Parker 51 (2021) vs Parker 51 (vintage) vs WingSung 601
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- Опубликовано: 16 сен 2024
- In today's video, we compare the new Parker 51 (2021) version to the vintage Parker 51 that I have from the 50s or 60s (I'm not sure) and also to a WingSung 601 that I happened to have. The ink used in the writing samples was Parker Quick Blue Black.
✨ GIVEAWAY CLOSED - congrats, Ramona! If you'd like to enter to win this pen, please leave a comment below with your favorite thing about the new Parker 51, or your favorite vintage pen! If you don't want to be entered into the drawing, just say so in your comment. :) I'll draw the winner Thursday, 3/4/21 at 8am and will post the drawing shortly after that time. This giveaway is not sponsored by or affiliated with Pen Chalet or RUclips. I'm just doing this because it's fun. Open internationally, but mail stinks so it might take a while to get to you, if you win.
This pen was purchased from Pen Chalet using credits that I received from some of you using my Pen Chalet referral link. I've included it here if you want to use it, but please don't feel obligated. You'll get $10 off your first order, and I'll get $10 too, which I'll use towards fun things for the channel! :) www.penchalet....
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The diplomatic description of the WingSung 601 is , "It is a homage to the Parker 51".
Saying that I really like the pump action filling mechanism it has as it is a perfect update to the original Parver vacumatic filling system.
It is ashame that Parker didn't use this filling system on their new Parker 51 because it would then be a pen I would pay the Parker price for.
I think the "authentic" Chinese Parker 51 should be Hero, because they were essentially the nationalised Parker factory after the communist takeover. The original Hero versions were basically Parker 51s produced by the same workers using the same materials and machinery just with a different branding. Obviously materials and manufacturing technologies changed over time. Wingsung I believe was sold cheaper than Hero back then, and was considered a lesser of the two. I still have a gold nibbed Wingsung given to me by my late grandfather when I first got into the high school, I believe it cost 100 RMB back in the late 80s, and that was a lot of money. I was too afraid to use it and it is still treasured in its original box. The contemporary Hero Parker 51 cost more.
Parker missed the Mark on the reissue. Sad. The vintage one is stunning! Wing Sung looks more doable. Again, Parker blew it. The nib not flush looks like a knock off.
I have 3 Jin Hao 51A’s.. Goulet offers them w cartridge converters. I dig em. Thank you for this review.
Yeah, I’m bummed about it. The nib not being flush *really* bothers me. If the copy can do, I don’t understand why the original company can’t. I know it’s a different nib, but they could’ve made it work.
@@inksplat I think Parker no longer has the assembly lines to make the tubular nib, the thin feed and the collector. They aren't prepared to change an assembly line just for the limited release and decided just to wrap a "costume" around a jotter and capture some bucks from the 51 namesake.
The jotter nib shape and feed are not designed for a hooded section. They are just not the right shape, and work differently. That is why they cannot make the hood flush, the hood is just a decoration, touching the nib will affect its performance. Whereas the original Parker 51 nib is designed to be touching the hood, and ink is supposed to flow on both sides of the nib. The core component of the original is the collector (you can see it in the transparent wingsung section). This is also missing from the new reissue. All in all, the reissue is simply a jotter dressed in a Halloween costume to look like a Parker 51 from the outside.
Whereas in China the Parker 51 design is still popular and production of these characteristic components of the pen never ceased, thus all the machineries are still in place and they are able to produce more authentic copies as a result. The wingsung has all the key components the original Parker 51 had, with a new filling system.
I do like the new colors and the change in filling system. Going with no included converter or any marketing material in the box seems a little strange. It's like the bean counters and marketing folks had a debate and the marketing/image folks lost.
Yeah! The lack of marketing materials is an interesting choice, especially for a pen and a brand with so much history! And for a pen in such a big box!
You can get a small plastic tool to remove the piston from the WIngSung or Jinhao, made it easy to clean. I like the ink window the the solid plastic version. I think the pump filler is the best design, easy to fill and take up a lot of ink.
