Pen Part Components
These photos are for customer information and are intended to supplement details contained within repair quotations
1. Parker 51 cap components
2. Parker 61 nib unit components
3. Parker 65 nib unit components
4. Waterman clip fitting 1940s-50s
5. Waterman l'Etalon nib assembly
(1) Parker 51 cap components
These six components (with slight variations over time) make up the 51 cap from the introduction of the Vacumatic 51 in 1941 through to around 1962 in the UK when a different type of inner cap and clutch were introduced
Left: the steel outer cap; Centre: plastic inner cap with metal clutch; Right: Clip with threaded brass bushing and plastic grey pearl clip jewel
(2) Parker 61 nib unit components
Seven component parts make up the cartridge/converter Parker 61 nib unit. Most common issues with these parts are degradation of the plastic leading to shrinkage of the front shells and breakup of the black plastic connector thread units. A threaded clamp is usually needed to remove the connector thread unit
Top Left: white metal cartridge piercing tube which fits into the plastic (original) or brass (modern replacement) connector thread unit; Top Centre: clutch ring which sits in the middle of the connector thread unit; Top Right: Black feed with transparent collector and a 14k gold nib; Bottom: Front shells in teal blue, grey and burgundy - all with silver arrow motifs
All our stocks of black shells and all colours with gold arrow motifs were exhausted some years ago, but we have the colours illustrated here in stock
(3) Parker 65 Nib Unit Components
Seven component parts make up the cartridge/converter Parker 65 Mk2 nib unit. Mk1 nib units look identical when assembled but have different threading on the nib shell and connector thread unit. Most common issues with these parts are degradation of the plastic leading to shrinkage of the front shells and breakup of the black plastic connector thread units; lifting of the nib away from the feed which stops ink flow. A threaded clamp is usually needed to remove the connector thread unit, and a special tool is required to fit the collector onto the back of the feed
Top Left: white metal cartridge piercing tube which fits into the plastic (original) or brass (modern replacement) connector thread unit; Top Right: clutch ring which sits in the middle of the connector thread unit; Top Right: transparent collector above the black feed with attached 14k gold nib; Bottom: Front shells in teal blue, grey and burgundy
All our stocks of black shells were exhausted some years ago, but we have the colours illustrated here in stock
(4) Waterman clip fitting for many models in the 1940s-50s
The clip screw fits through the top of the cap with the clip itself sitting in the recess cut in the top of the cap. The clip is secured by the nut being screwed on inside the top of the cap using a special tool. The photo shows a particularly clean clip, screw and nut which were taken from an unused new-old-stock cap - these examples show none of the usual corrosion which locks the clip screw and nut together
This corrosion is due to the clip screw and nut having sat in the humid inside of the cap for over 70 years. Similar issues arise with the majority of Conway Stewart clips which have the same screw/nut design. In most cases, the corrosion means that the retaining nut cannot be unscrewed from the clip screw and therefore the clip cannot be replaced
(5) Waterman l'Etalon nib unit assembly and disassembly
Complete nib unit after removal of nib/feed
Central collar removed by knocking backwards over barrel threads. This collar is unthreaded and held in place by friction. It locks over the semicircular clutch ring and has recesses to fit over the flange at each end of the clutch ring
With the central collar removed, the brass connector thread unit can be unscrewed half a turn to release the clutch ring from its recess
With the clutch ring removed, the brass connector thread unit can be unscrewed from the technical section (see next photo) which sits inside the main front shell. This main front shell has no threading
This shows the technical section (bottom left) removed from the main front shell. The technical section has the visible gold ring on one end; the other end is threaded and there is a slot on the outside of the technical section which determines where it is to be inserted into the main front shell. The rubber O ring is retrieved from inside the main front shell
When reversing these steps to reassemble the nib unit, the small rubber O ring is inserted over the back of the technical section after it has been inserted into the main front shell. It is then held in position by the brass connector thread unit. Its purpose is to dampen slight lateral movement of the main front shell around the technical section
The normal failure point with this design is that the threads at the back of the technical section fracture off. If the fracture is partial, then ink will start leaking from around the main front shell. If there is full fracture, there will also be leakage but the front part of the technical section holding the nib/feed will be allowed to slide forwards out of the main front shell as there is then nothing retaining these parts in position. The main front shell stays attached to the other components as it is locked in position by semicircular clutch ring which, in turn, is fixed by the brass connector thread unit and the central collar. The slight (about 1mm) fowards/backwards movement of the main front shell is permitted by the clutch ring moving within its recess in the brass connector thread unit
This shows the broken technical section separated from the rest of the front end. The threaded end of the technical section with the cartridge piercing tube which has fractured off remains fixed inside the brass connector thread unit inside the nib unit
The only solution to partial/full fracturing is to replace the defective technical section but as this part has not been available for some years the nib unit is unrepairable