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Anyone else fancy Parker 21?

A few weeks ago I accidently came across five never used Parker 21 at the local Book store. Never seen (or heard of them before) I bought them - and a Parker 51 that seems to be broken.

I am absolutely stunned! They work like a dream! Though I have Montblanc, Cross and some other Parkers these oldies quickly became my go-to-pens.

Anyone else praising Parker 21?
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I like them. Need to pick one up again. My first one I never got on well with because it kept skipping. I think someone had used India ink in it before me.
 
My 21 blots (dumps ink, leaks??) periodically. I do not know how to correct that. If anyone knows how to fix it, do-tell.
 
My 21 blots (dumps ink, leaks??) periodically. I do not know how to correct that. If anyone knows how to fix it, do-tell.

I've read that the 21s had a tendency to develop hairline cracks in the hood. Although hard to see, ink will leak out of these. The fix is to replace the hood. Obviously not a part that's still made, but pen repairers usually seem to have some around.

I have three 21s, one of which had this problem. I got it fixed by, I believe, Danny Fudge. The others were okay already. I haven't used them in some years, though, since although they did write quite nicely, I have a lot of pens that I like even better.
 
If I am mistaken, please let me know. I think the leak-problem is that air gets in, which allows ink to flow out the nib area. Maybe I will dig my pen out and see if I can do something with it. I do not care what the repair looks like AS MUCH as I would like the pen working for cheap.
Jody
 
If I am mistaken, please let me know. I think the leak-problem is that air gets in, which allows ink to flow out the nib area. Maybe I will dig my pen out and see if I can do something with it. I do not care what the repair looks like AS MUCH as I would like the pen working for cheap.
Jody
Well, just because a pen may be prone to a particular flaw doesn't mean that nothing else could go wrong. And most 21s are probably just fine. But the cracking problem is well enough attested that it's worth checking for this if you have a leak. Remember, this can be a very fine crack, hard to see, even while you're wondering how all that ink got on the outside of the pen.:lemo:

A couple of articles on the 21, both of which briefly allude to the cracking issue here, and here.
 
Thank you - I will follow the links. If I recall correctly, the pen was working wonderfully EXCEPT it would occasionally 'burb' some ink out onto the paper.
Jody
 
I believe my Parker 21 has a cracked hood. Can that cause the leak that I have?

I tried it out today and ended up with an inked up hand.
 
Can anyone tell me how to fix the cracked hood on my Parker 21? I found the crack. I do not care if the repair shows.

How about grinding out the crack and filling with epoxy??
 
Can anyone tell me how to fix the cracked hood on my Parker 21? I found the crack. I do not care if the repair shows.

How about grinding out the crack and filling with epoxy??

I would rather you get some more answers from people who actually know what they're talking about, but for what it's worth, here's my input. :confused1

If you epoxy the hood with it still in place, there is a risk of epoxy seeping its way inside the hood and gunking up the feed, making the pen unusable.

Theoretically, you can remove the hood by applying gentle heat to soften the shellac or other adhesive holding it in place. The one time I tried this, the heat evidently wasn't gentle enough, and the hood half melted. I got it replaced, but see comment below.

If you do get the hood off without damage, I would think that it would be possible to repair it as you say. No experience with this.

If the hood is damaged when removing it, you might be able to find a pen repair place that would have the old hoods for sale. All I was able to find just now was an eBay listing selling one for $19.99. That seems steep when you compare the likely price for a complete functioning Parker 21.

The cost of having it repaired might be modest, if you went with someone like Danny Fudge, as I did. On the other hand, you may be able to find a functioning 21 for less than that; you have to decide what's more cost effective. Might be best, though, if you can find a seller who can inspect it and make sure it doesn't have the cracking flaw or other problems.

Hopefully this is some help, if a bit of a downer, but you should definitely get opinions other than mine in any case.
 

tankerjohn

A little poofier than I prefer
Can anyone tell me how to fix the cracked hood on my Parker 21? I found the crack. I do not care if the repair shows.

How about grinding out the crack and filling with epoxy??
I’m thinking that if the pen doesn’t have sentimental value, it’d be cheapest/easiest to just replace it. There’s inexpensive Parker 21s all over the internet. If it does have sentimental value, than you could probably find a parts pen cheap on the bay to source a new hood. Good luck
 
The hood unscrews easily.

There you go then. If the hood unscrews from the feed, then you have nothing to lose by trying to fix it. Let us know how it goes.

I'm reasonably certain that these are meant to be held in place by a mild adhesive like shellac. You post made me curious enough to take out my three Parker 21s (although not to ink them) and see if the hoods would unscrew. They wouldn't, or not without more force than I cared to apply (of course the section unscrews from the body for access to the filling mechanism). If you manage to get the crack fixed, and verify that it doesn't leak, you can decide what to do next. I know that some of the Hero imitations of the Parker 51/21 have hoods that unscrew easily, and it doesn't seem to do them any harm.
 
I took a pointed knife and gouged out the crack, then filled it with slow cure epoxy. It has worked OK for about 1/2 a page, so the test is in its infancy. I do not understand why the cracked hood causes ink to leak....
 
The hood is in contact with the feed and nib, so ink traveling along the feed via capillary action then flows through the crack as well.
 
Thank you for explaining how I was getting inked up from a cracked hood on the pen.
I wrote 2 pages or so, and the pen is working well. The cap has clearance for glue that was added, so I plan on NOT removing the extra glue (less is more, don't rock the boat).
 
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