Jump to content


Photo

Which 51 filling system do you prefer ?


  • Please log in to reply
17 replies to this topic

#1 vintage penman

vintage penman

    journeyman

  • Members
  • 400 posts
  • LocationCambrian Mountains - Wales

Posted 19 March 2014 - 11:08 AM

Ok, so this might result in many shootings...

 

My preference is the Vacumatic every time. Why ? .... it just feels better somehow. 

 

Admittedly, the Aerometric is more reliable and arguably the better filling system but unscrewing the barrel and operating a glammed up squeeze filler somehow cheapens, to my mind at lleast , a rather upmarket pen. It just reminds me of Platignum / Scripto / Queensway / whatever other school pen you can think of

 

Could just be me going gaga.



#2 Rockyrod

Rockyrod

    journeyman

  • Members
  • 169 posts
  • LocationOklahoma

Posted 19 March 2014 - 01:43 PM

I am not so sure I would say the aerometric is more reliable, just easier to clean. For those of us who prefer the double jewel version of this pen, the VAC is the only choice to be made. 



Rod R.
USAF, Ret.

#3 Mike Hosea

Mike Hosea

    journeyman

  • Members
  • 135 posts

Posted 19 March 2014 - 06:33 PM

Seems that when newly restored, there would be little difference in reliability, but there would seem to be a reliability difference between using a 20 year-old latex vacumatic diaphragm and a 20 year-old Pli-Glass sac.  There aren't many pens that match the Parker "51" aerometric's ability to work as designed after sitting in a drawer or box for the better part of a half century.  But the aerometric has its problems over the long haul, to be sure, including corrosion of the breather tube, loss of sac transparency, and softening of the plastic connector where the PVC sac is attached, not to mention that the experience of actuating the filler seems so pedestrian that people do not draw a distinction between an aerometric filler and a squeeze-type cartridge converter. 



#4 welch

welch

    journeyman

  • Members
  • 104 posts
  • LocationNYC

Posted 19 March 2014 - 07:51 PM

Aerometric. It seems simpler (simple design is good design: my rule in computer systems). Aside from the breather tube, which, as Mike points out, can corrode or otherwise fail, the aerometric's pili-glass sac seems to last forever. At least, I've never heard of one wearing out, and I used to chat with our sorely-missed friend, Tom Mullane. In fact, one of the free benefits of having Tom repair a pen was the phone calI I would get...a treat when I had a private office because we could talk about kids, kids and pens, weird things he had found inside Parker 51s, people in the repair "industry" ("he's a big guy, so you'd never expect that he has such a delicate touch"). 

 

I've seen a 51 aero with a punctured sac, but not a worn-out sac.

 

Therefore, I expect an aero to work right from Ebay. I've been lucky with breather-tubes. Otherwise, the worst I've seen was a great "English" 51, teal medium nib, that had a block of ink dried solid in the sac. Couldn't begin to squeeze it. Must have been filled and left in a drawer fro twenty or thirty years. 

 

The P51 Vac...ah. Beautiful caps, but usually require someone (other than fumbly me) to re-sac them. 

 

*

 

An extra "data-point" on the raging question of whether some type of Noodlers ink turns an ink sac to goo: a few weeks ago, I asked Tim Girdler to tune a medium-nib P51 Vac. I write almost always with Diamine Sapphire, or Akkerman-equivalent. Noodler's blues don't appeal to my purple-preferring taste. Tim cleaned the gunk and found remains that look like Diamine, as I expected.. So, if Mike is still keeping score, here's a sac that had one of the friendliest inks but still mushed. 


Edited by welch, 19 March 2014 - 07:54 PM.


#5 Rocco P

Rocco P

    journeyman

  • Members
  • 208 posts
  • LocationItaly, Rome

Posted 19 March 2014 - 08:11 PM

Are there silicon vac sacs for sale? If there were, it would be possible to avoid resaccing pens every few years. I've started storing pens without sacs...

--

Rocco


#6 Inkysloth

Inkysloth

    journeyman

  • Members
  • 166 posts
  • LocationLondon, UK

Posted 20 March 2014 - 09:13 AM

Are there silicon vac sacs for sale? If there were, it would be possible to avoid resaccing pens every few years. I've started storing pens without sacs...


I think there's an issue with silicone's flexibility or something that means it isn't particularly suitable for the Vacumatic mechanism. I am willing to be corrected on this if this isn't right, though.
My prints and cards: http://www.etsy.com/shop/Inkysloth

#7 Mastersmith043

Mastersmith043

    journeyman

  • Members
  • 106 posts

Posted 20 March 2014 - 06:24 PM

I like the durability of the Aerometric but for functional use, I don't really mind either way. 


Check out my fledgling pen blog: http://kimballspens.blogspot.com


#8 John Danza

John Danza

    ADVISOR

  • ADVISORS
  • 909 posts

Posted 20 March 2014 - 09:24 PM

 

Are there silicon vac sacs for sale? If there were, it would be possible to avoid resaccing pens every few years. I've started storing pens without sacs...


