M400 Brown Tortoise Shell Questions

[nkk]

I was just wondering what was up with them. I bought one a couple of months back (6 or so) and was told there was very limited stock and that I had to get it now. Now I see them all over. Why? Were they remade? Not that I care as I love mine and would have bought it anyway. However, I am sort of irked that what was sold to me as a buy it now they are disappearing pen is still being sold in stores, not just by our aficionado specialized sellers.

 

-Nkk

 

EDIT: to say that the vendor did not lie to me and tell me they were disappearing, but the wording on their site made it sound as if there were about 3 in stock. They still have them.

Edited August 22, 2010 by nkk

[beluga]

I was just wondering what was up with them. I bought one a couple of months back (6 or so) and was told there was very limited stock and that I had to get it now. Now I see them all over. Why? Were they remade? Not that I care as I love mine and would have bought it anyway. However, I am sort of irked that what was sold to me as a buy it now they are disappearing pen is still being sold in stores, not just by our aficionado specialized sellers.

 

-Nkk

 

EDIT: to say that the vendor did not lie to me and tell me they were disappearing, but the wording on their site made it sound as if there were about 3 in stock. They still have them.

 

 

There are two recent versions of the brown Tortoise M400 that you may come upon.

 

The earlier (mid-1990) one still has a Pelikan engraved in the top of he cap and has a single ring at the base of the cap.

Newer production ones from mid-2000 have the Pelikan symbol printed on the top and have two golden rings at the base of the cap.

 

Personally, I prefer the earlier design and until recently you could still find on occasion.

The differences were probably too subtle for most shops to notice and shops might have mistakenly sold you a more recent pen assuming that their brown Tortoise M400's were one of the few remaining NOS 90's models.

 

 

 

 

 

B.

[nkk]

Thanks. I just looked, and mine is the newer version. Now I am sort of irked because when I bought it very few people had it, and it was closer to $300. Now it is at many places at $228. Oh well, such is life. I guess I would value this pen at $300 anyway because as I said, I love it. So not that big a loss, just an irritation.

 

-Nkk

 

EDIT: So are these newer mid 2000 versions limited? Why are there still so many? I thought Pelikan tortoise shells (esp the traditional ones) went very quickly.

Edited August 22, 2010 by nkk

[drifting]

EDIT: So are these newer mid 2000 versions limited? Why are there still so many? I thought Pelikan tortoise shells (esp the traditional ones) went very quickly.

 

That's the irony: enthusiasts say "Oh, I wish Pelikan would make an M-whatever in Tortoise! They'd go like hotcakes!". But they don't. I've seen Rick Propas (the Pelikan man) state on numerous occasions that he's discussed the Tortoise situation with Pelikan themselves, and every time they make a run of something Tortoise, it doesn't sell. The fabled M800s and the Kaufthaus M400s are two such runs that didn't sell well, apparently. I can't speak to the most recent run's sales performance, but you're right, it was supposed to be a limited edition.

 

Funnily enough, later, after Pelikan finally closes out its Tortoise stock and it isn't possible to get a 'new' one, the price of modern Tortoises creeps up to premium heights, and they become a desirable collectible. Of course, vintage Tortoise Pels are always popular on the collectors' market.

 

Ryan.

[jaspal]

Interestingly enough, I've recently been looking for a brown tortoise. Although I've seen it on about 5 sites, when contacted, they say that they actually no longer have stock.

 

Would you be so kind to direct me to some of these places that still carry it?

[nkk]

Interestingly enough, I've recently been looking for a brown tortoise. Although I've seen it on about 5 sites, when contacted, they say that they actually no longer have stock.

 

Would you be so kind to direct me to some of these places that still carry it?

 

PM sent. I did not want to advertise the sellers and general price points in a public forum, or to commit them to having any stock.

 

Thanks to everyone else who told me what was going on...I may have to pick up a second one just in case. That way I do not have to deal with the after market if anything happens to my first. I love it that much. :embarrassed_smile:

 

-Nkk

Edited August 22, 2010 by nkk

[DeScribe]

I believe the M400 brown tortoise will sell like hotcakes and perhaps run into shortage of stock much earlier if its price is similar to its M400 cousins. Since Pelikan is no longer producing the M400 brown tortoise any more, it can only be true if the supply gets lesser as time goes by. You will not regret purchasing it another couple of years down the road.

[beluga]

I believe the M400 brown tortoise will sell like hotcakes and perhaps run into shortage of stock much earlier if its price is similar to its M400 cousins. Since Pelikan is no longer producing the M400 brown tortoise any more, it can only be true if the supply gets lesser as time goes by. You will not regret purchasing it another couple of years down the road.

 

 

 

 

Pam from Oscar Braun pens used to sell them at the same price like the more common M400's, for less than $200.

