1970 Parker 51 Aerometric $90 US

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

Today’s fountain pen on the slab, ready for resurrection, is this circa 1969-1972 Parker 51 aerometric in black and gold. It’s a lovely fountain pen, and this is the first late-model Parker 51 I’ve owned. It has some interesting features.

Since there are no dates on the outside of the pen, I used the websites Richard's Pens from Richard Binder, and Parkerpens.net by Tony Fischier to help me identify the date. The pen has “51” engraved on both sides of the cap, which happened in the late 60s. It also has the Parker Arrow Halo logo above, where it says “110th 12K GF cap.” Made in the USA.

These late model Parker 51s were made into the 80s after they stopped production in the USA. They were made in the UK and Canada well into the 80s. Let’s take a look at this very interesting aerometric Parker 51 to see what it needs to come back to life. 

THOUGHTS

So, what are my thoughts on this resurrection? To paraphrase Charles Dickens, it was the best of resurrections and the worst of resurrections. Well, not really. It was a fairly easy resurrection because there wasn’t much wrong with this pen. However, figuring out the various parts of a late model Parker 51 and their materials was challenging. You don’t want to apply heat or abrasives to materials you might not be aware of. The plastic on these late-model Parker 51s is definitely softer, so I had to be gentle when sanding with micro-mesh because I could feel the difference in softness.

I also learned a lot about cap construction for late-model Parker 51s. The cap seal has a slot screw fastener on the inside and a brass slot screw fastener on the top, with a tiny plastic pearlescent jewel fitting into the brass nut. I also made new tools to accomplish this. I know I can tackle a late-model Parker 51 cap disassembly in the future. It’s fun to make tools for things.

I also discovered that the clip on these late-model pens is different from the cap. The cap says 12 karat gold-filled, but it doesn’t specify the clip. So, you have to be careful not to overpolish the clip or the plating will come off.

I also learned that the feed I just assumed was ebonite because they’re all ebonite with 14 karat gold Parker 51 nibs. Well, apparently not. Starting in the late 60s, they began making the feeds out of plastic. They removed the metal aerometric breather tube and used a smaller plastic tube.

So, again, soft plastic behaves differently when you’re polishing it than ebonite does, but it was the same wonderful 14 karat gold nib. This one wrote beautifully, and I didn’t have to make any adjustments.

I also learned that the clutch ring isn’t a clutch ring anymore in these late-model P51s. It’s just a decorative band because the small finger clutch grabs onto the section instead of the clutch ring, as in earlier models. However, the combination of that pressure on the section and the softer plastic means the hoods started to deform over time.

Additionally, since Parker stopped putting date codes on their products, it became difficult to determine the exact date this pen was made. I narrowed it down to between 1969 and 1972 because, in 1969, they began placing the 51 on the cap’s shoulders. In 1972, they switched the top jewel to a solid black plastic jewel instead of the pearlescent ones. Therefore, I’ve decided to call this pen a 1970.

Furthermore, the Ply-glass sacs that Parker used from 1949 through the 1980s, in some UK and Canadian plants, demonstrate their durability. Made of PVC vinyl, they’re almost indestructible. Yes, they can get stained with ink, but it doesn’t affect their appearance. One downside of a non-transparent sack is that you can’t see the ink levels inside. However, they’re relatively easy to fill.

Overall, the pen is beautifully balanced, just like the classic Parker 51. It writes exceptionally well. And there you have it—a beautiful Parker 51 from 1970.

Recently, Payton Street Pens sold a 1973 black jewel chrome cap version of this pen for $150 US. This version features a gold-filled cap with the pearlescent jewel. I’m selling this pen for $90 US. If you’re interested in purchasing this pen, please send me an email at inkquiringminds@gmail.com with your name and address. I’ll provide you with a shipping quote.

Thank you for watching.