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Pelikan 101N Tortoise (Reissue)


gctoto11

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Introduction

 

When there's news saying that the Pelikan 101N Tortoise is being reissued, the traffic in the Pelikan boards seemed to have focused on this pen and lots of speculation arose: Will this be the colour that he/she/they want? Is it true to the original? Etc. The great expectation also brings in alot of business to the FPNers here and the pen shops, with pre-orders filling up and quickly selling out their first batches in some places. I happened to be one of the people that pre-ordered one (in Hong Kong) and I finally got to get this pen last week.

 

It shall be noted that I do not have any vintage Pelikans lying around on my desk (don't have the $$) and also the fact that I live in Hong Kong makes it hard for me to look for them... However, I've always liked the vintage 101 designs MUCH better than the modern Souveran series (Pelikan, if you are reading this, hope you will expend your line based on the 101). It's got much more class and distinctive features than their current flagship models IMHO (Although I do own one M1000 and M400 white tortoise, but I never really love them from aesthetic perspective)

 

So, without comparing with the vintage counterpart, is it worth your money, and is it a great pen on its own right?

 

I. Appearance & Design (7.5/10)

From the initial pictures, I have a great expectation and also a slight worry for this pen. I remember in one the threads, there's going to be speculation that the colour of this pen is going to be the yellowish brown and not the green as in the finished product. Personally I prefer the yellowish brown than the green but that is just me.

 

 

The first thing I'd have to take marks off is the packaging. Yes I do know that the pen is what is the most important but when you want to compete with other manufacturers, can Pelikan at least do something less sloppy than just giving us their normal presentation box for a special edition? If Pelikan would like to argue about costs issues, I'd say just have a different printing on the SAME box will do. The box doesn't even specify that you are buying a 101N, it's just the typical blue box. It's not until you open the box that you know what you are getting. This is very sloppy from my own opinion for a pen that is not in their usual production.

 

Once you open the box, you find the pen which is totally out of sync with the box....a very vintage looking pen in a very modern box... mmm... Nevertheless, I'd say I am a bit disappointed at the finished product's finish. It's definitely a nice pen (because of their genius design ages ago), but I felt that the finish lacked the depth and colours that I am looking for. Maybe it's just me being strict, but as a special edition, they should've done better especially for this favourite model amongst collectors.

 

 

The positive side is that the barrel does have some variation when light is thrown upon it, and the brown does complement the finish quite nicely. As nice as the pen looks, I thought that it lacked depth (as mentioned above) which might probably got to do with the materials that the pen is made out of.....more on that later.

 

 

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c84/gctotoll/SAM_1596.jpg

 

 

 

Construction & Quality (8/10)

I will exclude the nib part and will just focus on the pen barrel, cap, hardware alone. According to the official description, this pen is made out of celluloid acetate instead of celluloid. While I am sure this notches up the durability factor significantly, the finish does sacrificed abit. This is especially so when you look at the brown parts of the pens, where it felt really plasticy, and I did compare with my Lapis Blue 1935 re-issue (probably not a fair comparison), but I do think that if the pen is made of celluloid, it may show abit more depth, even for solid colours. The pen to me now looks nice, but looks a bit "cheap" under some lighting.

 

This is not to say that the pen is not well built though. It's seems a well made pen with no noticeable faults on the mechanism, barrel, hardware. The filling mechanism works well as it should do at this price point, and the other parts are standard.

 

The pen feels very light in the hand and while some said that it's an excessively small pen, I don't think this is the case. I usually use bigger pens such as the MB 146, MB1000, MB 149 but I find this to be comfortable as well. It can certainly warrants long hours of writing if used correctly.

 

Nib & Performance (7/10)

The most important part. The nib. While I wanted to order the BB, my dealer cannot locate one and I'd have to live up with a B. Fine. But is there anything special about the nib?

 

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c84/gctotoll/SAM_1600.jpg

 

The first that you may already know and notice is the nice, simple design that is used in their older pens. It is a 14k gold nib with the words Pelikan 585 14 Karat and the nib width prescribed. With the enormous amount of manufacturers adorning their nibs with complex patterns and what not, this nib certainly gives a breath of fresh air and there is certainly market for pens that lives to the KISS principle.

 

So how does it write? It write a wet, smooth line and also never skips. Then you may wonder why I took off quite a number of marks under this category?

 

Well firstly, any pen under this price point SHOULD have be "smooth" RIGHT out of the box. There is no excuse for sloppy craftsmanship as the nib craftsmanship is what we are paying for. So the fact that it writes smooth does not warrant a full marks immediately. Secondly, this is because Pelikan has gone lazy again. The nib used was exactly the same as the pelikan 400 that I own except from the engravings. Yes, there's nothing special about this nib on the writing aspect. I personally do not favour a broad nib that was cut "round" (if you know what i mean), which on the bright side, is that it has a huge sweet spot, but on the other hand, rather boring variation if you write normally.

