{"id":61,"date":"2015-09-17T13:51:44","date_gmt":"2015-09-17T13:51:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/parker51.com\/?page_id=61"},"modified":"2015-10-29T17:24:53","modified_gmt":"2015-10-29T17:24:53","slug":"desks","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/parker51.com\/index.php\/51s\/desks\/","title":{"rendered":"Deskbases"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A very early and rare ca. 1940 Parker “51” deskpen is raspberry red with clear demonstrator taper and aluminum speedline filler.\u00a0 This color never went into production, but a handful of pens have been found in the pocket version. <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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A pair of ca. 1941 deskpens.\u00a0 These pens were available in either Midnight Black or Cordovan only.\u00a0 They had the sharp-ended tapers and speedline metal fillers.\u00a0 Unique to these pens was the “blue diamond” on the barrels and the imprints on the taper.\u00a0 I have never seen a date code on any of them.\u00a0 Some pens are found with no imprints at all on the tapers. The 1942 production pens also had the sharp taper with an imprint, but with a plastic filler.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Some early 1941 deskpens were made as desktop demostrators with a chain attached by a ring as shown here.\u00a0 An interesting variation in the very early deskepens, shown here and below, is the placement of the Blue Diamond much closer to the filler.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0 From the collection of Tim Laros<\/p>\n

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The placement of the Blue Diamond closer to the filler would had made it almost at the exact center of the pen tip to tip.\u00a0 Why the change?\u00a0 Maybe when the pen was converted into a pocket version, the placement\u00a0so far near the end of the barrel made it look\u00a0odd.\u00a0 <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong>From the collection of Tim Laros<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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All four models of Parker “51” vacumatic filler deskpens available.\u00a0 The switch from the sharp ended taper to the rounded taper took place sometime in late\u00a01945.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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The later Parker “51” vacumatic filled deskpens were available with the regular plastic filler or “black band”, or the button pushed “red band” filler.\u00a0 The barrels on these pens are longer and the tapers are shorter with a breather hole on the side, but overall the pens were the exact same length.\u00a0 The “red bands” were available for a short time, from 1946 to early 1947.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Two versions of the Aerometric filled Parker “51” deskpens.\u00a0 The top pen dates from around 1948 to 1951.\u00a0 The bottom pen has a longer and thinner taper and dates from the mid fifties.\u00a0 Almost all deskpens for the aerometrics are black, but I have only seen one in teal blue with a matching teal blue holder.\u00a0 Some versions had a gold or silver tip at the end of the taper.\u00a0 The silver tip is almost always for the Parker “51” Special.\u00a0 <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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A newly discovered\u00a0Parker “51” desk pencil with date code of 1953.\u00a0 The taper matches the pens of the era.\u00a0 The pencil was found by itself, but I assume that there is a cup to match it, which must be narrower to fit the pencil.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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A\u00a0Parker “51” aerometric deskpen in Teal Blue.\u00a0 “51” aerometric deskpens were only marketed in black.\u00a0 This is one of a few\u00a0examples found in Teal Blue.\u00a0 A\u00a0matching Teal Blue holder was also made.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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The Parker “51” continued into production into the early 1970’s.\u00a0 The above examples are from the late 1960’s-early 1970’s when the clutch ring was changed to be similar to the Parker “61”.\u00a0 Shown here are from the top, a mechanical pencil (only\u00a0style I have seen), a ballpoint (only style\u00a0I have seen), and a fountain pen.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Parker “51” Deskbases were made in an amazing variety of sizes, materials and configurations.\u00a0 Below is a small sampling of some examples.\u00a0 The pricing of deskbases can be difficult, as they are clumsy to carry and take a lot of space.\u00a0 Some can be found at very reasonable prices, sometimes less that the price of a corresponding pen or pens.\u00a0 Some of the more elaborate bases with figurines and some of the earlier bases can command very high prices.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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To the left is standard first year holder with metal swivel mechanism.<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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To the right is detail of first year holder with wartime plastic ball mechanism.<\/span><\/p>\n

