Do you use a fountain pen?
Discussion
Vealie said:
Another lefty here....
I taught myself to use a fountain pen and write below the line once I left school. It's not perfect but it was bloody awful when I was a kid. The Parker 61 is a love and hate relationship. When I'm writing well it's good but at other times it's a pain. I suspect I need a bigger nib or even an oblique one.
Your 61 looks like new, obviously well looked after.I taught myself to use a fountain pen and write below the line once I left school. It's not perfect but it was bloody awful when I was a kid. The Parker 61 is a love and hate relationship. When I'm writing well it's good but at other times it's a pain. I suspect I need a bigger nib or even an oblique one.
It is possible to buy an oblique nib that is set up for left handers, The shape is \ (shaped like your right foot) but I am not sure how much benefit you would obtain, they are also very hard to source.
I would be interested to hear the comments of other people who write with their left hand as to whether the size of the nib is a factor, I must say that the sample of handwriting looks pretty good to me.
Edited by Robbo 27 on Tuesday 14th March 06:41
Robbo 27 said:
Your 61 looks like new, obviously well looked after.
It is possible to buy an oblique nib that is set up for left handers, The shape is \ (shaped like your right foot) but I am not sure how much benefit you would obtain, they are also very hard to source.
I would be interested to hear the comments of other people who write with their left hand as to whether the size of the nib is a factor, I must say that the sample of handwriting looks pretty good to me.
Rob, I was in touch with that nib meister contact you gave me and I sent off a pen to him. He's going to adjust the nib so that it's smoother and he'll also grind it into a slight oblique nib to suit my left-handed style (I sent a close-up video of my hand writing so he could see how I hold the pen), so looking forward to getting it back. It will cost around £60 but it'll be "fine tuned" just for me. I'll report back when I receive it back.It is possible to buy an oblique nib that is set up for left handers, The shape is \ (shaped like your right foot) but I am not sure how much benefit you would obtain, they are also very hard to source.
I would be interested to hear the comments of other people who write with their left hand as to whether the size of the nib is a factor, I must say that the sample of handwriting looks pretty good to me.
Edited by Robbo 27 on Tuesday 14th March 06:41
Prohibiting said:
Rob, I was in touch with that nib meister contact you gave me and I sent off a pen to him. He's going to adjust the nib so that it's smoother and he'll also grind it into a slight oblique nib to suit my left-handed style (I sent a close-up video of my hand writing so he could see how I hold the pen), so looking forward to getting it back. It will cost around £60 but it'll be "fine tuned" just for me. I'll report back when I receive it back.
Thats very good news. That man, I dont think he will object to his name being used, John Sorowka, has done some work for me in the past, transforming a nib into something very special. I have recommended him to others and all have been delighted with his work. He is not cheap but he is the best in the country and one of only a handful of experts in the world.
Looking forwards to seeing your comments and perhaps a close up pic of the nib that John has worked on.
Robbo 27 said:
Wow.
That Parker 51 is remarkable, if that is the actual pen that you have won then it looks fantastic, like new. It looks unmarked and the cap is rare and perfect. Very impressive. If you have bought that pen from Ebay UK and the pic you have shown is the actual pen you have bought, there are not many restorers who achieve that level of perfection, did your pen come from Bury St Edmonds in Suffolk?
Yes, that photo is certainly supposed to be the actual pen. The description says that the pen is in excellent condition, but there are apparently a few small scratches on the cap (although not very obvious on the photos, of which there were many on the listing). It's apparently on its way, so I'll take a few hi-res photos when I get it.That Parker 51 is remarkable, if that is the actual pen that you have won then it looks fantastic, like new. It looks unmarked and the cap is rare and perfect. Very impressive. If you have bought that pen from Ebay UK and the pic you have shown is the actual pen you have bought, there are not many restorers who achieve that level of perfection, did your pen come from Bury St Edmonds in Suffolk?
The listing says that the seller is based in Oldham, so not Bury St Edmunds.
Robbo 27 said:
A basic Parker 51 will now cost at least £45 and going up in price year on year, but that gold capped vac is in another league.
I did see quite a few going for around the £45-£50 mark, but often with the stainless steel looking caps with dings in them and no indication as to the state of the filler system. Given this one looked really good and has been cleaned and has a new diaphragm, I figured it was worth spending a bit more, as getting one with a dodgy diaphragm would see me sending it off to be fixed at additional cost and hassle. In case you're interested, final price was £77.60 plus £4.20 P&P, so not cheap, but I think probably fair enough if it looks as good as in the pics and works well.
Original listing here if you're interested in more pics/description and actual seller (who has several others for sale here).
