Pelikan Fountain Pens

First of all, I am not a fountain pen expert. I have a few pens that are
supposed to be worth collecting. But I own mostly new pens that I have
purchased over the past five or six years. So my comments are my opinion
only.

My first fountain pen was a gift from my mom. She received it in 1946 as a
high school graduation present from her brother. When I received it, it was
literally a bag of parts. My first impression was that I had just received
a bag of junk that my mom just couldn't bare to throw in the trash. I threw
it in the back of a drawer for 15 or so years. When I rediscovered it (some
time in 2002 I believe), I almost tossed it. But somehow, I just couldn't
bring myself to throw something in the trash that has "14K" stamped on it.
After a couple of hours searching around the internet, I found an pen repair
shop in Monrovia, California. As fate would have it, I drive past Monrovia
a couple of times a month on business. So I dropped the pen off in the same
little plastic sandwich bag that my mom gave it to me in. I asked Fred
Crinkle if he could fix it. He gave the bag a grim look, then said, "I'll
see what I can do". On my next trip to Monrovia a week later, I was
astonished to have Fred present me with a whole and completely restored 1946
Eversharp Skyline fountain pen. It looked great! Fred dipped the pen in
Quink blue ink and handed it to me. I'd never written with a fountain pen,
so Fred had to post the cap and show me how to hold the pen for correct nib
orientation. Well... That was the beginning of a great hobby. And I now
write with a fountain pen almost exclusively. I have a nice collection of
inks as well. Although Pelikan Brown is clearly my favorite.

My two latest fountain pen acquisitions are a "first year" shaeffer Snorkel,
and a brand new Krone "Think". They are both fine pens in their own right.
But I must say that I have become particularly attached to one particular
brand of fountain pen. While looking for a good everyday pen that I could
lose without freaking out, I stumbled upon a Pelikan M200 demonstrator
(red). I purchased one with a medium nib. But I soon discovered that I
preferred Pelikan's fine nib. so I ordered a fine nib, and replaced the
medium. I then had a friend give me another M200 with a medium nib. I
ordered another fine nib and installed it on the new pen. I love the ease
with which the M200 fills with ink. And it holds enough ink for at least
two days of note taking. The pen writes beautifully. It's also durable and
inexpensive. In my opinion, it's an awesome pen right out of the box. I
have since purchased another M200 clear demonstrator.

Well, I figured if the M200 was a great pen, Pelikan must make other great
pens. So I ordered an M800 with a fine nib. What an awesome fountain pen!
As much as I like to rotate my pens, I find myself grabbing a Pelikan when
ever I need a pen to carry with me for work or travel. These pens just seem
to be perfect for my needs. Is Pelikan a great pen in the opinion of most
pen collectors/users? Or is this a less conventional preference?

Enjoy!



--

Cliff Reynolds

__O
_-\,_
(_)/ (_)

I don't know. I am still playing with my first twenty Pelikans. Let me
acquire another ten or so and I'll render an opinion.

Gordon

On Oct 24, 7:18 am, "Sonny" wrote:
First of all, I am not a fountain pen expert. I have a few pens that are
supposed to be worth collecting. But I own mostly new pens that I have
purchased over the past five or six years. So my comments are my opinion
only.

My first fountain pen was a gift from my mom. She received it in 1946 as a
high school graduation present from her brother. When I received it, it was
literally a bag of parts. My first impression was that I had just received
a bag of junk that my mom just couldn't bare to throw in the trash. I threw
it in the back of a drawer for 15 or so years. When I rediscovered it (some
time in 2002 I believe), I almost tossed it. But somehow, I just couldn't
bring myself to throw something in the trash that has "14K" stamped on it.
After a couple of hours searching around the internet, I found an pen repair
shop in Monrovia, California. As fate would have it, I drive past Monrovia
a couple of times a month on business. So I dropped the pen off in the same
little plastic sandwich bag that my mom gave it to me in. I asked Fred
Crinkle if he could fix it. He gave the bag a grim look, then said, "I'll
see what I can do". On my next trip to Monrovia a week later, I was
astonished to have Fred present me with a whole and completely restored 1946
Eversharp Skyline fountain pen. It looked great! Fred dipped the pen in
Quink blue ink and handed it to me. I'd never written with a fountain pen,
so Fred had to post the cap and show me how to hold the pen for correct nib
orientation. Well... That was the beginning of a great hobby. And I now
write with a fountain pen almost exclusively. I have a nice collection of
inks as well. Although Pelikan Brown is clearly my favorite.

My two latest fountain pen acquisitions are a "first year" shaeffer Snorkel,
and a brand new Krone "Think". They are both fine pens in their own right.
But I must say that I have become particularly attached to one particular
brand of fountain pen. While looking for a good everyday pen that I could
lose without freaking out, I stumbled upon a Pelikan M200 demonstrator
(red). I purchased one with a medium nib. But I soon discovered that I
preferred Pelikan's fine nib. so I ordered a fine nib, and replaced the
medium. I then had a friend give me another M200 with a medium nib. I
ordered another fine nib and installed it on the new pen. I love the ease
with which the M200 fills with ink. And it holds enough ink for at least
two days of note taking. The pen writes beautifully. It's also durable and
inexpensive. In my opinion, it's an awesome pen right out of the box. I
have since purchased another M200 clear demonstrator.

Well, I figured if the M200 was a great pen, Pelikan must make other great
pens. So I ordered an M800 with a fine nib. What an awesome fountain pen!
As much as I like to rotate my pens, I find myself grabbing a Pelikan when
ever I need a pen to carry with me for work or travel. These pens just seem
to be perfect for my needs. Is Pelikan a great pen in the opinion of most
pen collectors/users? Or is this a less conventional preference?

