Today's featured newest acquisition is a classic vintage set that Christopher acquired shortly after our July meeting (a reminder: our August meeting is this Thursday -- details here). Our thanks to Christopher for sharing this handsome set with us!
(photo courtesy of Christopher ~ please click on image to enlarge)
"Thinking back, I believe that a Parker 51 was the first vintage pen I felt I had to have. Not that it surfaced right away, but while on a trip to Vancouver Island, I spotted what was to become my very first Parker 51 pen score. Rather a plain jane, finished in jet black with a brushed steel cap, but I was so eager to have this treasure, I just jumped an the opportunity and forked out far too much of what was burning a hole in my pocket at the time. It was an aerometric filler model from the mid 1950s, but within several weeks, I added a second 51 at less than half the price. As the years have gone by, I have bought and sold many Parker 51 fountain pens, but I still covet the ones I have retained in my collection. They are all very good and responsible writers, which come to life immediately as they are used.
The 51 I will now describe, is actually a matching late 1940s set of fountain pen and mechanical pencil also finished in jet black but with brilliant 14K Gold filled caps. What is very interesting about this set, is that the Parker arrow clip are transitional and similar to the Parker Vacumatic but also longer than the standard 51 Parker arrow clip. Just for the record, I should mention that although Parker introduced their 51 aerometric in 1948, it was just an introduction with a limited number of pens for a test market. The actual Parker 51 aerometric release was during the early part of 1949, making my set in essence a first year Parker 51 aerometric set. The Parker Date coding of .49. Is very clear at the top of the pen’s barrel and both writing instruments are in just superb condition as is the newly designed 51 aerometric presentation case designed for Parker by David Chapman of a Chicago design firm. In closing, I have featured this lovely set in an office setting, where it would have been right at home."
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