I think there's an issue with silicone's flexibility or something that means it isn't particularly suitable for the Vacumatic mechanism. I am willing to be corrected on this if this isn't right, though.

 

That's my understanding as well. Silicone will compress but really doesn't stretch and return reliably to it's original size and shape. The compression works great for sacs, but lack of stretch pretty much kills it for a Vac diaphragm.



John Danza


"Positive attitude makes for good decisions, but bad decisions make for great stories."

 

 

6080b6b0-840c-4c9c-aea6-5fb1f5d30e96_zps

 


#9 Lordrdx666

Lordrdx666

    greenhorn

  • Members
  • PipPip
  • 11 posts

Posted 07 June 2014 - 08:34 AM

Aeromatic filler - it's easy to fill
PIL glass sacs are more hardy and the aeromatic fillers are easier to flush and clean also

#10 Parker Quink Turquoise

Parker Quink Turquoise

    journeyman

  • Members
  • 148 posts
  • LocationNova Scotia,Canada

Posted 08 June 2014 - 12:59 PM

 I guess I would go with the Vac.Just kind of more fun to fill.



#11 Wahl

Wahl

    journeyman

  • Members
  • 210 posts
  • LocationMadrid, Spain

Posted 08 June 2014 - 03:03 PM

Aerometric for me, "keep it simple ....."



#12 Frank(Federalist Pens)

Frank(Federalist Pens)

    journeyman

  • Members
  • 436 posts
  • LocationNew Jersey (USA)

Posted 08 June 2014 - 07:23 PM

++ on Aerometric!


"When, in the course of writing events, it becomes self-evident that not all pens are created equal"  (Federalist Frank)

 

We sell quality, known brands at reasonable prices!!

(Use forum code "FPC" to receive an additional discount of 5%!)

 

http://www.federalistpensonline.com (Online Pen Store)

 

Like Us on Facebook!

 

Follow our Group(s) at Linked-In!


#13 Norm

Norm

    journeyman

  • Members
  • 237 posts

Posted 08 June 2014 - 09:30 PM

I have to say I like the double jeweled vac with the blue diamond clip.



#14 entertainment

entertainment

    Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 67 posts

Posted 09 June 2014 - 01:00 AM

The lack of a blind cap on the aerometric makes it look more modern and elegant to me, as does the simpler arrow clip.  I also prefer the more reliable filling system.  The vacumatic fill version of the P51 carries over too many of the attributes of the Vacumatic to make it seem as iconic as the design of the aerometric version.


Edited by entertainment, 09 June 2014 - 01:01 AM.


#15 Lordrdx666

Lordrdx666

    greenhorn

  • Members
  • PipPip
  • 11 posts

Posted 09 June 2014 - 04:11 AM

The lack of a blind cap on the aerometric makes it look more modern and elegant to me, as does the simpler arrow clip. I also prefer the more reliable filling system. The vacumatic fill version of the P51 carries over too many of the attributes of the Vacumatic to make it seem as iconic as the design of the aerometric version.


Yup that's the case

#16 Norm

Norm

    journeyman

  • Members
  • 237 posts

Posted 09 June 2014 - 12:02 PM

The lack of a blind cap on the aerometric makes it look more modern and elegant to me, as does the simpler arrow clip.  I also prefer the more reliable filling system.  The vacumatic fill version of the P51 carries over too many of the attributes of the Vacumatic to make it seem as iconic as the design of the aerometric version.

That is precisely why I like the older design.  The newer, sleeker design looks too much like an ordinary ball point. Your use elegant fits the second definition. My idea of elegant for this pen fits the first definition

 

el·e·gant
ˈeləgənt/
adjective
 
  1. pleasingly graceful and stylish in appearance or manner.
    "she will look elegant in black"
    synonyms: stylishgracefultastefulsophisticatedclassicchicsmartfashionable,modishMore
     
     
     
     
       
    • (of a scientific theory or solution to a problem) pleasingly ingenious and simple.
      "the grand unified theory is compact and elegant in mathematical terms"
      synonyms: neatsimpleeffective

Edited by Norm, 09 June 2014 - 12:24 PM.


#17 EvanG

EvanG

    greenhorn

  • Members
  • PipPip
  • 20 posts

Posted 10 June 2014 - 10:36 AM

My answer is : "yes"

Both are great for the reasons noted above.

#18 Christof Z

Christof Z

    journeyman

  • Members
  • 390 posts
  • LocationConfoederatio Helvetica

Posted 10 June 2014 - 11:39 AM

In fact, the Vacumatic filler holds more ink than the Aerometric. A real plus in my opinion.

And, as already said here, the only possibility for someone who prefers the double jewel design.
Interestingly enough, Parker did continue on this design element again for the Parker 61, so I wouldn't call it old fashioned at all...

10593555666_9a793502df_b.jpg

My favourite design is that of these transitional pens, made in 1948, with both, double jewel and arrow clip design.

8470834000_bbf0edd2bc_b.jpg

C.




0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users