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Pelikan 140 Black


piembi

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Pelikan 140 – the lower end sibling of the 400

 

Let's have a look at the little sweetie: http://s547.photobucket.com/albums/hh474/piembi/pens/FPN%20reviews/Pelikan%20140%20black/?albumview=slideshow

 

First Impression

I did not like the 140s to begin with. The 400 had been the pen I was dreaming of since I was a schoolgirl. The 140 had not been the real thing. A humble smaller sibling. Why should I want a 140 if I can get a 400? And so I avoided the 140 for years. I got one because of the nib. I wanted to replace the goldplated steel nib of the M150. Now I have an upgraded M150 and started to like the nib but still not the 140. I was hunting for 400s. And B nibs of course.

 

Then I saw it: the B nib that came with a black 140. Black was ok. It did not look like the poor relative of the 400, it looked like another vintage Pelikan. And so I bid for it. And it was mine.

 

Appearance/Finish

It is an all black pen like the M250. Maybe that's why I liked it.

 

Design/Size/Weight

The 140 is a bit smaller than the 400. This is the only pen I like to use posted. I don't like the pen for it's size, I like it for it's nib!

 

Compared to a M400:

 

http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh474/piembi/pens/FPN%20reviews/Pelikan%20140%20black/P1070328.jpg

 

Nib Design and Performance

The nib is one of those beautiful, semiflexible, stubbish wet B nibs. Do you hate the greyish-pale performance of Pelikan blueblack? There must be a reason why this ink performs so poorly with a modern nib. There is a reason: A wet vintage Pelikan B nib with an ebonite feed. Those are the nibs the Pelikan inks had been made for. Those are the nibs that perform best with Pelikan inks. It is my favourite ink/nib combination.

 

The nib and a writing sample:

 

http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh474/piembi/pens/FPN%20reviews/Pelikan%20140%20black/P1070344.jpg

 

http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh474/piembi/pens/FPN%20reviews/Pelikan%20140%20black/P1070349.jpg

 

http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh474/piembi/pens/FPN%20reviews/Pelikan%20140%20black/P1070345.jpg

 

The Filling System, Cost and value

The pen is a piston filler that works perfectly well. This one had been a good deal. About 30 Euros. There is no modern pen that will be as good a value as this humble litte 140 with a perfect B nib.

 

Conclusion

I had to learn to love this pen. It became a keeper. OK, it is the nib that made me love the pen and I am not going to sell it for that very reason.

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Superb combination! And just for 30 Euros!! What a finding.

Quan el centre del món no ets ben bé tu (per més que en tinguis la il·lusió),

si et desvetllaven enmig de la nit, no vulguis preguntar-te per què vius:

distreu-te rosegant l'ungla d'un dit. [I beg your pardon, Salvador Espriu]

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Great review, great pen!

Need a pen repaired or a nib re-ground? I'd love to help you out.

FPN%252520banner.jpg

Colossians 3:17 - And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

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http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh474/piembi/pens/FPN%20reviews/Pelikan%20140%20black/P1070345.jpg

 

This makes me wanna march straight into the PELIKAN headquarters and kick all of them in the **** and than make them write a page with their modern B nib (B stands for "Iridium BLOB") and then show them this one! :mad: :gaah: :bonk:

Edited by Edgar Allan Bo
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This makes me wanna march straight into the PELIKAN headquarters and kick all of them in the **** and than make them write a page with their modern B nib (B stands for "Iridium BLOB") and then show them this one! :mad: :gaah: :bonk:

 

This BLOB is the reason why I don't buy and use modern Pelikans. A 1980s Pel is as modern as it can get.

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The nib is one of those beautiful, semiflexible, stubbish wet B nibs. Do you hate the greyish-pale performance of Pelikan blueblack? There must be a reason why this ink performs so poorly with a modern nib. There is a reason: A wet vintage Pelikan B nib with an ebonite feed. Those are the nibs the Pelikan inks had been made for. Those are the nibs that perform best with Pelikan inks. It is my favourite ink/nib combination.

 

This should be pinned in the ink threads. :thumbup:

 

Pelikan blue-black was the ink I disliked the most since I started with FP's. I wanted it to work and tried it over and over and over in so many pens (but none of them was a really wet writer) and every time all I got was this pale grey color... until I finaly got an old 140 with it's juicy nib and gave the B/B one more (last) try - and it was simply amazing how DIFFERENT it looked on paper than in all the other times I tried it in other pens.

Now it's also my favourite ink, specially for wet writers. :cloud9:

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Thanks for the review on the Pelikan 140. I recently stumbled across a 120. It's one of the Merz and Krell ones. What a revelation. Beautiful semi-flex extra-fine nib, and I couldn't see the joint for the knob that operates the piston without a magnifying glass. I've got them on my radar big time now.

