Franken 400?

[DnzUlc]

I've recently seen many Pelikan 400s with no writings on the trim on the cap, i wonder is it normal or are they some sort of franken 400s?

[christof]

From 1950 until ca. 1953, cap bands on Pelikan 400 had no engravings or imprints.

c.

[DnzUlc]

Thanks so much, it is such a refreshing news, i was really worried😃

[sargetalon]

It's a nice indicator of an early 400. Christof is right on, as usual.

[DnzUlc]

I've recently bought this pen but i've got some suspicions going on which i would like to ask you guys and sorry for the very low quality iphone photo, i know that it doesn't help. The thing is that the piston knob and the collar is a little bit brownish but the cap is black is it normal? and altough the piston knob seems as 400, i believe the cap is more 400n, so it can be a frankenpen, am i correct? What are your opinions?

 

 

 

[sargetalon]

Pictures never really reveal the brown well. Always comes out as dark unless the pic is overexposed. That pen should have a brown cap similar to the piston knob. If the cap is black, it is definitely a mis-match. Tough to tell if it's a 400 or 400n cap without seeing the two side by side. Since the n was made for only one year, it would be less likely statistically. So yes, it would appear to be a frankenpen.

[DnzUlc]

Thank you for your reply

[Christopher Godfrey]

DnzUlc, don't lose any sleep over this: if the nib is a good one and you like writing with it, then just enjoy the pen for what it is. They are very robust; should last your lifetime and are easy to repair when the piston seal finally "gives up the ghost" (dies).

 

400s and 400NNs are plentiful and usually easy to find with dealers or on the eBay-place, so you can <always> satisfy yourself if you need to have a matched pen -- or simply want to start collecting them (it is easy, believe me!) These Pelikan nibs are usually wonderful!

 

Sargetalon (Joshua) knows <lots> about Pelikans -- I think he is quite correct about yours, if blind cap (above the piston) is dark brown and the cap black: just don't be neurotic about it or worry too much...

[DnzUlc]

DnzUlc, don't lose any sleep over this: if the nib is a good one and you like writing with it, then just enjoy the pen for what it is. They are very robust; should last your lifetime and are easy to repair when the piston seal finally "gives up the ghost" (dies).

 

400s and 400NNs are plentiful and usually easy to find with dealers or on the eBay-place, so you can <always> satisfy yourself if you need to have a matched pen -- or simply want to start collecting them (it is easy, believe me!) These Pelikan nibs are usually wonderful!

 

Sargetalon (Joshua) knows <lots> about Pelikans -- I think he is quite correct about yours, if blind cap (above the piston) is dark brown and the cap black: just don't be neurotic about it or worry too much...

Thanks for your interest, because of my character i'm a bit perfectionist sadly, even though i can tolerate shallow scratches, i can't cope with cracks or mismatch parts and it's piston was also leaking and i was willing to send it to repairment if it wasn't franken but when i sum everything up it was too much stress for me, so i sent it back within the time required to send it back and luckly i was dealing with such a perfect seller so no problem there, I intend to collect 400s and surely looking for another brown tortoise to add near to mine green-black and grey ones, thanks for your advices though, they are similar to the ones i try to tell to myself😃

[Bo Bo Olson]

I have a '90's-96 M400 tortoise....that looks black. How ever when looking in Rudiger's com, found out that they came in a very dark dark brown. Mine can only be taken for less than black when a black pen is set next to it. Then it is a very, very dark brown. There are slightly lighter brown ones too from what I read.

Set that black cap next to a 100% black pen under natural light. Various room lights do weird things to color.

 

Well that brown is so dark, I still think of it as a black and tortoise instead of brown and tortoise.

[DnzUlc]

Thanks for your reply, the thing is the cap was very dark but the pen was quite a light tone of brown, if both were dark, than i would suspect it too