?) A collection of Parker "51" MKIII/IV in standard and uncommon colours. Both the half demonstrator and full demonstrator are being reproduced, and also a version where both cap, barrel and section are made from clear lucite. In 1955, a matching 51 Jotter ballpoint was introduced, along with the so-called Liquid Lead pencil -- a nonretractable ballpoint using a graphite slurry. barrel, c. 1964. Smooth Finish with Chevron Cap Band. Blue Fitted with the original 14kt gold, super smooth medium to fine tipped nib. I have both of them Vista Blue and Black versions and they have been fantastic. In 1958 Parker tried a the cartridge/converter filling system on some Parker "51's" but this didn't sell well at all so it was discontinued around 1960, making these pens rather hard to find. A vintage P51 on the left and the modern version on the right, L to R: Parker IM, vintage Parker 51, modern P51, modern P51 deluxe, Pelikan M805, Lamy 2000, Lamy Safari. Heirloom, all solid 14 k gold, fine barley Empire (aka Icicle, aka Manhattan, aka Empire State), all solid two tone red/yellow14 k gold (intro 1942) This cap was reanimated in 2002 when Parker launched the Parker "51" Special Edition. Lustraloy with GF clip and GF cap band Two versions were produced, the so called Half Demonstrator, which had the gripping section made in clear lucite was produced from 1941, some had the ink collector made in red, which created a striking effect. Aerometric fill. The modern P51 has a comfortable section diameter around 10 mm where you hold it, but it is of course still a rather skinny penfor modern standards. Nonetheless, professional overhaul is a good idea, even for pens that seem at first glance to be in good working order. Despite some people's criticism of the new nib not being true to the original design (Left), I don't think the old and new are that dissimilar from a visual perspective. The same year the additional logo with the arrow through a circle was added to the cap, aka the "halo" logo, while the Demi Parker "51" was discontinued. First-year examples, such as the pen above, had a number of distinctive features, including "jewels" at both the cap top and barrel end (more on first-years); from then through 1948, pens could be single- or double-jeweled -- though double-jewel pens postdating 1946 are very much the exception.
Parker also made 51s in South America at its factory in Argentina. The brand is taking advantage of its customers. Custom, GF with thin vertical lines And that effect seems to be magnified by the fact that the hooded nib sort of obstructs your view. It's a stiff nib with a noticeable amount of feedback (though not scratchy). Aerometric fill. Nor is it merely a triumph of styling -- though it has a place in the Museum of Modern Art's design collection, and Lazlo Moholy-Nagy found it worthy of praise -- for it is also one of the most robust and practical writing instruments ever made. Parker date codes -- These were however produced side by side with the standard line.
For this reason we install fresh diaphragms in all Vac-fillers that we sell.
Vacumatic 51s - with the filler under the blind cap at the end of the barrel - were in production in the USA from 1941-48, Above: Another Parker 51 Vacumatic in black with a coin silver cap and single jewel. Called almost a blasphemy by some, I actually think it's an improvement over the original. These colours and cap designs are highly sought after today and are the focal points of many 51 collections, A 51 Vacumatic in Nassau Green with jewelled filler cover, The Vacumatic filling system was developed by Parker in the early 1930s. Some Notes on Repair of the Parker 51 -- n 1954 the engraving Made In USA was added to the back of the cap. The sophistication of their design and the outstanding quality of the materials make these, in our opinion, the best pens ever made! In Absolute MINT Condition . Unless otherwise noted, the caps are of Lustraloy, Parker's matte-finished stainless steel. The screw-cap at least leaves that guessing work out of the equation, and you can be certain that it's always on securely. Although it has often been repeated as fact that 51s bearing a "T"-prefix date code were assembled in Parker's Toronto plant, there are strong reasons to doubt this (full discussion here).
Nassau Green (aka Sage) This flexes a rubber diaphragm attached to the plunger with the partial vacuum drawing ink into the barrel. No, thank you. More precisely, it's inspired by the first generations of the Parker 51. PARKER 51 COCOA DEMI AEROMETRIC Fountain Pen + Pencil [1951] [FULLY RESTORED], VINTAGE PARKER 51 AEROMETRIC Fountain Pen [c1950s] [FULLY RESTORED]. The clip is often referred to as the "transitional clip and the pens could be categorised as the MK I-B. The most notable is by Fultz, Zazove, & Parker (though it must be noted that an earlier draft and not the final article was mistakenly published, while there were also problems with the photos and their credits -- see the following issue for more on this).
