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Laurie
September 9th, 2015, 12:37 AM
I have just purchased this Parker.
http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/st-leonards/collectables/parker-fountain-pen/1087840992

I am not sure what it is. I am not sure of my Parkers but thought the nib resembled a Parker 51. I know that it was given as a gift in England in 1951. So could this be a Parker 51 Vacumatic. It appears to have the long thin clip.

Any help would be appreciated.

jar
September 9th, 2015, 06:45 AM
Impossible to tell from those pictures but most likely a 21, maybe a 51 aero.

mhosea
September 9th, 2015, 08:07 AM
1951 seems a bit late for a Vacumatic "51", but I don't know about England and dealer stock and such. There is a perceptible discontinuity in the reflection on the barrel about where the seam for the blind cap would be. The clutch ring is not clear, but there are artifacts consistent with the "51". Yes, I think it could be a late Parker "51" Vacumatic.

pajaro
September 9th, 2015, 10:14 AM
The slope of the nose makes it look like a 21, and not a Super 21. The cap looks like a 51 cap. LOK, but it might be a 51

mhosea
September 9th, 2015, 10:49 AM
I tried to duplicate the shot (higher res, on the right) with a "51" Vac, inverted, and processed the photos slightly. Judging from the slightly fatter appearance of the barrel in the ad photo, I probably needed to get a little closer to the table and a little closer to the pen, and my pen is slightly rotated clockwise compared to the other.

21237

Laurie
September 9th, 2015, 02:56 PM
Thanks guys. I am hoping it is a 51. Seems like there is a chance. Just have to wait a few days to have a closer look. The price was $35 AUD which is about $20 USD so even if it is not a 51 it is not going to break the bank. BTW when it does arrive what are the ID points that I should be looking at

Laurie
September 9th, 2015, 03:31 PM
I was just googling the Parker 21 and the cap of the 21 seemed to be just a smooth cap whereas the Parker I have purchased has a design. As Pajaro said above, the cap does look like a 51. I read where the Super 21 changed to a different cap which was a similar cap to the 51 but I think that occurred after 1951. Fingers crossed. BTW was the Parker 21 a decent pen?. Also when it arrives should I be giving it a good flush. Can you damage these old vintage pens with flush? Any other suggestions for preparing it for writing?

whych
September 9th, 2015, 05:35 PM
I guess you will discover when you get the pen what it is.
The old press bar Parkers are pretty indestructible. Flush the pen with warm water with a couple of drops of dish washing liquid. Use an ultrasonic cleaner if you have one and cycle it, flushing the pen regularly between cycles.
The normal 21 had a plain clip, the super 21 had an arrow clip. The P21 was only made in the US. The P51 was made in England as well as the US. The P21s write well, but beware of cracks in the plastic around the section area.

mhosea
September 9th, 2015, 06:01 PM
Thanks guys. I am hoping it is a 51. Seems like there is a chance. Just have to wait a few days to have a closer look. The price was $35 AUD which is about $20 USD so even if it is not a 51 it is not going to break the bank. BTW when it does arrive what are the ID points that I should be looking at

Certainty is elusive, but if I were a betting man, I could not be persuaded to put money on any other bet. If that's the seam of the blind cap that is sort of peeking in the inverted photo, slightly north of where it is on mine perhaps from the distortion of the different shot, I'd say identification will be very easy: if a blind cap unscrews there, you're done. If the barrel screws off instead, read what is imprinted on the filler cover. Done. But if I were you, I'd be figuring out who I was going to send it to for vac restoration, unless you want to buy the tools and start restoring Parker Vacumatics (bit of an investment there, more than you paid for the pen).

pajaro
September 9th, 2015, 09:37 PM
Pure speculation until you have the pen. Supposed blind cap separation line, could be anything. Let's hope it's a big bargain. The arrow seems to have too few feathers to be a Vac cap. Of course, it could just be any cap that somebody put on the pen, while another pen somewhere sports also a strange cap. Letting speculation run rampant, maybe it's a first year pen.

mhosea
September 9th, 2015, 10:41 PM
The arrow seems to have too few feathers to be a Vac cap.