I love the hooded nib! Funky nibs are cool. :) Plus it's a classic looking pen.
I love the color of the new Parker 51. I want a burgundy pen but have not bought one yet. I would not pay that price for the new Parker though. I was fortunate enough to inherit 2 vintage Parker Vacmatics from the 1940s, they spent 40 years in the Texas heat in a shed so I still need to restore them. Because of these two pens I do not have a desire to buy a vintage Parker 51 since I just need to fix something similar to it.
Oooh inheriting pens sounds exciting, and restoring them could be a fun project! I don’t see anyone restoring the new one in 80 years, but maybe I’m wrong. 😂
Maybe Sheaffer can bring back the snorkel filler pen, I think that would be a better modern / vintage relaunch since there are so many clones of the Parker 51.
YES! That would be awesome!!
The problem I see with this is that it would likely end up extremely expensive or just really bad quality. Companies always go for the cheapest possible option nowadays (unless they are visconti and make their pens out of literal lava rock). The snorkel’s design would require the company, now owned by BIC by the way, to go out of their way to create a completely unique feed and converter just for the snorkel (because ink sacs are generally not in production anymore for pen companies)
On the other hand, I can see them potentially doing a Triumph series or a modern lady sheaffer series (which would likely get rebranded because of how society is right now). I own a triumph snorkel and a lady sheaffer and both are my two favourite pens
I actually think the new 51 is gorgeous. I think I'd be happy buying one, and I rather like the screw cap. To me that makes it more secure in my pocket. I do agree that Parker missed a trick by not including a converter, but sadly they are not the only company to do that. (props to those who actually do)
Oh, and I'd LOVE to win this pen, but of course, so would everyone else! haha
PS. nice to see another lefthanded writer. Me too! haha
The Parker 51 reissue is the best marketing for the Wingsung. Honestly, I never looked at the Wingsung "homage", but with the reissue, I kinda want one now.
Agreed!
I like the colour of the new Parker and they did a nice job updating the clip.
They really did! The new clip is nice!
I love the parker 51 I would love to have this pen cause I want to make a comparison with all the pens that I have that are look alikes and then possibly let Pier Gustafson borrow it cause he is the king of vintage fountain pens and I am sure he would find it a hoot
He's not the king, He's the god.
@@bobanderson7313 lol
great video ! I do like the size of the new version, both capped and uncapped, I also like the Parker blue black ink. You can actually see how the vintage FP writes smooth and it seems to me that it even has a better flow than the other two. Thanks for your videos !
EVERY fountain pen should come with a converter imho...🤷🏻♀️ I really like the vintage Parker and you're right: it's a good idea to look around after the 'hoopla' dies down a bit. Maybe I'll come across one for a good price. Aside from that, I kinda like the Jotter more too. 🤭
I really love the hooded nib, i’ve only been in the hobby about a year now, and never had a pen with a hooded nib before! As for favourite vintage pens, i love the tiny elegant sheaffer tuckaways!
One of my main issues with it is the fact we have metal on plastic threads. I believe this should not be a threaded pen, specially metal on plastic.
I also don’t like the shape of the plastic around the nib. The old 51 had a much more elegant hood, and Jinhao and Wing Sung copy it really well. The new shape was already all over the place with inexpensive unbranded Chinese pens.
I think my comment disappeared, but I agree! I don’t understand the choice of making it threaded! And honestly the copies seem to be a closer replication.
@@inksplat I know, right? I think the best thing about this pen back in the day was its fantastic aerodynamic design, resembling an aircraft. When they added threads to it they... killed the soul of the pen, if there is such a thing.
(There you go, this is how you spot a pen lover. I know you will all understand me, though.)
I love the idea of vintage pens, especially with the prices on some of the current ones - they better last for years... It's also nice when you can use a pen that was owned by an ancestor.
But when it comes to buying pens, I prefer newer ones that have newer filling systems and require less maintenance.
