Vintage Pen Primer, Part II: The Parker 51

When it comes to vintage pens, few pens evoke the same degree of emotion as the Parker 51. The Parker 51 is iconic:  it dominated the fountain pen market for many years in the middle of the 20th century.  But as with many pens that are not “traditional” looking, you either hate this pen or you love this pen. There’s not really a middle ground. Personally, I love the Parker 51. It was the first vintage pen that I owned, and is probably my second favorite vintage pen behind the Parker Vacumatic. 

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The Parker 51 in hand to give you an indication of the size. 

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Vintage and (very) modern, side by side.  this picture gives you another sense of the size compared to the Lamy AL-Star. 

The 51 was first conceived in the late 1930s and appeared on the market in 1941, following the Vacumatic in Parker's product life cycle. For the first several years of the pen’s existence, it actually used the Vacumatic’s filling system, which involved using a pump to fill the body of the pen with ink. Vacumatic 51s are still readily available, have a large ink capacity, and generally work well, although they tend to require a bit more restoration work and can be frustrating to clean when changing inks. Vacumatic fillers are not as durable as the later aerometric models, which were introduced in the late 1940’s, and require periodic servicing to replace the sac. Aerometric fillers can also fail, but the sacs Parker used in those hold up well over time.

The 51 introduced never-before-seen (to my knowledge) design elements to fountain pens: a hooded, 14K tubular nib, which was intended to accommodate new fast-drying inks that Parker was developing. Unfortunately, unlike the 51 itself, “Parker 51” and “Superchrome” inks did not withstand the test of time. (These inks are “super”-corrosive, so if you come across them in antiques malls, flea markets, etc., DO NOT USE THEM.)

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I have a few 51s in my personal collection. My “user” pen, the one that I consider “my 51,” is the first vintage pen I purchased at the 2011 Ohio Pen Show. It’s a Midnight Blue Aerometric filler, and it has a smooth medium nib. True medium nibs on Parker 51s are somewhat hard to find. Most of these pens shipped with fine and extra fine nibs; broad and stub nibs command a premium in today’s vintage pen market. 

This 51 is definitely a “user grade” pen. In vintage pen parlance, that means the pen is not a mint-condition collector’s piece. There are micro-scratches on the barrel from where the pen has been capped and posted numerous times during its life, and there is some pitting on the chrome cap. In short, this pen has been used in the past, and I will continue to use it. The looks of this pen didn’t matter to me so much: I bought it for the nib. 

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As I mentioned in my last post regarding getting into the vintage pen game, I prefer to buy user-grade pens. This way, I can carry the pen to and from work, use the pen, and not have to worry about whether the particular ink I want to use is “safe” for vintage pens. 

So you have your eye on a Parker 51? A few points to consider:

• If you are buying an older Parker 51 that uses the vacumatic filling system, make sure that it works, or that the price you pay accounts for the cost of having the filling system restored by a competent restorer. It's unlikely the filling system will work without servicing.  If you’re moderately handy, you can restore the pen yourself, but properly disassembling the pen and fixing the filler unit requires some supplies and typically, some special tools. If you’re not careful, you can break the pen beyond repair. Last time I checked, the going rate for repair of a vacumatic filler was $25–50, depending on the extent of the necessary restoration and assuming that the filler unit has to be repaired and not replaced. 
• The Parker 51 is a rounded pen that is very smooth and can be slippery. Some people find the pen difficult to grip, which in turn causes the pen to skip or scratch because the nib does not stay properly oriented on the paper. This issue is not something that I have personally noticed, but I see the complaint from time to time. 
• Watch the prices on these pens. I have seen lots of overpriced Parker 51s, both at pen shows and on eBay. At the show where I bought my pen, the going rate for a user-grade aerometric Parker 51, in respectable condition with a decent nib, was around $100. Prices of course, may vary, and if you are willing to take a little risk on eBay, you can get them for much less (especially if you buy wholesale lots of unrestored pens). 

Overall, the Parker 51 is a great “first vintage pen,” if you are willing to spend a little money to get one in decent condition. The pen is iconic, if you like it’s “futuristic design,” and it’s a durable workhorse. I’ve found 51s in eBay lots that need little restoration other than a flush with water and pen cleaner.

Next in this series will be my favorite vintage pen, and the centerpiece of my personal collection, the Parker Vacumatic.

Note:  I purchased my Parker 51 from Tom Mullane, who passed away last year.  Most of the background information in this article comes from discussions I have had with dealers and collectors  at pen shows, as well as Andreas Lambrou's authoritative Fountain Pens of the World.   If you are considering collecting vintage pens, invest in this book.  It's expensive, but will save you money in the long run.  I don't regret the purchase, because if it saves you money on one or two bad pens it's paid for itself.  

Kill Winter With . . . A Copper Orange AL-Star

I didn't think I would like this pen as much as I do.  I'm a fan of Lamy pens, with the 2000 being my favorite.  I like the Safari, and I've owned an AL-Star in the past but didn't take to it, even though it was red (typically my favorite color in pens).  But there's something about this year's limited edition that really struck a chord with me, and I had to have it.  I'm sure it's directly related to the depressing weather we've been having here in the greater Nashville, Tennessee area--it's been either frigid with six inches of ice on the roads, or raining in buckets.  So why not buy an orange pen?  It beats the S.A.D. lamp.    

