Pelikan 100?

[Hans01]

Hello,

 

I bought next to an old Pelikan 140 a box with bits and pieces from a guy that sold his pen collection. I found a nice pen in there that looks to be a Pelikan 100. Am I correct there? The nib in the pen is not the correct one, but I think I found (also in this box) the correct nib that should be on this pen.

 

So a few questions for the experts in this forum

 

1. Am I correct in thinking this is a Pelikan 100 (from the 1930's)?

2. Is the nib, as shown in the photo, the correct nib for this pen?

3. Would it be worth taking it to a professional for restoration?

 

Thanks for your advice.

 

Regards,

 

Hans

[Bo Bo Olson]

I think it's a 100n.

Can't quite see the ink window, green is after the war to '54. Amber before and during to '43 when pens were stopped being made.

Right nib, it has 3 combs/rills.

If it needs restoring, ie don't draw ink, look up Fountanble here on the com, he is in Belgium and does my pen work. He shapes, then boils in oil and beeswax the cork, finally slathering on silicon grease at a fair price.

Some might say the pen might well have used Plastic Gasket 1.0...which is not as good as @ '55 and later Plastic Gasket 2.0, but properly done cork is the smoothest gaskets....and will work for the next 70 years.

 

The reason if it don't work now....was the generation or two that it was in the back of a drawer and if corked dried out...if one from the '30's....and sometimes Plastic Gasket 1.0 gave up the ghost.

 

First.....see if it draws water. It could. If the water comes out in a nice bluish cloud, you are lucky and have a Royal Blue in it....the very best of all inks to let dry out for 50 years. Pen will clean out in 5 or so minutes.

If it comes out more stringy, it is either blue black or black and will take 3 times as long....up to 15 minutes.

 

Do get some 100% pure silicon grease before hand.

Soak the front section of the pen in a partial cup of water; covering the nib and half the black section. In it now has to be greased. The longitudinal combs/rills of the '30's-65 feeds are delicate. After soaking, for a few hours, fold a paper towel into 4 times and place on the crook of your left index finger's first joint. Place thumb on the top of the nib, turn the pen body with your right hand, towards you.

The nib will twist loose.

 

Using a Q tip or a toothpick....and 1/2 a rice corn of silicon grease...is smeared on the top of the inside of the barrel just under the drawn up piston. One might have to do that every 3-4 years according too Rick, our Pelikan Guru. It's been 8 or 9 years for some of my piston Pelikans.

What silicon grease you buy can be given to your grand kids or great grand kids.....you need so little.

Do let us know if it draws water...if not yes it is well worth restoration, It is a very good balanced pen, when posted as it should be.

A gold nib is either before the Summer of '38 when Hitler stole the gold or after the war. And are very good nibs.

[Barutti]

It's 100 % Pelikan 100 with hard rubber parts, I guess from 1937-39. Nib is correct styled for this period too. The piston could be 1st generation with cork seal.

Nice pen worth for restoration and will be good writer for long years.. if barrel threads are not cracked.

[Hans01]

Thank you for the detailed answer to my questions Bo Bo,

I have followed your advice to see if the pen draws water. Unfortunately it doesn't. I am therefore afraid that the pen must be restored. The ink window is green by the way.

I'm going to inquire what it costs to have the pen restored, I have two left hands, I can't hit a nail straight into the wall. So I will stay away from this delicate work. But of course it would be nice to get a 70 year old pen back to work.

greeting,

Hans

[DrCodfish]

LUCKY you Hans!:

 

In my opinion, there is really nothing bad to be said about these old pens. Even "old" isn't bad (HEY! I am almost as old as that pen and I'm still ticking). Some people just don't care for the form, they want bigger and perhaps flashier pens, but that's a GOOD thing; makes more of these wonderful old pens available for those of us with better different sense. As for this one it's a beauty! Is the striated binde as green as it appears in the photo's? lovely. Definitely have it in to the shop for the 150,000 word overhaul, ... and get ready for a long enjoyable ride.

[artart]

it's a Pelikan 100 from before the war, but the feed is not the correct one for a 100, it appears to be that of a 100N

[Bo Bo Olson]

I think the feed is correct for both the 100 & 100n...green ink window is after the war.

A bit blind not to see you had the nib out already.

 

Contact Fountainble in the member list............his price of re-corking is not too expensive, but is cheaper to send two pens if you have another needing repair.

We spoke years ago about the proper ways to re-cork they way he does it matched what I had planned to do.........and eventually I sent him a few pens....6-7 by now.

 

A nice bit more lively binde than mine.

Edited April 18, 2019 by Bo Bo Olson

[sargetalon]

It does appear to be a proper 100 from sometime between 1938-1942. Could be dated more accurately if we knew whether or not it had a cork (1938-40) vs synthetic (1940-42) seal. The nib looks correct for the period. Well worth having restored as these are great pens. Looks to be in good condition.