It appears to have the same number of feathers as the 1947-48 Vac cap pictured here (http://www.parker51.com/versions.html), not that I'd bet a nickel on the identification of any "51" based on the cap. Interchangeable caps have too often gotten interchanged.

HughC
September 10th, 2015, 04:43 AM
I'm putting my money ( all 2 cents) on an aero 51. UK made vacs are not common, only made for a couple of years near the end of the vac run.

Regards
Hugh

Laurie
September 10th, 2015, 08:42 PM
Thanks again for the input. Probably wont be until Wednesday until the pen arrives. Very exciting when you are not sure what you are getting.
I have just done a bit of research myself. It appears the Parker 21 just had a plain clip until about 1956 when the 21 Super came out with feathers on the clip. As this pen is engraved as a gift in 1951 I doubt that it would be a 21 unless, of course, as you all point out above, that going by a cap is not reliable. The 21 had a more opened hood but it is hard to see from the photographs.
It does not appear to be a Demi as its length seems the same as a 51 as per Mike's photo comparison.
Hopefully it will be a 51 Aero but I am a realist. Can you polish the barrels on this old Parkers?

mhosea
September 10th, 2015, 09:29 PM
Can you polish the barrels on this old Parkers?

Yeah, they polish nicely. But I hope you're just talking about shining it up. That's a kind of a cool inscription. :)

Laurie
September 10th, 2015, 09:39 PM
Yes Mike. I didnt intend to remove the engraving . I suppose it was a presentation night at Norwich Soccer club. Maybe they gave all players a pen each season or maybe they won something. Might be a bit of history behind that.
It is a bit like hunting for buried treasure when you buy these unknowns but if the price is right you arent going to get too burnt are you.
After the above advices, some more research and a view of the comparison you did my money is on a 51.

mhosea
September 10th, 2015, 09:53 PM
It does not appear to be a Demi as its length seems the same as a 51 as per Mike's photo comparison.
Hopefully it will be a 51 Aero but I am a realist.

I'm not sure that length comparison is instructive, insofar as I cropped and scaled them to have identical length for comparison purposes. :)

Aero makes the most historical sense for sure. I looked at the other pictures and could still see the artifact, but I'm not sure it's in precisely the right place for a blind cap seam, so it might just be a nicely circular scratch. Not sure what does that, as the none of the 51's I've restored had a posting mark like that. Don't know if you can do it by spinning the cap while it is posted.

Laurie
September 10th, 2015, 10:30 PM
Hi Mike. What is the story on the blind cap. I am a bit confused. Obviously a Parker 51 has a blind cap but the 21 does not appear to have had one. Is that correct.

mhosea
September 10th, 2015, 10:51 PM
The "blind cap" is what covers the Vacumatic pump filler button. The Vacumatic and (rare) button-filled 51s are the ones that have blind caps. The Aerometric "51" and 21, OTOH, just unscrew where the barrel meets the clutch ring to reveal a "squeeze" filler underneath. In some sense, the entire barrel is a "blind cap", I suppose, but that's a stretch.

Laurie
September 10th, 2015, 10:54 PM
Hi Mike
Yes I just did a search and was about to edit my post as I can now see that the blind cap is only for the Vac. I am not sure there is a blind cap on the one I bought so I suppose it is a 51 aero or it is a 21.