There's nothing remarkable about the AL-Star as a writer that I haven't already addressed in my review of the Safari.  It's a good pen--slightly larger than the Safari--and you would be hard pressed to find a better option at less than $40, provided you can deal with the shape of the grip section.  Some people think the AL-Star lacks character, but I like metal pens, and the aluminum AL-Star feels great in the hand.  I have also settled on medium as my preferred Lamy Safari/AL-Star nib width.  The extra fine and fine nibs tend to have flow issues, in my experience, and the broader nibs are too wide for my handwriting.  Medium hits the sweet spot.      

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My package from Frank at Fontoplumo.  

I preordered this pen, along with two packages of Lamy's limited edition orange ink cartridges, from Frank at Fontoplumo in the Netherlands.  If you've never ordered from Fontoplumo, add it to your list of pen purchasing options.  Prices are reasonable, and shipping is relatively quick, considering that (unless you are located in Europe) your order will have to be processed through customs.  I purchased this pen and ink with my own funds--it was not provided for review.   

As to the ink, I hope that Lamy adds orange to its array of regular colors, as they did with last year's limited edition "coral" ink.  The orange is a solid option for those of you out there who like an orange ink, but feel that many other orange options on the market are either too "neon-highlighter-esque" or too washed out looking.  Lamy's offering is a middle-of-the-road, darker orange, which exhibits some shading and is fairly resistant to feathering and bleed-through.  I've been using it for a week and would buy a bottle without hesitation, if Lamy decides to go that route.  

And the Winner Is . . . .

Fresh from random.org, the giveaway winner is everyone's favorite (new) podcaster.... Will Fanguy!  Will, you have exactly 3 days to claim your prize before I pick a new winner.  Don't think I won't do it.  Please contact me through Twitter or the website and I will figure out how to get your ink to you. 

Vintage Pen Primer, Part I

One common question I get from readers is “how do I go about purchasing a vintage fountain pen, if I'm just getting into collecting?”  It’s a difficult question:  there’s no per se right or wrong way to do it, and the reality is that it’s a trial-and-error process that I’m still learning myself.  But here are a few thoughts to make your vintage pen buying experience as enjoyable as possible. 

Do your research.  From the time they hit the mainstream in the early 1900s until the 1970s, fountain pens were a commodity item.  There are dozens of brands of vintage pens out there floating around.  The pen forums (FPN, FPGeeks, FPBoard) are invaluable sources of information on vintage pen brands and all aspects of repair, use, collectibility, etc.  Books, such as Andreas Lambrou's "Fountain Pens of the World", are also helpful, especially when they have good pictures.  Once you know what interests you, check out the trading forums and their online classifieds sections to get a sense of the appropriate price range for the pen you have in mind.  Prices will vary, but doing a survey of pens for sale online will give you a rough idea so that you don’t overpay too much.  See my “Reference Links” page on this blog for some additional sources of free information.     

Don’t spend a lot of money starting out.  I understand this concept is completely subjective, and varies from person to person, but the point is to not spend more than you can afford to lose until you figure out what you are doing.  For a lot of people, vintage Esterbrooks are a good place to start.  Esties can run anywhere from $15 or less on eBay (unrestored) to $50-60 from a reputable pen restorer.  The good thing about Esties is that they are fairly easy to restore to writing condition, so your odds of getting a bum pen are fairly low.  Given how durable Esties are, you also shouldn’t have any qualms about using them as a daily writer.      

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Three Esterbrooks, from top:  Blue "J", Red "J", and Dollar Pen.  I bought all of these pens as parts of lots on eBay, and restored them myself.  Lever filler pens, which fill using a pressure bar and an ink sac, are inexpensive repairs and can be done at home once you make a small investment in supplies.  If you are interested in starting a larger collection, it's worth learning this skill. 

If you absolutely must have that Parker Duofold, Vacumatic, or 51 as your first foray into vintage pens, purchase from a reputable vintage pen retailer or go to a pen show where you can inspect the pen in person.  Many pens sold on eBay are unrestored and/or damaged in some way, and are therefore not in working order.  I would advise you not to purchase an expensive vintage pen off of eBay unless you are relatively certain the pen is not a fake and you (1) are willing to pay extra money to have the pen professionally restored ($20-$75 on average, depending on what needs to be done); or (2) know for sure that the seller is a reputable vintage pen dealer and/or restorer.  While the pens mentioned above are generally very durable and can be used as daily writers (especially the Parker Vac and the Parker 51), they require a certain level of experience/competence to restore correctly, and a botched restoration job could mean you end up with a massive ink leak in the middle of that important work meeting.  This has happened to me.  Also, vintage pens typically hold a LOT of ink—much more than the modern cartridge/converter filler—so spills can be “spectacular”.   

