51 Fountain Pen | Black Barrel with Chrome Trim | Fine Nib with Black Ink Cartridge | Gift Box

This is a revised and updated version of a review I first posted several months ago. Although I had mixed feelings about the new Parker 51 when I first used it, the pen has steadily grown on me. At the time of purchase, my expectations were quite modest (mainly on account of the negative reception it received from certain vintage pen poseurs, some of whose condemnations were absurdly 'over the top'). First, my credentials to judge this pen: I have used fountain pens almost exclusively for a good sixty years. Back in the 1960s, I owned a Parker 51 until an unknown schoolmate stole it from me. I am not, however, going to judge this new, 're-imagined' version against its illustrious predecessor. To attempt such a comparison merely because Parker, for understandable advertising reasons, has elected to revive a celebrated but long defunct model number, would be futile, not least because changes in materials and ink technology since the original version went out of production make a fair comparison practically impossible. The version I bought has a steel nib. This writes as smoothly as the gold nib on my 1960s-era Parker 45 and is a delight to write with, gliding effortlessly across the page. I have not experienced any of the drying problems that some users have alleged. The pen lays down ink without the slightest hesitation even after several days without use. It works well with my favourite ink, Pilot's Iroshizuku Take-Sumi, and also with Parker's own Quink. The pen is stunning to look at and a pleasure to use. Personally, I greatly prefer a screw cap to a friction-fit one, but I recognise that others may not share my preference. Having experienced Parker's customer service, I cannot praise it highly enough. Although I had to return my pen for attention, the company resolved the issue quickly and efficiently and, of course, at no cost to myself. The new Parker 51 is an excellent modern pen and upholds the company's traditional high standards of design and construction. Ignore the preposterously exaggerated criticism that some have levelled against it in some corners of the internet. I am delighted with my purchase, which has now become my favourite fountain pen.

Was not quite happy initially. Really annoying thing that even if write continuously it might miss an initial stroke. Happened to be a faulty one... Amazon replaced it and now no problem at all - very neat lines and a full satisfaction ...

Just bought this Parker 51 and have to say what a rubbish pen this is. It makes a mockery out of the contemporary pen its designed around which I have to say is a fantastic pen, that matches its legacy. Not this reproduction though, its rubbish. Good luck getting this pen to initially feed once you take the cap off, given the air vents in the cap that dry the nib out. I have modified my pen to seal this vent up. Prior to sealing it, after 3 days with the cap on, the pen stored inside its presentation box and being stored at room temperature alongside my other fountain pens, this Parker 51 was dried out and totally inoperative. On stripping the pen, the cartridge supply end to the nib had dried over. Had to flush the nib with lukewarm water and after drying, convertor fitted the pen with Parker bottled ink to get it working again. Honestly if you want a £69 fountain pen go buy a Pilot they’re cheaper and better quality. They always say, always, buy an original not a reproduction of anything if you can, because the modern version is often less than the original. That statement is true here, but not in every case though. This pen showcases Parker on a poor day. They generally make great pens, this was not the pen to get wrong though. This new Parker 51 is not the writing experience that you get from the original, that’s a far better experience. This Parker iteration would struggle against a £15 to £30 Pilot which are vastly superior writing experiences than this pen. It’s not even worth being given out as a free gift at a trade fair. I thought I had bought a faulty unit, but researching this reproduction pen, prior to writing this review, those more informed than me have equally slammed it as poor both in terms of cost and writing experience, along with, the lack of authenticity to the original, given the reproductions filling mechanism and nib. If you’re new to fountain pens and / or looking for a retro writing experience don’t buy this pen you’ll be disappointed.

I've never had any problems with either the Parker 51 or 61 over the decades. The new 51 comes with a hooded steel nib (not gold, as before.) Nevertheless, it writes in a silky manner with a lovely ink-flow. The cap is a screw-on, which surprised me. I was expecting a click-on-and fit attachment. Can't see that that'll present any problems. An ink-converter filling device is not included. Praise Be! They are generally of poor quality, leak prodigiously and rattle around inside the handsome barrel. This is not the pen that it would have been, sixty years ago, but how could it be? It still reeks of class, understatement and pleasure in the quality of your favourite, personal effects. Worth every penny.

