What Is It About Pelikan That...?

[theunwittingphilosopher]

In an attempt to understand and possibly join the flock, so to speak, I wanted to get everyone's input about what it is about the Pelikan brand for you that makes it your writing instrument of choice? How does it set itself apart from other fountain pen brands you own?

[senzen]

Speaking of the "classic"and Souverain series:

 

1. I like the design, and it stands the test of time. Few products designed long ago can manage to look even better in new garb (so from black with gold trim to demonstrator blue with rhodium trim). Other brands may have lots of models, most don't stand the test of time (beyond personal preferences like open nibs).

2. Comfortable. I'd rather have an even thicker and longer pen, just not at 3x the price, so I stick to the m2xx series and similarly sized pens.

3. Very reliable.

[MsRedpen]

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/332373-whats-the-pelikan-fuss/?do=findComment&comment=3993385

 

Beside linked thread, do check the Pelikan’s perch blog post on the same...

 

Personally, I like the classic design pens, reliable piston filling mechanism, ease of nib replacement, and heritage of the brand. Pelikans just seem to fit my hand and writing habits, effortlessly. (Ok, M1000 excluded, not tested).

 

Hope you will be able to share your experiences with Pelikan soon

[JulieParadise]

1) to 3) and

 

4) The ability to change nib sections easily.

5) Ease of cleaning (talking about the M3x0-M10xx piston models).

[sargetalon]

This question and a few variations have come up a few times recently. You'll find some good posts if you search. As for me, I laid it out in the article mentioned by MsRedpen which can be found here; https://wp.me/p4XMw3-1xq.

[mana]

I have been able to form a functional and emotional "relationship" with my vintage Pelikans (esp. post war 100N/101N & 400/N/NN) unlike anything I have experienced with other pens.

 

They just tick all the boxes: design, engineering, reliability, functionality, ergonomics, aesthetics. Above all I like how they behave and write, the nibs on those vintage birds and the character that especially the broader ones naturally impart to my writing. On top of that, most often, there is flex but not too much to get in the way when writing faster, kind of like the power reserve on a BMW... it is there under the hood, waiting for your command.

 

Oh, one more thing to like about them, they become much larger pens when posted. This is just awesome for someone who has fairly big hands but prefers to have pens along most, if not all of the time. Due to their compact length and very light weight they are not a problem at all to carry slipped to an inside pocket of your jacket or the breast pocket if your shirt (even when you have more than one with you).

[invisuu]

In an attempt to understand and possibly join the flock, so to speak, I wanted to get everyone's input about what it is about the Pelikan brand for you that makes it your writing instrument of choice? How does it set itself apart from other fountain pen brands you own?

 

After trying out every flagship model of every brand worth a while, I find Pelikans flat out the best. Reliable, great ease of cleaning, amazing integrated ink window through stripes unlike any other brand, beautiful nibs, superb feeds, good ink capacity, ease of disassembly / nib exchange, and last (and pretty much least for me) design.

 

I just wish they offered more interesting nibs as of 2013, when they decided nobody needs anything but EF/F/M/B. Easily remedied by either a nib grinder or buying old stock of nibs.

 

I find their inks garbage compared to Montblanc, though.

[Glenn-SC]

You need to try "Brand X" for yourself.

Because it really makes no difference if or why everyone else love or hates Brand X if you hate or love it.

[Runnin_Ute]

What you could do, is fine someone locally - another pen person, a pen show, a pen shop where you could try a Pelikan. Or you could even purchase a used Pelikan. Only two of my six were purchased new. (M200 Cognac and Brown Marbled)

[Misfit]

They are very reliable. You can ignore a Pelikan for weeks, then pick it up, and it writes right away. Many other pens do not, including my beloved Visconti Homo Sapiens.

[Bo Bo Olson]

I post, and find the standard sized 200/400 &medium-large 600 to be light, nimble, with very, very good balance.

Don't have an 800 do have a 1005, which is a new pen to me, and not as clunky as I feared. It is my first over sized pen...and I tend to avoid Large pens, though I have others from other brands.

The 800 is very well liked by many.

 

I chase mostly vintage which has semi-flex stubbed nibs ('50-65), and have a number of semi-vintage '82-97 on the Sovereigns, and a few late '90's pens, be that gold or steel., all have great nibs matching the springy regular flex steel 200's nibs....

 

Different nib flexes.

Semi-flex in Vintage,

Regular flex in semi-vintage and the 200....

Semi-nail in the modern 400/600. .....these will take each era's nibs.

Nail in the 800.

 

The 1000 is test before buying, in it can be either a nice springy regular flex or a semi-flex.

 

So you can pick weight, size, girth, width of nib, era of pen...and all are very solidly made. I have no troubles with my '50's pens nor expect any......same for later models.

 

I have 18???? really haven't counted in ages. Some guy named Copperfield is in charge of making them appear out of thin air.

Of my 17 inked pens, 7 are Pelikans.

 

Minus point, made to run best on Pelikan 4001 ink, other wetter inks will make it write wide........so will poor paper.

Waterman has a narrow nib to go with a wet ink..... So if you use a dry ink it will write thinner. ..........oddly, that don't seem to matter....in the comparison...comments.

 

Every pen company has it's very own standards to nib width....I like the vintage and semi-vintage width...1/2 narrower than modern. Era matters also.

 

Many start out with thin for size marked Japanese nibs so every western nib is wide.....and they never state what paper they are using ...and very seldom what ink they are using, when they say Pelikan is wide..............Pelikan is Pelikan....use 4001 and a good paper.

