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penreviewingbrit
June 5th, 2015, 12:24 PM
I recently and happily recieved my delivery of this Parker 51, here are my initial impressions if anyone is interested:
https://penreviewingbrit.wordpress.com/2015/06/02/its-arrived/ :)

AntidOto
June 6th, 2015, 01:19 AM
I recently and happily recieved my delivery of this Parker 51, here are my initial impressions if anyone is interested:
https://penreviewingbrit.wordpress.com/2015/06/02/its-arrived/ :)
The nib not centered is not a defect of the pen, it is quite common and will not have effect on the performance of the pen. You can adjust that quite simply. I don't think you will need a replacement.

Jon Szanto
June 6th, 2015, 01:30 AM
Agreed on the nib (I went to take a look). With it being only that much off, you should just consider using it, as it won't hurt performance. If you end up wanting it really centered, you need to go through a ritual of carefully unscrewing the hood, noting which direction and how much the nib has to turn, then turning the nib and collector that tiny bit, and then putting the hood back on, until it doesn't go any further. It should be centered; if not, you need to remove and adjust. The problem is that you can frequently get ink leaks where the hood threads on, and many times need to use a sealant to stop that. Hopefully you'll be happy with it without all that (in spite of what I wrote, it isn't brain surgery, just fiddly).

Enjoy your pen!

welch
June 6th, 2015, 10:49 AM
My rules (learned the hard way: broke two hoods and melted the bottom of another, causing our dearly-missed Tom "Old Griz" Mullane to squawk: "I guess you really introduced the heat gun to that hood!")

- Expect that someone used shellac to secure the hood. Takes gentle heat, evenly applied. A hair dryer will do fine. A heat gun can be overkill unless you've worked with many fountain pens. Not as easy as a professional makes it look. Focus the heat about at the clutch-ring. The hood threads meet the collector just on the hod-point side of the clutch ring. When the hood feels hot to your finger, cooking is about done.
(note: some people boil water, turn off, then wave the hood end just as the the water is bubbling down. I'll let an expert comment on the boiling water trick.)

- When the hood unscrews, let the collector, feed, and nib sit in a class of water. Pump the filler and refill the water until the water is clear, or as clear want to wait. Also flush water through the hood. You might have dried ink gathering under the hood just as it does in the collector.

- Take a good look, because the cut-away drawings are off-scale. Lets you see the mechanism, but everything is smaller and slimmer in a real 51.

- You'll see that the 51 nib wraps around the feed. I've read that the Parker 61, the successor pen, had frills or edges that lock it into the "right" position. You'll have to line up the point of the nib with the tip of the feed by eyeballing it.

- Ideally, the point of the hood should line up with the point of the nib and the nib lines up with the tip of the feed. There is no penalty if you have to try a second or third time.

If you need to use pliers, make sure they have padded jaws. No kidding: I've seen mechanical teeth marks on many parts of old fountain pens.

(Forgot to mention: congratulations. I think that Parker "England" made the best 51's. Nicer nibs with more generous tipping.)