Pelikan Ballpoint Pens

[white_lotus]

Hello Pelikan Fans!

 

I have a small flock of Pelikan fountain pens, mostly M2xx and some M4xx. I'd abandoned ballpoint pens once I got into FPs, but I keep a Pilot G2 around for the rare occasions when I need a BP.

 

When I got back into competitive chess I needed to keep score of the game on a carbonless copy. I never really trusted using my FPs on that paper or whether they would really work. Every so often I think I should get a "real" ballpoint pen. I'm wondering if there are any opinions on Pelikan BPs, and maybe how they compare to Aurora or Sailor BPs (the latter much less expensive).

 

Thanks for sharing any of your opinions.

[CeruleanToAzure]

Get a Pelikan K215 and be happy! Comfortable (perfect size), more weight (brass core), practical (click action), compatible (Parker G2 cartridge type), beautiful (look at some Rings version photos), understated (black with metal trim), and... I think it's durable, I've never seen one broken.

[chromantic]

Here's one option, lotus -

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Pelikan-Stola-II-Ballpoint-Pen-Black-Silver-Touchpen-Stylus-Tip-K15/382693751486?hash=item591a533abe:g:kgsAAOSwdTRezEAl

[white_lotus]

Thanks for the tips, I'll look into them for sure!

 

[TitoThePencilPimp]

In my personal opinion. I would never spend more than $50 on a ballpoint pen.Most ballpoints refills are interchangeable between models, so the writing experience is the same irregardless of the pen shell used. Although beautiful, the price for a Pelikan ball point is near the price of a Pelikan fountain pen. I would rather use my money on the fountain pen.

 

If professional chess setting is not formal, than a Rotring can be an alternative. Those can be found on Amazon much cheaper. I do like the Sailor, I own a few multi pens from them.

[Bo Bo Olson]

I use to hate MP's. The Jotters and even my BP/MP P-75 twin.

I won a 4 pen lot, a 400nn, 455 BP which I was not impressed with in it was a typical '50's BP; that I'd lived through once before.

 

I have no Idea why I took that 450 MP out of the Walnut humidor pen box; in I hated mechanical pencils.

6 weeks later  I ran out of lead, so while I fiddled around with how to load the thing..........I had to use a fountain pen. Again.....

I don't know about the newer Pelikan MP's.....the Jotter is not in it's class for weight management/balance.......still got that 'unused for decades' Jotter.....it never got stolen like all my other school pens.

 

So don't forget to look at Pelikan mechanical pencils.

[chromantic]

I have the all-black Stolla III, the Darth Vader of BPs. Visually stunning but it weighs a ton.

[jmccarty3]

I would like to put in a good word, painful though it might be, for Montblanc ballpoints. Even the least expensive of these uses the MB refill, which is excellent. I don’t like Parker BP refills. To me, they are (to use a FP term) unsaturated, with the black looking more like a grey, although they are quite reliable and write forever.

 

If you want good advice on BP and RB refills, call Dromgoole’s in Houston. They are most knowledgeable and will advise you well.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Once in the '70's MB ball points were 'cheap' Not much more than Jotter-Cross prices. I have one in my pen cup. They were so cheap the insurance company my wife's uncle worked for had their name printed on it as a Sign Here Stupid gift.

 

It has a slit in the clip with a little plastic button to push the stift down. If you put it in your shirt pocket the stift clicks and the tip with draws into the pen.

In the '60's-80's I was in the American Ghetto and there was no urge to buy a MB ball point, when everyone was after the thin high status black and gold Cross ball point. That cost a whole $8.00 vs $3.75 for the Jotter.

Well I got a brand new Jotter every year at the start of school (+Esterbrook with metal cap or a Shaffer school pen).....then went over to using the black Government Skillcraft free pens, in there were lots of quick fingered pen collectors....even when BIC came in.

 

 

Arrogance and ignorance are first cousins....and we Americans back when the dollar was all mighty, were both.

 

My opinion back when the King of Pens was a Snorkel, the Prince was the P-51...then came the new King of Pens, the P-75. MB made clunky fat pens, and Pelikan was 'ugggly."

 

Do you Know, them MB's cost even more than a rolled gold trimmed Snorkel...and that for gold plate................ and who had ever heard or either of those two 'local yokle' pens?

One teacher and a girl in 8th grade had a Pelikan....some Col.s son had an MB....the rest of us bought American....after all if piston pens were any good, Parker, or Shaffer would have made them also.....

So us Army Brats weren't business orientated either.

But then again Shaffer had 1.6ml cartridge, which is as much as an MB 149 carried.

 

I've asked Tom for permission to show this from his Penboard.de site, and hope to hear from today.

"""This is a rare and very hard to find Montblanc ballpoint 780 made from 1978-1983.

The 11.th finger, that was one of the slogans, advertising this clip lever operated ballpoint. It refers to the lever, that moves the refill.

With Box

Export price	€ 89,00  (~ US$ 107,00)
EU price incl. VAT	€ 106,00

[white_lotus]

Thanks for all the suggestions and wonderful stories.

 

I have a number of MPs lying in a Secretary desk I got at auction. It was "Grandma's sewing desk". For some I have no idea if there are refills for them any longer, but some have leads.

 

I certainly have considered a Montblanc. Another little story...

 

In our rural area there are auctions of what I call "Grandma and Grandpa's stuff" as they have moved on either to a retirement community or the Beyond. For a while I'd check the listings for pens. One day an auction had a Montblanc #164 BP. And I was fortunate to win it for $42. And it wrote first time! Sadly I lost it.

 

There are a couple Pelikans I have that have matching BPs available separately. Lots of options. Good thing I have time. There won't be any OTB tournaments probably until fall depending on how the pandemic goes...