1947 Parker 51 Vacumatic "Demi" *SOLD” $175 US

https://youtu.be/-TAvmiiEPw8

THIS PEN HAS BEEN SOLD

Hello there. Welcome to my channel. My name is Doug, and I'm back with another Pen Resurrection Sunday video.

Today, I have a truly fascinating pen to share with you. It’s a 1947 Parker 51, but it’s the Demi size. Parker introduced the P-51 in 1939, released it in 1941, and then, in 1947, they created a new version called the Demi. The only difference between the regular P-51 Vacumatic is that the cap is slightly shorter, and the barrel from the cap to the tip is also shorter, giving the pen a rather stubby appearance.

This smaller version was produced for about a year, from 1947 to 1948, when Parker replaced the Vacumatic system with the arometric system. The regular P-51 remained relatively the same size, but the smaller version was called the slender, and it underwent a complete redesign, making it proportionally smaller. It was, eventually, also called the Demi.

So, there’s a significant difference between two small pens: the Demi Vacumatic and the Demi Aerometric. They’re completely different pens. The hood on the Demi Vacumatic is the same size as the regular P-51 hood and can be replaced with one. The blind cap and pump mechanism are also identical.

Another change was made in 1947. The clip was replaced from the split arrow blue diamond clip with a longer, more elegant arrow that harkens back to the Parker Vacumatics of the early 1930s, designed by Joseph Platt. This type of clip continued to be used by Parker for decades and is even incorporated into their logo.

Even though millions of Parker 51s were produced from 1941 through the 1960s, the 1947 Parker 51 Demi Vacumatic is relatively rare, especially in that highly coveted dove grey colour. This particular pen is in pretty good shape, so let’s take a closer look and assess its condition to determine what it needs to return to its former glory and be ready for writing.

THOUGHTS

So, what are my thoughts on this pen resurrection? I have to remind myself not to think, “Oh, this one’s going to be easy.” Every time I do, it comes back to bite me. Just like Rosanna Rosanna Dana always said, “It only goes to show it’s always something.”

The pump came out of this pen very nicely. I looked at the nib and thought, “Oh, this one’s going to be a nice nib. This is going to be a good writer.” There wasn’t anything severely wrong with the pen, just a lot of tarnish and some gouges out of the hood. I got those out. The pump, as I said, came out very nicely.

However, I broke the pellet retainer, which was a pain. But thank goodness for Dale Bebe at PenTooling. He sells these replacement ebonite pellet retainers for $10 each. I got a few because I’m a bit clumsy and they seem to break one and four.

The nib looked okay, but then when I started using it, it needed a lot of tuning. I've got to thank my new friend Lenny Eiger for giving me his expertise and a couple of these lapping sheets: 60,000, 14,000, and two feeler gauges. He also gave me the expertise to really fine-tune the nibs. This one went from fairly scratchy and very dry to relatively wet for a hooded nib pen and a nice, steady writer. So, thank you, Lenny.

As I mentioned before, this is a relatively rare pen for a Parker 51. It’s a Parker 51 Demi Vacumatic, and they were only made from 1947 to 1948. It’s a lovely small writer.

Now, let’s take a look at it against a standard-size Parker 51. This is an aerometric, and you can see how much smaller it is. Of course, the Vacumatic version was rather stubby because they shortened the barrel, but nothing else.

When the Aerometric was released in 1948, they also created a smaller version, but they proportionally reduced the pen, cap, barrel, and hooded section to maintain a consistent look. I particularly enjoy the appearance of this compact Vacumatic demi. It’s become a delightful writing instrument. While this unexpected turn of events initially surprised me, I’m pleased with the outcome.

If you’re interested in purchasing this pen, I’m selling it for $175 USD plus shipping. Please send me an email at inkquiringminds@gmail.com with your name and address. I’ll provide you with a shipping quote and instructions for paying via PayPal.

If you enjoyed this video, please like and subscribe. Don’t forget to ring the bell for instant notifications whenever a new video is posted. You can also join my channel as a member for just 99 cents a month. I promise to respond to your comments in the comments section, and you’ll receive cool emojis, badges, sneak peek unboxing videos, and instant access to my videos as soon as I post them. As a basic member at 99 cents a month, you’ll also get a 10% discount on pen purchases like this. At the patron level of $5 a month, you’ll receive a 20% discount.

And that’s all for now. Thank you for watching!

And that's all she wrote.