[quote=C&C]
I did see quite a few going for around the £45-£50 mark, but often with the stainless steel looking caps with dings in them and no indication as to the state of the filler system. Given this one looked really good and has been cleaned and has a new diaphragm, I figured it was worth spending a bit more, as getting one with a dodgy diaphragm would see me sending it off to be fixed at additional cost and hassle.
In case you're interested, final price was £77.60 plus £4.20 P&P, so not cheap, but I think probably fair enough if it looks as good as in the pics and works well.
Original listing here if you're interested in more pics/description and actual seller (who has several others for sale here).
[/quote]
Ok thanks for that, I know the seller, first name Mark, and he has been involved in pen sales on ebay for a number of years.
Your pen is a cut above the average, a gold cap and vacumatic and in what looks to be very good order. i have just done a search to check on the price and I cannot find another at that money, there is another one for sale in the US, at this moment $51 plus $21 shipping, onto whiich you may have to pay duty and a fee so I think you got the pen for a good price.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Parker-51-Fountain...
The cosmetics of the pen are one thing, I hope that the nib is everything that you expect, it should be smooth and perfect with even and perfect ink flow. The writing sample would suggest all is ok. I have had a close look at the pics on the listing and the nib does show some wear, as you might expect at 70 years old. If there are issues I can help with them please email me, Mark has a strong and well earned reputation, there shouldnt be any issues on quality.
Some people are tempted to use a metal polish on pen caps to improve the look, I would advise against it, the plating is very thin and you will wear it through, a soft cloth is all that I would recommend, perhaps some plastic polish on the pen such as Meguiars PlastX, I have also recently found that the W5 multi surface spray polish from Lidl works well.
I did see quite a few going for around the £45-£50 mark, but often with the stainless steel looking caps with dings in them and no indication as to the state of the filler system. Given this one looked really good and has been cleaned and has a new diaphragm, I figured it was worth spending a bit more, as getting one with a dodgy diaphragm would see me sending it off to be fixed at additional cost and hassle.
In case you're interested, final price was £77.60 plus £4.20 P&P, so not cheap, but I think probably fair enough if it looks as good as in the pics and works well.
Original listing here if you're interested in more pics/description and actual seller (who has several others for sale here).
[/quote]
Ok thanks for that, I know the seller, first name Mark, and he has been involved in pen sales on ebay for a number of years.
Your pen is a cut above the average, a gold cap and vacumatic and in what looks to be very good order. i have just done a search to check on the price and I cannot find another at that money, there is another one for sale in the US, at this moment $51 plus $21 shipping, onto whiich you may have to pay duty and a fee so I think you got the pen for a good price.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Parker-51-Fountain...
The cosmetics of the pen are one thing, I hope that the nib is everything that you expect, it should be smooth and perfect with even and perfect ink flow. The writing sample would suggest all is ok. I have had a close look at the pics on the listing and the nib does show some wear, as you might expect at 70 years old. If there are issues I can help with them please email me, Mark has a strong and well earned reputation, there shouldnt be any issues on quality.
Some people are tempted to use a metal polish on pen caps to improve the look, I would advise against it, the plating is very thin and you will wear it through, a soft cloth is all that I would recommend, perhaps some plastic polish on the pen such as Meguiars PlastX, I have also recently found that the W5 multi surface spray polish from Lidl works well.
Edited by Robbo 27 on Tuesday 14th March 13:26
[quote=C&C]Just had a quick look at the listing you reference.
Although it is for a 51, the close-up nib shots look to be from a Parker 75 (if I'm not mistaken, as new to this)?
[/quote]
It looks like the seller has got his photos mixed up. The closeup shots of the 75 are in the middle of the ones of the 51.
Although it is for a 51, the close-up nib shots look to be from a Parker 75 (if I'm not mistaken, as new to this)?
[/quote]
It looks like the seller has got his photos mixed up. The closeup shots of the 75 are in the middle of the ones of the 51.
[quote=C&C]Just had a quick look at the listing you reference.
Although it is for a 51, the close-up nib shots look to be from a Parker 75 (if I'm not mistaken, as new to this)?
[/quote]
Thats right, he has made a mistake and included a Parker 75 nib shot.
The Bury st Edmunds seller that I thought you had used has the name secukltd. His work is the best quality I have seen anywhere and rebuilds most if not all the pens he sells, as a consequence his pens fetch top money. He has a listing for a gold capped aero 51 (a less attractive version) that is currently at £98 with 33 bids and still has 5 days to run
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PARKER-51-CUSTOM-MKI-AER...
Although it is for a 51, the close-up nib shots look to be from a Parker 75 (if I'm not mistaken, as new to this)?
[/quote]
Thats right, he has made a mistake and included a Parker 75 nib shot.
