Pelikan 400nn

[piembi]

Pelikan 400NN

 

Let's have a look what I am talking about: http://s547.photobucket.com/albums/hh474/piembi/pens/FPN%20reviews/Pelikan%20400NN%20green/?albumview=slideshow

 

First Impression

Some years ago I bought my first vintage Pelikan. It had been a 400NN with a gorgeous B nib and a badly discoloured binde. This had been the beginning of my addiction: I love vintage Pelikan B nibs!

 

Last week I received a blackstriped 400NN body. The body I was looking for for quite a while. That's when I thought I could write a review about the 400NN. OK, the nib of the black 400NN needs a new collar and I am using a green 400NN with a beautiful B nib in my current rotation. So that's the one I am going to review today.

 

The family portrait:

 

http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh474/piembi/pens/FPN%20reviews/Pelikan%20400NN%20green/P1070357.jpg

 

 

Appearance/Finish

The Pelikan 400NN is Pelikans top line pen of the 1960s. This very one is in good condition with a beautiful binde. It has some siblings: the tortoise and the blackstriped 400NN. I like the classic look of the 400NN. I don't know if I prefer the 400 or the 400NN torpedo shape. Both are beautiful and understated. As a little schoolgirl in the 1970s, writing with a Geha schoolpen, the greenstriped Pelikan had been the real pen IMO and it had been the very pen I was longing for ever since.

 

Design/Size/Weight

The 400NN is slightly longer than the modern Pelikan M4xx/2xx. It has the same weight and girth than it's modern siblings. For me this is the perfect size. I am always coming back to the vintage Pelikan 400(NN)s as my reference pens regarding size and weight. I can write with those pens for hours – and did so at university with a M250 and a M200.

 

Nib Design and Performance

The nib. Oh well, the nib. The pen is sporting a semiflexible B nib. Did I mention, that the vintage Pelikan B nib had been the beginning of my addiction? Well, yes. I am hunting for vintage B nibs. And with my second and third nib I had to learn: there is no such thing as a standard vintage Pelikan B nib. Every nib is different, those nibs are individuals. And every new nib will be a new writing experience. But one thing is the same: they are stubbish. And they are wet writers. That's due to the ebonite feed that I love, too. Fortunately those nibs do fit into a modern M4xx/M2xx. No matter what will happen to the body – I will do everything to salvage the nib and screw it into another body.

 

Here is the small family: OB, KF and the reviewed B nib and a writing sample:

 

http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh474/piembi/pens/FPN%20reviews/Pelikan%20400NN%20green/P1070362.jpg

 

http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh474/piembi/pens/FPN%20reviews/Pelikan%20400NN%20green/P1070363.jpg

 

http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh474/piembi/pens/FPN%20reviews/Pelikan%20400NN%20green/P1070378.jpg

 

The Filling System

The pen is a piston filler. I cannot remember if it was one of those bodys that flushed out easily or one of those that had been clogged badly and needed ammonia soaking and an ultrasonic cleaner. I had both. Now the piston moves freely and the pen fills easily. I love piston filler because they hold a lot of ink but sometimes it makes me nervous to have such a beauty with a piston because I cannot repair piston issues myself. This will be the next step on my pen restauration learning curve!

 

Cost and value

This one had been affordable. My vintage Pelikans are off ebay Germany. Most of them I have for several years. The prices went up and it is getting harder to win a pen. I was bidding for the nib – knowing that the body might be a lemon. And I got my share of lemons! I might have paid 30-40 Euros but I would add another 10 Euros for all the parts pens I got as well. This pen is worth it because the nib is worth it!

 

Conclusion

I cannot imagine selling this pen. I cannot imagine selling the nib! This is pretty much impossible.

[Ondina]

Absolutely fantastic pens and review, Piembi. Great photography and handwriting.

[significantpass]

Nice review!

Can I ask what ink that is?

[piembi]

Can I ask what ink that is?

 

Usually the vintage Pels are filled with Pelikan blueblack or a mix of Pelikan blue and blueblack. But this one does not look right (red hues!??). I might have refilled the pen with Diamine Midnight at the office (ran out of Pelikan BB recently) and it is a mix of Pelikan blueblack and Diamine midnight.

[significantpass]

Can I ask what ink that is?

 

Usually the vintage Pels are filled with Pelikan blueblack or a mix of Pelikan blue and blueblack. But this one does not look right (red hues!??). I might have refilled the pen with Diamine Midnight at the office (ran out of Pelikan BB recently) and it is a mix of Pelikan blueblack and Diamine midnight.

 

I think it looks great! Gonna try it soon.

 

Edit: Wait a minute... Diamine Midnight's blue... And you got red? That makes it even cooler!

Edited August 8, 2010 by shaqin93

[777]

Thanks for the review of these pens! I've still never tried a pelikan and therefore look forward to the experience.

[Edgar Allan Bo]

 

Edit: Wait a minute... Diamine Midnight's blue... And you got red? That makes it even cooler!

 

very concentrated blues lave shiny red hues when dry (on edges of the letters), such as Parker Penman Saphire, Private Reserve Electric Blue, American Blue, SUpershow Blue, Diamine Majestic Blue, etc...

[piembi]

 

Edit: Wait a minute... Diamine Midnight's blue... And you got red? That makes it even cooler!