 

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c84/gctotoll/SAM_1599.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c84/gctotoll/SAM_1594.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c84/gctotoll/SAM_1593.jpg

 

I also took photos for comparing the 1935 lapis blue nib and the 101 N nib:

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c84/gctotoll/SAM_1610.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c84/gctotoll/SAM_1609.jpg

 

 

Nib of the 101N:

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c84/gctotoll/SAM_1614.jpg

 

Nib of the Lapis Blue:

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c84/gctotoll/SAM_1612.jpg

 

As you can see from the pictures, the nib of the Lapis Blue is grounded more flatly, which naturally produces more line variation even when no pressure is applied. (Although the nib is quite stiff to begin with). I know it might be unfair to compare the two since the Lapis Blue is much more expensive, but in retrospect, I'd rather wish it was 100USD more and to get a more "special" nib in the writing aspect if you know what I mean.

 

 

However, this does not mean this is not a good nib. As I've said, since it's identical to the M400 nib, the qualities are exactly the same. It's rather soft so it CAN produce more line variation if you apply pressure on it:

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c84/gctotoll/SAM_1622.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c84/gctotoll/SAM_1620.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c84/gctotoll/SAM_1619.jpg

 

 

Filling System & Maintenance 10/10

Typical Pelikan Piston Filler. Works great, nothing much to add here. As always, the great part of pelikan pens is that their nibs are interchangeable. So that if any goes wrong on the nib (God forbids), you can always send the nib unit for repair instead of the whole pen.

 

Cost & Value 7.5/10

I bought this pen for around 310 US. While I think that the pen does deserve around this price, the things that I have point out earlier before should mean that this pen could have been even better. However, Pelikan seemed to have chosen the lazy route and that is why I chose to deduct some marks off here.

 

 

Conclusion 8/10

While I use this pen quite often, this is not the pen that blows you out of the water (unlike the lapis blue that I have). For example, you can tell the by making Lapis Blue 1935, Pelikan really did put in extra effort and craftsmanship into it and you can feel it by examining every part of that pen from head to toe. For the 101N, while it's still a good pen, it really screams "mass production" and "cost saving" to me. It's a great all around pen to jot notes with and for normal writing, but for more expressive writing, the writer has to do more work than the pen gives you.

 

Having said that, the fact that the 101N design is hard to come by in modern days without paying a hefty price tag makes this pen a worthy candidate for those of us who loved this classic design. Let's hope that Pelikan produce much more colours (the yellowish brown please) for this pen and let's hope that they put more effort next time.

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Thanks for the review and wow! you got a spectacular deal on it at 310USD. I paid much more and am waiting for it to arrive, stuck in customs!

In case you wish to write to me, pls use ONLY email by clicking here. I do not check PMs. Thank you.

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Thanks for the review and wow! you got a spectacular deal on it at 310USD. I paid much more and am waiting for it to arrive, stuck in customs!

 

 

oops sorry a stupid typo there.... I bought it for 330 USD ...but I still think it's a fair price... where did you order yours from? Hope you can enjoy the pen soon! :)

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...where did you order yours from? Hope you can enjoy the pen soon! :)

 

I bought from Pam Braun in the US for slightly more than what you have paid, however shipping and paypal cost me much more. I hope I get my pen soon, the last time i enquired, the customs office informed me that 900 parcels were in front of me in the clearance queue :yikes: !

In case you wish to write to me, pls use ONLY email by clicking here. I do not check PMs. Thank you.

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You say it is soft?

 

My impression was this about pel nibs:

 

M400- Nail

M600-Soft

M800-nail

M1000-soft

 

Granted, that is a very amateurish way to describe the nibs, but is there a general guide for the modern line? (you say the 101n reissue is a M400 nib)

 

I'm looking to get a pel soon, but I would like a stiffer nib.

To hold a pen is to be at war

-Voltaire

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Well, my M101N has been in "time out" since I received it (due to its unexpected GREEN hue :sick:), but you've goosed me, and I guess at this point I'd better go ahead and ink it... (sigh)

 

....{inking pen with Montblanc Racing green}....

 

....{writing a bit]....

 

Well, geez, this is pretty nice. Very smooth (I have a fine nib). I don't know about "soft" (it's certainly not anything like the M1000), but it doesn't have that "hard as a nail" feel either.

 

Looks like this puppy is going into the rotation... :thumbup:

__________________

Kushbaby

 

I like eating peanuts with chopsticks...

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...where did you order yours from? Hope you can enjoy the pen soon! :)

 

I bought from Pam Braun in the US for slightly more than what you have paid, however shipping and paypal cost me much more. I hope I get my pen soon, the last time i enquired, the customs office informed me that 900 parcels were in front of me in the clearance queue :yikes: !

darn hope the pen arrives to you soon as really you shouldn't have waited for so long!

