Parker 51 2021 Reissue • Fountain Pen Review
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ก.พ. 2021
- My take on the 2021 reissue of the Parker 51.
I purchased the pen for this review from Pen Chalet.
Intro: 0:10
Overview & Design: 1:37
Nib (and comparison to Jotter's nib): 8:35
Specifications: 9:14
Size Comparisons: 12:15
Thoughts on Price (present and historical): 12:25
Writing Sample: 16:33
Final Thoughts & Quote of the Day: 18:43
Other pens in this review:
Parker Jotter: amzn.to/3su87qg
Wing Sung 601a: amzn.to/37U23zr
Jinhao 85: ebay.us/K9QjDQ
Ink - Diamine Oxford Blue: amzn.to/3dLmUsy
______________________
Looking for a great beginner's pen or a gift for someone? Check out my Beginner's pens list on Amazon: www.amazon.com/shop/jg3reviews
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
You can follow me on Instagram: @jg3_reviews
If you've got a pen or related items you would like to submit for review, you can contact me at JG3Reviews@gmail.com.
I wished if they had produced a premium P51 with all the top quality materials, just like they did with the Parker 100 a few years back.
Great review James and a lot of thanks for so illustrative video. I'm waiting so anxious your review of Jinhao 85
While it was a nice try, I'm not interested in dropping $80+ on a Jotter/Vector with slightly better resin and a worse cap. The lack of even a converter at this price point stuck the fork in it for me.
Wing Sung 601/601A smokes this one with better cap, better filling system, and ink windows at less than 1/3 the cost. Swap for the pump filler for under $5 and you have a real winner for under $25.
Dear Sir, this video was so useful and I'm going to buy one next month. Thanks for uploading & Best wishes from SOUTH Korea!
The quote at the end was fantastic!!
Nice objective review. A few comments: The pen is not labeled Made In France. France on the cap band indicates Parker is a French company. In the early 50s, Parket sold a $10 - 51, it had a converter & an Octanium nib (considered better than steel nib). The upper end was $13.50. I do like the "51" design. I like some of the modern interpretations even better. This reissue is not one I like, not from experience but from what I see. I wish Parker success with the 51, just won't get any of my money.
Thanks for the additional insight. I've read and heard multiple times it's made at their joint factory in France with Waterman. Is there any documentation that's not so? I'm going to address the Jinhao 85 similarities and differences soon. If they subcontracted it to Jinhao, they went out of their way in some details to throw off the trail (successfully or not).
@@JG3Reviews I have no proof of where the pen is made. And for me, not a significant attribute. From my understanding of branding, France does not mean made in France. Looking forward to the 85 comparison.
I just received my Parker 51 new generation gold nib today from a Canadian retailer (I live in Canada). It included a Parker converter for the pen, as well as two cartridges (one black ink, one blue). So far, it seems to be a good writer and personally I like the style, look and feel of it. I am happy with my purchase but did enjoy your review.
Thank you for the review Sir
Hi James, thank you for the great review. Yesterday I received from Pure Pens, here in the UK, my first Jinhao. It's a51a and i have to say It's fantastic. Beautiful marble black and white acrylic and a convertor and it was £9.95. I have just tried it for the first time and it writes superbly. I was so excited about the 51 reissue and now I'm not sure. I love the look of the pen and like you I have a jotter with an excellent medium nib. But £80 and no convertor does go against the grain. For Christmas my mother bought me a Parker Sonnet and that had a convertor (albeit the plastic push pull type).So I'm not sure. I have a vintage 51 but have always struggled a bit with aerometric fillers. Surely it's not too much to ask the include a convertor in an £80 pen
It's an overpriced jotter without a slip cap. I'm going to avoid this pen.
Same here Parker is a very weird company
I agree. I do like the design though, so… I’m actually considering buying a Jinhao 86 and save a bunch of money
It's outrageous that Parker is trying to hoodwink modern people into buying this "reissue." They took a Jotter and added what amounts to a hooded mod to the section. Apparently, you can even swap parts between them. It has none of the technology that the vintage P51 has. All of the changes are, in my opinion, much to the detriment of the pen. The original slipcap was an innovation. My vintage 51s never dry out. This is probably greatly helped by the ink collector in them -- another half-century old innovation that Parker left out of their new version. Even the injection molded plastic they made this new pen out of is inferior to the original lucite. You covered the issues with lousy new filling mechanism quite well, so I'll leave that final indignity alone.
