Hooded Nibs

[Medieval]

Do hooded nibs really work though? My L2000 doesn't stay wet very long. The nib suits the rest of the pen but I still like more showy nibs

Yes, many hooded nib pens work very well, Parker 51s being a case in point. Even some of the Chinese ones can write well. Can't say I care for hooded nibs very much, though. They don't appeal to me aesthetically and they seem a little awkward in use - I'm always checking to see if the nib is the right way up. That's why Parker put a little arrow on the 61.

This is a problem that I find even with the Lamy. I don't think the Parker 51 would appeal.
I wondered why there was an arrow on the Parker 61 but not the 51.

[catbert]

I enjoy the sleek, unadorned style of hooded nibs. Their unobtrusiveness is useful when you don't necessarily want to get into an 'is than an ink pen?' conversation.

I've never had a problem aligning hooded nibs to paper or keeping them there. The clip can be a helpful nib indicator if you post.

As an alternative to the Hero 616, consider the Wing Sung 618. It feels more solid than the 616 and offers some functional differences: piston filler, ink window, screw cap. I gave my 616 away. My demonstrator 618 has been continuously inked since I got it.

[Hawk]

I like the stately looks of open nib pens especially ones with large gold nibs. Flex nibs are nice but I don’t have the writing talent to give them justice. The Parker 51/21 hooded pens are very pleasing to my eye, a product of industrial design. The hood complements the design. The 61 is also pleasing to my eye. The arrow doesn’t do anything for me since they tend to fall off and there is no real way to replace them. I wish they would have gone with two small dots like one prototype. (I don’t have a problem aligning the nib with the paper on the 51/21 pens. Going back to the aesthetics of the hooded design, there are pens that do not give the hooded nib design justice. The Parker 45 doesn’t do a good job. Eversharp tried in vain and succeeded to produce an ugly pen. There are others.

[catbert]

I like the stately looks of open nib pens especially ones with large gold nibs. Flex nibs are nice but I don’t have the writing talent to give them justice. The Parker 51/21 hooded pens are very pleasing to my eye, a product of industrial design. The hood complements the design. The 61 is also pleasing to my eye. The arrow doesn’t do anything for me since they tend to fall off and there is no real way to replace them. I wish they would have gone with two small dots like one prototype. (I don’t have a problem aligning the nib with the paper on the 51/21 pens. Going back to the aesthetics of the hooded design, there are pens that do not give the hooded nib design justice. The Parker 45 doesn’t do a good job. Eversharp tried in vain and succeeded to produce an ugly pen. There are others.

61s made in Argentina have two dots instead of an arrow on the hood. They also look a bit chunkier (don't have one myself to compare).

[Chrissy]

I quite like the hooded nib on my Lamy 2000, but my only Parker 51 has an Octanium nib and feels scratchy to me, so I hardly ever use it now. I much prefer the piston filling Lamy 2000 anyway, and think it has a neat little nib.

[azkid]

My 51 writes with what I'd call feedback but I may try another with an unmolested nib for comparison. Mine has been very reliable thus far and usually pleasant to use.

Strangely the 51 doesn't like being uncapped for more than a minute or two. Oddly enough, this new-to-me open nib Wahl seems more resistant to air exposure.

[Runnin_Ute]

I paid between $40-$50 for my 51 Special. Basically a less expensive version of the regular aerometric 51. The nib isn't gold (generally speaking) and there are few other differences to make it hit the price point. I paid for a restored 51 Demi Vacumatic considerably more. ($75) But for a restored 51 is pretty good.

[Paddler]

I quite like the hooded nib on my Lamy 2000, but my only Parker 51 has an Octanium nib and feels scratchy to me, so I hardly ever use it now. I much prefer the piston filling Lamy 2000 anyway, and think it has a neat little nib.

Check the writing surface of the nib's point on your P51. Use higher magnification like 15X - 20X. Some of the P51 points are wavy and scratchy to write with. I don't know if the waviness is a product of corrosion or of melting as the tipping metal was welded to the point. Anyway, a few strokes on some abrasive Mylar will make it a smooth writer.

[Giant_Pens_Are_Silly]

As others have said, the hood prevents ink from evaporating from the nib. The Parker 51, in particular, was meant to be used with fast-drying ink so this was an important part of its design.

Also, the hood helps to protect the nib from being bent due to excessive pressure or being dropped. This allows pens like the Parker 51 to tolerate the pressure needed for carbon copies, and makes them robust enough for EDC.

Pens like this were designed to be practical everyday office pens, and they're really good at that. A Parker 51 is still a great EDC pen for the office, and the hooded nib is a part of that.