The Bury st Edmunds seller that I thought you had used has the name secukltd. His work is the best quality I have seen anywhere and rebuilds most if not all the pens he sells, as a consequence his pens fetch top money. He has a listing for a gold capped aero 51 (a less attractive version) that is currently at £98 with 33 bids and still has 5 days to run
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PARKER-51-CUSTOM-MKI-AER...
FredAstaire said:
Hey fountain penners, as said earlier in the thread I bought one off the back of this thread and have started using it daily [parker sonnet. medium nib. bit thick maybe, but not too bad. oh, and the little chrome ring around the neck gets a bit inky when you take the cap off].
Anyway to the question - how will it cope with a flight? got a trip with work coming up and thought i'd take it, but will cabin pressures leave me with an inky mess? I don't fancy taking it empty and a bottle of ink too, as I think that could spell even worse disaster - id need to triple zip-lock bag it for peace of mind!
I've done long haul to Korea and SA plus regular short haul to Holland with my Waterman Hemisphere as hand luggage and a bottle of ink in my main baggage with no issues or leakage problems at all.Anyway to the question - how will it cope with a flight? got a trip with work coming up and thought i'd take it, but will cabin pressures leave me with an inky mess? I don't fancy taking it empty and a bottle of ink too, as I think that could spell even worse disaster - id need to triple zip-lock bag it for peace of mind!
I must have been too cautious in the past. I have heard of problems and leaks from pens that other people have had and took precautions, flying just with an empty pen, unused cartridge. I wouldnt travel with a bottle of ink in hand luggage or main baggage, I had assumed that the hold wasnt heated and that the ink might freeze and then expand.
I ignored my rule once and ended up with all of the ink from the cartridge finding its way to the cap - and then on to me.
Noted that others have had no problems but flying with an empty pen is not a hardship and the only loss was having to throw away a part used cartridge before the return flight.
The risk was a messy jacket/hands and meeting table and looking like a (even bigger) twit at a meeting.
If I was making a short business trip nowadays it would be one of the few occaisions when a roller ball or something similar would be taken.
But quite frankly, I don't really care, if you want to follow the advice above and get ink all over you its up to you, not my problem, I will leave it to smarter people than me to continue this thread.
I ignored my rule once and ended up with all of the ink from the cartridge finding its way to the cap - and then on to me.
Noted that others have had no problems but flying with an empty pen is not a hardship and the only loss was having to throw away a part used cartridge before the return flight.
The risk was a messy jacket/hands and meeting table and looking like a (even bigger) twit at a meeting.
If I was making a short business trip nowadays it would be one of the few occaisions when a roller ball or something similar would be taken.
But quite frankly, I don't really care, if you want to follow the advice above and get ink all over you its up to you, not my problem, I will leave it to smarter people than me to continue this thread.
Edited by Robbo 27 on Wednesday 15th March 09:21
Robbo 27 said:
If I was making a short business trip nowadays it would be one of the few occaisions
But quite frankly, I don't really care, if you want to follow the advice above and get ink all over you its up to you, not my problem, I will leave it to smarter people than me to continue this thread.
Robin, Apologies if I caused any offence by my previous post. I certainly do not profess to know much about fountain pens. I have very much enjoyed and learned a lot from this thread. I was simply posting my experiences from travelling with work. I do put my bottle of ink inside of two ziplock bags though, just in case they leak.But quite frankly, I don't really care, if you want to follow the advice above and get ink all over you its up to you, not my problem, I will leave it to smarter people than me to continue this thread.
Mick
Vealie said:
Another lefty here....
I taught myself to use a fountain pen and write below the line once I left school. It's not perfect but it was bloody awful when I was a kid. The Parker 61 is a love and hate relationship. When I'm writing well it's good but at other times it's a pain. I suspect I need a bigger nib or even an oblique one.
That P61 is lovely - it's unusual to see one with the gold arrow still in place. It really adds something to the look of the pen. The arrow was lost on my one before I got it, but it still writes beautifullyI taught myself to use a fountain pen and write below the line once I left school. It's not perfect but it was bloody awful when I was a kid. The Parker 61 is a love and hate relationship. When I'm writing well it's good but at other times it's a pain. I suspect I need a bigger nib or even an oblique one.
I've looked for a replacement but have struggled; the chrome arrows sometimes come up for sale on eBay (at the ludicrous price of c.£15) but replacement gold ones are v rare.
An update, I sold that second hand Montblanc that I bought back to the previous owner (fully refunded) because the hard starts were getting frustrating.
I bought a brand new Pelikan M800 after much deliberation instead. But it goes to show that spending £300 doesn't mean you'll get a perfect nib. It was OK but I decided to send it off to a nib expect along with a short video emailed to him of me writing so he could see how I hold the pen. He charged £30 to "fine tune" the nib and it is perfect. I asked for it to be super smooth and wetter. He also gave it a little right oblique due to the angle I hold the pen as I'm left handed (oblique doesn't change line variation). Anyway, it is now butter smooth in all directions with no skipping, hard starting or scratching/digging.