When you can easily get a restored, vintage P51 for around $100, or a Wing Sung knock off for $10, I can't think of a single reason to buy this. It's such a shame to see a company fall this far.
I couldn't agree more.
Cash grab.
I can think of one reason to purchase: the simple act of buying it and adding it to the collection. It gives some insight into what the product design department at Parker is thinking. Manufacturing is an art. I think that this homage is probably the product of a talented set of individuals trying to satisfy both the consumer and the production capacity they have at their disposal.
@@justyclacky i can't agree with you, but i hope you enjoy your pens.
@@pastelpinkfairy there are chinese companies making pens much more interesting for much less. I'm sure it could have been shipped out to them if parker were stuck.
I always hit like before I've ever even watched the video James! God bless you bro 😁
You, too. Have a great weekend!
@@JG3Reviews Thank you! I may consider purchasing a Parker 51 with a medium nib. You always make the decision easy for me. I purchased a Parker Jotter (my son's name is Parker) but, it was a fine and I just didn't like it, I am a medium nib guy as well so, I gave it to my son.
Just discovered your channel and really enjoy your reviews. This pen is 50% more than a Lamy Studio in the UK. The Jotter and Vector were my entry to the FP world back during school some 20+ years ago. I now have 7 Parker aero and vac 51s, and after watching your review, it's made me want to get a Jotter again. What an odd result!
Glad you're enjoying the channel! I can understand that, the Jotter is a pen that I've liked far more than I thought I would.
Really miss old Parker 51 fountain pen😭😭😭😭. Old is gold
I prefer the Sonnet... 18k nib!
A Parker 51 is not a Parker 51 without a slip cap. The twist cap with threads just break up the clean lines. A shame. 😩
I don't mind it, but I agree that I much prefer the threadless look.
@@JG3Reviews why do you prefer the threadless look? Apart from the metal on plastic issue, is it solely because it doesn’t stay faithful to the original?
It's more that I prefer the feel of the original with no step or threads, and I do like the sleeker lines, too.
@@JG3Reviews Ah yes, I never even thought of the actual feel to the touch while writing. Indeed, the threads also go counter the sleek design of the concept behind this pen.
With regard to the former, I assume the higher-priced threaded pens do not have any similar issues, as they usually have a bigger section, and therefore bigger grip, so that your hand wouldn't come in to contact with the threads. Correct?
@@kencur9690 The original pull off cap is faster. Even with just one turn to screw open the cap, the pull and push action still makes it quicker for note taking. I take a lot of notes during meetings and it does make a significant difference in reaction time. When I was using my Pelikan, I always just rest the pen inside the cap without screwing for the very reason.
Furthermore the original pen is very streamlined. I think the Lamy 2000 borrowed a lot of its design concepts from the 51. The new one just doesn't look right from the side.
The threads of the screw cap pens are always a nuisance, but they are not really that much a big deal. The issue is that it doesn't fit the design of the the Parker 51. The original design is very streamlined overall, this new design having screws on the body really breaks down the lines and visual simplicity. I hate the fact they also put a fake metal band which serves no purpose on the reissue, other than to mimic a very functional part of the original. I would have been happier if they just removed the metal band all together, or use a thinner ring of a better quality (like those found on late issue 51s and 61s) if they really decided to change the cap and section design. It just screams laziness.
I picked up a 21st Century Parker 51 in Midnight blue just like yours. Sprung for a converter as well. It's a nice writer, as an owner of 16 vintage Parker 51's from the mid 1940s to early 1970s made in the USA, Canada and the UK, i knew I wasn't getting a clone of a vintage pen. I was looking for a nice even day carry and this fill the bill.
So it is a hard choice....even if the nib is the same in the Jotter or Vector, the feeling of holding it may be different because of the shape of the grip....so maybe tryin to accomodate with the nib first in the cheaper versions and then go for the 51* will be the solution....hmmm, interesting topic....thank you J for clearing that out for us!
I agree 100% that the Jotter medium nib is underrated. Very reliable and smooth with the right ink. But it is too small. The 51 size pairs well. As to sticker shock, the manufacturer cost is likely less than it was back in the day. Price is too high for what the pen is - rather than what it is trying to be. Helpful review!
I bought a new and french manufacture Jotter (CT) set a year ago. The fountain pen with a good medium nib. It always works at the first time. It always works the first time. And it still hasn't dried up or failed me once.