1. First Impressions & Presentation I bought this modern Parker 51 to mark a milestone, drawn in by its classic heritage silhouette and striking Teal Blue body. The presentation box feels executive, and the glossy barrel combined with the brushed stainless steel cap gives it an undeniable, timeless elegance. In terms of pure aesthetics, it looks every bit the classic piece of writing history. 2. Quality Control & Nib Misalignment Upon closer inspection, manufacturing tolerances leave something to be desired for a pen with a £110 list price (though I bought it for £57): Nib Rotation: As shown in my close-up photo of the hooded section, the steel nib on my unit is visibly rotated off-center relative to the barrel profile. Grip Impact: While it still writes, this offset affects the natural angle at which the nib meets the paper, requiring me to manually adjust my hand rotation to get consistent contact. 3. Writing Performance Across Different Papers I conducted side-by-side writing tests comparing the Parker 51 against an £11 Parker Jotter Fountain Pen and a Lamy Ballpoint: Standard Paper Performance: On basic notepad paper, the Parker 51 laying down an ink line that looks nearly identical in width and darkness to the £11 Jotter. However, the Jotter starts instantly without hesitation, whereas the Parker 51 suffers from initial dry starts and noticeable toothiness/scratchiness until the feed warms up. Special Smooth Paper (Clairefontaine): Moving to high-quality 90gsm Clairefontaine paper improves the feel significantly, but the contrast is still surprising. My Lamy ballpoint glides effortlessly on this paper—feeling smoother and more responsive than a £110 fountain pen—while the Parker 51 still requires a warm-up period to stop feeling draggy. 4. Summary & Value Verdict If you purchase this pen at a heavy discount (under £60), its iconic heritage, stunning retro body, and historic appeal make it a charming addition to a desk. However, if you are paying full retail price above £100, the dry starts, cap venting issues, and factory nib misalignments are deeply frustrating—especially when an entry-level Parker Jotter or standard quality ballpoint offers immediate, silky-smooth writing straight out of the box. Pro Tip for Buyers: If your unit feels dry or scratchy out of the box, skip standard cartridges and upgrade to a Parker Deluxe Converter paired with a wet bottled ink (like Waterman or Pilot Iroshizuku) on smooth 90gsm paper. It helps compensate for the tight feed and makes the pen write much closer to its potential.

It's a parker pen classic, what else do you need to know.

Having found the pen on sale below £45, I was not disappointed! The pen arrived promptly and in perfect condition. It wrote very smoothly with the perfect amount of feedback from the nib. You can write for prolonged periods of time, comfortably whether you post the cap or not. (Bear in mind, most of the weight of the pen is in the cap.) In terms of the quality, it is okay. The plastic body scratched very easily, even from the cap when capping or uncapping the pen. That is very annoying since there is nothing you can do about it. The plastic threads however show no signs of wear so far, so that is good. I liked the writing experience so much that I decided to purchase one in another colour. It came quickly too, but the quality was much poorer, the plastic threads were squeaky and the nib did not perform as nicely (still smooth but not enough feedback). So I would say, its a bit of a gamble as the quality does not seem to be very consistent. I returned that other pen. I would also say that I approached this pen with an open mind, not having ever written with a vintage Parker 51 and so I loved my experience with it, unlike those who keep comparing it to the first issue. If you want a fine writing vintage looking fountain pen with a rich history from a reputable pen maker, this might be it!

What’s not to like about a classic pen - whilst lighter than the vintage and original Parker 51 it is still a lovely pen in the hand. Writes wonderfully but you need to use it consistently to shape the nib to your writing style - like any fountain nob. I bought a medium nib and a fine nib - prefer the medium at the moment as still breaking in the fine nib. High gloss and strong colour on the body of the pen - I bought teal colour to match my vintage one passed down to me by the Grandfather in the 70’s. Don’t let reviews that say it’s too light “compared to my old one” put you off - products always evolve and you get used to the lighter weight quickly

Trata-se de uma versão contemporânea de uma caneta clássica. O único ponto que a distingue do modelo que consagrou a Parker 51 é o barril feito em resina. No mais, ótima relação de custo e benefício.

Dit was denk ik mijn vijfde Parker 51. Mijn eerste kreeg ik toen ik een jaar of 15 was. Ik ben gek op z'n uiterlijk en hij schrijft nog goed ook. Helaas gaan ze soms kapot als ze op de grond vallen. Maar ja, ze zijn nog betaalbaar ook.

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Really beautiful and classy fountain pen.....buttery smooth. Convertor and one blue cartridge came along with the pen. Its a fine nib compared to parker vector fine nib it writes a bit thicker but that's not a problem....I absolutely love it!!

Writes well. Pretty.