The Parker 51, which was launched in 1941, was unlike any other writing instrument that had come before it. Its innovative concealed nib, paired with Parker's first quick-drying ink, was the answer to the puzzle that writing instrument manufacturers faced at the time: How can you create a writing device that dries quickly on paper but not so quickly that it dries out in the pen? The streamlined silhouette of the Parker 51, which offered a seamless transition from the barrel to the concealed nib, gave the Parker 51 its own distinctive identity. Cap edge: Gold finish.