But the Jotter set cost me over $30 on a local stationery store. (!)
I got a burgandy P51 with a Fine nib for 40€. 😁. I love it. My box came with 2 cartridges (black and a blue) I emptied the blue bc I really don’t like the ‘school’ ink. I then filled it with Diamine Writer’s Blood. Matches the pen colour. I like that it gives a choice between converter and cartridge. Also this 51 writes so much smoother than my Jotters. (Jotters are also much smaller than the 51) Only thing I would prefer is a snap cap but I guess they made a screw cap so that the body and top are almost the same thickness. It more comfortable to hold the pen for long sessions. Oh and a metal body would be great. 😄
So to everyone who would like a 51 but think it’s too expensive… keep an eye out on Amazon. I was looking at a teal one but that was 57€ on sale. It was in and out of my basket. And one day i see this burgandy for 40€ 😁
You nailed it! 👍🏻
helpful review my friend!
Yes I totally agree with the points you made about the lack of a converter and warranty card, support literature. My father had the previous 51 so the reissue is quite an emotional, nostalgic experience. My Monteverde fountain pens all come well presented in quality boxes with 2 cartridges and the rest.I’m still undecided about which to get in terms of the steel or deluxe. That will depend on price and difference in the writing experience. I hope the pen itself is a must have classic for me as a collector.
Oh Parker! The shame of it all. Who is the head honcho who signed off on this project? Fire the nit! Cheap nib, cheap feed, awkward hood, screw cap, plastic thread on metal thread, no converter, overpriced for the offering. Shows a big disrespect to the heritage of the 51. Maybe they need to hire Jinhao or Wing Sung who can make make it better!
I'll be hanging on to my vintage Parkers, Thank you!
@Q-Vision Studios ... Well said!
Would you say this pen is eyedropper convertible? I saw a bit of metal on the section but not if there were metal threads.
And then, there is Wing Sung....
Elephants in the room 😊 James you slay me ! Are Messrs Parker penny pinching, I ask myself ?
Great video!
Hey, James, I really like your videos! Thank you!
You brought an interesting and fair point to the table when you talked about the inflation. However we should keep in mind that the means of producing things also evolved in a way to make products much, much cheaper. The amount of manual labor might be much inferior, the machines makes more, faster, better and cheaper. There is just much more knowledge on how to make this. Said that, I still think this pen is overpriced for what it is. And I also think they should have got a different route altogether about this pen. There is a lot to be discussed about this pen, much more I could say, but these are just my 2 cents, as Americans say.
Thanks again for the videos. Keep up with the good work!
Are all Parker converters compatible with all models?
I mean, are for instance old Parker converters from the 90's (i.e. Parker Sonnet) compatible with current 2021 Parker 51?
I'm asking because I tried to fit a converter from a 90's Sonnet into a modern 2021's 51 and it looks like I need to push hard (slimmer body on the 51? / thicker diameter on the old converter?), but I didn't to avoid damaging any of both.
My apologies for lagging in responding. I believe that the converter should be compatible. There are some pens (I think older) that need a slim converter, but most are compatible with the Parker Deluxe converter.
@@JG3Reviews
Ok thanks! 👍🏻
So it's normal that tightness?
I was only briefly tempted to buy the 18k gold nib deluxe model of this new P51. But I quickly decided that the asking price was gratuitous and cooled off buying it. I’m certain I did right.
But later, I decided to get the steel nib one out of sheer curiosity and desire to at least own, touch and use the pen myself and then decide how I truly felt about it. So, I received my burgundy CT w/M nib, just yesterday. Despite all the near- universal derision on forums and TH-cam comment sections. and indeed my own misgivings, I’d say I’m quite pleased I have the pen. It is decently built, looks pretty in its own right and the steel nib writes just well enough. A little dry for my tastes, which I maybe remedied with the splendidly wet-flowing KWZ Maroon #2 ink. My first impressions, so far.
I reckon I’m going to be happier with the new P51 if I ditched the purist prejudices and simply treated the pen on its own merits. It’s a modern reissue and homage to the classic original. Different, but decent and acceptable on its own.
I will unreservedly always prefer my pair of vintage P51s. I’m certain of that. But I’m almost as certain that I did the right thing in deciding to buy the new 51. I’ve bought lesser pens for a similar price . So, I’m not carping too much over this at all.
TBH, for the same price of the delux (gold) version, you can purchase a mint NOS vintage Parker 51, that is just better in all aspects.