I agree! I love a shiny new pen 😂 but the few vintage pens I have were specifically sought out just to try them (or I got lucky at a flea market once! My friend’s kid was with my friends and I, and she was on the lookout for stuff we liked, and she found a couple pens so I got one 😂). I’m too scared of myself to jump down that rabbit hole for real. 😂
You can still get mint condition new old stock, never inked vintage Parker 51s on eBay that costs less than the new delux versions. I got one of mine for 148 GBP, that is brand new in its original box. It is as if the 1950s pen was made last year, the gold filled cap is so shiny and pristine that I cannot believe it is almost 70 years old. No maintenance is needed to use it.
The aerometric filling system isn't that bad to be honest. Just press a few times will give a good fill, you can do it with one hand. To clean, just take a cup of water, first expell excess ink into the sink and just put the pen into water and continuously press the filler until what comes out of the pen is the same colour as water, empty the cup and do it again. It doesn't actually take that long to flush most of the ink out of the pen. If you don't change ink colour, then you don't even need to do this as long as you don't allow the ink to dry up inside the pen.
I got my dad’s Parker 45 but the nib is so fine I never want to use it. I do like the nib and how it writes so it’s too bad. Looking at your writing samples makes me wonder if it is even a fine nib. I would love a Parker with a medium nib! I keep thinking I need to branch out and try different nib sizes but I keep coming back to my favorite medium. Maybe that makes me a bit boring but I like what I like!
I think the fine nib on my vintage one was kind of broken in a little bit? It has a sweet spot where i think the original owner preferred to write and if i have it tilted that way, it’s kind of juicy :D I love it.
Psssst, go watch the latest video
I cannot wait until my vintage one comes 😍 I don’t want to be entered in the giveaway, but I just want to comment anyway! My vintage one is the vacumatic, and now you’re making me regret it 🤣 but I figure I will pick one ink for it forever. Like our HS’s!
I can’t wait until it gets there either! I can’t wait to hear what you think! Cleaning that WS601 is the exact opposite experience of cleaning a TWSBI go 😂 my button kept sticking and being annoying. I imagine the Parker 51 does a better job! But a forever ink is probably a smart idea!
Your laughter is infectious. And I don't regard this as a 'Debbie Downer' review. It's just a very realistic take on the modern 51. Great that you had a vintage to compare it too. If you could buy a vintage it would be between that and the Aurora Duocart (birds of a feather, I know). Hope the person who gets it has many years of enjoyment - if all goes well, they may even share the habit with others. And that would be a good thing. All the best, Manda.
aww, thank you so much, Brenden!! I appreciate your kind words. :) I have a modern Aurora Duocart. I thought I should've included it, but it wasn't until after I finished the video. haha. I prefer it to the modern Parker 51! THank you so much :)
@@inksplatI'm sure you do! Although they both look quite similar. I guess it's all in the feel of the materials, the balance in the hand, and, perhaps less importantly (for some), how aesthetically appealing it is to you. I know you didn't much like the Wing Sung 601, Manda, but, given how cheap it is, I might give it a go over buying something like the modern 51. Can see how cleaning would be an issue, though, but perhaps the relative value makes it worth the money! Thanks again for a lively and good comparative review. All good fun!
I have my eye on some sort of parker 51, solely because I like the arrow clip. Im too nervous to buy a vintage pen tho
The clip is so nice!! L
Don't be. The Parker 51 fountain pen is one of the most durable and hard-wearing fountain pen I tend to avoid those with a vacumatic filling system because Ii wouldn't be confident about repairing them.They are also share at a range of prices: cheaper for those that are not cosmetically perfect to premium for a pen in mint condition. I have three and have not paid more that £40 for each one. Look carefully at the description and photographs
Hey, that’s so generous of you! I’d love to own a Parker 51, at this point I wouldn’t be picky - vintage or new... I know I know.. but that’s the way it is. I’m a giant sucker for vintage pens though, love my kawecos, Pelikans, Krone, Parker duofold..! Happy writing - Dag
I like that it has a converter. Much easier to clean.
