Parker 51 information needed

[Laurie]

Can anyone tell me what size this nib appears to be. I know little of what sizes the Parker 51 nibs came in or did they just came in the one size.

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Assuming the fountain pen is in very good condition what is a reasonable price for a Parker 51 (probably a silly question as there were so many different models) The one I am looking at is in the following image. It has some markings on the cap saying it is 12 ct R gold. :

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[mhosea]

Aerometrics in the common colors usually go for around $75 in the wild but will fetch more from a reputable restorer with s warranty. Some hidden things that may or may not need doing is a new breather tube ($10 part) and/or a new connector (if the existing one has turned gummy where the sac attaches). Those can be found NOS with sac attached for $30 retail. But often all an Aerometric 51 needs is a good flushing.

[Jon Szanto]

There is a lot of information out there, Laurie, you just need to start doing some net research. Bear in mind that there are the two main filling systems, the Aerometric and the plunger (vacuum) filler. Also note - and this is where your reading can clue you in deeper - that pens of similar condition will vary based on the scarcity of the color of the pen, the generation of the pen, and quite frequently the cap (material and design). For a pen that has, somewhat, 'one look' about it, the variety is bewildering. I would also (as I usually suggest) doing an eBay search for the 51 and then looking at just "Sold" listings, to give you an honest idea of the range people are actually paying on the used market. Rick Krantz, who had group sales here almost every week, very often has at least a couple 51s for sale, and he's a great guy to deal with.

[Laurie]

Thanks guys. Yes Jon I did a bit of ebay research and other searching but it is very difficult to isolate the year of this pen from the information I have. It does not have any jewels on the pen holder which I believe the models after 47 didnt have. The guy selling it doesnt know a lot about it except it was his father's and nearly always left in the case. He says it has no scratches on the top or body but it sounds like putting in a new refill system and a few minor restorations is not all that expensive.
The nib size looks about medium to me from the photo and I think I recall reading that at one stage there was only one nib that was between a fine and medium. Dont know why but I seems everyone wants to own a Parker 51.

[Jon Szanto]

They really are one of a handful of undeniably iconic pens. 51s last and last, and will be selling and prized for decades to come. I assume you have been to the encyclopedic site run by Tony Fishier, parkercollector.com.

[mhosea]

The nib size looks about medium to me from the photo and I think I recall reading that at one stage there was only one nib that was between a fine and medium. Dont know why but I seems everyone wants to own a Parker 51.

I forgot to answer this before. Yes, it looks medium-ish to me as well, at least not very fine. A lot of them, presumably sold as "Fine", seem more like "Extra Fine" by my reckoning. The US market is dominated by the Fines but other markets, not so much, I gather.

I'm not sure why they are as popular as they are, given the oddities of the modern FP market (not driven by everyday needs), but at least they deserve to be popular based on their functional design and build quality. A well-adjusted 51 is one of those things in life that just works as it is supposed to...and keeps on working.

[pajaro]

I found when I was accumulating 51s that the reliability of the pen and the variety of barrel colors, caps and nibs made it possible to accumulate a number of pens all different.

The pen pictured is a common color and cap type, but better than Lustraloy (steel, brushed finish). Look for cap dings. They should reduce the price if present. I would say $75 to $100, but FiftyOneInflation might be leaving me behind. Nib looks medium or what a lot of people call "fine to medium." Most 51s aren't as fine as I would like them.

I had a morbid fear of the 51 Vacs, but then I found they are rather easy to resac. Now, if I only had money like I used to have, I could get into a whole new dimension of 51 collecting.

[ac12]

Looks like a Fine nib to me.
Of the several 51s that I have, only ONE is NOT a Fine.
Also be aware that the old US Parker Fine nibs writes like a Lamy Safari ExtraFine.

[Farmboy]

Just an observation about nib widths.

You can't tell a width by looking. Ink it and write with it then decide. Ink and paper can make change how a nib writes.

That said, I do have a nib grading scale from Parker for the 51s. I find it an interesting conversation piece and not much else.

FB

[pajaro]

Richard Binder used to have a nib size chart. If you printed it out on a good printer, like a Laserjet, the line width samples would give you a good idea of your nib width if you compared a sample from your pen with the chart.

[pajaro]

Looks like a Fine nib to me.
Of the several 51s that I have, only ONE is NOT a Fine.
Also be aware that the old US Parker Fine nibs writes like a Lamy Safari ExtraFine.

I have a Lamy Safari extra fine. I have at least one Parker 51 that I know to be a fine, because the box was labeled as a fine. I bought that pen new in the Air Force BX in 1970. This fine is much more generous (wider line width) than the Lamy extra fine. Most of the 51s I have write just like this 51 from the Air Force BX, so they must also be fines. Maybe what you have are extra fines. I envy you having such very fine nibs. Frankly the fines are about as wide in line width as I can stand in a round nib.

[stub]