A Parker 51 Fantasy Trip - Part 2:
Sergio Kullock Engraved Sterling Silver c. 1990s

by Jim Mamoulides, March 28, 2004, updated May 17, 2024

Sergio Kullock engraved sterling silver Parker 51 fantasy pen c. 1990s

Reading the launch and first year advertising copy for the new Parker 51 Aero-metric fountain pen helps set the stage for this very uncommon Parker 51 fantasy pen. The earliest advertisement in the February 19, 1949 Saturday Evening Post was a two page spread that detailed nine out of fourteen new features of the new pen in a bulleted list along with a cutaway image showing the inside workings. Example models in seven colors and black are shown starting at $13.50 for the pen and $6.75 for the pencil.

"Listen to both your heart and your head as you look at the flawless New Parker 51. You'll see at once why this is the world's most wanted pen," says an ad in the November 4, 1950 Saturday Evening Post.

The "New Parker 51" was loaded with creatively named features, several with creative Parker spellings, not the least of which was the new and "exclusive Aero-metric ink system." Most collectors are familiar with this press-bar filling system that Parker introduced in 1949, replacing the Vacumatic filler in the Parker 51. They may also recognize its similarity with later removable press-bar converters found in many early cartridge / converter pens, including Parker models.

This filling system is a bit of something old and something new mixed together. The something old is of course the simple pressure bar used to compress an ink sac to fill the pen, revealed by removing the barrel. Early sleeve-fillers work the same way. The Conklin crescent filler is also a press bar type, operated by pressing a tab that sticks out of a slot cut in the side of the barrel to squeeze the ink sac and fill the pen.

The something new are Parker's improvements to this very simple sleeve filler. For example, the Parker 51 Aero-metric keeps the nib and feed unit from the Parker 51 Vacumatic and adds a metal sleeve with a press bar and a clear "Pli-glass reservoir" inside, permanently attached to the base of the nib section and feed. This new "Foto-fill" (another new name) filler unit adds an ink-visible reservoir to the Parker 51, a feature the Vacumatic pen lacks.

Sergio Kullock engraved sterling silver Parker 51 fantasy pen c. 1990s

Considering that Parker replaced the very complex Vacumatic system with something so simple is extraordinary. Sheaffer was moving in the opposite direction, replacing the Vacuum-Filler first with the Touchdown filler, and eventually the ultimate in complex ink-filling systems, the Snorkel.

White Metal Fantasy

When I pulled this pen out of the box, I was immediately struck by the cool touch of the sterling silver, combined with the sharp edges of the deep engraving. The piece is heavy and cool, like a Flighter, and warms up in the hand the same way, but no Flighter has the feel of this pen!

This piece was made by Sergio Kullock, and is hallmarked "STERLING SILVER" and "SK" on the back of the cap. The Parker name is engraved on the cap front, as on the Parker 51 Aero-metric Signet all gold-filled pen. I've seen three examples of this engraved sterling silver pen, one of which had a chrome plated clip.

This fantasy pen is more in the vein of a commissioned jeweler's piece using the Parker 51 as a base pen. Some early examples of commissioned Parker 51s were done under the authority of Parker, many of those were made in the UK. Since relatively early during the Parker 51's production, collectors and artisans have made customized pens using original or replacement parts. Examples included re-engraving or hammering the cap, adding overlays and/or inlays to an existing pen, or creating new replacement caps, nib sections, and/or barrels. This pen has the cap and barrel replaced with two new sterling silver pieces, giving it almost a newly manufactured feel.

Sergio Kullock engraved sterling silver Parker 51 fantasy pen c. 1990s

Like the two Ariel Kullock vacumatic fantasy pens, this pen sources from Argentina, where parts and complete fantasy pens are still being put together. Valuations and pricing for an artisan made fantasy pen vary widely. There are still some who do this work, and your best bet is to contact the artist directly.