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A Parker “51” First Year Deskbase with a pair of Midnight\u00a0Black pens, blue diamonds on the barrels and sharp tapers, with\u00a0matching black holders.\u00a0 Black glass base with two holders with triangular attachments.\u00a0 Note that the triangular shapes are pink in color (copper?), while the holder themselves are yellow (brass?).\u00a0 Rest for the pens is also yellow brass.<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Parker “51” First Year Deskbase with a pair of Midnight\u00a0Black pens, blue diamonds on the barrels and sharp tapers,\u00a0with matching black holders.\u00a0 Black marble with cream veins with chrome decorations.\u00a0\u00a0Clock is electric “Telechron”, which is working and keeps perfect time.\u00a0 This was one of the more expensive early bases according to catalogs.<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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To the left, a Parker “51” First Year Deskbase with a single\u00a0Cordovan Brown\u00a0pen, blue diamond on the barrel and sharp taper, with matching cordovan holder.\u00a0 Note the unusual round base which is\u00a0a heavy, silverplated\u00a0dome,\u00a0trimmed in brass.<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

To the right, a Parker “51” First Year Deskbase with a single Midnight Black pen, blue diamond on the barrel and sharp taper, with matching black holder.\u00a0 Black marble base with cream veins.<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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A ca. 1946 Parker “51”\u00a0Double Deskbase in brass with a pair of “Red Band” filler deskpens in\u00a0Midnight Black with matching Magnetix holders.\u00a0 Note the short cups, correct for the time period.\u00a0 “Red Band” pens are most often found in the deskpen version and\u00a0only\u00a0in black.\u00a0 The pocket versions can\u00a0be found in cedar blue and dove gray, in addition to black.<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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To the left, a ca. 1944 Parker “51”\u00a0Single Deskbase with a Midnight Black vacumatic filler\u00a0pen, with matching Magnetix black\u00a0holder.\u00a0 The base is made of anodized aluminum.<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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To the right, a ca. 1946 Parker “51”\u00a0Single Deskbase with a Midnight Black vacumatic filler\u00a0pen, and matching Magnetix black\u00a0holder.\u00a0 The base is made of black lucite plastic with a brass\u00a0plate.\u00a0 Below left is a similar base to the black one, but this one is made of Dove Gray lucite, the excat same color used for the pocket pens.\u00a0 Similar base can also be found in Cordovan Brown.\u00a0 I have yet to see one in Cedar Blue.<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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A ca. 1946 Parker “51”\u00a0Double Deskbase in pedrara onyx\u00a0with a pair of Midnight Black vacumatic\u00a0filler deskpens\u00a0with matching Magnetix holders.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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A ca. 1950 Parker “51”\u00a0Double Deskbase in anodized black aluminum with brass trim.\u00a0\u00a0Rare demonstrator Magnetix holders and half demonstrator Aerometric filler deskpens.\u00a0 I have\u00a0never seen\u00a0a completely clear demonstrator\u00a0deskpen, but there are rumors\u00a0of its excistance.\u00a0 Note the longer style holders used for the Aerometric pens.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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A ca. 1950 Parker “51”\u00a0Single\u00a0Deskbase in gold plaid\u00a0plastic inlaid over aluminum base with\u00a0black deskpen and Magnetix holder.\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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A ca. 1953 Motorola “VIP”\u00a0Deskbase\u00a0in gold color metal with Motorola radio\/Telechron clock, perpetual calendar\u00a0and Parker “51” fountain pen and pencil, with matching Spherix holders.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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  A very early and rare ca. 1940 Parker “51” deskpen is raspberry red with clear demonstrator taper and aluminum speedline filler.\u00a0 This color never went into production, but a handful of pens have been found in the pocket version. XXX A pair of ca. 1941 deskpens.\u00a0 These pens were available in either Midnight Black […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":200,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"full-width-content","footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-61","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","5":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/parker51.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/61","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/parker51.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/parker51.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parker51.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parker51.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=61"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/parker51.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/61\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4359,"href":"https:\/\/parker51.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/61\/revisions\/4359"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parker51.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/200"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/parker51.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=61"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}