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The Parker 51 (at bottom) and the Parker Vacumatic (top) are among the most collected vintage pens.  Both make excellent daily writers, if restored correctly, but buyer beware if you go to eBay.  

Buy “user grade” pens, at least to start.  To me, “user grade” means a pen that is in respectable condition, but isn’t an immaculate, mint-condition “collector’s piece” where you will destroy the value of the pen by inking it up and using it.  To this day, I don’t buy pens that I wouldn’t feel comfortable using.  Even though I have some pens that I wouldn't carry around in my pocket, everything in my collection can be used to work at my desk.  Writing with a vintage pen is part of the fun; it’s difficult to get a sense of which pens “speak to you” without being able to write with them.  Buying "user grade" also keeps the price down.       

Accept that you will get burned at least once, but probably a few times.  I don’t view this as being cynical so much as realistic.  As with the market for any antique or collectible, there are unscrupulous people out there looking to rip off newbies and capitalize on rising prices as good vintage pens become more scarce.  There are also a lot of honest people out there who simply don’t know what the hell they are doing.  You can purchase a pen that appears competently restored, only to discover later (typically, the hard way) that you were wrong.  I’ve also come across people at flea markets trying to sell off-brand pens like “Majestic” or “Wearever” for $100 or more, when the value of such pens rarely, if ever, exceeds $20 restored.  Despite your best efforts, if you trade or buy enough, you eventually will spend money on a pen that wasn’t worth it.  It happens to us all.  Accept it and move on.        

Temper your expectations.  Vintage pens are antiques, often 75-100 years old.  They can seem as usable as they were the day they were made (and often, they are), but people still tend to expect too much.  Even the best-restored vintage pen may have the occasional hiccup.  For example, the most common issues I run into involve temperature and air pressure fluctuation.  If the temperature changes rapidly (such as when going from a cold car to a warm office), the pen may burp ink.  Likewise, don’t carry filled vintage pens on an airplane unless you want a mess when you uncap the pen.  Learn to accept that this is part of the fun, and doesn’t necessarily mean your pen is defective.  As much as we all love fountain pens, they were never perfect technology.  There was a reason the pen companies started developing ballpoints.    

Consider collecting what I refer to as “new vintage.”  One personal area of interest is Waterman pens from the 1980s and 1990s.  These pens are sturdy cartridge/converter fillers, and therefore have the same “advantages” as modern pens.  Because they are still relatively common, you often can find new old stock or mint condition pens for very reasonable prices.  And, because these pens often don’t need restoration beyond a good polishing and cleaning, there’s less risk incurred in the purchase.  Waterman, Sheaffer, Parker, and others all produced very high quality writing instruments during this time frame.  

I hope this has been helpful.  Some of these may seem like “common sense” points, but they’re still worth keeping in mind if you're considering entering the vintage pen world.  Take it from someone who's been there:  in the heat of a pen show, or when presented with a spur-of-the-moment, can’t-pass-it-up “great deal,” common sense can go out the window.  But at the end of the day, I love using my vintage pens, keep them inked up regularly, and am always looking to add to the collection.  Over the next few weeks, I’ll be posting some reviews on specific vintage models, and will discuss different topics on collecting, use, and restoration. 

Another shot at today's find in the Nashville Flea Market:  An early-1920s Shearer Flat-top.  This pen is definitely user-grade, but I'm still looking forward to restoring it to writing condition and using it at home. 

I Review a Vintage Montblanc Ink I Don't Like--And Give It Away!

One criticism I often see lobbed at product bloggers--and stationery bloggers in particular--is that we review the products we like and largely ignore products we don't (presumably to curry favor with manufacturers and retailers who send out complimentary products for review).  I don't see it that way--I think most people just don't like the negativity associated with slamming someone's  product, especially where there has been a good-faith attempt to introduce something new into the market.  But, reviewing is a public service of sorts, and I do what I must.  I've come across an ink that I don't like at all.  

I picked up this bottle of vintage (late 1990s, early 2000s) Montblanc Ruby Red ink at Joe Rodgers office supply in Cleveland, Tennessee, when I was in the area over the summer.  Remarkably, this bottle also bore the original price tag ($8.50).  This ink's name, however, simply does not match the actual color.  It turns out that Ruby Red is more of a pinkish coral/peach color, that is so bright at times it almost looks neon.  This color just doesn't work for me, and there's not much more to say about it. 

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I had to adjust the photo some to duplicate the pinkish hue of this ink, which doesn't photograph very accurately.  I wouldn't use this color, so there's no reason to keep it.  I do wonder, though, how it compares against Montblanc's new "pink" ink.  

If you'd like this bottle of ink, leave a comment here on the blog, and in exactly one week I will number the comments in the order they are received and use a random number generator to pick the lucky reader.  Unfortunately, since this is ink, and it's a relatively heavy bottle, I'm going to have to economize and make this giveaway open to U.S. residents only.  There is nothing wrong with the ink itself.  It behaves like a Montblanc ink should, even though it's red.  I had no trouble washing this out of the pen (immediately) after reviewing it.  Best of luck, everybody!          

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I will send you this bottle in its original box (with $8.50 price tag).  :)