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Newbie R & R Question-Parker '21'


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#1 mstrpete

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Posted 11 October 2012 - 04:31 PM

I recently acquired a Parker "21" which, while it fills and writes well, has a couple of issues. The clip is broken off, and the upper barrel is cracked at the threads. So, how hard is it to find and replace the clip, or should I look for a new cap? Also, how should I go about fixing the cracked upper barrel? I thought of pushing a tight-fitting aluminum sleeve over it. There's old cellophane tae on it now, which is just barely holding. The photo I have of it is too big to attach here, so I'll put one in the Gallery.
[http://fountainpenbo...eeding-repair/]


Thanks!

Edited by mstrpete, 11 October 2012 - 04:34 PM.


#2 david i

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Posted 11 October 2012 - 04:34 PM

I recently acquired a Parker "21" which, while it fills and writes well, has a couple of issues. The clip is broken off, and the upper barrel is cracked at the threads. So, how hard is it to find and replace the clip, or should I look for a new cap? Also, how should I go about fixing the cracked upper barrel? I thought of pushing a tight-fitting aluminum sleeve over it. There's old cellophane tae on it now, which is just barely holding. The photo I have of it is too big to attach here, so I'll put one in the Gallery. Thanks!


HI,

Gallery images can be placed in the post via cloning the BBC code line (one line of text from Gallery "Share Image"). Of note, crazy large images rarely help and eat up storage space and bandwidth. If you can just use any photo program to shrink image to about 1000 pixels wide. That will cut file size drastically. :)

regards

david
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Email: isaacson@frontiernet.net

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#3 mstrpete

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Posted 11 October 2012 - 04:41 PM

I'll try those things. Thanks.
Wow, that was huge.

Edited by mstrpete, 11 October 2012 - 04:43 PM.


#4 mstrpete

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Posted 11 October 2012 - 04:46 PM

Sorry, I can't seem to figure out how to resize the image.

Edited by mstrpete, 11 October 2012 - 04:47 PM.


#5 david i

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Posted 11 October 2012 - 04:50 PM

webkit-fake-url://214DDC29-B97F-49BF-8E0D-E47C16D9566C/image.tiff


Hi again,

I see part of the photo problem. You are using .tiff (TIF file) when you are saving image. This is a loss-less pure form of image. Drastically larger file size than the usual .jpg (JPEG). At ANY given size there is good chance your file is 10 times larger (not pixel count, but file size) than saving as a somewhat compressed JPG. The following should help for any images you use anywhere online... do go back to initial image and save it as a .jpg (JPEG), which likely will offer various compression options (mid level usually is fine, or #6 on scale of 1-12, 12 being best). Suspect the boardware will not let a .tiff into the post as it would slow pages from appearing d/t bulk of file. Online pretty much all hosted images everywhere is JPEG.

regards

david
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Email: isaacson@frontiernet.net

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#6 Dennis Lively

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Posted 11 October 2012 - 06:45 PM

A 21 barrel will crack if you break wind too hard next to it. I wouldn't try to fix the cap, source a new one. Start prowling ebay & you'll find a replacement barrel & cap eventually.

#7 Teej47

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Posted 11 October 2012 - 06:51 PM

A 21 barrel will crack if you break wind too hard next to it. I wouldn't try to fix the cap, source a new one. Start prowling ebay & you'll find a replacement barrel & cap eventually.


That would be pretty funny if it wasn't so utterly true. Fortunately 21s aren't hard to come by. The challenge is finding crack free examples.

Tim
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#8 david i

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Posted 11 October 2012 - 07:55 PM

I recently acquired a Parker "21" which, while it fills and writes well, has a couple of issues. The clip is broken off, and the upper barrel is cracked at the threads. So, how hard is it to find and replace the clip, or should I look for a new cap? Also, how should I go about fixing the cracked upper barrel? I thought of pushing a tight-fitting aluminum sleeve over it. There's old cellophane tae on it now, which is just barely holding. The photo I have of it is too big to attach here, so I'll put one in the Gallery.
["]http://fountainpenbo...eeding-repair/]


Thanks!


HI again,

Hate to say it, but this one sounds rather like a complete loss, with a couple parts left for the harvest (nib, filler). Parker 21's can be very nice writers, and the filling system is fairly bulletproof, and the pen resembles the vaunted "51", but it was a quite low-line pen and it is... fragile. Cracked plastic is a common finding. Offhand I don't recall if the metal top piece ("jewel") is threaded and replaceable as with Parker 51 (which allows clip swaps) or is press fit. These are not high-value pens, and you likely will pay as little for a replacement pen as you would to find parts pens to serve as donors. Indeed, what is a donor when you need pretty much everything but the guts of the pen. I would not be surprised if you can find a replacement intact and tolerable condition 21 on ebay for $20-30 or even for a lower price. Minty ones often are sold by dealer for $50-60 and stickered NOS often not much beyond that. I'm not sure you can hunt parts for less than cost of a basic replacement pen on the auction sites. . If pen has sentimental value, well of course that's something else. Otherwise, I'd toss the pen in the parts pile, as it will cost as much to get parts as to get a new pen. Someday, years from now, you will buy a pile of 20 pens, and there will be an intact 21 missing its guts, and you'll have the parts on hand to fix it. Or of course you can sell the parts pen on ebay and recoup some of your cost.

regards

david
David R. Isaacson MD. Website: VACUMANIA.com for quality old pens with full warranty.
Email: isaacson@frontiernet.net

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#9 mstrpete

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Posted 11 October 2012 - 10:36 PM

So, no harm if I play with it then. I don't have much into it now (got it and an orange "45" for $6), so I can consider this one a learner/donor pen. Good to know!

#10 mstrpete

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Posted 11 October 2012 - 10:37 PM

Oh, and "Save as JPEG" is good advice too. Thanks.




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