We all know about its famous cousin, the Parker 51. One of the greatest fountain pens ever made, selling in the millions, and going down in history as a design classic. Many of us own one of them, or two... or a hundred (you know who you are.)
But what about the less know 61? Arriving in the 50's, and "cursed" with a revolutionary capillary filling system that many found finicky, it never really found the market traction that the 51 enjoyed. It probably didn't help that it sold for about $20, which could buy you a small car, a steak dinner, and eight cartons of smokes back in '56.
I have a couple of them in my collection, but I never gave them much time, because I have traditionally been so fickle about inks, changing them whenever the mood hit me. Flushing a 61 is a bit more of a chore than a lot of other pens, but it can be done with a squirty bulb and some patience. I've settled down on that now, and have two go to inks which I use almost exclusively now (Noodlers BSIAR and Forest green) so I thought it is time to give the 61 its day in court.
I've put away all the 51's now, filled the 61 with Black Swan (it took a bit to get it started after so long unused, but it seems to be writing like a champ now), and I plan on using this as my regular desk pen for the foreseeable future, just to give it a proper testing.
How about you guys? Any 61 fans with one in the rotation?
http://parkerpens.net/parker61.html
But what about the less know 61? Arriving in the 50's, and "cursed" with a revolutionary capillary filling system that many found finicky, it never really found the market traction that the 51 enjoyed. It probably didn't help that it sold for about $20, which could buy you a small car, a steak dinner, and eight cartons of smokes back in '56.
I have a couple of them in my collection, but I never gave them much time, because I have traditionally been so fickle about inks, changing them whenever the mood hit me. Flushing a 61 is a bit more of a chore than a lot of other pens, but it can be done with a squirty bulb and some patience. I've settled down on that now, and have two go to inks which I use almost exclusively now (Noodlers BSIAR and Forest green) so I thought it is time to give the 61 its day in court.
I've put away all the 51's now, filled the 61 with Black Swan (it took a bit to get it started after so long unused, but it seems to be writing like a champ now), and I plan on using this as my regular desk pen for the foreseeable future, just to give it a proper testing.
How about you guys? Any 61 fans with one in the rotation?
http://parkerpens.net/parker61.html