[Hans01]

I will send it out for repair tomorow. I will post some pictures once I get it back.

 

Once again, Thanks for all your friendly advice.

 

Hans

[Hans01]

Today I received the pen back, after repair, from Francis Goossens. He did a great job with this pen. It appears to be a Pelikan 100. The pen should be pre WW2 i think since it had a cork. The cork has now been replaced with synthetic (a Viton O ring). .So this pen should last for another 80 years . It has a 14K HM nib

 

Thanks to Bo Bo for the advice to send this pen tot Francis. Some photo's after the repair.

[mana]

Nice!

[Bo Bo Olson]

Who suggested the O ring?****

I get mine done in cork by Francis....as I wish....

 

 

 

****might have to re-arrange my thoughts.....have done it before. Don't hurt as much as imagined.

Edited May 4, 2019 by Bo Bo Olson

[MarcinEck]

Nice restoration, but personally I would prefer an classical cork seal replacing and not an modern O ring ...

Anyhow enjoy your beautiful pen !

[Hans01]

I think that I could have better gone with the cork seal and keep it original. But I thought that a O ring would last me a lifetime and cork perhaps only 30 years. Oh well, never to old to learn.

[Barutti]

On my first vintage Pelikans, I also install O ring seals.. it works, but piston loses some smoothness,especially after longer time without usage. Resin is drying out and extra lubrication needed.

It was my lesson too and from then I installing only cork seals, cooked in wax and lubricated.

[OMASsimo]

An O ring always is a poor choice because it's not flexible enough. This may lead to increased friction, which in the end could damage the piston rod or differential screw. I thought a professional restorer should know that. Synthetic piston seals were introduced by Pelikan in 1942 but they were far from being O rings. Instead, they were designed such that they are flexible enough to compensate easily the changes in barrel diameter. If no original synthetic replacement is available, cork definitely would be the better choice. I would consider asking the restorer to correct this. The cosmetic restoration looks great, though.

[Hans01]

Well, I’m afraid that it’s my own fault. I was geven the choice between cork and a Viton O ring (that should last much longer), so I chose the O ring. After reading your comments I should have gone with the cork.

 

I’m sure that Francis would have no problem to fix this. Perhaps when I’m in the neigborhood (he lives only a 2 hour drive from my home) I can ask him to replacement the ring with cork.

 

Thanks for all your advice.

 

Hans

[Bo Bo Olson]

I have 70 year old corks in some pens....that luckily were used more than the ones that sat in the dark of the drawer for a couple generations becoming dry and brittle. If kept in use...wet, should last 70 or more years.

The main thing is a properly prepared cork, boiled in paraffin, a thicker mineral oil and bees wax,is the smoothest of all gaskets according to Marshal & Oldfield in their grand Pen Repair book.... then slathered with silicon grease, like Francis also does.

That is what I have Francis do to my pens. I've sent him some 6 or 7 vintage pens. Got some more waiting for tax returns. I knew I might have to re-cork when I bought the pens, that should be factored in. But those German pens had great balance and great nibs........

 

When one buys a vintage pen be it Plastic Gasket 1.0 or cork, it might sooner or later need a new gasket. I go for the properly prepared cork....being the smoothest of the gaskets.

 

You are Lucky ... it is a Pelikan and you can silicon grease the O ring....more than likely every year....with a Plastic Gasket 1.0 or 2.0 that would be every three years or so.

 

Others decided to cheap out when repairing a pen at home......can almost understand it. One has to size the cork, boil it properly....O rings which can cause bulging of the plastic are simple to put in. Was reminded when I chided a poster for doing that when he had read about the cork being better, that it was his pen. But I'd not buy a pen with a O ring that was not a Snorkel or a Ahab or Twsbi.

 

The reason for going plastic gasket was twofold, it was cheaper, and with the coming war everyone knew was coming, sea or even RR trade with Portugal was too dangerous....and Hitler wanted to balance his trade deficit.

 

If one ever gets a NOS cork piston pen, I suggest hydrating the cork with water first. I didn't, just inked it, and the cork got dark fast from being so dried out. It's ok but a minute of thought and water might well have been best. These as far as I can recall are my only NOS pens.

Austrian Rusewe 1950's pen (gold nibs) ....the ball point has all the faults of a '50's era. They are semi-flex but not a stub.

The cracked ice 'Sirius' is a very small pen as you can see by the size of the ball point. The green stripped one is standard sized. Definitely Lady's size.

[Hans01]

Thanks Bo Bo, and beautifull pens you have

[OMASsimo]

I wasn't aware that Francis did the restoration. I'd assume that he really knows what he's doing. I hope he installed a properly shaped gasket rather than an O ring. In that case the pen should be fine.