 

very concentrated blues lave shiny red hues when dry (on edges of the letters), such as Parker Penman Saphire, Private Reserve Electric Blue, American Blue, SUpershow Blue, Diamine Majestic Blue, etc...

 

It might have been Majestic instead of Midnight. I have both at the office. The Midnight is the goto, the Majestic is used very rarely. At least it is some mix with Pelikan Blueblack because that had been in the pen before and I did not flush before I filled the pen.

[significantpass]

Thanks for the info!

[fabrimedeiros]

Amazing pens! Nice pics!

[diplomat]

The NN is the workhorse of the vintage Pelikans, I love them. I have your set up, just a gray striped instead of the brown striped.

I'll get that sooner or later.

 

Andrea

[Linceo]

Pelikan 400NN

 

Let's have a look what I am talking about: http://s547.photobucket.com/albums/hh474/piembi/pens/FPN%20reviews/Pelikan%20400NN%20green/?albumview=slideshow

 

First Impression

Some years ago I bought my first vintage Pelikan. It had been a 400NN with a gorgeous B nib and a badly discoloured binde. This had been the beginning of my addiction: I love vintage Pelikan B nibs!

 

Appearance/Finish

I don't know if I prefer the 400 or the 400NN torpedo shape. Both are beautiful and understated. As a little schoolgirl in the 1970s, writing with a Geha schoolpen, the greenstriped Pelikan had been the real pen IMO and it had been the very pen I was longing for ever since.

 

I started with a (red) Geha in the early 1970ies as well but fell in love with my dad's greenstriped Pelikan 400 from the 50ies and I knew: This was the pen I would have once I had my own money... and so I did when I had my first self earned money in my pocket. But I came up with a brown tortoise shell M400 with a wonderful B nib that still is my absolute favorite.

 

Here is the small family: OB, KF and the reviewed B nib and a writing sample:

 

http://i547.photobucket.com/albums/hh474/piembi/pens/FPN%20reviews/Pelikan%20400NN%20green/P1070362.jpg

 

The Filling System

I love piston filler because they hold a lot of ink but sometimes it makes me nervous to have such a beauty with a piston because I cannot repair piston issues myself. This will be the next step on my pen restauration learning curve!

 

I feel your pain! - The piston of my black striated 400NN isn't moving as freely as it should - filling it is quite scary as I'm afraid to damage it and so I do not use it as much as I would like to... So when you start repairing piston fillers... let me know. We're almost neighbors... Perhaps we should start buying damaged old Pelikan piston fillers to practise...

 

Conclusion

I cannot imagine selling this pen. I cannot imagine selling the nib! This is pretty much impossible.

 

You sure won't - you'd be pretty crazy if you did... I'm still looking out for a really fine 400 with a B or BB nib from the fifties. Last year I got a black striated 400 NN with OBB nib which I do like but in the end B or BB is working better for my hand. I even own a 400 with M nib that has so much flex and is so wet that I really love it.

Last but not least: May I say that your pics are amazing!!! Thanks for letting us having a look on your treasures!

 

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[jde]

Catching up on more of your lovely Pelikan reviews. Beautiful photos. I didn't know there was a black-striped 400! enjoy when people post reviews on vintage pens—thank you!

[Professor Zlatko]

Incredible pens, every pelikan pens are perfect, but my opinion is that the pelikan 400 NN is the best pelikan piston filler. I used different pelikan piston fillers: Pelikan 120, 140, 400, 400N, 400 NN, 800, but none pelikan piston filler was not like pelikan 400 NN. They have a beautiful structure and the best charging mechanism which I ever saw...

 

Kip going whit this pelikan pens...

[Bo Bo Olson]

As an American kid in Germany in the '60's Pelikan's green stripes didn't interest me, nor did German pens...they were not Snorkels.

 

As of two years ago....still no interest, then I started collecting fountain pens.

Green stripes never interested me...blue or red stripped; not that was spiffy.

 

Then I got a 400 Tortoise (Germany '90-96, W.Germany is '84-90.)

Then I got a Green Striped 140 with a semi-flex OB. It's a tad small for the 400...ascetically. I love semi-flex, and love OB's I have three inked.

 

At a live auction, there was a 400NN, and I was after the OF nib, to put it on my 400.

Murphy is with us in our hour of un-need.

It was a 1956 with that years second blunder of the decade...the first 400 the 1950, was also a friction feed.

 

So much for plan A.

 

Plan B, I like that OF......

 

Plan C...a 400NN holds some 1.95 ml of ink according to a chart I saw and can not find. That is a bit more than a 800.....

 

Odd, how such a little thing can make one like the common green striped pen, much more than before.

[lowks]

I have a brown and a green one both with OBB nibs. Gawd once i start writing with them .... at least 3 pages of the journal will be filled

[vans4444]

The NN is the workhorse of the vintage Pelikans, I love them.

Andrea

 

I completely agree. I go back to my black 400NN with an OM nib time and again

[mori45]

Great pictures--given how much I like modern Pelikans, I'm very excited to get my hands on vintage Pelikan nibs.

[piembi]

If you fall in love with a vintage Pelikan nib you will never look back to the modern siblings

[Bill Smith]

I have a brown 400nn and it won't be my last 400nn either.