Parker #51, deal or no deal?

http://www.ebay.com/...8#ht_500wt_1180

I sent the $175 offer w/o reading the full description, I didn't realize the blind cap had a crack. I saw the demo hood and rushed things a bit. Was this an alright price to pay, or was it too much?

Regards,
Gabriel

Is that an aluminum jewel on the blind cap?

It looks to be, I can't tell though if both cap and barrel have the aluminum jewel.

Looks like an aluminum jewel on the blind cap, which isn't correct for a 48 pen. The pen seems to have some problems. The most worrying to me would be the "tiny piece missing from the tip" of the nib. A crack in the blind cap is not good, either. Also a couple of dents and scratches on the cap. Having a clear hood is not a plus in my opinion. In addition, the pen almost certainly will require a new diaphragm and cleaning. Clearly the seller doesn't know an awful lot about pens. There are are several reputable sellers on the internet and on eBay who sell completely restored, virtually perfect 51's for less than this price. I hate to say it Gabriel, but this was no bargain.

That aluminum jewel makes me think Argentina and replacemnt parts. That means the clear hood could be one as well. I don't trust 80% of the demo pens these days because they could be modern makes being sold by others as Vintage pens.

Even if the hood is correct and intact, and the jewel is also OK, this was too much to pay for a parts pen. Nib can be replaced easily enough.

The pictures cry Frankenpen to me......
I think the price was too high

The pictures cry Frankenpen to me......
I think the price was too high

Looks to me like a nice pen, and would do someone's collection a nice addition regardless of the combination of parts and styles, and may become a donor pen when another pen might come up that has different parts to make a more collectable pen.

The merits of a pen that someone wants often outweighs what someone may perceive as correct from a collectable stand point.

I would not pass up such a pen if I saw it at a pen show, or flea market! I could make the nib real nice for you too, something fun like a 1.1mm juicy stub

Greg Minuskin
greg@gregminuskin.com
www.gregminuskin.com

Edited by Greg Minuskin, 08 July 2012 - 04:34 PM.

Oh well, you win some and lose some!
Worst case scenario I can keep the aluminum jewel and re-sell the rest for parts and make back some of the lost money.

Oh well, you win some and lose some!
Worst case scenario I can keep the aluminum jewel and re-sell the rest for parts and make back some of the lost money.

That's the idea; the fun of our interest is the pursuit of finding what will make us happy, or correct for our needs. Always nice to see folks who are much more broad in their interpretations, and less focused on being in the right.

Oh well, you win some and lose some!
Worst case scenario I can keep the aluminum jewel and re-sell the rest for parts and make back some of the lost money.

@Jiffypens,

Id be more than interested in the pen as a whole. Please message me.

That aluminum jewel makes me think Argentina and replacemnt parts. That means the clear hood could be one as well. I don't trust 80% of the demo pens these days because they could be modern makes being sold by others as Vintage pens.

Why do you say after market parts? I think this pen needs a 47 barrel, and repair, if you want to make it a proper pen... correct?

Edited by brando090, 08 July 2012 - 11:23 PM.

That aluminum jewel makes me think Argentina and replacemnt parts. That means the clear hood could be one as well. I don't trust 80% of the demo pens these days because they could be modern makes being sold by others as Vintage pens.

Why do you say after market pens? I think this pen needs a 47 barrel, and repair, if you want to make it a proper pen... correct?

There are several issues in play per Rod's post.

The metal jewel- if original- evokes 1941. The barrel reportedly dates to 1948. There has been a flood of Ariel's custom metal jewels and custom double jewel blind caps of late, as well as transparent parts, not that I have looked at this pen closely enough to insist that any of the parts are of recent production.

Rod's point--- if I may take risk of mind-reading-- is that one must be... cautious... buying 51's these days

-d

Exactly David. I have looked at the reproductions and they are nice pens yet the hoods have a difference in the thickness of the material and the threads are longer. It is possible to tell the difference but if one buys with a no return then it becomes a hassle.

That aluminum jewel makes me think Argentina and replacemnt parts. That means the clear hood could be one as well. I don't trust 80% of the demo pens these days because they could be modern makes being sold by others as Vintage pens.

