Once the news broke that Parker has planned a reissue of the Parker 51 fountain pen for this fall [recently postponed until February 2021], there was no shortage of “hot takes,” and most, predictably, were negative. With a pen as iconic as the Parker 51, Parker’s move bears a lot of risk. In an era where the community of fountain pen users has shifted online - and where the opinions of those with the loudest voices tend to be both negative and magnified - an unsuccessful launch places Parker at risk of becoming the butt of jokes, potentially even before the pens ever make their way to consumers. (Just look at the initial attempt to revive the Esterbrook brand.) But Parker is an established, experienced pen company, and what they are doing here warrants more careful consideration than I have seen so far. I actually think their strategy just might work. Here are five things to consider:
Parker is reissuing a modern version of a pen from its own archives, not simply using the Parker 51 name on a completely different pen. Sure, as I’ll discuss more in detail below, Parker implemented some (predictable) design changes to modernize a pen first designed in the late 1930s, but they avoided what doomed the first attempt to resurrect Esterbrook: releasing a “modern” pen that bore no resemblance to the much-loved original. Here, Parker embraced its heritage and made an attempt to keep the classic form while adding features designed to appeal to the modern fountain pen user, which is akin to Aurora’s re-release of the Duo-Cart and other Aurora “Archivi Storici” reissues over the years.
Parker chose a reasonable price point lower than what I expected. Too expensive? Seriously? The new 51 arrives in two different versions: one with a steel nib and one with gold, priced at approximately $100 and $250, respectively. With so much discussion about how major pen companies are trying to drive the price of steel nib pens to the $250 price point, I actually expected these pens to cost twice as much. Unless the construction turns out to be shoddy, price/value should be the least of anyone’s concern. Yes, you might be able to get a less expensive vintage pen or knocked-off clone, but as I discuss below, there are many people (myself included) who simply don’t want to deal with the vagaries of either and would prefer to purchase from Parker directly.
Certain updates to the original design are necessary to appeal to modern users. The criticism that Parker should have released this pen with a vintage aerometric or vacumatic filling system puzzles me the most. Why? To appeal to vintage pen collectors and internet blowhards, the very people determined to hate this pen no matter what, and who would never buy it in the first place? While Parker admittedly hasn’t done much to promote its brand to the latest generation of fountain pen enthusiasts, at least not in the form of community engagement and limited editions, the company has stayed true to form in that it designs and markets its pens for actual writing. I would venture that most modern pen users prefer a cartridge/converter filling system that is less likely to leak ink, and a threaded cap with a secure closure. One of the criticisms of Aurora’s Duo-Cart re-release was that the slip cap tended to come loose in bags and pen cases.
The availability of vintage pens and cheap clones will not affect the market for this pen. As I addressed briefly above, part of the criticism of Parker’s chosen price point revolves around the idea that “vintage pens are available for less money,” and “you can buy a Parker 51 clone (knock-off) from companies like Wing Sung or Hero.” While those pens certainly are available, and sometimes for less money, I doubt they would appeal to the target market for the new Parker 51. The majority of people (1) don’t want to fiddle with a vintage pen, especially a pen that will be 70-80 years old soon; and (2) want a quality writing instrument from a company that will stand behind the warranty. As to the latter point, sure, Parker 51 clones can be fun to play around with, but these pens won’t last very long, and when it breaks, you’re just going to throw it away if you can’t fix it yourself. Finally, many people aren’t comfortable shopping for vintage pens on the internet and don’t trust random eBay or Amazon merchants - they want a reliable modern pen from an established company, which is perfectly fine, especially since the pen show scene isn’t coming back anytime soon. [Update: Many people also don’t feel comfortable shopping within the vintage pen community online because the tone can be, frankly, unwelcoming and kind of nasty. Just see the tone of some of the comments on this post from those who think I’m somehow violating the sanctity of the vintage Parker 51 by merely acknowledging that some might prefer to buy a modern version.]
Parker timed the reissue perfectly. The Parker 51 was first released in the early 1940s, approximately 80 years ago. Vintage Parker 51s aren’t going to last forever, no matter how well made they are, and those that remain serviceable will (1) likely command higher prices going forward and (2) require more maintenance to actually remain serviceable. I’ve already seen pen show prices for Parker 51s creep upward in recent years, and I don’t think the delta between the price of the new Parker 51 and a well-restored vintage pen is as favorable to vintage as some would have you believe. And still, while there remains demand for vintage pens, there is also strong demand for pens that look vintage while offering the advantages of modern manufacturing.
Sure, vintage Parker Aerometric fillers work fine, but so do cartridge/converter systems, and why would Parker issue a new filling system just for this pen, especially where an aerometric system will eventually require replacement of the sac and/or breather tube? Sorry, but I’m backing the decision to go cartridge/converter here.
Of course, none of this matters if the pen ends up suffering from serious design flaws, or ends up being low quality. As always, the final verdict won’t come until we actually have these pens in-hand and can write with them. I’ve placed a pre-order with Appelboom for two Parker 51s, one “Deluxe” model with the gold nib, and one standard with stainless. Personally, I’m intrigued by what Parker is attempting and look forward to getting my hands on these as soon as possible. Judgment reserved.
[UPDATE: I just received notification, via the comments below as well as an e-mail from the retailer with whom I placed a preorder, that the Parker 51 reissue has been postponed until February 2021. Review has been updated accordingly.]
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