@@tonglianheng ..Oh, I know. I don’t doubt that at all. I’d say you could buy a vintage mint P51 for even less than what the modern deluxe P51 costs.
Very good video, thank you for your explanation! Every time I pick up Jinhao 85, I feel that the new Parker 51 is not worth the price. I think the new Parker 51 should be compared with Jinhao 86, both of which are plastic.😅😅 Pen lover from China.❤
Just got my Parker 51 new edition, two cardridges included. So far I love the pen. I have quite a few Jotters and it feels like the 51 is a smoother than my Jotters - less feedback, if that's possible. On the expensive side however.
To give parker their due, *_they_* do not describe it as a cartridge converter pen but many people just assume that it is. Converters are not mentioned at all on Parker's website with any pens' descriptions, neither are they listed as an item that is available, only cartridges are listed.
Fair if that website has been around at the time of pre-order. But in the original announcements, and through their retailers, cartridge/converter is how it was promoted.
Well done review, thanks. On the whole, I prefer the Wing Sung.
Following my previous comment and against my better judgement, i saw a 2021 P51 (standard) practically half price on Amazon so I took the plunge. It arrived today. I couldn't really call myself a Parker fanboy in general, and a Parker 51 fanboy in particular, if I didn't get one of these. First impressions : I like the single turn to uncap, compared to the 3 turns of the J85. I always post but this gets quite back weighted when I do: the biggest niggle though is that there is a kind of rattle if I flick the body. I've fitted a deluxe converter and it's definitely completely mated and secure, but somehow it's as if it makes contact with the inside of the barrel when impact or vibration happens. Not a show stopper - impacting the pen is likely to dump ink after all - but definitely weird. Just spotted one nice feature though. I have to be very intentional but if I orient the medium nib exactly right, there is some great natural line variation to be had. It almost writes like a 1.1 stub. It's a definite sweet spot and I need to go looking for it, but it's there.
So do I regret my impulse purchase? No. Do I prefer it to a vintage P51? No. Do I think it harms, spoils or taints the reputation of the classic 51? Maybe. Should they have left well alone? YES.
They could do something special and reissued a classic pen the way Pilot has done with the reissue of the Pilot Elite.
Instead they upgraded the Jotter. I wouldn’t even mind if they wouldn’t be calling it 51, but this way it’s just misleading.
3:36
"Where is the converter?" That voice 🤣
A great review, James. Parker's problem? They got so much _right_ with the Aerometric 51, improving it is hard. A steel nib in a 51*? Well, we all own steel-nibbed Chinese pens, superb writers but cheap for lack of 'prestige'. I'm handling a P51 with gold nib, rolled-gold cap, (original) Pli-glass sac and leak-free, smooth and reliable performance. A little younger than my 70 years, it looks and feels a bit special (which sadly I don't) and will appreciate. Will the P51*? Of course, pristine Vacs and Aeros still exist in abundance to satisfy demand.
You are right to the point, even crazier is the fact a pristine condition NOS vintage Parker 51 with rolled gold cap and 14k nib is cheaper today than the delux reissue. And they are not hard to find at all.
Hello! Thank you for your review! I am a big fan of the vintage Parker pens, particularly the 51 and the 75 models. I have a Jotter and I really don't like it's medium nib. By watching your video, I decided that I am not going to buy this new pen.
the fine nib skips and hard starts a lot, maybe I'll give the medium jotter a try
Im late to this, but thank you for warning me... I already have the whole Jotter London collection, which I love & it seems I have enough of the same nib, though, I have two Originals with a fine nib that I had yet to test... Also, I almost died laughing when you showed the cartridge. As much as I love Parker, it is always depressing to get that ~1ml of "Boring Blue" with every pen. They should bring back the red & green inks.
I think the cap vents needed to be added to meet federal regulations. The jotter fountain pen cap also has a hold tucked away under the clip. Personally on that one i wish they tucked it away a little higher under the plumbing of the arrow but it doesnt change the fact of the hole existing to make the cap a not choking hazard.
I think that it's interesting that it's not shown on the Parker website at all. Seems suspect to me...
Is it overpriced? I think so, too. And I completely agree that the companies that don't throw in a converter that would only take a couple of bucks to include should add them. If a Chinese company can add them to an under $2 pen...
I think that it's the whole mythos around the original Parker 51 that has actually kept me away from the brand in general. I'm not a big fan of the aerometric filling system, and though there's Vacuumatic ones, I still haven't gotten any.