If you only buy Pelikans you won't have to worry about what folks with lots of Japanese pens say.

 

For any pen, ink used on which paper is a writing factor.....along with how heavy handed the writer is.

Edited September 23, 2018 by Bo Bo Olson

[Driften]

I own more Pelikan then anything else. They fit my hands, nibs are easy (not cheep) to swap, and don't dry out. I also happen to like piston fillers best and they make good ones.

 

In the end you will never know if it works best for you unless you write with them.

[chromantic]

As regards the Classic/Souverain lines, aside from things others have already mentioned - piston filling, swappable nibs, etc - my reasons are mainly aesthetic:

 

> the shape - Not a big fan of cigar/torpedo-shaped pens. The only one I use with any regularity is a Sheaffer Cadet TD, though I did finally breakdown and buy a vintage 140 (my last Pelikan purchase last year).

 

> the 'look' - While the materials can vary widely, the basic look is consistent across the entire range and it's one I find especially pleasing to the eye, cylindrical with flat-ish ends. I prefer post-97 though I do have three pre-97 - Levenger brown tortoise, Telecom and Stormtrooper and, if it came down to it, I'd have to say the Levenger is the most beautiful pen I own. One obvious way pen makers can distinguish their pens from others is the clip design (the Visconti crescent, for example) and the Pelikan bill clip is quite distinct so that even the 140 is unmistakably a Pelikan.

[biancitwo]

On another thread, in answer to what one pen I would take on the next ark, I said I would take my dark blue M605. It is beautiful, writes perfectly every time, and is the most comfortable pen I own. The piston filler is perfect, and carries plenty of ink. I've carried it every day since I got it. I have several pens I love, but they come and go from one day to the next. My M605, however, is always with me. And, this answer doesn't even consider my vintage Pelikans. My 100, 100Ns, 400, and 400NNs are superb. They are smaller, so it took some time to become accustomed to the size. Now that I am comfortable with their size, I only rest them because they are from 60 to 80 years old.

[mitto]

I love my Pelikans. But I also like certain other model pens from other brands.

[Oobly]

Functionality, practicality, versatility and feeling... then aesthetics.

 

The piston fillers work very well, are durable and hold a lot of ink (especially the vintage 400 pens, 1.95ml).

 

The screw-out nib unit makes maintenance and cleaning easy and it means you can swap nib units = great versatility. This makes even a modern 200 or 400 nice to own since I can swap in a vintage nib easily.

 

The nib and feed can be adjusted to your own taste in ink flow, from very dry to gushing. The vintage nibs have some flex and the feeds control the flow very well. My favourite "flex" pen for practising Spencerian / Copperplate is a 400NN with vintage ST nib and feed, it's very "controllable" and reduces flow as you release the flex so it doesn't lay down too much ink on the thin parts as most of my other pens with flex nibs do.

 

Many parts are compatible between pens, from vintage to modern, so you can put a new cap on an old pen if you happen to lose one, etc.

 

The cap secures well and prevents dryout and hard starts (the feed design also helps with this, as an uncapped pen will start immediately even after lying uncapped for quite a long time).

 

They're tough and still look good after having a hard life. I have a 1954 model 140 that has been very well used and has merely gained "charm" with wear, rather than losing any functionality or looking "tatty". They're "user" pens, in this regard.

 

They fit my hand well when posted and don't cause fatigue or cramp, the section is a good diameter and shape. The balance suits me. The vintage nibs feel amazing to use and can give great line variation with minimal effort.

 

I really like the understated elegant look of the pre '97 pens, without too much "bling", but primarily it's about the practicality and feeling for me (although there is something to be said for a company that can make brown look as good as they do - tortoise and cafe creme for example).

 

That's why I like Pelikans

 

I also like some vintage Montblancs, but mainly for the nibs, feel in hand and looks. They are less versatile or practical (can't do nib swapping easily or replace parts, don't hold as much ink, harder to adjust flow, etc).

Edited September 26, 2018 by Oobly

[1nkulus]

Functionality, practicality, versatility and feeling... then aesthetics.

 

The piston fillers work very well, are durable and hold a lot of ink (especially the vintage 400 pens, 1.95ml).

 

The screw-out nib unit makes maintenance and cleaning easy and it means you can swap nib units = great versatility. This makes even a modern 200 or 400 nice to own since I can swap in a vintage nib easily.

+1

 

Slight drawback, the 6xx, 8xx, 10xx nibs are expensive to swap.

[pajaro]

I have modern Pelikans, M2XX, M3XX, M4XX and M605. They are not my pen of choice. The look of many of these pens is formal, reminding me of an old fashioned tuxedo outfit. They write smoothly, you can screw in a range of nibs and they don't dry up easily. I find the look of a pen matters to me, and the only Pelikan I really like the looks of is the M320 Ruby Red. The rest look too formal, and I don't like the vintage Pel look at all.

[minddance]

The smoothness, the ease of ink flow, piston, seal inks properly (very important to me), no(t much) evaporation of inks, rather easy to clean and not much maintenance required.

 

A pen must write and Pelikans write very well. No quirky nib grinds/shapes/writing angles, no learning curve, just carefree writing.

 

And I hear that some vintage Pelikans have soft nibs, that's another world to explore.

[1nkulus]

And I hear that some vintage Pelikans have soft nibs, that's another world to explore.

+1

 

Soft and flexy from the 50-65's era. The closest at present is a M1000 'mushy' nib, although nowhere in the same league.