Edited by sotto2

http://i59.tinypic.com/ekfh5f.jpg

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I recently picked up one 140 in green stripes (M) for US$ 40,00 from Ebay. Very wet nib, one of my best writers. What a pleasure!!! :cloud9: I'm a Pelikan addict. Enjoy yours!

 

Regards,

 

Fabricio

 

Edited: you're right. Pelikan inks are dry and pale in my oppinion. I've never liked them, but now I see: those inks perfectly combine with vintage wet nibs. So my M1000 (M), that has a quite wet nib, whose springness reminds the 140 nib.

Edited by fabrimedeiros
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http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh474/piembi/pens/FPN%20reviews/Pelikan%20140%20black/P1070345.jpg

 

This makes me wanna march straight into the PELIKAN headquarters and kick all of them in the **** and than make them write a page with their modern B nib (B stands for "Iridium BLOB") and then show them this one! :mad: :gaah: :bonk:

Edgar Allan Bo,

You can stubish it if want. M1000, that I purchased recently, don't have "iridium BLOB", but almost a stub nib, however there is little line variation. Modern M800, M250, M400 yes, they do have a "Iridium BLOB", but I like them. They are wet too, though they've stiff nibs.

Edited by fabrimedeiros
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http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh474/piembi/pens/FPN%20reviews/Pelikan%20140%20black/P1070345.jpg

 

This makes me wanna march straight into the PELIKAN headquarters and kick all of them in the **** and than make them write a page with their modern B nib (B stands for "Iridium BLOB") and then show them this one! :mad: :gaah: :bonk:

Edgar Allan Bo,

You can stubish it if want. M1000, that I purchased recently, don't have "iridium BLOB", but almost a stub nib, however there is little line variation. Modern M800, M250, M400 yes, they do have a "Iridium BLOB", but I like them. They are wet too, though they've stiff nibs.

 

I know what to do to make things work for me and I've been doing this all the time, grinding blobs down to stubs and stuff like that... it's because of all the other folks who don't have the chance to experience the beauty of those old vintage nibs because they just buy the pens in the store and give up because they're dissapointed in the nibs and dry feeds!

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Your evaluation of the 140 B is correct. I have one too, and it has displaced many pens from my rotation ... Aurora, Omas, Stipula, Bexley -- they're all great pens, but the 140 B is outstanding.

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Thanks for this great review. I have six 140's in various colours and i love them. Great and reliable pens. Now i have seen your review I want another one with a B nib. :thumbup:

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You do realize that now there will be a huge run for the vintage Pelikan B-nibs, don't you?

 

After your great reviews no one will ever settle for less :)

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/606/letterji9.png fpn_1315221373__inkdroplogofpn.jpg
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Oops! Didn't thought of it when I did my reports. :hmm1:

 

Don't worry, I'm done with B's, BB'S, OB's, OBB's, and O3B's for some time, and I'll let you have all the M's, OM's, OF's... I leave you even

all the ST's, KF's, KM's, KB's, KOB's and °'s... even the DEF's and DF's you can have... but the rest is what I've got my eye on! :roflmho:

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  • 3 weeks later...

What a lovely post about your 140! I adore Pelikan vintage nibs. I currently have a 1950's 400 and have been thinking about an all black vintage Pel. Cannot decide between a 100 or a 140. Two very different pens at two very different costs.

...writing only requires focus, and something to write on. —John August

...and a pen that's comfortable in the hand.—moi

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What a lovely post about your 140! I adore Pelikan vintage nibs. I currently have a 1950's 400 and have been thinking about an all black vintage Pel. Cannot decide between a 100 or a 140. Two very different pens at two very different costs.

 

Your experience is my own. I went with the 140 for cost savings. Maybe someday a 100.

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http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh474/piembi/pens/FPN%20reviews/Pelikan%20140%20black/P1070345.jpg

 

This makes me wanna march straight into the PELIKAN headquarters and kick all of them in the **** and than make them write a page with their modern B nib (B stands for "Iridium BLOB") and then show them this one! :mad: :gaah: :bonk:

 

You can grind a blob. My M1000 B was a bit blobbish, but I ground it to produce the line variation I wanted.

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What a lovely post about your 140! I adore Pelikan vintage nibs. I currently have a 1950's 400 and have been thinking about an all black vintage Pel. Cannot decide between a 100 or a 140. Two very different pens at two very different costs.

 

Your experience is my own. I went with the 140 for cost savings. Maybe someday a 100.

 

And then there's the Ibis! Then again the 140 has a nice length. Economy will decide. :)

...writing only requires focus, and something to write on. —John August

...and a pen that's comfortable in the hand.—moi

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