She has apparently none left and since, the sweet spot on the Internet seems to have moved up to $228.

I would go even $50 higher, as the brown Tortoise M400 is an attractive, useful little pen, but would not pay $300, or more.

 

If past experience is any indicator, I would not be surprised to see Pelikan produce another Special Edition.

 

 

 

 

B

Edited August 23, 2010 by beluga

[Bo Bo Olson]

MB Racing Green was hated until they stopped making it.

 

I got a '90's tortoise in a live auction....as Noobie. It was labeled 1950, everyone but me knew it wasn't.

 

I am interested in the older ones....how ever my wallet ain't.

I chase old pens, looking for good nibs.

I have no interest in a new tortoise with a run of the mill modern regular flex nib.

 

 

I keep telling my self I can't afford a new pen...tortoise or even LE, yet match a few month's "cheap" old pens and I could.

 

Pelikan could ruin the hell out of the old timers market if they were to come out with semi-flexible nibs...and then a new tortoise would be on a buy list.

[nkk]

I would like to officially say that I like MBBRG before it was discontinued.

 

Also, thanks to everyone for all the information. As I said, I do not regret buying the pen at all, but I just wanted to know what was going on.

 

Thanks,

Nkk

[Russ]

I would have enjoyed an M400 tortoise; I just didn't like the white / cream body. I'm not sure what other color would have worked well with the bright tortoise, however.

[nkk]

You my friend have the wrong tortoise. Try this for a darker tortoise:

 

http://www.nibs.com/www/WEBSITE%20PICS/Pelikan%20website%20pics/M400BrownTortoiseUnCapped2009.jpg

 

Pic from nibs.com

 

Although it does not show well, the body and cap are a dark brown.

 

It is a stunning pen. If you like darker tortoise pens, see about getting one.

 

-Nkk

Edited August 28, 2010 by nkk

[eric47]

You my friend have the wrong tortoise. Try this for a darker tortoise:

 

http://www.nibs.com/www/WEBSITE%20PICS/Pelikan%20website%20pics/M400BrownTortoiseUnCapped2009.jpg

 

Pic from nibs.com

 

Although it does not show well, the body and cap are a dark brown.

 

It is a stunning pen. If you like darker tortoise pens, see about getting one.

 

That is a old-style M400 tortoise. Note the monochrome nib, and clean section and knob (no trim rings). I have one of those.

 

I prefer the old-style M400s, not only for the lack of trim rings but also for the nibs. Older (modern) production nibs tend to be softer with less tipping material in my experience. I have also have the green and recently found a blue. Just scored yesterday an old-style M250 for a song; normally I would have passed but the F nib was soft, flexible, and tipped "old-style" -- Pelikan doesn't make them like that any more.

[somedays]

You my friend have the wrong tortoise. Try this for a darker tortoise:

 

http://www.nibs.com/www/WEBSITE%20PICS/Pelikan%20website%20pics/M400BrownTortoiseUnCapped2009.jpg

 

Pic from nibs.com

 

Although it does not show well, the body and cap are a dark brown.

 

It is a stunning pen. If you like darker tortoise pens, see about getting one.

 

That is a old-style M400 tortoise. Note the monochrome nib, and clean section and knob (no trim rings). I have one of those.

 

I prefer the old-style M400s, not only for the lack of trim rings but also for the nibs. Older (modern) production nibs tend to be softer with less tipping material in my experience. I have also have the green and recently found a blue. Just scored yesterday an old-style M250 for a song; normally I would have passed but the F nib was soft, flexible, and tipped "old-style" -- Pelikan doesn't make them like that any more.

Isn't that the same as Pelikan M415? Sorry I'm a confused newbie. What are the differences between that and the 415?

[eric47]

Isn't that the same as Pelikan M415? Sorry I'm a confused newbie. What are the differences between that and the 415?

 

My bad, I thought they put the trim rings on the M415 like the other new-style M400s. The M415 isn't locally available where I am. So judging from the photos of the M415 review here, I can see that the nib etching is different on the M415 and the cap has a silk-screen logo on top. The old-style M400 tortoise (and other colors) had an engraved logo on the top as well as only a single cap ring. The pen in Mottishaw's photo (nibs.com) has an old-style nib with the older engraving, but two cap rings -- so now I'm not sure what the pen is on nibs.com site.

 

Again since I never seen an M415, I don't know if it has the dark brown cap like the old-style M400.

 

Sorry for the confusion.

Edited August 29, 2010 by eric47

[nkk]

Wait...now I am confused. Can someone tell me how one would tell the difference between an M415 and an M400 borwn tortoise of the most recent generation? Is there a difference? I bought mine advertised as an M400 tortoise of the most recent edition (200x).

 

-Nkk