You may however quote From the top: India Black, Cordovan Brown (aka Burgundy), Dove Grey, Cedar Blue, Nassau Green (aka Sage), Mustard (aka Yellowstone) and Tan (aka Buckskin Beige). One of the major differences between the original and new 51 is the switch towards a threaded cap. Insignia, Gold filled with alternating 9 vertical lines plain band Fitted with the original 14kt gold, super smooth medium to fine tipped nib. I have a fairly large collection of vintage pens. $100 for a steel nib c/c is too much. Mark IV (Early 1970's-mid 1970's) Still looked a lot like the Parker 61. In 1949 the Parker "51" Presidential was introduced in solid gold. These rubber sacs inevitably rotted away in time due to the acid in the ink. Both in Absolute MINT Condition in original box. In Absolute MINT Condition. Demonstrator. Our most popular vintage Parker 51 pen is this Aerometric Mk1 with the Classic steel cap or the Custom rolled gold cap and rounded end to the barrel as shown here. The new 51 looks quite nice but I still think the original pen has cleaner lines. Oh, did I mention it's seriously overpriced? Aerometric fill.
For an older discussion of Moholy-Nagy's actual design work for Parker, see Abe Schwartz's article in Pen World, 6/5 (May/June 1993). Custom, Gold filled plain This pen was made of steel with GF trim and survided until 1960. The caps have some interesting air holes embedded in the cap finials, but those don't seem to negatively affect the nib drying out all that much. This had the aerometric filling system but in the manner of the Demi "51" with a U-shaped pressure bar. Maybe the most sought for caps of the Parker "51", Heirloom, all solid 14 k gold, fish scales, (aka Scallop) (intro 1942) A number was chosen because it could be used in any country, obviating barriers of language. Aerometric fill. Signet GF with converging lines Signet GF with thin vertical lines and chevron band For more on the origins of the 51, see the article by Zazove & Fultz in the Fall 2000 issue of The PENnant, now available online here. Almost all pens had to have moving parts (well, all until the Parker 61) to make the filling easy. Navy grey Teal Blue Aerometric fill. There seems to be a problem serving the request at this time, {"modules":["unloadOptimization","bandwidthDetection"],"unloadOptimization":{"browsers":{"Firefox":true,"Chrome":true}},"bandwidthDetection":{"url":"https://ir.ebaystatic.com/cr/v/c1/thirtysevens.jpg","maxViews":4,"imgSize":37,"expiry":300000,"timeout":250}}. the Empire State in solid two-tone gold.
News on our vintage stock updatesaround six times a year, Vintage Parker 51 Pens - The Classic Fountain Pen, Detailed history of the Parker 51 on David Nishimura's site, The Parker 51 colour range on Tony Fishier's site. Parker 51 Set in Grey with Lustraloy caps Fountain Pen and scarce Ballpoint. Fitted with the original 14kt gold, super smooth fine tipped nib. The three bottom ones being the rarest colours. The Parker "51" came in 4 basic different styles. Fitted with the original 14kt gold super smooth Medium to broad tipped nib. It's cheaply mad and seems like something the finance department designed to cut costs. In 2002 Parker launched a retro model, the Parker "51" Special Edition in one of its rarest finishes, the Empire State Building etched cap. In MINT Condition. As their brand name positions them in the market to cater towards a wide audience, not just the die-hard enthusiasts, it makes sense that they put their money on c/c filling systems. From 1943 the nib was date coded.
Parker hasn't been doing aerometric-style (or for that matter, Vacumatic pump-filler) mechanisms for years at this point. In the late 1950's the gold cap ring was deleted from the Flighter pen. Despite both test pens having medium nibs, the 18k gold nib writes at least a solid half size wider than the steel one - the steel nib being more true to a western medium IMHO. Parker decided to discontinue the Blue Diamond on the clips. parts of the content of this website, Parkercollector.com in translated versions. In 1957 Introduced the Parker "51" Insignia but this was really only a renamed Signet. At the bottom a half Demonstrator with the section in clear lucite, note the red ink collector.
Please. The nib, then. Heritage GF cap solid 14k gold clip, "squares" In Near MINT Condition. The steel-nibbed standard version is a capable writer, but nothing particular to write home about. In production in the USA from 1941-48, First Year 51 Vacumatics produced in 1941 differed in some respects from the 1942-48 production. custom, Gold filled with alternating 4 vertical lines and plain band, this is the most common GF design and the more uncommon Navy Grey. Parker released a redesigned "special edition" 51 in autumn of 2002. Still, Aerometric fillers are by no means entirely foolproof, and are often found with clogged or corroded breather tubes (see Aerometric fill.
The 51 Special was a later addition to the line, an economy version without a gold nib and with a simplified Aerometric filler mechanism. A "First Year" Parker "51" in Cedar Blue. Images 2012 and courtesy of Tsachi Mitsenmacher. Often a "working" Vac-filler which still has its old diaphragm will begin to show irregular flow, or will even release a sudden flood of ink as the age-rotten rubber fails. Fitted with the original 14kt gold, super smooth fine tipped nib. The Full Demonstrator, with both the section, body and blind cap in clear plastic, was made from 1945, although most are dated 1947-1948. In 1956 the ink Superchrome engraving on the metal filler sleeve with filling instructions was replaced with Parker ink. Not that I think cartridges or converters should be seen as a lesser option, as they remain a very accessible and practical option for everyday use. There's really no excuse for not including a converter with a 90 pen, and then charging a ridiculous 8 to 10 extra euros for one. What I DO find a really bad oversight on Parker's end, is that a pen this price really should come with a converter included in the box. Although the "Pli-Glass" material has often been misidentified as nylon, these sacs were in fact made of PVC (vinyl). Basic Parker 51 Aerometric Repair). Fitted with the original 14kt gold super smooth Medium tipped nib.