Laurie
September 11th, 2015, 12:23 AM
Yes!!!!I emailed the seller a few hours ago and she just replied. She said it has 51 printed on the barrell. I asked if it was working and she said she hadnt used it but it looks in good condition on the inside.
So I have a Parker 51. That blind cap doesnt look too clear in the picture so I am thinking it may be a 51 Aero.
I am so thrilled. The sacs in the Aeros seem to have a good reputation for longevity according to my research. I tdhink I read 30 years but something about many still going strong. Cant wait to get hold of my little treasure.

mhosea
September 11th, 2015, 12:31 AM
I think the pli-glass sacs were originally advertised to be good for at least 30 years. In practice they've done much better. I've heard of them breaking down, but I've restored a dozen or so 51 Aeros, and I haven't seen a bad pli-glass sac yet. Seen gummy connectors and corroded breather tubes, though. But neither of those things would prevent you from enjoying your pen. They would just limit your ink capacity.

stub
September 11th, 2015, 02:05 AM
mhosea, with the "crime lab" chops, uping the geek in fpgeeks. heh.
nicely done.

Laurie
September 11th, 2015, 04:46 AM
I agree. It was a bit like the crime scene investigations on TV. The camera shot comparison and the picture adjustments. And then the correct profile. Mike I think you have an alternative vocation in forensic penography. And BTW I think Hugh may be spot on with the Aero id. I am over the first hurdle but now have to see the condition. I suppose for the price I paid I can send it away for any restoration as I am not experienced enough to do it myself. As a fellow Aussie, Hugh do you have any recommendations for an Australian based restorer if needed?

pajaro
September 11th, 2015, 10:05 AM
I think the pli-glass sacs were originally advertised to be good for at least 30 years. In practice they've done much better. I've heard of them breaking down, but I've restored a dozen or so 51 Aeros, and I haven't seen a bad pli-glass sac yet. Seen gummy connectors and corroded breather tubes, though. But neither of those things would prevent you from enjoying your pen. They would just limit your ink capacity.

When you mention a gummy connector, do you mean gummy deposits in the connector, or is the material of the connector gummy? I don't normally delve this deep into the pen, but maybe I should have taken them fully apart more often.

mhosea
September 11th, 2015, 10:30 AM
When you mention a gummy connector, do you mean gummy deposits in the connector, or is the material of the connector gummy?

The latter. Apparently, the early pli-glass sacs leeched plasticizer into the sac nipple, turning it soft. The sacs are usually adhered pretty well to the nipple, I think, so it wouldn't necessarily leak, and the cover doesn't stress the sac nipple, so it can last a long time like this, maybe until you need to replace the sac for some reason.

At need or not, I usually fix it when I find it. I've replaced a couple of them with NOS connectors (complete with new sac, from vintagepens.com, not cheap), and others I've "drilled" out (drilled in quotes because I carefully bore it out by hand, mostly with abrasives rather than drill bits--a tedious process) and epoxied in a short section of tubing to form a new sac nipple. There's mention of it, and a picture of the latter type repair, here on Richard Binder's site (http://www.richardspens.com/?page=ref/pendoctor/26.htm).

Laurie
September 11th, 2015, 05:51 PM
After doing a bit more research I believe that Parker released a 51 Special in 1950 which had a steel nib and a hooped filler bar. If this pen was given as a gift in 1951 there is probably a real chance that it is a special. I am hoping that the Norwich Football Club werent penny pinchers with their gifts and went for the slightly dearer ordinary Parker 51 with the gold nib. I suppose the Special was also a good pen and you probably wouldnt notice any difference between the nibs as I have read the Parker 51 nibs were nails in any event.

jar
September 11th, 2015, 07:05 PM
After doing a bit more research I believe that Parker released a 51 Special in 1950 which had a steel nib and a hooped filler bar. If this pen was given as a gift in 1951 there is probably a real chance that it is a special. I am hoping that the Norwich Football Club werent penny pinchers with their gifts and went for the slightly dearer ordinary Parker 51 with the gold nib. I suppose the Special was also a good pen and you probably wouldnt notice any difference between the nibs as I have read the Parker 51 nibs were nails in any event.

The "51 Special" was still a great pen but IIRC came with the "Octanium" nib.