I did a quick scan of the comments and didn't see this information. On my dad's Parker 51 from 1949 the date code is at the top of the barrel hidden by the cap when it's on.
The reviews I've seen of the gold nib version include a conerter.
Not entering, I'm waiting on a midnight blue one that I ordered. (List price is actually $109 and some dealers are selling for $87)
😀😀
Great review and comparison. 😀😀
Oh thank you, I’ll check it out! One of the websites I read mentioned it being on the cap, not under it, but I was reading fast so could’ve misunderstood. I’ll look! The gold version better include a converter... $248, no converter?! 😂😂 no thanks. That plum though. 😍 thank you so much!! I hope you enjoy yours when it arrives!!
Hey, Manda! Thank you for the review! I'd love to have this pen because I like how it looks and to have the opportunity to make a review for my channel. I'm making some fountain pen videos for the Brazilian public, since we have no channels in portuguese. Regarding vintage pens, I really like the sheaffer ones. I think they are beautiful.
Hi Daniel! That sounds awesome! :) I have only dipped my toes into vintage pens, but I’ve come across some Sheaffers, and they really are beautiful!
At $40 that vintage Parker 51 is a real bargain. There aren't enough threads for the cap on the new version. Also that gap on the nib of the new version looks cheap and terrible.
I got a great deal on it! someone told me that my cap is not the correct cap, so that may have been part of the good price, but I also got it before the new version came out and people started looking for the vintage ones as much. I definitely prefer the vintage version to the new version.
I love Parker 51, I have a vintage one but I would like to buy the new one as well. I love the hooded nib and the shape, so classy
I hear that Jinhao make the new Parker 51 for Parker and that you can purchase the Jinhao version for significantly less.
I agree with your comments concerning the the ridiculous crew cap on the new one, what were they thinking. Your vintage one looks like the 1950's, after 1947 the changed the clip design from a split arrow and blue diamond to and arometric filler. I have a 1943 version (vacumatic) that I love to write with but the filling system is a lot of work. the 601 which I love how it feels and writes and is cheap, is not difficult to clean, just remove the front grip section and pull the nib unit. The 51 was originally designed by Maholy Nagy, the famous Bahaus teacher and photographer. Radical shift in fountain pen design.
Thanks for watching!! Yeah, I think I unscrewed the section but I didn’t try taking the nib unit out. I’ll try that next time :)
Nice review Manda. The color is pretty on the new one but I feel it is over priced especially for what you get.The Jinhao 51a comes with a converter and as you probably know the Jinhao nibs write well. Happy you had points to acquire it
Thank you! I agree!
If i could choose, id take a vintage Parker 51, but a new one would be nice too.
My choice for a vintage pen is the waterman 52. have you tried one of them manda ?
I haven’t tried a Waterman 52, but I’ve heard great things about them! I’ve only dipped my toes into the vintage pen pool for now. :)
I love the color and style of the Parker 51 pen so would appreciate adding it to my collection of pens.
I love hooded nibs. I just like how they look and I feel the tines are more protected. Plus the original 51’s were made in the original Parker factory 10miles from my house
Cleaning cartridges is a cinch if you have a syringe (with a needle). I use one to first clean and then refill cartridges. I’m beginning to prefer refilled cartridges to converters, because filling with a syringe is so much cleaner.
definitely! I don't always have them around when I start cleaning pens though. lol. I will fill a converter with a syringe sometimes too. I have reused cartridges a few times, in my Kawecos, but then the cartridge started getting all loosey-goosey & I've had it come out, and it's just messy at that point too. :)
I love Parker 51 i dont own a vintage pen but i have 9 fountain pens and planning on buying the 51 as a graduation gift
I hope you love it!!
(Not entering) I bought 2 Jinhao 51a’s when I first started using ink pens again, 1 hooded in black and one not hooded in wood. I’m not keen on the unhooded one but love the hooded one. I’d love to get a Teal vintage Parker 51 eventually. Great review.
