The Parker 51 Mk. III was introduced in 1969, and gave way to the Mk. lV in 1971 a very short production run. This is a Mk. lll Custom fountain pen and ballpoint set in first class condition throughout, and is a superb writer.
The set is finished in Red with 12 Ct. rolled Gold caps which carry a rolled Gold 'arrow' clip and a pearl grey end stud. This stud was replaced with an integral metal stud in 1971, apparently there was some concern about toddlers ingesting the pearl stud! This pen therefore had a very short production run, always a good sign for collectors.
The overall condition of the fountain pen suggests that it has seen very little use. The pen body is flawless with a deep, lustrous shine, the cap shows no dings and the 'pli-glass' ink sac has darkened with age but is unstained.
The pen has been fully serviced and tested. The Aerometric filling system is simple and easy to use and works well. The 14Ct. Gold nib is exceptional, it writes with a wonderfully smooth and consistent medium line, it is a very 'easy' writer. It has a pleasant 'soft' feel and is, unlike many vintage nibs, very 'forgiving' in that it has a wide sweet spot and inadvertently rotating the pen in use makes little difference to its performance.
As is often the case with these sets, the ballpoint may have seen a little more use, but it is in excellent, ding free condition. It has a 'click' action mechanism, operated by pressing the cap.
The Parker hard plastic presentation box is in good, solid condition.
Despite being around fifty years old the Parker 51 Mk. III still has a modern appearance but with all the Parker 51 prestige. It would make a great vintage every day user.