HughC
September 12th, 2015, 05:22 AM
I agree. It was a bit like the crime scene investigations on TV. The camera shot comparison and the picture adjustments. And then the correct profile. Mike I think you have an alternative vocation in forensic penography. And BTW I think Hugh may be spot on with the Aero id. I am over the first hurdle but now have to see the condition. I suppose for the price I paid I can send it away for any restoration as I am not experienced enough to do it myself. As a fellow Aussie, Hugh do you have any recommendations for an Australian based restorer if needed?

This person is probably okay http://www.pensmith.com.au/. Haven't used him but he's been around for a while.

Laurie
September 13th, 2015, 10:46 PM
212862128721288Well the pen arrived today. I was sure it would be a 51 Special but to my delight it is a straight Parker 51. From my research I think it is a Mark 1 as it has the black end on the filler system. It has a grey jewel. The nib is gold. I tested the sac and drew up some water and flushed it but not much came out. In fact it didnt suck up a lot of water but it may be that I am just not doing it right. I will read a bit more but it may be that problem with the breather tube deterioration and maybe the the sac connection has rotted away. I will soak it over night and see what happens. It looks a bit like a medium nib certainly a bit broader than fine. After soaking I will see what comes out. Sorry I couldnt get a clearer shot of the nib but my camera (Panasonic Lumix with macro mode has its limitations)

mhosea
September 13th, 2015, 11:10 PM
It can be a little deceiving because the collector can hold a prodigious amount of ink. If the breather tube is good, you'll be able to push bubbles into the water and draw in more water in with each of 4 presses or so. If the breather tube is compromised, then depending on where it is compromised, you will be able to draw in less water, and stop being able to push any significant amount of bubbles, after some earlier stroke. If it is corroded at its base, by the second press, you're done, i.e. one press to saturate the feed and collector, another to draw into the sac what you may.

Laurie
September 13th, 2015, 11:40 PM
Thanks Mike. I have followed the following link: http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/223983-youve-got-your-first-found-in-the-wild-parker-51-in-your-hand-now-what/ I have used some of Goulet Pen Co. flush and have it now sitting straight up after drawing in some of the flush and then swirling it up and down. I now have it back in the flush in a narrow bottle up to the clutch ring. I will leave it for a few days and then try again to see if the sac appears okay. In fact the water in which it is sitting is quiet dark now so obviously there is a bit of dried ink coming out.
I have watched a couple of interesting youtube articles on disassembling the 51 and then inspecting and cleaning the breather and sac and sac nipple. Also how to clean the collector. It was very interesting and doesnt look that hard. Here is the connection:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YHdzy4RuYg
In this video he removes the parts after soaking in hot water (sometimes three times) and eventually got everything disconnected without any breakage. It doesnt look that hard but maybe it is harder than it looks. What are your thoughts. I could buy a new sac and breather for about $20 AUD from the UK. I will see how the pen performs after soaking

Do you think it is a Mark 1. I am just polishing the barrel with some micro gloss liquid abrasive and it is coming up well.. Apart from the engraving on the barrel and a small dent on the cap it appears to be in pretty good order.

mhosea
September 14th, 2015, 12:50 AM
I didn't have the patience to watch it, just skim through, but from discussions on FPN, I think Glenn would know what he is talking about. I don't think servicing a 51 aerometric is very difficult, especially if the breather tube is in good shape and the nib and feed are properly set already (in which case you needn't remove the feed from the collector). You'll need thread sealant or shellac, possibly a new o-ring, though I've never felt like I absolutely had to replace the o-ring because I seal the threads and don't rely on it, anyway.

Replacing the breather tube is an operation that is only made difficult by the task of removing the fragments of the old one that might be stuck in the feed. David Nishimura suggests a certain micro-tap for this (http://www.vintagepens.com/FAQrepair/Parker_51_Aerometric_repair.shtml), but I've been suffering along without it (and I do mean "suffering"--I've spent way too much time picking out little bits with this or that makeshift tool).

