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Pelikan Vintage Brown Turtleshell


Brinkmann

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Need help identifying this pen please! Than you in advance. Also, if someone could tell me if 180 euros is a good price for one, be my guest! Cheers

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Edited by Brinkmann
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Is that a mix-and-match with the cap and body? Modern flat-top cap and vintage round-finial barrel?

“I admit it, I'm surprised that fountain pens are a hobby. ... it's a bit like stumbling into a fork convention - when you've used a fork all your life.” 

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rounded bottom = 400NN

 

Slightly round bottom = 400N

 

pretty flat bottom = 400

 

The relatively flat top makes me think your cap may not be original and be a cap from a vintage 400 (the cap got progressively pointier as the bottom of the barrel got rounder, but I am not really an expert, and it may just be a variation, but the barrel you have is 100% from a 400NN)

 

180 euro seems very, very steep unless it's in really superb condition. A nice user grade (no cracks or major scratches, relatively clear barrel) can be found for about $120USD very easily. Nib can add price, but that one appears to have the common (though still superb and one of my favorite nibs ever) EF semiflex. Something like a double broad semiflex will start to bump the price, but even then, you can find good deals. I got a vintage 400 with a double broad semiflex and stuck piston for $80 US. it needed nothing more than an overnight soak in warm water to be perfect.

 

I wouldn't pay 180 euro unless it was a new old stock pen with original box. These are common pens, don't get too hung up on finding one and be patient. If they're universally that expensive, consider looking at the UK or USA ebay sites. It costs me $13.50 to ship a pen anywhere in the world.

Edited by Honeybadgers

Selling a boatload of restored, fairly rare, vintage Japanese gold nib pens, click here to see (more added as I finish restoring them)

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Yeah, a 400NN pen/barrel with a 400 cap. Not exactly kosher but perfectly functional though.

You basically have two options, either find a 400 Tortoise barrel (just the barrel with the filling mechanism as you can reuse the nib unit) or a 400NN Tortoise cap.

Those caps are pretty damn scarce and they usually have an asking price north of 50-60€ (on ebay). Barrels, the same but they are asked even more ridiculous prices (80-100€).

 

Who knows, maybe someone here has a 400/400NN Tortoise frankenpelikan with a 400NN Tortoise cap and a 400 Tortoise barrel and wants to do a swap? :D

Overall, while both 400 & 400NN Tortoises are still mostly readily available here and there (less every year and usually in worse condition) they have been steadily getting more pricey the last few years. I mean, just have look at the "Buy it now" prices on ebay.com or ebay.de... crazy.

 

Auctions are a separate thing and you can get lucky sometimes and find the kind of deals Honeybadgers mentioned (for those prices look for auction prices for sold items). For example, I got a NOS 400 (with a sticker) / 450 Tortoise set in a box this summer for about 150€ including S&H (IIRC) but... I do consider that really, really lucky.

I do also consider that $80 400 with a BB nib mentioned above to be far from the norm. It was also a sleeper (pen that looked defunct/broken to the layman but was just stuck and easily fixed), you can make really good deals on those if you know what you are dealing with.

So yeah, pens and deals like that are still out there so you can find bargains on ebay and elsewhere too but that can take a fair bit of hunting especially if you are looking for near mint, mint or NOS pens (I do a fair bit of market watching as a part of this hobby and look for vintage Pelikans especially semi-daily).

All of that said, I do have a spare 400 Tortoise barrel with excellent light color and clarity. Would need to put in a new piston seal from vintagepens.com (have a bunch of black and clear available). It is real beauty but sadly not mint as it has a minor cosmetic imperfection in the section. Some idiot had at some point in its history used pliers on the section leaving a cut on one side.

 

I managed to smooth it out leaving an area on that side that is a bit more shallow/dished in a mm or so. You can't feel it and really even see it in everyday use either (you need look at it against a light at an angle). If you are interested I could take pics of it?

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I agree 100% with Mana.

 

Sure, it is (very rarely) possible to get a great deal. But those sumgai prices cannot be considered the norm.

