This Parker 51 set, comprising a fountain pen and pencil is finished in 'British Burgundy' and was made in England in 1956.
The 'British Burgundy' colour is much 'redder' than the American counterpart, it is sometimes referred to as 'Bloody Burgundy', or 'Blood Red' in America.
The set is in excellent condition. It has a deep, lustrous unmarked finish and the pencil carries a clearbarrel imprint identifying it as an English Parker 51, along with a date code for the first quarter of 1956. This was the last year for date coding on pencils, pen date stamps had ended a year or two earlier. Another useful dating aid is the absence of a 'halo' on the caps, this was introduced for 1958.
The 'lustralloy' caps are also in first class confition. They are free of dings or other blemishes and the original 'frosting' is largely intact. The chrome plated 'arrow' clips are secured with pearl cap studs.
The set has been fully serviced, cleaned and tested. The 'aerometric' filling system is easy to use and the 14 Ct. Gold hooded nib writes with a wonerfully smooth medium line. It is quite remarkable that Parker managed to produce such a soft, smooth feel with these nibs, partially due to the 'electro polishing' method used to finish the point.
The pencil is a 'continuous feed' mechanism, the lead is extended by pressing the cap with a manual retract. I haven't attempted to remove the cap to access the eraser as the cap is now very tight and it is advisable to leave it in place rather than force it. New leads are fitted through the cone.
The original hard Parker presentation case, is of high quality and in good condition, only light pencil marks on the interior of the lid and a few marks on the top of the lid. the hinges are good and the case closes well.
The Parker 51 is an iconic pen, recognised as the most successful fountain pen ever made, it was often copied but never equalled. This set is a very fine example, it is very hard to find a Parker 51 boxed set in such outstanding condition. Although clearly of collectable quality, perhaps it is better to now use the set and show it off.