 

 

You say it is soft?

 

My impression was this about pel nibs:

 

M400- Nail

M600-Soft

M800-nail

M1000-soft

 

Granted, that is a very amateurish way to describe the nibs, but is there a general guide for the modern line? (you say the 101n reissue is a M400 nib)

 

I'm looking to get a pel soon, but I would like a stiffer nib.

 

 

Well, my M101N has been in "time out" since I received it (due to its unexpected GREEN hue :sick:), but you've goosed me, and I guess at this point I'd better go ahead and ink it... (sigh)

 

....{inking pen with Montblanc Racing green}....

 

....{writing a bit]....

 

Well, geez, this is pretty nice. Very smooth (I have a fine nib). I don't know about "soft" (it's certainly not anything like the M1000), but it doesn't have that "hard as a nail" feel either.

 

Looks like this puppy is going into the rotation... :thumbup:

 

 

 

Thanks all for the comments and thanks kushbaby that because of me you are now using this pen a lot more.... well about the nibs... maybe my description is abit wrong but just in my own opinion, i think the 400 nibs are softer than say, a mondern MB 149... so for modern pens I already consider it "softer". I have never tried the 600 nib and would wish to try one. I have the 1000 which to me is more "springy" then truly soft so that's just my view.

 

I hope this helps if you intend to purchase one... I am not an expert of Pels and am quite new to this hobby so hopefully other Pel members may help :)

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excellent review and pics!

thanks!

 

Thanks alot breaker for your very kind words! It really meant alot to me in the sense that it gave me motivation to write better reviews (this is my first pen review)....At first I thought my review is not good as it doesn't seem to be that popular amongst the FPN.... but what the heck...hope this provides some help for people who are deciding to buy one!

:)

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Nice review! I like your pictures, especially of the nib comparison. I agree that changing the nib up more would have been more interesting.

Currently using: pelikan 320 + sheaffer balance

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The nib used was exactly the same as the pelikan 400 that I own except from the engravings.

I hope you meant the "M"400 and not the 400.

Because old Pelikan 400 nibs are fun to write with, unlike the modern big-glob-of-ball tip they're offering right now.

 

And, thanks for the great review!

Edited by Soot

"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one." -- A. Einstein

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From your review, the m101n just seems like another pelikan but in a new body: same writing experience, same piston. i was hoping for something more..... unique. i certainly do not have the need for another Pelikan pen. Maybe i should get this and sell off my M600?

Please check out my blogshop for fountain pens and inks at http://inkoholicanonymous.blogspot.com/ Reviews of my pens can be found there too!

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The nib used was exactly the same as the pelikan 400 that I own except from the engravings.

I hope you meant the "M"400 and not the 400.

Because old Pelikan 400 nibs are fun to write with, unlike the modern big-glob-of-ball tip they're offering right now.

 

And, thanks for the great review!

 

yes you are right Soot thanks for the gentle reminder! :) I really would like to tory an old 400 as you said it has such a great nib!

 

From your review, the m101n just seems like another pelikan but in a new body: same writing experience, same piston. i was hoping for something more..... unique. i certainly do not have the need for another Pelikan pen. Maybe i should get this and sell off my M600?

hi xuan87!! I think that if you have a M400, then you should sell the M400 and get this. For the M600, I have never tried one before but members seemed to have like its nib and think that it's different from the M400 nib. So if you decided to purchase this don't sell off your M600 just as yet.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I received mine this week. The medium 14k nib is as soft as the 14k nib on my early 1990s M400. If anyone wants to see examples of line variation, I would be happy to upload something this weekend.

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I received mine this week. The medium 14k nib is as soft as the 14k nib on my early 1990s M400. If anyone wants to see examples of line variation, I would be happy to upload something this weekend.

 

Maybe that's why my M400 are very soft...

 

Thanks for the review, beautiful pen and I did like your honest approach.

sonia alvarez

 

fpn_1379481230__chinkinreduced.jpg

 

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I received mine this week. The medium 14k nib is as soft as the 14k nib on my early 1990s M400. If anyone wants to see examples of line variation, I would be happy to upload something this weekend.

 

Okay, here's an example of the line variation you get from the 101N's medium nib with slight downward pressure. Not a wet noodle, but definitely not a nail, either. A pleasant surprise.

 

(Sorry about grainy photo; had to shoot in very low light conditions. Pen isn't quite that dark, either - just poor lighting)

 

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p297/julioathompson/DSC01096.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

I got mine on 12th May and it's amazing. I have the F nib and it's just right. Sorry I've no pictures of it but I've nothing but admiration for this pen.

The Good Captain

"Meddler's 'Salamander' - almost as good as the real thing!"

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