It's not the stiff, hooded nibs. I have several that have them, and though I have mainly open nibs, I absolutely love my Wing Sung 6100 with the hooded nib. (And I found a seller carrying them again!) Stiff doesn't bother me. I love my Esterbrook J with a manifold nib (ultra stiff for carbon copies) as well.
I'm just not sure if I can get past a pen that is that polarising, new or old. Do I like my vintage pens? Absolutely. Wouldn't have the number of Esterbrook pens I have, or my 1940s Wahl-Eversharp Skyliners, or even my c. 1912 Mabie Todd Swan. It's not the looks, the filling system, the hooded nib. Just not that enamoured with the whole package.
I'm pretty sure that there's many that love them. But, there's plenty of other pens out there, so I can have my own opinions and get ones that I like. 😁 And the Esterbrook pens were throwaway until about 10-15 years ago, so I may change my mind. 😁 (Those are because my first good fountain pen was an Esterbrook J barn find. Guess they "imprinted" on me, or something. 😉) I am glad that I got to see a review from someone who actually paid for the pen, instead of a glorified advertisement "review" like some do. Thanks for sharing this, and have a blessed week ahead! God bless!
It is on their website now. It wasn't at the beginning of February. In the middle of February it showed up on the site.
For something that was supposed to be released in September the planning seems to be horrible. It also seems at first the dealers seemed to be the ones promoting it.
The converter is in the gold nib pens. And the cartridges and converters are a not standard size so you can't just buy anything and have it fit.
I bought a Waterman Allure from Amazon. Cheapest Waterman I could find that was prime. It came with a very nice pamphlet on caring and using the pen. Only one cartridge but Waterman uses standard size cartridges and converters so you can get them anywhere. ( I know there is in fact slight differences in the standards. )
If Parker Pens introduced the original 51 in this same way they would not sold very many pens and would have gone out of business a long, long time ago.
Whoever is responsible for this horribly planned and executed introduction should be fired.
My dad has a gold Parker 51 from 1949. The pen works great and the cap clutch ring and aerometric filler work great even after 71 years.
I wonder about where it actually made. Are the parts made in china and assembled in France to put that origin on it??
Thanks for all of your great reviews and videos. 😀😀😀
@@nancymilawski1048 I looked at the Parker website right before I posted, and didn't see them. Maybe they only showed it a little time?
*Edit*
I finally located it. After a lot of digging around on both Google and the Parker website.
@@paulherman5822 I looked again just before I answered because I wanted to double check. They don't have any intelligence about promoting a new product.
I think it should of been updated as soon as dealer's were allowed to accept preorders.
😀😀
@@paulherman5822 It's there on the website as clearly as any other pen right next to the Sonnet! No "digging" is required at all, just click on 'Collections' and there it is.
@@nickturner2813 Funny enough, it wasn't that easy. I tried, that way, first. Didn't find it. Then, took 3 pages of a Google search for Parker 51 2021 before the Parker website even showed. So, yeah, I had to dig a little. The promotion seems like it was all by sellers, and not Parker at all.
One of my main issues with it is the fact we have metal on plastic threads. I believe this should not be a threaded pen, specially metal on plastic.
I also don’t like the shape of the plastic around the nib. The old 51 had a much more elegant hood, and Jinhao and Wing Sung copy it really well. The new shape was already all over the place with inexpensive unbranded Chinese pens.
I own 3 vintage Parker 51s. This pen doesn't hold a candle to them, especially the "hood" that looks as if it were copied from an Aurora duo cart. Also, the original "51" had a tubular nib. The silver band below the barrel's threads is unadorned & makes the pen look cheap.
This is more based on the Parker 21. It has a very similar hood section.
The Deluxe model comes with 2 cartriges instead of one and, not unexpectedly, with no converter, but with an 18k gold nib.
The best nib material is 14k, but due to French law forbidding anything lower than 18k to be called "gold", unfortunately more and more modern pens today utilises 18k nibs, which are more stiff and would bend rather than spring if too much force is applied.