For sure it's a Mark 1. We'd need a time warp to get the Mark 2 back to 1951. :)

Laurie
September 14th, 2015, 04:38 AM
I am sorry for my ignorance about the Mark 1 and Mark 11 but I am still learning about the Parker 51 and my research was mainly what about whether this was a Special or a regular 51 . Congratulations on your very early prediction. I am quiet thrilled that I have got an iconic pen at a very reasonable price. And it is certainly in very reasonable condition (other than the engraving). But I dont intend to sell it so the engraving is part of its history. The barrell has polished up really well. I just used a liquid micro mesh but under a loupe I found a few scratches so I used some micro mesh pads followed my more micro liquid and it is glistening. Thanks again Mike for your spontaneous responses. I really appreciate your help.

Laurie
September 14th, 2015, 06:42 AM
It can be a little deceiving because the collector can hold a prodigious amount of ink. If the breather tube is good, you'll be able to push bubbles into the water and draw in more water in with each of 4 presses or so. If the breather tube is compromised, then depending on where it is compromised, you will be able to draw in less water, and stop being able to push any significant amount of bubbles, after some earlier stroke. If it is corroded at its base, by the second press, you're done, i.e. one press to saturate the feed and collector, another to draw into the sac what you may.

Thanks Mike. I have had the pen soaking for quite a while and noticed that the water has turned quite black. Been sucking up the flush fluid and inverting the pen and swilling it side by side and placing it back in the flush liquid. Just changed the flushing fluid and again sucked some up and noticed that it does expel air bubbles on each of the six discharges. So hopefully that means I have a functional breather pipe . Will now leave it to soak for another 24 hours and flush out the pen with distilled water and will ink up and give it a write. Maybe it starting to look like I can put off a full restoration for a little while longer. Must admit I was looking forward to my first full separation of parts and a full clean and maybe some replacements.

I am still got a few goose bumps over the fact that I actually have such an iconic pen for such a reasonable price. Also it appears to be fully functional. Just another chapter in my fountain pen and dip nib experience. I am worried that the fire has now been rekindled. What is next?

jar
September 14th, 2015, 07:25 AM
All sounds great. Now patience will be your friend.

A couple hits on general use. I always waited a long ten count between presses on my aeros to allow time to draw in ink through those little channels. Also, about once a year I would do a really good flush like you are doing now. I have not yet had a single "51" Aero sac fail.

pajaro
September 14th, 2015, 12:22 PM
I don't think a 51 cap would fit on a 21 anyway. They didn't when I tried it. I don't think it's a Vac 51. 51 on the barrel, later than 1949 51 aero?

Laurie
September 15th, 2015, 12:14 AM
Just an update on my wild 51. Just finished soaking for 24 hourss in Goulet Pen Flush. Nothing but clear water coming out now. Rinsed several times in demineralised water to get ride of the flush. Then let stand tip down into some blotting paper. Gave many flicks until no sign of any water coming out. Polished barrell with a micro mesh pad followed by micro finish paste. Might repeat later but to the naked eye it is glistening. Camera shots can be very critical especially in macro.

Inked up with Diamine Bilberry and attached is a photo of the writing sample and the pen. Not sure but I would describe it as a fine/medium. Writes smoothly without any vices. Will try and use it constantly for a while to ensure everything ok. I was sort of looking forward to trying a pull down and restoration but I think it is better that I didnt have to take this course as I have read how difficult it can be to get out the breather tube and other parts and how easy to break some of these small parts. Read that it is good to practice on a cheap pen like the Hiro 616. Why do people recommend that particular pen. Is it because it looks like a 51 and is cheap. Obviously it wouldnt have the same inners as a 51.

Thanks all for your constructive replies. I am going to keep my eye out at the antique shops etc and try and find a partner for my 51. Would like to try and get a blue or burgundy one next time
BTW I was looking at the barrel with a triplet and noticed that it has the words "Made in England" just where the main barrel joins the clutch ring. I cant see any other writing. on the barrel.

