Which 51's did you decide to keep in your collection?

[Ron Z]

I have four. I've had more, and sold many more, but have kept just 4...

#1 - a blue cedar Vac 51 with a sterling cap. My first 51, and the first vacumatic filler I restored. I've had it for about 30 years now.
#2 - a Navy blue aerometric with a gold filled cap. It has the name E M Hare on it - the deceased husband of our neighbor across the street. Ruth wanted me to have it. She was a good neighbor, and I keep it as a reminder...
#3 - a gray English made Vac, lustraloy cap, given to me by our Pastor in Syracuse. Ken is a great guy, and had quite an influence in my life.
#4 - a Forest Green aerometric, with a lined silver cap. I think someone removed the gold... its still in the stamping. The cap is all wrong, but I like it. I've had and sold the green 51s 4 or 5 times. I decided to buy one more, and keep it, just because I like them.

[Sheptonian]

This dozen to start with...

[penwash]

The beat up, scuffed and therefore more endearing ones.

Such as this



* Plus all the pretty and pristine ones I restored found new homes quickly

[Chuck Naill]

The beat up, scuffed and therefore more endearing ones.

Such as this



* Plus all the pretty and pristine ones I restored found new homes quickly

I have two 1942 51's that resemble yours. Thanks for posting because I like the ones that have been well loved the best.

[FredRydr]

This one, which has an uncommon broad stub nib:

IMG_1893.jpeg

[guyy]

Very nice, Fred.

This would be my ideal 51: black, with the silver cap & the broad stub. I would even tolerate the vac filler for that combo.

[FredRydr]

Very nice, Fred.

This would be my ideal 51: black, with the silver cap & the broad stub. I would even tolerate the vac filler for that combo.

I agree on the filler, but I wanted two jewels. The cap was hammered and the pen was assembled to spec.

[penwash]

My keeper 51 would probably always be the Vac filler.

I have a grey one, a gift, it has an Octanium stub nib.

I should write more with it.

[pajaro]

My keeper is the Midnight Blue medium I bought when I went in the US Air Force in 1970. Fifty years of use now. Just like my Dad's 51, the reason for buying it. Navy Blue, Air Force 1549 Blue. The best pen I have ever used. Perfect writer, slightly wet. never dries out, never leaks. Never had the hood off. Fifty years, and all the other pens have imperfections.

[CS388]

My keeper is the Midnight Blue medium I bought when I went in the US Air Force in 1970. Fifty years of use now. Just like my Dad's 51, the reason for buying it. Navy Blue, Air Force 1549 Blue. The best pen I have ever used. Perfect writer, slightly wet. never dries out, never leaks. Never had the hood off. Fifty years, and all the other pens have imperfections.

Astonishing story. Congratulations on the half century 51.

My English Burgundy aeromatic has proved to be a keeper, while others have come and gone - it's the unbending reliability.
I mean, all the 51's I've had (and still have a handful) are reliable - but this one will write in almost any circumstances - and keep on writing until I'm done.

Stay safe, all.

[pajaro]

Most 51s are very good pens. Many that I bought in stores and from yard sales were quite good, and most of the ones I bought on ebay were great. One fell apart and I had to reassemble it. I have had better luck with secondhand 51s than with most other pens. The new one, and a few others I bought that had never been inked were mostly flawless, except for a couple that were miserly with ink flow. Most of the 51s I have had are aerometric fillers. I have a few vacs that have perished sacs, and I think I will keep them as examples only and not fix them.

[NumberSix]

Over the last few months, I have sold off or traded/gifted away almost all my vintage Parkers (51s, 45s, 21s) - not because I didn't love most of them but because I just didn't see the point of having so many I wasn't using.

I kept:

• Vac 51 - black with gold-filled cap
• Special - with gold nib

Both of those pens have been restored in the last couple of months, at parker51.com. Not inked at the moment.

Also, Parker 41 and oversized Vacumatic w/ matching pencil. The latter pen is currently on its way to Danny Fudge because it's aesthetically perfect but won't write.

At some point I will pick up another 21 FP & Pencil set, and I might look into another 45 Flightier. I confess I kinda miss the 51 Demis I had, too. But even if I get one of each of those three, it will still be a lot fewer than all the Parkers that have run through my collection, vintage and new.

[guyy]

At some point I will pick up another 21 FP & Pencil set, and I might look into another 45 Flightier. I confess I kinda miss the 51 Demis I had, too.