It’s unfortunate that a broad nib is not available
You say that line variation is not an expectation. However, with my Parker 51 from the 1950s, I have some lovely, subtle line variation - not because of any flexibility in the nib, but because of the shape of the tip of the nib, which is different from that in the new 51. (Similarly with my EF Sailor 1911, which writes very differently from my old Parker, I also get subtle line variation. Why would I expect this to produce lines like a mediocre ballpoint, particularly with an expensive gold nib?) In short, I find the nib on the NEW 51 (18K gold, in the deluxe version) totally nondescript. Moreover, mine created slight jagged ridges on diagonal lines - not due to any excessive pressure. It's not a pen I would use in its present form. All in all, it's a huge disappointment - and a costly one at that. I've sent it to my pensmith to see what he can do with it.
Wow, not even the standard Parker
brochure! That it's even in the box of the cheapest pen they have, the jotter!
The cap on the Parker 51 2021 is very similar to the cap on the Parker Sonnet.
I believe it is the same nib and feed as the jotter. It is essentially a jotter dressed up to look like a Parker 51. Other than the looks it has none of the innovation and technology used on the original, no collector, special tubular nib, spring loaded pull cap etc. Even the plastic used look and feel cheaper than the original...
With the original, because the way it was designed for super quick drying Superchrome and Parker51 inks, it meant that with modern ink the pen will not dry out uncapped for a long time (I left mine uncapped for 10minutes and it still wrote with a wet line when I picked it up), thanks to the true hooded nib and the large collector behind it. The reissue will dry out just as fast as a normal fountain pen.
Nothing wrong with the Jotter, it is a good pen, but it is also not a Parker 51, no amount of Halloween fancy dress costume will make it a Parker 51.
@@tonglianheng Well yes you are correct the new Parker 51 under the hood has probably the same nib and feed.
Related to price, you will think it is cheap if you are in some area where authority sells it with 2.5 time more expensive than in the US...
True. Price variance by locale is one of the more complicated issues to tackle when talking about the value of a pen.
For 30€ i would buy one, because i like the look of this pen. But for the 90€ that this pen actually costs in Germany, i'll stick to my Jotters! ;)
I received a 80ml bottle of Diamine Oxford Blue today and looking forward to trying it out. Probably not in this pen as no plans of wasting $80 on a Parker 51 reissue, many other good pens to buy in this price range.
Moonman make a machined acrylic steel nib pen for so much less than this thing. Cheaper price and could accept this but just feels they grabbed the cash here.
Price? Fine nib available?
Yes, fine is available. A quick search shows the prices in the US are around $80+, which I think is way overpriced for the pen in light of serious competition.
Parker 51 is so iconic that Chinese manufacturers have been copying this design for at least 40 years already. When I was born in 1990, Hero’s knockoff version of the 51 is the pen that you can find in every Chinese household. As a matter of fact, most Chinese people think this is Hero’s original pen simply because Hero have been making them forever.
Not packing some new (and innovative) rendition of the old features of the classic 51 in this reincarnation has been the bane of the reissued Parker 51. I will buy this pen not because I am intrigued by this new pen, but because I love the old pen, and am happy to add to my collection a contemporary Parker 51 (made by the Parker pen company)! These things make an interesting juxtaposition, and let you see the saga of the most famous pen of the world. But my sentiment for shelling out money to buy this pen can be traced to my being a collector. Will it appeal to the new fountain pen user who wishes to purchase just one good pen? Maybe yes, maybe no. The lack of a slip cap, and a conventional converter make it handy for the newbies to the world of fountain pens. For a French made article which carries heritage and a logo of great renown, the pen is perhaps not too expensive. Its Chinese doppelgängers have been around for a long time, and their manufacturers are ever putting out aggressive designs (refined and better in some cases, of course) based on the same old Parker 51 at rock-bottom prices, and probably will continue to do so. After all these years the bankruptcy of the Chinese design school beggars belief! They are simply not the right substitute for a real Parker, and therefore cannot be compared except in a pure utilitarian sense. A Parker 51 is more than just a writing instrument, and the intangible aspects of the brand has to be factored in before discarding it as a poor current interpretation of a great pen.
So I think they should have not made a steel nib version and just park the gold nib version at $180 because that puts it inline with other entry level gold nib pens (Also the Aurora Duocart, which is a reissue of a knock off of the Parker 51, which is a steel nib pen that MSRPs at 180 but you can get for 150-ish). I own the Deluxe, it's a fantastic writer but I agree the price point is a bit off.
I can see that. I was thinking, as I read through the comments, that some other good comparisons would be to the Lamy Studio (steel). The steel version definitely should not be above the Studio (it is), and should be at least $15-20 cheaper based on materials and craftsmanship comparisons. Another pen that comes to mind is the low end gold-nibbed Pilot VP/Capless. That I paid (at a good discount) less for my Pilot Capless through a Japanese retailer illustrates how far off the pricing is to me. $180 for the gold-nibbed version would certainly be more in line with competition.