2130021301

Laurie
September 15th, 2015, 05:31 AM
For sure it's a Mark 1. We'd need a time warp to get the Mark 2 back to 1951. :) Hi Mike I am getting a bit confused. Here is an excerpt from an article:
"There are also two models of the MKII Parker "51": The first, MKII-A 1948-1949 had the transitional clip and the filler instruction engraving included "Press ribbed bar 6 times. There were two types of filler sleeves (see below) one was made of aluminium, the other of chrome-plated steel. Also the barrel threads were extended (raised). The second MKII-B model was made from 1950 and on, had a shorter clip and the filling instruction read: "Press ribbed bar 4 times", and the filler sleeve itself was made of brushed stainless steel. A rubber O-ring was fitted by the threads under the hood joint and the barrel threads were indented. There are no O-rings on the vacumatic fillers. MKII pens of course had a brand new filling system that was to be adopted by virtually all Parkers in the future, the Aerometric. "

Also I am presently doing writing tests with this 51 just to check that the collector and feed are unclogged and providing a constant good flow of writing. When I put the nib squarely on the paper and write I am noticing the occasional skip particularly on up strokes. So I thought it might be a feed problem. But I just came back and did more writing. When I roll the pen a bit to the left so that the left side of the nib is writing on the paper the writing suddenly become much smoother and much juicier. It actually feels and writes like a real medium nib and there is a much better and fuller ink flow. It feels so much better. Is this just a nib variation. I just havent experienced this feeling before. I am thinking that the original user of this pen may have written regularly on this slant so that the nib got worn in that way. Is this a common experience?

mhosea
September 15th, 2015, 10:26 AM
The article you are reading is using a more finely graduated system than than the one I'm used to, which is http://www.richardspens.com/ref/profiles/51.htm . I think it is only a matter of parlance. It's perhaps beneficial to know that relying on these after-the-fact labels can be confusing because two different systems are in use.

The tines on your nib may be out of alignment. Here's your excuse to take the hood off. :) Note that you needn't remove the collector or feed. The nib can be pulled out directly once the hood is off and re-seated over the feed putting it back. If the tines are altered when putting it back on, you may need to supply some heat to relax the ebonite feed a bit.

pajaro
September 15th, 2015, 05:20 PM
You might have a medium oblique, if you hit the sweet spot when rotating to the left. So, look at the nib. If it has a slant off to the left, it's a left oblique (direction like "/" ).

Laurie
September 15th, 2015, 05:56 PM
Thanks for the input Pajaro. I just examined the nib under a loupe and it definately isnt an oblique. It does look quiet a bit more than a fine nib. It is only a slight movement to the left that produces a smoother and juicier writing experience. The nib appears to be aligned properly and as I mentioned before if a person writes with a nib in a certain way for a long time I would have thought the nib would have a small amount of wear in this direction.
I just read an interesting thread on FPN in relation to removing the hood of the 51 and shellac/rosin debate. I noticed you and Mike contributed to that thread. It was back in 2014. I intend to start a new thread on this and ask some questions. Hope you will contribute. Thanks again for your input

jar
September 15th, 2015, 07:39 PM
Look at your toes. Oblique follows toes.