Demis are nice in that they’re a better fit for many shirt pockets than the full size 51s.

[NumberSix]

Demis are nice in that they’re a better fit for many shirt pockets than the full size 51s.

Very comfortable to use, too, even in my big clumsy hands.

[pajaro]

Over the last few months, I have sold off or traded/gifted away almost all my vintage Parkers (51s, 45s, 21s) - not because I didn't love most of them but because I just didn't see the point of having so many I wasn't using.

I kept:

• Vac 51 - black with gold-filled cap
• Special - with gold nib

Both of those pens have been restored in the last couple of months, at parker51.com. Not inked at the moment.

Also, Parker 41 and oversized Vacumatic w/ matching pencil. The latter pen is currently on its way to Danny Fudge because it's aesthetically perfect but won't write.

At some point I will pick up another 21 FP & Pencil set, and I might look into another 45 Flightier. I confess I kinda miss the 51 Demis I had, too. But even if I get one of each of those three, it will still be a lot fewer than all the Parkers that have run through my collection, vintage and new.

I have moved on many of the 51s I had too. I still have some, because many had interesting characteristics, date codes, colors or the way they came to me was interesting. I don't care if I use such pens or not. You don't have to use all of them, some are just dustables that make me smile when I examine them.

[NumberSix]

I have moved on many of the 51s I had too. I still have some, because many had interesting characteristics, date codes, colors or the way they came to me was interesting. I don't care if I use such pens or not. You don't have to use all of them, some are just dustables that make me smile when I examine them.

My current Vac was also the first Parker 51 I bought, on eBay. I was in love with it instantly and even used it as my One Pen One Month at one point. It was sold to me as "restored" and worked great for quite awhile. I don't know if I just got lucky, or if I killed the diaphragm by running ESSRI in it for a bit. But eventually it needed to go in for repairs.

Tim a P51.net said: "The nib and cap are Canadian. The barrel is US..Other parts….no way to tell. It was probably a Canadian pen repaired in the US, hence a US marked 1948 barrel with the original 1946 Canadian nib.. Whatever,…makes no difference to writing function..US, UK and Canadian parts are interchangeable."

I originally asked about replacing the cap, which is a little bit worn. In the end, I decided I preferred my ancient little Franken51 with the worn cap. It's my favorite FP that I have ever used, and the cap gives it character. I have purchased fully restored and shiny 51s from dealers for twice what I paid for the Vac. But none of them made me as happy as this one does.

I have not had it 50 years like you have. But it's special enough to me.

[bunyip]

I have only one Parker 51, which I have not yet decided to keep. I bought it as something on which to practise before working on a friend's inherited 51. I mainly like the burgundy colour. It has a "lustralloy" cap and is in excellent condition so it was a little bit of a bargain, I think.

[usk15]

After all 51's I had, I decided to keep a Flighter with left oblique broad nib:

[RobJohnson]

Nice nib too

[pajaro]

I have moved on many of the 51s I had too. I still have some, because many had interesting characteristics, date codes, colors or the way they came to me was interesting. I don't care if I use such pens or not. You don't have to use all of them, some are just dustables that make me smile when I examine them.

My current Vac was also the first Parker 51 I bought, on eBay. I was in love with it instantly and even used it as my One Pen One Month at one point. It was sold to me as "restored" and worked great for quite awhile. I don't know if I just got lucky, or if I killed the diaphragm by running ESSRI in it for a bit. But eventually it needed to go in for repairs.

Tim a P51.net said: "The nib and cap are Canadian. The barrel is US..Other parts….no way to tell. It was probably a Canadian pen repaired in the US, hence a US marked 1948 barrel with the original 1946 Canadian nib.. Whatever,…makes no difference to writing function..US, UK and Canadian parts are interchangeable."

I originally asked about replacing the cap, which is a little bit worn. In the end, I decided I preferred my ancient little Franken51 with the worn cap. It's my favorite FP that I have ever used, and the cap gives it character. I have purchased fully restored and shiny 51s from dealers for twice what I paid for the Vac. But none of them made me as happy as this one does.

I have not had it 50 years like you have. But it's special enough to me.

The ones that are special to you make you happy. It has been that way for me. It's not necessarily about value. It could be about ones you have that are like ones some loved one had or ones that you sought for a long time like a plum. They are the ones with a story of some kind. They are just special.