Seriously, if the screw cap is about making a better seal, why would the cap be vented at the end? Everything about this pen is flim-flam.
Screw cap is to make people feel the pen is more upmarket. It has nothing to do with seal. These days screw caps are generally associated with the more expensive pens. The most true modern incarnation of the Parker 51 cap design (other than the Chinese Parker 51 clones and relatives) is the Lamy 2000.
At 3:30, I can feel your anger, James. 🙃
😆
I had an original 51 back in the late 60's when I was in school. Didn't think a whole lot of it then. Still don't.
First, where can I get myself a JG3 coffee cup? Another reviewer, Doug Rathburn makes the argument that the new P51 was licensed to JinHao months ago and sold as a Jinhao 85. At the price point I see benefits to purchasing many other pens. (Especially when I can buy a pen with a custom ground nib for less!)
That's definitely not the case because of many small similarities between the two. Most notably, the Jinhao 85 actually has a tubular nib vs the new 51's regular nib.
So what made the Parker 51 ( original ) , according to Parker ( and the crowd ) the working all build in filling mechanism, the hooded nib with good feed and buffer , the Quink ink, the innovative ( for 1940's ) plastic construction , the easy use fast retrieving pull off / push on cap , this new one is all counter to that. While one can excuse the C/C replacing the build in filling mechanism I think its not really to Parker's benefit to do away with the others.
Its selling as nostalgia , but as a pen its quite over priced, and one must ask if those money could goto a more PEN kind of a pen in the Wing Sung or just go buy a fairly decent original Parker 51
I think Parker has long lost the production line for the original Parker 51 and they are not going to restart just for a limited edition. I kind of understand why they did what they did: they just wanted to capitalise on the Parker 51 brand name with minimal investment and existing parts and tooling from their standard product lines. They can only get away with it because they are called "Parker" so they get the right to define what a new Parker 51 mean, if any other manufacturer produced a "replica" like this, no one would have bought them, and the reviewers will be much less kind.
what a Parker Square of a pen
So what I'm gathering is is that the manufacturer really ticked him off but the pins really great they just have to put directions in there and it converter because otherwise they're doing a piss poor job and they know it and if they don't know it I think you'd be nice if we told them.
I’m ok with the nib on the vector. It’s ok but not outstanding but at £10 it’s more than acceptable but at £75 I’d expect better and at £199 it’s got stiff competition from cheaper and well loved pens like the pilot VP or Lamy 2K. Competition of which I’d rather buy over this from the sounds, even on the steel side it has pilot metro/MR (for the vector) and platinum curidas both I think are better value and better nibs. I think the nibs are fine but that’s all they are.
Agreed. I have a base model VP and the Lamy 2000, and I wouldn't put this pen, steel or gold nib, in the same category at all, even though I'm not as soured by it as many others.
@@JG3Reviews same, I’m a Parker fan with my vector and my sonnet but I think this can’t compete with the current crop of pens. It’s gone into 2 price brackets that I see better options and that’s without trying the 51. Overall I’m disappointed with the offering and will probably give it a skip or give lamy a call.
Don't compare the price of the new 51 with steel nibs to an older one if previously 51s had gold nibs.
I compared to a non-gold pen. The golds were 50% more.
@@JG3Reviews my point was that the new 51s are more expensive in real, inflation adjusted dollars than the original versions, and not nearly as distinctive or high quality. I'm a fan and owner of two vintage 51s, as well as a serviceable Hero 616, and this pen does not beckon me. Sorry, Parker (full disclosure, I first dabbled with fps in the early 80s with a pair of Vectors, my first serious fp was a 75 purchased new in 1987, and my go-to for many years was a mid-90s Duofold, so I really wanted to like the new release).
Ah, got ya. 👍🏻
IMO Parker really parked it with this one. Banking on legacy alone to sell a re-dressed at a premium feels like a wallet made decision. Nice video!
I'd rather buy another Hero 616.
Edited to say: I just have!
Hero nibs arent very smooth. Are they?
@@aabhinavkaushik7958 You can make them smoother, then they write really nicely.
There are videos about nib smoothing.
@@muskndusk i have a wing sung 727. It has the most scratchy and dry nib. I have tried but its not getting wet and neither getting smooth. Can you help?