Why do you say after market pens? I think this pen needs a 47 barrel, and repair, if you want to make it a proper pen... correct?

There are several issues in play per Rod's post.

The metal jewel- if original- evokes 1941. The barrel reportedly dates to 1948. There has been a flood of Ariel's custom metal jewels and custom double jewel blind caps of late, as well as transparent parts, not that I have looked at this pen closely enough to insist that any of the parts are of recent production.

Rod's point--- if I may take risk of mind-reading-- is that one must be... cautious... buying 51's these days

-d

Thanks David,

I do know of the Ariel parts, which we are all grateful for, but in proper usage. Hmm, finding a 41' barrel would be hard if thats what one wants to do. Not me, i like the pen just the way it is

That's the 2nd time that pen has been auctioned. I bought it the first time and returned it for a refund as none of the above problems were noted in the description. The first year blind cap w/ aluminum jewel, the hood, and the red collector are original parts of a first year demo and the barrel has been replaced w/ a '48. Nib is mute first year missing the tipping. The seller said it had been purchased out of an estate. The pen looked to have been well used, so I assume the barrel was replaced somewhere along the way. Whoever replaced the barrel then severely sanded down the barrel/blind cap joint. The open end of the blind cap is way thinner than what you would normally find, which likely contributed to it cracking. The cap has a short clutch, plastic jewel, and non-first year clip.

That's the 2nd time that pen has been auctioned. I bought it the first time and returned it for a refund as none of the above problems were noted in the description. The first year blind cap w/ aluminum jewel, the hood, and the red collector are original parts of a first year demo and the barrel has been replaced w/ a '48. Nib is mute first year missing the tipping. The seller said it had been purchased out of an estate. The pen looked to have been well used, so I assume the barrel was replaced somewhere along the way. Whoever replaced the barrel then severely sanded down the barrel/blind cap joint. The open end of the blind cap is way thinner than what you would normally find, which likely contributed to it cracking. The cap has a short clutch, plastic jewel, and non-first year clip.

What do you mean by " The cap has a short clutch, plastic jewel, and non-first year clip?"

That's the 2nd time that pen has been auctioned. I bought it the first time and returned it for a refund as none of the above problems were noted in the description. The first year blind cap w/ aluminum jewel, the hood, and the red collector are original parts of a first year demo and the barrel has been replaced w/ a '48. Nib is mute first year missing the tipping. The seller said it had been purchased out of an estate. The pen looked to have been well used, so I assume the barrel was replaced somewhere along the way. Whoever replaced the barrel then severely sanded down the barrel/blind cap joint. The open end of the blind cap is way thinner than what you would normally find, which likely contributed to it cracking. The cap has a short clutch, plastic jewel, and non-first year clip.

What do you mean by " The cap has a short clutch, plastic jewel, and non-first year clip?"

Doing some research will help you quite a bit.... use the search function to learn a lot

That's the 2nd time that pen has been auctioned. I bought it the first time and returned it for a refund as none of the above problems were noted in the description. The first year blind cap w/ aluminum jewel, the hood, and the red collector are original parts of a first year demo and the barrel has been replaced w/ a '48. Nib is mute first year missing the tipping. The seller said it had been purchased out of an estate. The pen looked to have been well used, so I assume the barrel was replaced somewhere along the way. Whoever replaced the barrel then severely sanded down the barrel/blind cap joint. The open end of the blind cap is way thinner than what you would normally find, which likely contributed to it cracking. The cap has a short clutch, plastic jewel, and non-first year clip.

What do you mean by " The cap has a short clutch, plastic jewel, and non-first year clip?"

Doing some research will help you quite a bit.... use the search function to learn a lot

Got it, now it comes together It pretty odd why one in aluminum, and the other is plastic.

Whoever replaced the barrel then severely sanded down the barrel/blind cap joint.

After you mentioned this I looked at the photos again. The barrel does have a very strange profile to it. Somewhere past the middle of the barrel it sharply angles and becomes a smaller diameter.