I guess it's whatever you call it.
I guess it's whatever you call it.
Chuck Naill (August 13th, 2020)
So far I'm not enamored of Conklin (new) nibs, but I do like the new pens overall. Why? Because they are heavy compared to most other brands. I like a pen I can use as a bludgeon should the need arise, and Conklin comes as close to that as I expect to find. I would have no problem with walloping someone upside the head with my orange Herringbone, for example. I know. Pens are for writing, not for walloping people. The only thing that would make a Conklin (new) better for me would be a high-pressure lever filler so I could squirt people with ink like in Three Stooges episodes. There is a 9 year old boy inside this 61 year old woman.
Okay, I also like new Conklins because they are long (relatively speaking) and somewhat slender. They fit my hand well for writing.
As I don't have any Parker 51's, and didn't really like the only one I ever tried, I would be interested to learn if they were known for drying out because of their push-on caps? If they were then the manufacturer could have considered the change-over to a screw cap would be a good idea when relaunching the all new Parker 51.
I never really liked the aerometric filler and liked the vacumatic even less because they were both harder to clean out before changing ink colours than regular C/C pens, so I'm assuming the new version will come with a converter. I believe some of the later Parker 51's were made with a converter, but these hardly ever seem to appear for sale, and, even when they do, they tend to be really expensive.
I agree that the new pen won't ever be a faithful version, and maybe should not be called a Parker 51 due to that, but it might turn out to be a nice enough pen when we see it. That is, if we all get to see it before the world ends.
Regards, Chrissy | My Review Blog: inkyfountainpens
Chrissy, answering your question above:
The original Parker 51 cap has a very interesting design that allows them to protect the nib from drying out (helped also by the hood that covers much of the nib). The slip cap is facilitated by a thin but very, very sturdy "clutch" that is installed inside the cap which engages the double-ring on the pen barrel. Since both the ring on the barrel and the clutch are perfect circles (no notches or gaps), their sealing efficacy is quite high.
I have several Parker 51 and every time I had those filled with ink, they became a very reliable go-to writing pen for random notes or signatures because they will continue to write without hard-starts weeks and months after.
But I agree with your last point, that this new pen may turn out to be a nice one after all, but it seems impossible for it to "prove itself" because it's saddled with the burden of carrying the name "51" on its shoulder.
Last edited by penwash; August 9th, 2020 at 06:19 PM.
I guess Parker wants to capitalize on the Parker 51 name and reputation. Nothing wrong with that, companies do it all the time. VW just brought out a new Golf. Guess that apart from some design features, and the fact that it has four wheels, a motor and a steering wheel, it's not quite like the original. Parker har also brought out several new versions of their Duofold pen. Some of these, i.e. the British and Danish version of the 50's, have no resemblence to the original. The later versions do not sport a button filler, and I hear no complaints about that. The new 51 resembles the old 51, at least in design. To me that is a fine enough reason for Parker to call it a 51.
I don't really understand the fuss about the filling system. There are good reasons most new fountain pens are c/c fillers. They are easy to fill and easy to clean and it is mighty handy to be able to carry a few cartridges around in case one needs new ink, instead of having to carry around an ink bottle or checking all the time, whether the ink is about to run out. I would also expect that many buyers of new pens could be put off by a strange and unfamiliar filling system. So I fully understand Parker's decision to make it a c/c filler.
I'm not quite cerain, why Parker has chosen a screw cap. Probably, it is a lot cheaper than a clutch, keeping down the price. But to me, it would have been nice if they had kept this feature of the original 51.
Personally I wouldn't buy it because I would prefer a vintage one. It seems that most of the other respondents here do too. And that is fine. We are probably only a niche fenomenon to Parker, and not the target group anyway. If I were into buying new pens, what could put me off buying this pen is the price, and how the nib is seated relative to the section. To start with the last part, with the original 51 the nib touched the section, while it seems to linger a bit below on the new one. I don't like that design. It seems as something is wrong with it, hanging there. Or that there actually is no need for the section to hoover al the way above the nib (which is prbably true). About the price; I think it is a bit high. As already mentioned, other 51 copies can be bought at lower prices and there are many other pens to be had in this price range and below that to me seem to be perfect alternatives (e.g. Lamy has several good options).