@@aabhinavkaushik7958 There are videos about how to make fountain pens wetter. The methods are hard to describe; try to look for them on youtube. Have you flushed the pen with water that has a tiny amount of washing up liquid (for dishes) in it? This could help. But the videos will tell you how to widen the tines, either by a pressure method (don't do this without watching how) or by using brass shim. If this doesn't work, look for videos about how to disassemble the pen so that you can remove the nib. On the feed, under the nib, there's a small channel which can be widened for more ink flow.
I'm assuming that you've checked that there's enough ink in the pen and that it's getting through to the nib? Press the converter to eject ink through the nib. You might have a badly fitting converter or cartridge.
Best advice: watch lots of videos about making pens wetter.
I think the Parker 51 reissue is just too pricy for what it is. The Jotter is a reasonable pen for the money but I think I will keep using my old Hero 565 with aerometric filling, steel slip cap and spring loaded clip and a good feel in the hand for under $5.00.
As a reissued Parker 51, I prefer the Wing Sung 601.
In a nutshell: LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT!!!
Grazie di cuore ❤, la Benedizione di Dio e' il pensiero piü bello che c'e´'!
At one point of time i wanted to but this. But it's very over priced. And in that price range u have many other options which are better.
I was looking forward to adding this to my collection…but after watching this I will pass. Thanks for the video. This doesn’t look like a $100 pen. Parker should take lessons from Apple on how to make a product presentable and how not to cut corners.
Glad it was helpful. It's a shame they didn't knock this one out of the park. It's clear from the reactions that had they not cut corners there was demand for a great 51.
I was so disappointed with the pen I handed it back to the guy in the shop. Even the most basic Chinese pens you get a converter, no warranty card, nothing like the 51 my father brought back from America in the sixties. We only get the base model in two colours in Australia - that's it. . I've been told the pen is made in Asia and reassembled in France.
I think the biggest disappointment is that you know each of those issues was a conscious decision by a company that could have easily nailed this reissue.
@@JG3Reviews But the key thing is Parker didn’t which is a big fail in my opinion for not respecting the reputation of a high profile, quality fountain pen. I don’t know if the deluxe is any better because as I’ve probably already said, Parker won’t be bringing it into Australia. This means having to pay a lot over the internet for a pen may not be any better apart from some gold accents. A Carene or Parker Sonnet is a much safer bet.
wtf why parker let 51 has the same nib as jotter. This is pure jerry-rigging. anyway, thanks for your reviewing.
After read and watch at least 20 reviews, here is my verdict: I will not buy.
I disagree with his argument about inflation and price-point. It only really makes sense if the quality of the product is a constant, which it is clearly not. This pen is an outrageous, race to the bottom, scam product. It's a $20 pen in a cheap plastic jacket at five times the price. They were too greedy to even include their cheap converter. It's a cheapo pen superficially made to look like a recognizable one. It's a tuxedo T-Shirt.
We're not that far apart. I just guessed at what their thinking may have been as far as price. You'll note I put its price if I were selling it around the same as a typical German student pen like a Safari/AL-Star.
@@JG3Reviews Oh for sure. I definitely don't mean to criticize your review; it's great. I'm just disinclined to give them the credit. especially after that thing a few years back where they glued a fake nib to the front of a nylon tip fine-liner and tried to charge eighty bucks for it. They're repeat offenders in my eye.
@@nighmeansnear That's egregious. What was the name of that pen?
@@JG3Reviews If I remember right, it was Ingenuity
I am the happy owner of a Parker 51 my father gave me in 1958. Sorry but this Parker edition looks like something fake. I would never buy it even for 1/4 of the price.
Dont buy the new parker 51 - it is merely a rebranded $20 parker jotter
Total piece of crap. Shop a bit and you can easily get a real 51 for the cost of this turd.
I wish Parker would have called it a “21” as it is closer to that pen than the “51”. It is an awful pen, whatever they call it.
This 2021 reissue is. . . ugly!
Even the classic “arrow” is gone.
Here in Buenos Aires, for little money, you get original copies made in USA or Argentina NEW, WITHOUT STRENING. The original aerometric system works perfectly, the finish is excellent and the press closure is perfect.
Why thread and metallic “jewel” with ventilation? Parker’s history, Parker’s gone.
Sorry for my poor English.
Greetings from Buenos Aires.
This reissue it´s a unfair disappointment.