Definitely £30 well spent. It's a pleasure to use.
Before (look at the lines, apart from the last 5)
After
I bought a brand new Pelikan M800 after much deliberation instead. But it goes to show that spending £300 doesn't mean you'll get a perfect nib. It was OK but I decided to send it off to a nib expect along with a short video emailed to him of me writing so he could see how I hold the pen. He charged £30 to "fine tune" the nib and it is perfect. I asked for it to be super smooth and wetter. He also gave it a little right oblique due to the angle I hold the pen as I'm left handed (oblique doesn't change line variation). Anyway, it is now butter smooth in all directions with no skipping, hard starting or scratching/digging.
Definitely £30 well spent. It's a pleasure to use.
Before (look at the lines, apart from the last 5)
After
8Ace said:
That P61 is lovely - it's unusual to see one with the gold arrow still in place. It really adds something to the look of the pen. The arrow was lost on my one before I got it, but it still writes beautifully
I've looked for a replacement but have struggled; the chrome arrows sometimes come up for sale on eBay (at the ludicrous price of c.£15) but replacement gold ones are v rare.
I've seen two Parker 61s for sale so far with their gold arrows still there. One had a completely wrecked nib though. Might be viable for you to buy for spares though?I've looked for a replacement but have struggled; the chrome arrows sometimes come up for sale on eBay (at the ludicrous price of c.£15) but replacement gold ones are v rare.
The seller is a regular at the monthly market at The Maltings in Farnham, and I also often see him at an antiques fair at Woking.
I'll ask him for his contact details when I next see him and pass them on to you, if you like?
Robbo 27 said:
The Bury st Edmunds seller that I thought you had used has the name secukltd. His work is the best quality I have seen anywhere and rebuilds most if not all the pens he sells, as a consequence his pens fetch top money.
Hi Rob,As well as selling pens he's rebuilt, does he also offer a rebuild/renovation service if one has a pen in need of some work?
Okay apologies for the thread resurrection but I have a problem with a pen and wondered if I could ask for help
While waiting for my jinhao to turn up my father gave me a fountain pen he bought new eons ago but never used. The problem is that the body will not unscrew. And by not unscrew it is so solid I wonder if the body will break if I try to unscrew it any harder.
He is pretty certain it unscrews but it has sat ion a box for gawd knows how many years. Any suggestions.
photo
While waiting for my jinhao to turn up my father gave me a fountain pen he bought new eons ago but never used. The problem is that the body will not unscrew. And by not unscrew it is so solid I wonder if the body will break if I try to unscrew it any harder.
He is pretty certain it unscrews but it has sat ion a box for gawd knows how many years. Any suggestions.
photo
I wonder if he filled it at some point? It could be gummed up with dried ink that's leaked into the barrel. You could try leaving it to soak in room temperature water for a few days. It might loosen it and I can't imagine it would do it any harm. I would be worried about using hot or cold water just yet in case it damaged it. The heat could make the plastic crack or discolour.
If that fails, maybe put some warm-hot water in a cup to warm up only the barrel (the main body of the pen) by leaving the pen pointing up with both the nib and the grip section out of the water. As the barrel warms up and expands it should loosen its hold on the section.
Note: I'm not a pen expert !
Edit: nice pen by the way. I was looking at Parker 61's on ebay, but lots of them had the arrowhead missing.
If that fails, maybe put some warm-hot water in a cup to warm up only the barrel (the main body of the pen) by leaving the pen pointing up with both the nib and the grip section out of the water. As the barrel warms up and expands it should loosen its hold on the section.
Note: I'm not a pen expert !
Edit: nice pen by the way. I was looking at Parker 61's on ebay, but lots of them had the arrowhead missing.
Update. put it in warm soapy water and blue ink went everywhere, so obviously been used at sometime in its life.
now I'm faced with a cartridge looking thing which I think is a capillary filling system. Any ideas how to recover it from decades of the same ink gumming it up. A little how do you fill it would come in handy too
My father held onto his parker 51 which he thinks was more reliable and still uses.
now I'm faced with a cartridge looking thing which I think is a capillary filling system. Any ideas how to recover it from decades of the same ink gumming it up. A little how do you fill it would come in handy too
My father held onto his parker 51 which he thinks was more reliable and still uses.
julian64 said:
My father held onto his Parker 51 which he thinks was more reliable
Given various comments about the Parker 61 in this thread, he is undoubtedly correct! 
Robbo has mentioned several times that the Parker 61 is nice to own, but a pest to write with. I'm sure he'll be along shortly to clarify on that.
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