HughC
September 15th, 2015, 09:03 PM
Personally I'd advise against removing the hood or "tinkering" too much. You're better to buy some beaten up ones to practice on before tacking a better pen, it's a case of "if it can go wrong it will". If you must then invest in a hobby heat gun ( mine came from ebay in a lovely pink !!), make up some thread sealant ( this is rosin mixed with castor oil, it's the same rosin as used on violin strings and in all music instrument stores, you put the rosin and a small amount of oil in container ( that you will keep it in not something you want to reuse, a jar is ideal) and melt 'n mix ( the heat gun works well for this) then let cool, if it sets solid repeat until it's a very thick, tacky liquid at room temp.). Now shellac melts at a low temperature and the trick is to take enough time to allow the heat to penetrate through the plastic and not melt it so a short amount of heat all round to start with, try to undo, another short amount of heat and so on. With practice it becomes easier to judge the amount of heat but it's best to start cautiously than disastrously !!
The nib is probably okay, might just need a light sanding to improve it ( again practicing on a junker is a good idea). The finest grit I could find came from an auto paint shop and was 2000 or 2500 grit. Use a very light pressure and basically do number 8 patterns twisting the pen as you go to sand all the edges. Keep the paper you use as it becomes finer over time and can be used for very fine work later.

Regards
Hugh

mhosea
September 15th, 2015, 10:33 PM
Before working on a nib with abrasives, read this (http://www.richardspens.com/pdf/workshop_notes.pdf) first.

Find a vendor in Australia who will sell you a couple of sheets each of 3 micron, 1 micron, and 0.3 micron fiber optic lapping film. Maybe this one (http://www.digikey.com.au/en/product-highlight/3/3m/lapping-and-polishing-films) will do it, but they don't make it easy to see what the particle size is.

The 12000 grit pads like pictured here (https://www.frontlinehobbies.com.au/images/r_545x/Product/86382/FLX-2000.jpg?ts=1330577717) are good for smoothing, too.

Laurie
September 15th, 2015, 10:44 PM
Hi Guys. I already had some Mylar 1 micron and 0.3 micron sheets from Goulet Pen Company and I watched the video on its use. I just wrote quite a few figure 8s on the 1 micron and then finished on the 0.30 paper. It did the job and the nib is as smooth as you know what. No skipping. Lovely writer.
BTW if I am after an old Parker 51 aero to do a bit of practice on for disassembly where do I find these. Everything on Ebay is $80 plus. Surely there is someone out there with an old crusty 51 who will take a good price for me to quench my curiosity

whych
September 16th, 2015, 04:13 AM
See my response in the other thread, but try practising on a P17.
Pen Pactice sells c-rings you can use with normal pliers to remove the hood for 5GBP. (http://www.penpractice.com/page3.html)

Laurie
September 16th, 2015, 05:30 AM
See my response in the other thread, but try practising on a P17.
Pen Pactice sells c-rings you can use with normal pliers to remove the hood for 5GBP. (http://www.penpractice.com/page3.html)
Hi Whych. Yes I have found that site and explored the various parts they have available. They have everything except the breather tubes which I found another site where you can get them if need. Seems there is plenty of parts and equipment available to restore the 51s. I still would like to buy a 51 for a basic price that has some problems and work on it by pulling it apart and even if you have to buy a barrel or cap at least you get the experience. It is just gnawing at me. Maybe I need something new in my life.

Laurie
September 16th, 2015, 05:45 AM
Just gave the pen more writing and found it skipping and scratchy. I decided to see how much ink was in it. It was empty. So I refilled and again writing beautifully. But my worry is now that I have only written about two full pages of writing. I follow the recommended filling procedure. Fully immerse nib and press bar and wait a while, press again, repeat 4-6 times and when I cant hear any air expelling I take the nib out of the bottle and then release the bar and hear it suck up air. But it appears that if the sac was full it would write more than two pages. So am I right in assuming it has a breather tube problem or maybe a sac nipple disintegration. No i am not finding an excuse to pull it apart but i would have thought that it would write more than 2 pages.
What are your thoughts on this?

whych
September 16th, 2015, 06:44 AM
Fill the pen with water and keep soaking the pen. If possible, cycle it in a US cleaner.
It has taken 50 plus years for the ink deposits to build up and clog everything, so it will take days/weeks of soaking to get rid of them. Pen flush solutions are all very well, but nothing beats patience and plain water with regular flushing to get rid of it. Keep filling/flushing the pen with water every few hours.