Parker 51 availability

**Empty_of_Clouds** · April 14th, 2019, 11:38 PM

No idea, I don't have the pen yet. Looking at the listing photos there are no imprints to be seen. It's probably non-original knowing my luck with 51s, but if it works it will have to do.

**Empty_of_Clouds** · April 23rd, 2019, 05:08 PM

Update>

The 51 has arrived. There are no imprints on the barrel, so I guess I've just been suckered again?

**Jon Szanto** · April 23rd, 2019, 05:35 PM

Don't always assume the worst, ok?

Double- and triple-check your pen. I just pulled out one 51 that I swore would have been an example like yours. Under good loupe magnification and putting the pen in a variety of lighting, I can finally see the very lightest of imprints, with all the information there. You'll find it just below the clutch ring, circling the pen. I have read that even fresh from the factory the imprints could be very lightly stamped, and sometimes in restoration they simply get polished away.

**Empty_of_Clouds** · April 23rd, 2019, 05:38 PM

I think that when Todd asks a question there is always a reason for it. The intimation is that this could be a replacement barrel, and that lack of an imprint would suggest this. However, I do take your point, but given my track record of being fragged by eBay sellers I hope you will understand why am inclined to negativity in this case.

**Empty_of_Clouds** · April 23rd, 2019, 07:22 PM

The pen is also nowhere near as dark as it looks in the photo, but on the other hand doesn't not look as light as pictures of dove grey.

**Farmboy** · April 24th, 2019, 12:02 AM

Without an imprint. This is what I anticipated with the Navy Grey color. The replacement barrels in Navy were not imprinted. You may well have one of the hard to find SJ Vac 51 colors.

**Empty_of_Clouds** · April 24th, 2019, 12:56 AM

I have my doubts, but it's not that important really. Here is a badly lighted image against a standard grey card to try to show the colour. Hard to capture with a desk lamp. I've never seen a dove grey example so cannot compare.

Edit: looking around on eBay reveals an incredible variation in grey 51 colour. Now this may be due to poor photography (of which I am an exponent!), or there really are lots of different shades of grey (heh). Some of the navy versions look to be more greenish, and some of the dove ones look to be very pale grey. Mine is somewhat in between, so I suspect it is the bog-standard dove grey and not anything more interesting.

Time to search around for a nicer pen colour to go with this cap.