So how about those Parker 51s?

[ethernautrix]

Ariel Kullock Parker 51s, that is.

I bought this one at the Los Angeles Pen Show last year after plistumi showed me hers. If I were going to the LA Pen Show this weekend, I would probably buy another one. Why? Cos they are so cool!

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I just realized that I didn't take a photo of the other side of the cap. That's because the dog thought I was playing Stick with her. Stick differs from Fetch in that the game turns into Chase. And she is much faster than I am. And she chews the sticks.

[KrazyIvan]

That one almost convinces me to buy a 51.

[tandaina]

I like them. Unfortunately I'm not a fan of the 51 nibs. It seems at the time Americans were writing with only fine or medium nibs and I just find the 51 nibs so incredibly boring I can't stand it. So I moved on to the Pelikan P1 which has very interesting nibs and still the convenience of the 51 type design. Now if the folks who mod 51s would mod the old Pelikans...

[Laura N]

Parker 51 is my favorite pen, probably. I have a Ralph Prather 51 that is also really fun. I need to take a picture and post it.

[reprieve]

That's a lovely pen. And a pretty notebook! (What kind of notebook is it?)

I'm a big fan of the Kullock Parker 51 caps. The swirly colorful materials are neat, too, but I really love his metalwork. Mine has a regular teal body (aerometric) with a phoenix on the cap. I could only find one shabby photo, which really doesn't do it justice. It also has a wonderfully stubbish medium nib. Michael Masuyama tuned it up for me in DC last year; it was kind of toothy before, but now it's smoooooth.

[mhosea]

I like them. Unfortunately I'm not a fan of the 51 nibs. It seems at the time Americans were writing with only fine or medium nibs and I just find the 51 nibs so incredibly boring I can't stand it.

If you have the patience for it, you might be able to snag a Parker 51 with a stub nib from Greg Minuskin. It's been awhile since I tried, but he puts stuff like that up at very reasonable prices and then it sells within hours. A Parker 51 Minuskin stub would sell within hours. Snooze ya lose. I should take my own advice and start watching again, but I guess I won't, because if I was going to, I'd be crazy to hit "Post Quick Reply" here. Good luck to you.

[ethernautrix]

Oo, pictures please! I would love to see more Kullocks.

I think plistumi is attending the LA Pen Show this weekend. I wonder if she will buy another Kullock. I wonder if Ariel and Michelle will attend the Poland Pen Show in April. (Hahaha, I mean I wish, not I wonder.)

[klpeabody]

I would love to add an Ariel Kullock 51 to my collection. I would also love to see more folks add their photos to this thread. =)

[Laura N]

Here is my Ralph Prather 51.

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[Laura N]

Here is a quick shot of a 51 with a hand-hammered silver cap from Rick Krantz

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[Laura N]

And here is a closeup of a Parker 51 broad nib, next to the similar Lamy 2000 broad nib. The 51 broad nib is from Ernesto Soler at parker51.com.

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[Jon Szanto]

Here is my Ralph Prather 51.

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Well, now there is a kind of 51 that could eventually end up in my interests, or something from Kullock. I have not yet, over a number of years, warmed to any of the standard, Parker-issued 51s. Just not my style, as good and iconic of a pen that they are.

[ethernautrix]

Those are beauties, Laura.

Yesterday, I wanted to swap out the nibs between this Parker 51 and what I consider the Pen Posse Parker 51 Special (so considered because Pen Posse as a team rescued the pen which I had, um, broken. Into pieces. The tale is in fpn archives. I doubt I could ever part with this pen.). The PPP51 is a dark teal with an EF steel nib, so now my Kullock P51's cap and black barrel have a dark teal hood/nib section and the Special's filler. Filled with Faber Castell Stone Grey, this P51 Extra Special writes a fabulously thin line that looks like pencil. I know that some might think it odd to enjoy a fountain pen that "writes like a pencil," but it is very cool. Such simple pleasures.

[Laura N]

... I know that some might think it odd to enjoy a fountain pen that "writes like a pencil," but it is very cool. Such simple pleasures.

Yes. I use Pilot Iroshizuku Kiri-same with my fine nib pens, for exactly that feeling of writing with a liquid pencil.

[mhosea]

Vis-a-vis Kullock's replacement parts, I'm not sure what to think yet. I bought a barrel and hood made by him, but the hood was short by a half millimeter, at least, and both barrel and hood are slightly off-center ever-so-slightly with an OD slightly undersized. I made it work, but I went back to the standard equipment because the Kullock replacements made the clutch ring more pronounced (and annoying) to my hand. I might give it another try...or not. Ironically, there were no threading issues at all (a more common complaint, as I understand it). The Prather looks perfect, though, as it should be for what they cost.

[Laura N]

... The Prather looks perfect, though, as it should be for what they cost.

It is indeed perfect, and Ralph is the type of person who will jump in if there's ever a problem, which there hasn't been.

The cost, yeah, it was a splurge. But it was a bit more than the Edison Pen Company's Menlo with gold nib (which wasn't even offered when I bought this). It was about the same as my standard base-level Nakaya. It was less than a new Montblanc 146 (my favorite MB size). And it feels more special than any of those. So while it's one of my most expensive pens, I feel I've gotten my money's worth. YMMV, of course. And don't tell my husband.

[pajaro]

Vis-a-vis Kullock's replacement parts, I'm not sure what to think yet. I bought a barrel and hood made by him, but the hood was short by a half millimeter, at least, and both barrel and hood are slightly off-center ever-so-slightly with an OD slightly undersized. I made it work, but I went back to the standard equipment because the Kullock replacements made the clutch ring more pronounced (and annoying) to my hand. I might give it another try...or not. Ironically, there were no threading issues at all (a more common complaint, as I understand it). The Prather looks perfect, though, as it should be for what they cost.

I think the Kullock parts used to be better, and I used them to replace marred parts on ordinary 51s. I bought one of his hood/barrel sets, a double jewel in pink see-through. The standard aero filler would not fit. Fortunately I had a bruised 51 with the black knob at the end of the filler cut off. That fit perfectly, but in this case he made the barrel too short. The barrel/cap only was $9.99, so I hink you should beware of the low cost ones. They might be seconds.

[pajaro]

Ah, the Ralph Prather pens. Very beautiful pens. Glenn-SC from FPN has some very, very nice ones.

Last time I looked, they start about $700. I might be addicted to pens, but not that addicted. They are beautiful. They seem to be all vac 51s. Lets ne out. I like the standard 51 aero best anyway, and with a Lustraloy cap. For many years that was the only pen in which I had any interest. Then I found MB and broadened.

[lisantica]

Here's a Kullock I picked up at the LA show on Sunday.

[ethernautrix]

Wow, that is a sa-weet! Kullock!