Would not buy the new one. Why spend almost $90 for a pen that uses the same nib and feed as the Jotter fountain which starts at about $20 for the stainless steel version at my local Office Depot? Also a pen in that price range should definitely have a converter. Many less expensive pens come with one. If the person buying it happened to be a new fountain pen user then some basic instructions would be helpful such as how to clean it and where to get replacement supplies. Parker missed the mark on this one.
Thank you for your comparitive review. I've recently purchased the new Parker '51' - 2021 Remake. I am delighted with it. I find the medium 'Jotter' nib delightful. It writes even smoother when inverted to do 'reverse writing'! I found tbat I very quickly adapted to the screw cap. I like it but appreciate that metal threads connecting to resin ones may not prove ideal over time. In my opinion, I think Parker have produced a beautiful pen that pays homage to the Company's illustrious past. Eventually, this will become a collector's item. It is definitely a Parker '51' for the 21st Century that has its own strong identity over the original '51'.
Thanks so much, Brian!! I’m so glad you love your pen! It’s a beautiful pen, to be sure. I like the charm of the vintage one, but I like what you said about it being the Parker 51 of the 21st century. :) enjoy your pen!!
I grew up using the Hero pen and didn't know that it is a copy of Parker 51 until I got into pens several months ago. I've always wanted to have a Parker 51 as a way to remember my childhood but haven't pulled the trigger yet. The 2021 updates made the 51 much more modern and closer to Parker's line-up so it's not a bad thing. I'd love to have a chance in your giveaway.
Your vintage Parker I believe is likely to be made in the 60s, one of the later models with a one piece sac protector. I believe they also changed materials to something that is more prone to rust. I have two mint uninked NOS 51s, one from 1958-1960, one from mid 1960s. The older pen has a brushed stainless steel sac protector with a plastic end cap, whereas the 1960s one looked identical to yours, strangely it also developed rust spots on the sleeve --- that pen was never taken out of the box, still wrapped in original paper and has all the chalk marks on the barrel.
I would recommend the jinhao 51A and Wing Sung 618, they write well. ChrisRap52 has reviews of many Parker clones. I would be more enthused with these if they were closer to 10-11 mm in diameter.
I like the look of the metal cap and plastic body - it says “modern vintage” to me.
Please do not enter me for the drawing. But I wanted to say that I have the Jotter and LOVE it (it's one of my EDC pens), but I can't see paying $60 more for the 51with the same nib.
I have to admit, I didn’t know the Jotter was also a fountain pen for a long time because whenever I looked for it, the ballpoint showed up. I was so confused why fp people loved it so much when they usually say they don’t like ballpoints. 😂 I figured it out eventually. 😂 but I like the look of them compared to the new 51, and since it’s the same nib, it seems like a better deal!
The Jotter is a small pen, which I know some people don't like, but I am not bothered by it. Its small size makes it perfect for the pocket of my purse.
I have a preorder for the gold nibbed 51 on Endless Pens (for less than $150 through their hop drop deals this week), but I'm feeling less excited about it the more reviews I see. It seems like everyone is just lukewarm on this new iteration.
I’d be interested to hear how to gold version works out for you! I don’t think I’ve seen any reviews about the gold ones, but I haven’t looked very hard for them either either. I’m tempted by the plum, though I don’t need it, so I’m staying away! 😂
@@inksplat plum is the one I ordered. I don’t think it’s going to go out until April though. I’ll be sure to do a video on it when it finally comes. I don’t think I ever would have ordered it at the regular price though.
Wing Sung is wrong for that arrow clip - way too close to the original to be called 'inspired by'. 😏
That’s why I kept struggling with whether or not to call it a knock-off 😂 because it is, but I know some people don’t like using that word.
Hi Manda, how are you? I am sorry to tell you, but the clip on your Parker 51 vintage is assembled in a wrong way. The correct way is the arrow points to PARKER and not to MADE IN USA. You can fix this easyly disassembling the cap. I really love Parker 51.
oh thank you, i'll check it out!! :) I know it was restored and fixed, so maybe something went awry when it was put back together!
