Thoughts on the new 51?

I'm new to this group and haven't searched archives and am not sure how
to do that... but I'm sure this has been discussed before.

I use a P51 Special that I've had since I was a kid, and was somewhat
amused recently to learn that it's now an antique! Anyway, I'm
considering the purchase of one of the new 51 reissues, probably the
black one, but there are a lot of other pens available for $350 that I
know nothing about except for their ads in Pen World.

Comments, links, suggestions for a longtime FP user but a newbie to the
collecting world?

Keep with the vintages. You can buy 5-7 good ''uns for the price of a
mediocre modern albeit special edition.
Read this list, www.pentrace.com , www.penlovers.com If you can attend
upcoming Colunbus Ohio pen show www.ohiopenshow.com Nov 6-10 thoroughly
recommended and you'll find lots of good stuff for your 350 green backs.






"John B. Egger" wrote in message
...
I'm new to this group and haven't searched archives and am not sure how
to do that... but I'm sure this has been discussed before.

I use a P51 Special that I've had since I was a kid, and was somewhat
amused recently to learn that it's now an antique! Anyway, I'm
considering the purchase of one of the new 51 reissues, probably the
black one, but there are a lot of other pens available for $350 that I
know nothing about except for their ads in Pen World.

Comments, links, suggestions for a longtime FP user but a newbie to the
collecting world?

Its a pure cheapo copy compared to the original. Cheaper weaker nib.
Plastic crackes very easily. Parker has shipped special replacement
barrels less crack prone, but how much less no one knows yet. Most
important a cheap standard feed vs the complex ink collector of the
original.

But they seem to write OK, which is easier said than done by many pens
costing $350 or so.

You could probably buy 5 to maybe as much as 10 totally mint boxed never
inked 1950s/60s 51s at the average pen show for the same price as the
new one. Better deal? You decide. Frank

$45 fully restored demis (both 1947 vacs and aeros, 14K gold nibs)

$55 fully restored vacs and aeros (14K gold nibs)

$85 standard cost for a 3 tined music nib 51 (or $45 to have any 51 fitted with
a music 3 tined nib - which are broad but available as oblique/stub/italic), 4
and 6 tined marker nibs/extra broads are $115 installed (compare to $945 in
Japan)

Prices include postage, restoration, the works...

Now you tell me if a pen at $350 without a genuine 51 feed, electroplating, and
cartridge filling....can even hold a candle flame to the original Parker 51?
Are you in the City of God and have blind faith in the "authorized" or are you
in the City of Man and the age of reason?

Scaupaug wrote:
$45 fully restored demis (both 1947 vacs and aeros, 14K gold nibs)

$55 fully restored vacs and aeros (14K gold nibs)

$85 standard cost for a 3 tined music nib 51 (or $45 to have any 51 fitted with
a music 3 tined nib - which are broad but available as oblique/stub/italic), 4
and 6 tined marker nibs/extra broads are $115 installed (compare to $945 in
Japan)

Prices include postage, restoration, the works...

Now you tell me if a pen at $350 without a genuine 51 feed, electroplating, and
cartridge filling....can even hold a candle flame to the original Parker 51?
Are you in the City of God and have blind faith in the "authorized" or are you
in the City of Man and the age of reason?

Thanks for the comments, guys. I'm a writer (handwriter, I mean, not a
professional writer), not a collector who's primarily interested in
rarity, so your feature and quality comparisons are especially
interesting. I think I'll hang onto my dough a little longer.

--
-- John
Registered Linux User #291592

My personal view is that they did a pretty good copy of the Torelli original
design: With the caveats mentioned by Frank and others on this thread about
how badly it works and why

Licensed to Quill

"John B. Egger" wrote in message
...
I'm new to this group and haven't searched archives and am not sure how
to do that... but I'm sure this has been discussed before.

I use a P51 Special that I've had since I was a kid, and was somewhat
amused recently to learn that it's now an antique! Anyway, I'm
considering the purchase of one of the new 51 reissues, probably the
black one, but there are a lot of other pens available for $350 that I
know nothing about except for their ads in Pen World.

Comments, links, suggestions for a longtime FP user but a newbie to the
collecting world?