The Parker 51, introduced in 1941, may well be the most famous fountain pen ever made. Parker’s period advertising called it “The World’s Most Wanted Pen,” and this assertion was true although a little deceptive; the U.S.A. entered World War II in December 1941, and the War Production Board placed severe restrictions on production of pens for civilian sale. Parker's continued advertising during the war created a demand that took several years to fulfill after the end of the war. The pen was developed for use with Parker's revolutionary quick dry ink, whose high alkalinity and isopropyl alcohol content were fatally corrosive to the pyralin then used for the bodies of most pens (including the Parker Vacumatic, the company's flagship pen during the 1930s). Making the pen's body and inner cap of a new plastic called Lucite, just coming into use for airplane canopies, solved the corrosion problem. The pen and the ink were both named "51" to mark 1939, the company's 51st year of existence, during which development was completed (U.S. design patent No. 116,097). By giving the pen a number instead of a name, Parker avoided the problem of translating a name into other languages. For the movie, see 1941 (film) 1941 (MCMXLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1941 calendar). ... A fountain pen is a writing instrument, more specifically a pen, that contains a reservoir of water-based ink that is fed to a nib through a feed via a combination of gravity and capillary action. ... The Parker Pen Company, founded in 1891 by George Stafford Parker in Janesville, Wisconsin, is best known for making pens that are among the most prestigious and collectible in the world. ... Combatants Allies: Poland, British Commonwealth, France/Free France, Soviet Union, United States, China, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, and others Casualties Military dead: 17 million Civilian dead: 33 million Total dead: 50 million Military dead: 8 million Civilian dead: 4 million Total dead: 12 million World War II... The War Production Board (WPB) was established in 1942 by executive order of Franklin D. Roosevelt. ... Structure of PMMA: (C5O2H8)n Structure of methyl methacrylate Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) or polymethyl-2-methylpropanoate is the synthetic polymer of methyl methacrylate. ... A patent is a set of exclusive rights granted by a state to a person for a fixed period of time in exchange for the regulated, public disclosure of certain details of a device, method, process or composition of matter (substance) (known as an invention) which is new, inventive, and...

With various refinements, the "51" stayed in production until 1972. The most significant design change came in 1948, with the introduction of a much improved filling system. At the same time, Parker reformulated its ink, reducing the alkalinity, adding a selection of brilliant colors, and calling the new product Superchrome. 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1972 calendar). ... 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1948 calendar). ...

The "51" is among the most popular pen models sought out by pen collectors, and in 2002 Parker issued a lookalike model called the the 51 Special Edition. The elegant design is practically timeless, and in 2004 it resurfaced with the release of the Parker 100, a larger, heavier pen with truly modern styling that is unquestionably a tribute to the looks of its forebear. For the Cusco album, see 2002 (album). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The "51" was revolutionary at the time, with its hooded, tubular nib and multi-finned collector, all designed to work in conjunction with the pen's proprietary ink, allowing the nib to stay wet and lay down an even line with either the ultra-fast drying ink or more traditional inks. The design is so robust and practical that most "51" pens made since 1948 that are "found in the back of a drawer” can be filled with ink and used immediately because of their revolutionary Pli-Glass sacs, though earlier Vacumatic-filling units may need restoration to make them operational due to their rubber diaphrams.

The pen's resemblance to the sleek fuselage of the P-51 Mustang, a fighter plane used extensively during the war, had no bearing on its name; but Parker took advantage of the coincidence by comparing the pen and the plane in its advertising. The North American P-51 Mustang was a long-range single-seat fighter aircraft that entered service with Allied air forces in the middle years of World War II and became one of the conflicts most successful and recognizable aircraft. ... A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for attacking other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed to attack ground targets, primarily by dropping bombs. ...

External links

• Parker 51 (Review of book about the Parker "51")
• The Parker 51 Website (Unofficial fanpage with very much information)
• Parker 51 Special Edition (Originally official site for limited reissue of Parker 51, but seems to have other news about Parker pens, too.)
• Pen Lovers: Parker 51 Collection (Many photos of Parker 51)
• Profile: The Parker "51" (Profile of the Parker "51" including information on dating and colors)