The vintage Parker 51 is something that I loved. I am intrigued with how Parker used resin instead of Lucite this time though!
Lucite is another name for acrylic or PMMA. I believe the "precious resin", at least the one Montblanc uses is also PMMA.
Seventy dollars or more for a glorified Vector/Jotter disguised as a P51?!
Yes!
Yes! Power to the lefties! 🤚🏻
For the price of the Parker converter, you can get the new Jinhao 85 (converter included) which is almost identical to and, some say better than the Parker. Ink syringes make short work of cleaning cartridges.
I’ve only recently started seeing the Jinhao 85 pop up and it looks so similar to the vintage Parker!
Parker should have asked Wing Sung to design and produce the new "51" for them.
51 (2021): I have heard that the ink dries quickly in the pen when not used for a few days... And I also see that the cap has three holes... I guess both things are related.
Is the wingsung 601 is the blue- green edition or some special edition because it looks translucent. ? Awaiting response .
It’s not a special edition that I’m aware of! I’ve had it for a couple years and I still see it available I’ve seen it listed as transparent blue and maybe transparent green in some places.
@@inksplat Thank you for the response. It looks beautiful.! Also how did you get this vintage parker 51. You bought this or gifted by some elders?
@@welcometoHappyclub I wish it was a gift! I purchased mine... i found mine on eBay a few years ago.
@@inksplat That is very nice. Thank you :)
I love a hooded nib! It lets me hold the pen super close to the nib without getting inky fingers! And I love the burgundy color!!!
I love hooded nibs too! I don’t know why because I love seeing a fountain pen nib, but they’re so interesting!
I have the wing sung 601 but the nib is not that great. I hear the nib on the Parker is the same as the jotter.
Correct, the new/current version does use the same nib as the jotter!
The new Parker is a worse knockoff than the knockoffs! So many errors and bad choices in design.
Is ‘dupe’ the word you’re looking for Manda 😂😂😂
Yayyy new video!!! Those pens look so nice together!!! I have such a love/hate relationship with Parker, I think I’m too impatient with them and I should give them time to work and find the best way to use to enhance the writing experience. I know what you mean about the screw cap, I hate them in general. I feel like my TWSBI should have a snap cap and always accidentally force it on!
Yes. Lol! Thank you! 😂 I don’t mind a screw cap but I don’t know what the reason for this change was. Maybe if there was an explanation that made sense, I could at least see the reasoning but I don’t get it 😂
The new Parker 51 is very disappointing, and I’ll go a step further and say it’s a complete rip-off. I’ve been told by a reasonable authority that it is actually made by Jin Hao. When comparing it to the Jin Hao 51, the similarities are pretty amazing, although the Jin Hao is not a screw cap (more like the vintage 51) and also doesn’t have the arrow clip. The biggest difference is that the 2021 Parker 51 sells for about 12 times what the JinHao does. I think you should get a JinHao 51 and tell us what you think. And I will also second that I prefer the Parker Jotter over the new Parker 51.
I am quite sure the new version of the classic Parker 51 is a good fountain pen. Ok, if you say it does not have the glamour of the original 51, but the new version is a reborn of a classic. I would love to buy the new version (2021). I would love to be part of the conquest. Thank you so much.
A tissue for this girl, pls lol
Got one, thank you :)
Hi Manda please enter me in the draw if I am not too late.
hi Martin! thanks for your comment! The drawing ended on Thursday, and the winner was already chosen, but thank you for watching. :)
Love and dislike new and vintage for exactly the same reasons as you. Outstanding pens but hate the filler the vintage 51. Lòvethe filling system on the new 51but like you I hate the gap between hood and nib. Wanted to buy both but being disabled and housebound it's difficult financially but because I'm housebound I tend to write a lot. Most of my friends just don't understand but I was made to use fountain pens in school to learn to write which is what the Lamy Safari is made for. Well I'm writing too much as usual so I bid you farewell and goodbye. Fingers crossed for the give away.