Chrissy (August 12th, 2020)
Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing....No,no..Ain't nothing like the real thing, Baby......
Don Quixote's inability to distinguish reality from the delusion's of his imagination
leads him to attack a windmill, thinking it is a giant............
tilting at windmills......................................... ........
Fred
I agree with this and think it makes a lot of sense. I wasn't aware exactly how specialised and important the internal cap clutch was in the original Parker 51, but thinking about it, in the great scheme of things, everything moves along and can be redesigned. Many cars are redesigned regularly and are still given the original model name when they can be so updated they are barely recognisable with the originals.
The design of the Parker 51 is now old and there are probably still thousands out there for those who want "an original vintage version." However, for those who don't like the filling system there will now be a new version available if newer users want that type of hooded nib pen with a C/C filler and a screw cap. Parker can cater for both markets.
Regards, Chrissy | My Review Blog: inkyfountainpens
I have always found Parker pens to be somewhat boring. This new edition looks quite boring and meh to me.
I have come to appreciate a good "boring" pen like vintage lever fill fountain pens that work and easily restored. That said, my two 1942 51's are as reliable as my Lamy Al Star.
This new offering is boring to me because of the fill system. At least with a converter the user comes in contact with the ink a bit and is not hemmed in to a few choices.
The problem with all this free PR is that I now want to buy one to see if it is quite as bad as I think it is.
azkid (August 13th, 2020), Chuck Naill (August 13th, 2020), NumberSix (August 13th, 2020)
I have been thinking about this pen since I first saw pictures. As a lover of the vintage Parkers, my initial reaction was absolute refusal.
But the more I think about it, the more it kind of grows on me. It's not a 51 in the classic sense. It's not even a WS 601. But it looks pretty good on its own and might be a nice pen. Plus, the steel nib version is inexpensive enough to give it a try. I may well end up ordering one when the pre-orders come back.
Fermata (August 14th, 2020)
Unfortunately, I either stop buying pens or I will have to get a larger coffee cup holder. LOL!!
Chuck Naill (August 15th, 2020), NumberSix (August 14th, 2020), pajaro (August 25th, 2020)
Not to rub it in, but I thought it'd be interesting if the new Parker 51 have this robust mechanism to secure the clip as did the original one
Background: I just restored this pen and noticed that the clip was rotating in place. So I might as well take the time to sketch a restoration note so I'd remember how it's done next time.
Ahriman4891 (February 4th, 2021), azkid (August 15th, 2020), catbert (August 14th, 2020), Chrissy (August 14th, 2020), Chuck Naill (August 15th, 2020), jodylud (January 14th, 2021), pocketses (February 23rd, 2021), Scrawler (August 18th, 2020), Stands on Feet (March 2nd, 2021), TFarnon (August 17th, 2020), welch (September 3rd, 2020)
Indifferent at this price point.
Kaputnik (August 25th, 2020)
Chrissy (August 25th, 2020), Chuck Naill (August 26th, 2020), manoeuver (August 26th, 2020)
The vintage models? There were two versions: vacumatic (which fills the barrel with repeated pumps of a plunger that sticks out of the end of the barrel) or the aerometric (an internal 'cartridge', permanently attached, that fills with ink when you squeeze a bar that compresses a sac). Both work well, the former holds more ink.
"When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick;
and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."
~ Benjamin Franklin
NumberSix (September 3rd, 2020)
I don't care. I want one of the deluxe ones with the gold nib in Plum. I just do. My second choice is the same deluxe in black. I like converters, because I can just put a little ink in my pen and change it easily.
For me the question is: does this pen either carry on the tradition of the Parker 51 or improve upon it? At the moment I am not reading anything to suggest it does either of those things.
Runnin_Ute (January 23rd, 2021)
Bookmarks