This revival of the classic Parker 51 is a beautiful instrument. It comes elegantly packaged, although there's not much in the box - just a pen and a single blue cartridge (this lower-tier Parker apparently doesn't warrant the converter - it's sold separately, so if you want to use your new 51 with bottled ink, be warned). Pick up a converter or some spare cartridges, otherwise they look like a standard international long cartridge (although shorter, the aperture appears to be the same as a Lamy cartridge, so those might work in a pinch). The box bears two royal "by appointment" seals, if you're gifting it to a monarchist.
The pen body for the midnight blue is slightly translucent at certain points, and is attractive if lightweight. The resin body is solid and I'm only *slightly* worried about scratching or harming it, as it seems pretty tough. As a rule I'm not a big fan of hooded nibs, but this one is smooth and easy to find the sweet spot on, even for a left-hander. It also doesn't squeak, which gives it a slight advantage over a Lamy 2000, or scratch, which gives it an advantage over loads of other pens, including the Parker Urban. The line of the fine nib is definitely in the broader European class of "Fine" (over a Japanese-made Sailor, for example), but it's not so wet that ink bleeds on mid-quality paper. The screw-on cap still throws me, but the pen posts securely and is nicely weighted and balanced for extended writing sessions. I've not used an older Parker 51 (it's on my list to hunt down), but my very first fountain pen was a Parker Vector, long ago, and despite the nostalgia value of dragging out an old Vector I certainly like the 51 better. The 51 seems closely akin to the less-expensive Parker Urban, but with the 51 you are clearly paying for the classic design, as opposed to the slightly more utilitarian Urban. Sadly, I don't have a Parker Jotter, or I could make the most obvious comparison, as the Jotter and the 51, at least superficially, look quite similar.
Despite, or perhaps because of all of these details, I really enjoy writing with the Parker 51. It and the Lamy 2000 are among my current favourites to use for daily writing. If you're looking for an impressive pen in the slightly sub-$100 range, one which writes well and isn't too demanding on the writer, splurge on a converter and your favourite bottled ink and give this one a spin. It's an attractive, functional classic.