Performance

If Parker were to decide to make a sterling silver limited edition 51, I think this should be the prototype. The simple repeating wave pattern, deeply engraved into the solid sterling silver cap and barrel stands out strongly against the muted silver glow. Sergio Kullock has avoided a highly polished finish, which allows the engraving to be the forefront of the piece. The engraving is very deep, more reminiscent of early Wahl pens than many moderns with their much shallower cuts. This gives a high tactile feel, which coupled with the cool touch of the silver, makes the writing experience interesting and the feel of the pen very noticable in the hand. The modern Classic Pens limited editions have this same feeling, having been made using vintage engraving machines.

Sergio Kullock engraved sterling silver Parker 51 fantasy pen c. 1990s

This is a superbly well-made pen. Everything fits together as if original, though the only new parts appear to be the cap and barrel, unlike the two Ariel Kullock 51 Vacumatics, featured in part one of this fantasy trip, both of which look almost completely new. The silver has a white tone and is hallmarked "STERLING SILVER" and "SK" on the back of the cap band. The engraving may pick up a patina with use, setting it off even more in contrast with the surface. It's a repeating four wave lines with a space pattern, going around the pen, with a blank indicia on the barrel. It has a similarity to the more formal 1920s Wahl ribbon pattern, which is three wave lines flanked by a pair of straight lines on each side. The clip is very lightly brassed gold fill, indicating original equipment.

The cap and barrel are the same dimensions a vintage 51 Aero-metric, being about 5 1/2 inches long capped and 6 inches posted and has the same weight and balance as an early 51 Flighter. As expected, it's well balanced, capped or posted, and posts securely. Given the softness of sterling silver, the detail of the engraving, and the tendency of the clutch fingers in the caps of 51s to mar the finish of the barrel, even on hard stainless steel Flighters, I would avoid posting this pen. I would hate to see irreversible damage from the fingers digging into the engraving. I posted it once, just to see, but never did again.

Sergio Kullock engraved sterling silver Parker 51 fantasy pen c. 1990s

Unscrewing the barrel reveals the expected Parker 51 Aero-metric filler. It's original and works the same as any other Parker Aero-metric, several squeezes of the press-bar sucks in a good fill of ink, and with a quick wipe of the hood, and replacement of the barrel, we're ready to write. It appears that the entire section was unscrewed from an Aero-metric 51 onto this barrel, but the fit is perfect. This was a carefully made pen.

The nib turned out to be a typical firm and very smooth fine that wrote slightly dry, reminding me of the Parker advertisements that say, "writes dry with wet ink." The lines are nice and even, and either this was originally set up well, or was adjusted when the pen was finished. A typical firm, smooth 51.

This would make a very nice and attractive daily user. I would only worry about dings and scratches, a common problem with sterling silver, which quickly picks up fine spider web marks from daily use. Unlike sterling silver flatware, the fine engraving on this pen will not hold up to repeated buffing to remove scuffs, so this pen should be used with care and put away when not in use.

Of the three 51 fantasy pens I've reviewed so far (more are coming), this one is the black tie model. It is wonderful in the hand, not only as a writer, but in the feel of the writing action. It's a pen that's fun to hold and look at the detail. There are many "jeweler's overlay" 51s that have been made, but this one has the quality of an original, individual work, and at the same time, gives a hint as to what a sterling 51 limited edition might be. As with the other two Ariel Kullock fantasy pens, if only Parker had looked at what was already being done with their design when considering choices for a special or limited edition 51. This pen is a great inspiration.

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Acknowledgement

Grateful thanks to Harry Shubin for loaning this beautiful Kullock Parker 51 sterling silver fantasy pen. Harry was also very helpful in supplying background on their origin.

Links to Referenced PenHero.com Articles

A Parker 51 Fantasy Trip - Part 1: A Pair of Ariel Kullock 51s

References

Advertisement, The Saturday Evening Post, February 19, 1949, pages 72-73

Advertisement, The Saturday Evening Post, March 5, 1949, inside front cover

Advertisement, The Saturday Evening Post, November 4, 1950, inside front cover

Atelier de canetas, sourced via the Internet Archive Wayback Machine, with dates of May 16, 2014 through March 10, 2022

Gary & Myrna Lehrer’s Quarterly Illustrated Vintage Pen Catalog Issue #83 - June 2017