I just received a pristine M800 old style and a like new 400NN green, stickered, in box and with an excellent vintage 2 pen case, for $115 each of the pens. It doesn't mean that you can find a M800 or a like new 400NN for that price whenever you want! Far from it.

 

For a correct 400NN tortoise in good condition, I'd say 180 euros is a good price. I rarely see them go for less than that. Often a lot more.

 

Unfortunately, the pen in question is a frankenpen. But, if you're not a collector and just want a reliable pen, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

Editd to add: I am assuming that you already got the pen. If not, then it is best to pass.

Edited by Lam1
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not a good deal at 180 euros. For that sum or very little more you can get a complete 400NN (cap and barrel).

The shown pen is a 400NN body with a 400 Cap, value drops dramatically is such case.

Edited by sansenri
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not a good deal at 180 euros. For that sum or very little more you can get a complete 400NN (cap and barrel).

The shown pen is a 400NN body with a 400 Cap, value drops dramatically is such case.

+1

What you have is a frankenpen. You might part a fool and his money somewhere but I dont think you can expect to get a lot above €50 for this. Personally, I wouldn't touch it.

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I posted this on the other thread running about this item, but I think it important enough to repost, despite it being a bit oblique to the topic.

 

 

A word of advice for anyone buying anything with the word “Tortoise” in its name that has to pass customs. Be sure the sender does not use the word “Tortoise” on any of the packaging or customs forms. Many here will recall the tragedy that befell another FPN member a year or so ago when (IIRC) UK customs seized and destroyed a valuable fountain pen made of faux tortoise materials because “Tortoise” was written on something customs saw. Again if I recall correctly, the parties involved did all they could to try to convince them it was a pattern and not a material, but to no avail. I'm sure other members will recall how devastated the parties involved were. A word to the wise...

Edited by Herrjaeger
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If sold as parts (cap, nib unit & pen body/barrel) that pen could fetch much, much more than 50€ (which would IMHO be a low price even for a frankenpelikan in that condition).

Even with somewhat conservative prices like the cap going for maybe 30-40€, nib unit anything from 50-60€ onwards (price varies depending on the nib type & pattern, width, flex etc.), and the pen barrel with a working filling mechanism... maybe again 50-60€ (all prices vary depending on the condition etc. of the parts).

Asking prices for such on ebay, at least the ones I've seen, are usually somewhat (or a lot) higher per item.

 

That is kind of funny in a way, pens sold as a whole are often a lot cheaper than those sold as parts due to the scarcity or non-existence of spare parts.

...but I dont think you can expect to get a lot above €50 for this.

Edited by mana
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Very true. I had never thought of it but it can cause a real hassle. Earlier this year I bought a pen from Italy and the retail shop put content as “14k gold nib fountain pen”, and I was charged by the Customs for not just the usual handling fee and import tax, VAT, but also a separate precious metal import surcharge. In the end they reversed the charge but it was a real hassle and waste of time and energy.

 

I posted this on the other thread running about this item, but I think it important enough to repost, despite it being a bit oblique to the topic.

 

 

A word of advice for anyone buying anything with the word “Tortoise” in its name that has to pass customs. Be sure the sender does not use the word “Tortoise” on any of the packaging or customs forms. Many here will recall the tragedy that befell another FPN member a year or so ago when (IIRC) UK customs seized and destroyed a valuable fountain pen made of faux tortoise materials because “Tortoise” was written on something customs saw. Again if I recall correctly, the parties involved did all they could to try to convince them it was a pattern and not a material, but to no avail. I'm sure other members will recall how devastated the parties involved were. A word to the wise...

 

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Very true. I had never thought of it but it can cause a real hassle. Earlier this year I bought a pen from Italy and the retail shop put content as “14k gold nib fountain pen”, and I was charged by the Customs for not just the usual handling fee and import tax, VAT, but also a separate precious metal import surcharge. In the end they reversed the charge but it was a real hassle and waste of time and energy.

 

 

Just imagine you use the word "ivory", describing a colour, you will go directly to jail !

Edited by Wahl
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:D :D :D That’s a good one. Though I am pretty sure that they prefer money, not my jail time, which costs them money.

 

 

Just imagine you use the word "ivory", describing a colour, you will go directly to jail !

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