Parker 51 Repairs and Servicing

Vintage Parker 51 Pen Repairs and Servicing

We have an extensive range of original nibs and other parts in stock which enable us to service and repair virtually any vintage Parker 51 pen including Vacumatic and Aerometric versions. For details of how to get your 51 serviced or repaired click here. We also maintain a small range of Parker 51s for sale here

Please note that we do not deal with the 2021 Parker 51 reissue. Parker's own service department holds the spare parts/nibs for these and will carry out any work required

A vintage Parker 51 service includes:

Removing the metal sac protector and the old ink sac
ultrasonically cleaning the nib unit and the breather tube; disassembling the nib unit and cleaning its component parts (nib shell, collector, feed, nib and breather tube)
Checking and reassembling these parts before fitting a new transparent pli-glass ink sac
Cleaning inside cap and barrel; adjusting clip tension and tightness; checking cap clutch and that cap fits securely on the pen
Smoothing and adjusting the nib as necessary
Finally, a light polish to the cap and plastic parts
The next day, we check the pen's ink flow before dispatch

We were trained and authorised by Parker and Waterman to repair their products and specialize in older models which Parker have classified as 'obsolete'. We have spent 25+ years repairing pens such as the 51 and acquiring spare parts stock from around the world

The 51 Vacumatic

Introduced in 1941, the Vacumatic 51 has a plunger at the end of the barrel which connects to a rubber diaphragm.
The barrel acts as the ink reservoir - there is no ink sac

Aerometric Mk 1

The classic 51 is the Mk1 as illustrated above with the short arrow clip and rounded end to the barrel. These were in production in the UK from around 1948 to 1972.

Parker 51 Custom in Cocoa with some plexiglass sacs

The Aerometric Mk 1 holds ink within a plexiglass sac similar to those illustrated on the left, some of which also have black screw-threaded foundation units

These are robust but are generally replaced as part of our standard 51 service

During the service, your 51 will be completely disassembled, cleaned, adjusted and re-assembled before being thoroughly tested

Some of our 51 nib stock

We have a selection of nib grades including fine, medium, broad and sometimes obliques/italics.

51s coming in for service have often been in daily use for 40-50 years and, after such a time, frequently need a new nib

We are experts at nib adjustment, smoothing and replacement

Please note that we do not sell 51 nibs

Aerometric 51 Mark 2 and Mark 3

In 1969, Parker UK introduced the Mk2 which is most easily distinguished from the Mk1 by having a squared off end to its barrel. In the mid 1970s, the Mk3 was introduced. Both have caps and clips similar to the Parker 61 and illustrate Parker's rationalization of production during the 1970s. The Mk3 shell and barrel threads are coarser than the Mk1/2, and parts for the Mk3 are now unavailable.

There are also many other smaller variations and 'transitional' models, so the classification of 51s into Mk 1, 2 and 3 is very much a simplification

Example of a threaded sac protector and threaded 51 section on a rare plum 51, USA production coded '8' for 1948

Example of a threaded sac protector

How did the Parker 51 get its name?