Modern Parker 51 on the left, the slightly shorter vintage P51 on the right. Forest Green. In MINT Condition. As I mentioned in my review, I didn't really find those vent holes negatively impacted the pens drying out. Fitted with the original Scarce 14kt gold super smooth Medium Stub italic nib giving a wonderful writing style. Cordovan brown PARKER "51" 6 MADE IN U.S.A. Aerometric fill. Green. Scarce USA Parker 51 in Cocoa with Stainless Cap. Insignia with Gold filled alternating straight and wavy lines and plain band In Near Mint Condition. Fitted with the original 14kt gold super smooth medium to fine tipped nib. This longer barrel gives the impression of a much larger pen, even though in reality it's not that big of a difference. What I did find particularly noticeable, and even a bit bothersome is that both nibs seem to have a particularly fussy and narrow sweet spot in how you rotate the nib.
Named after Parkers 51st anniversary, the Parker 51 has without doubt been one of the most successful pens ever made. Other notable members of the 51 series were the Flighter (cap and barrel in stainless steel), Signet (gold filled cap and barrel), Heritage (solid 14K gold trim), Heirloom (solid 14K gold cap and trim), and Presidential (solid 14K gold cap and barrel; 9K and 18K versions in the UK). (including five Parker 51 pens, of different types). * = images pending** = info and images pending. This digit was deleted on the US made pens in 1953 but continued until 1959 on European (and Canadian?)
With sales in excess of 20 million pens, it was like a pen from another planet! It rapidly became 'the world's most wanted pen', It was first launched to the American public in January 1941 in just four colours: India Black, Cedar Blue, Dover Grey and Cordovan Brown with a wide choice of cap styles. Surprisingly, the roles are reversed when uncapped: here, the modern P51 is 4 mm shorter, coming in at just 12,3 cm (4.84"). PARKER 51 Special edition in Vista blue with Sterling Silver cap. Far too much. Fitted with the original 14kt gold super smooth fine tipped nib. Copyright 1995-2022 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved. The contents of most of the articles noted above have been incorporated into the text of an outstanding monograph on the 51, written by David and Mark Shepherd and privately printed at the end of 2004. These clips were also fitted to all vacumatic filler parker 51's made in the UK, no English blue diamond caps were produced. IN Mint Condition. USA Parker 51 Custom Mark 2 in Burgundy with gold filled cap. I have to admit it's not as nice as the vintage arrow, and I find that the vintage-inspired design of the 51 would've warranted an equally vintage-inspired clip to go along with it. In 1947 the arrow clip was simplified, eliminating the earlier Blue Diamond mark (for the simplified clip, see the image at the top of the page), and at the end of 1948 the filling system was changed from a multi-stroke pump (taken over from the Fountain Pen and Ballpoint. The sectional view below comes from a Parker repair manual from 1947. Small changes and improvements to the 51 continued almost annually from 1950 on with the major redesigns in the late 1960s with a streamlined Mark 2 followed by the final Mark 3 version in around 1975. Where the steel nib is reliable but a bit bland, the gold nib on the Deluxe is much more interesting to write with and even has a slightly stubby tipping shape that offers some line variation. Fitted with the original 14kt gold, super smooth medium to fine tipped nib. Fountain Pen and Pencil.
MINT in Black with Gold filled tip. Please donate to help me keep this site online. Mustard (aka Yellowstone) India Black, Mustard Yellow, Buckskin Beige, Nassau Green, early Cedar Blue, later Cedar Blue, Dove grey, Navy Grey and Cordovan Brown. In describing the main aerometric design changes as Mk1, Mk2 and Mk3 we have opted to follow Andy Lambrou's classification in Fountain Pens of the World. Works perfectly. But then again, our hobby is centered around personal tastes and very subtle preferences, so you'll always find pro's and cons For me,the best writing pen, ever, is the Parker 51 (ie the original one). Aerometric fill. Early USA Parker 51 Vacumatic in Black with Sterling Silver Cap. Parker 51 in Black with Stainless cap. All rights reserved. pens. But, like in the US, vacumatic fillers in Navy Grey has surfaced (there are also some examples of US-made Burgundy vacumatic filler Parker 51's.) In MINT Condition. Cedar Blue It also had the arrow clip with the blue diamond design previously added to the the Vacumatics in 1939. These anomalies are most likely the result of pens having been sent back to Parker for repair, and since there were no more old stock, vacumatic filler sections and bodies were made from later aerometric coloured stock. All parts except for the barrel and cap were identical to the full sized 51. Lustraloy with Chrome Plated clip Parker 51 Clutch Pencil in Black with Stainless cap. The Aerometric filling system is shown below in an extract from an original ad, c. 1948.