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

[pajaro]

Nice nib too

Nice stub, or is it an italic? Nice.

[RobJohnson]

A stub, makes me smile every time I use it.

[mana]

All of them? 😅 Have eight full size aerometrics, one demi and one vac. Two of those are safe queens (mint black and burgundy with gold filled caps, the other has a nice stubby M and the other a Cursive Italic BB), the others from mint to user grade pens with EEF to B nibs and Lustraloy caps of various sorts.

One of my daily user pens is a black 51 Aero with a lustraloy cap and Cursive Italic Broad nib, it is a backup to my vintage Pelikans and offers a different kind of writing experience. It is in good nick but I also keep it in use without worrying too much. It is kind of my "personal pen" and I plan on letting the slow natural wear and tear that it accumulates throughout the years of use to show for posterity.

[corgicoupe]

I only have three. The first, a cedar blue aerometric with Lustraloy cap, date code 1950, was given to me in 1951 when I graduated from grammar school. The second, a black Vacumatic with RG cap, dated 1946, was my Dad's pen that I inherited 31 years ago today. The third is a cordovan Vacumatic with a Lustraloy cap, date code T6, that I purchased from a pawn shop because it has a fine nib. Oops... almost forgot the black Aerometric desk pen, date code 8, that I got for $5 at an antique/junk store. I added a base, but it still dried out so I bought a Lustraloy cap and it sits upside down in the holder.

[pajaro]

At least one is a Keeper. There are others but they are just pens.

First quarter first year 51 my Dad gave my Mom as an engagement present.



Sterling cap with teeth marks as my younger siblings used it when teething. Some have said that I did too but as first and best son that is of course silly. I would NEVER do anything like that.

Something like your siblings' teeth marks should make that pen even more precious.

[Motomachi10]

Parker 51 Flighter was bought 50 years ago second-hand to take notes at the University long seminars.

[Sailor Kenshin]

I only ever had two, both extremely user-grade aerometric gray-ish, and I think one's a Demi.

[rff000]

I only had one P51--a 1947 Vac. I first got it on Ebay for only $13, then had a new diaphragm put in for $30 more. That was more than a decade ago. Recently the pellet cup broke and I wasn't sure if wanted to repair it at all, but I went ahead for $60 more, which included $20 for postage, now bringing my grand total to a whopping $103, a far cry from my original great bargain of $13. I justified this by feeling that I want at least one Vacumatic, since this was the only one I had. But, that logic was changed when I saw a brand new Wing Sung 601 Vac for only $8, including postage. I couldn't resist and now I have an old P51 that cost a total of $103 and a new Wing Sung that cost a total of $8. For now, I'm only using the Wing Sung. I'm afraid something else may go wrong with the P51 and then I may be tempted to incur another repair bill. I still can't figure out how I can get a similar new pen from China for only $8, including postage. True, it was a special for new registrations and the regular price was closer to $25.