Enjoy!

--

Cliff Reynolds

__O
_-\,_
(_)/ (_)

I have only got 5 Pelikans so can't consider myself an expert. The
people at www.fountainpennetwork.com would have a better idea. The
800 series are one sweet pen though!

Gordon,

Nice to see that others share my passion. Thank you for your comments.

Cliff


"Gordon Mattingly" wrote in message
m...
I don't know. I am still playing with my first twenty Pelikans. Let me
acquire another ten or so and I'll render an opinion.

Gordon

Andy,

I occasionally check out the fountain pen network. Lots of good stuff!

Thanks.

Cliff


"AndyH" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Oct 24, 7:18 am, "Sonny" wrote:
First of all, I am not a fountain pen expert. I have a few pens that are
supposed to be worth collecting. But I own mostly new pens that I have
purchased over the past five or six years. So my comments are my opinion
only.

My first fountain pen was a gift from my mom. She received it in 1946 as
a
high school graduation present from her brother. When I received it, it
was
literally a bag of parts. My first impression was that I had just
received
a bag of junk that my mom just couldn't bare to throw in the trash. I
threw
it in the back of a drawer for 15 or so years. When I rediscovered it
(some
time in 2002 I believe), I almost tossed it. But somehow, I just
couldn't
bring myself to throw something in the trash that has "14K" stamped on
it.
After a couple of hours searching around the internet, I found an pen
repair
shop in Monrovia, California. As fate would have it, I drive past
Monrovia
a couple of times a month on business. So I dropped the pen off in the
same
little plastic sandwich bag that my mom gave it to me in. I asked Fred
Crinkle if he could fix it. He gave the bag a grim look, then said,
"I'll
see what I can do". On my next trip to Monrovia a week later, I was
astonished to have Fred present me with a whole and completely restored
1946
Eversharp Skyline fountain pen. It looked great! Fred dipped the pen in
Quink blue ink and handed it to me. I'd never written with a fountain
pen,
so Fred had to post the cap and show me how to hold the pen for correct
nib
orientation. Well... That was the beginning of a great hobby. And I
now
write with a fountain pen almost exclusively. I have a nice collection
of
inks as well. Although Pelikan Brown is clearly my favorite.

My two latest fountain pen acquisitions are a "first year" shaeffer
Snorkel,
and a brand new Krone "Think". They are both fine pens in their own
right.
But I must say that I have become particularly attached to one particular
brand of fountain pen. While looking for a good everyday pen that I
could
lose without freaking out, I stumbled upon a Pelikan M200 demonstrator
(red). I purchased one with a medium nib. But I soon discovered that I
preferred Pelikan's fine nib. so I ordered a fine nib, and replaced the
medium. I then had a friend give me another M200 with a medium nib. I
ordered another fine nib and installed it on the new pen. I love the
ease
with which the M200 fills with ink. And it holds enough ink for at least
two days of note taking. The pen writes beautifully. It's also durable
and
inexpensive. In my opinion, it's an awesome pen right out of the box. I
have since purchased another M200 clear demonstrator.

Well, I figured if the M200 was a great pen, Pelikan must make other
great
pens. So I ordered an M800 with a fine nib. What an awesome fountain
pen!
As much as I like to rotate my pens, I find myself grabbing a Pelikan
when
ever I need a pen to carry with me for work or travel. These pens just
seem
to be perfect for my needs. Is Pelikan a great pen in the opinion of
most
pen collectors/users? Or is this a less conventional preference?

Enjoy!

--

Cliff Reynolds

__O
_-\,_
(_)/ (_)

I have only got 5 Pelikans so can't consider myself an expert. The
people at www.fountainpennetwork.com would have a better idea. The
800 series are one sweet pen though!

In article ,
"Sonny" wrote:

Gordon,

Nice to see that others share my passion. Thank you for your comments.

Cliff


"Gordon Mattingly" wrote in message
m...
I don't know. I am still playing with my first twenty Pelikans. Let me
acquire another ten or so and I'll render an opinion.

Gordon


Pelicans are nice pens. I've got a 600 fine point and am thinking about
a 1000 after I used a Platinum Glamour Pen (short and fat). The 600s
are nice neutral pen size.

Hey, Sonny, [& FWIW, my mother always called me 'Sonny'.... the fountain pen
she gave me was her 1946 Parker 51 vac, which I still have & which still
writes beautifully],

Yes, the Pelikan is arguably the best all-around fountain pen in production
today, IMO. I have 3 400s, 2 800s, a Steno, & a 200 which I upgraded to a
250 [gold nib]. Love to write with them all. Bought the pencil to match
the red stripe 400/800.

I'm sure that there are folks on this board who can cite reasons that other
pens are better, but I stand by my high opinion of Pelikan.

I'm glad you like them, too.

Pens are a whole 'nother world out there. I'm old enough to remember when
everybody used a fountain pen. I'm glad I was able to find my way back.

Cheers.

Clint

"Sonny" wrote in message
...
First of all, I am not a fountain pen expert. I have a few pens that are
supposed to be worth collecting. But I own mostly new pens that I have
purchased over the past five or six years. So my comments are my opinion
only.

My first fountain pen was a gift from my mom. She received it in 1946 as
a high school graduation present from her brother. When I received it, it
was literally a bag of parts. My first impression was that I had just
received a bag of junk that my mom just couldn't bare to throw in the
trash. I threw it in the back of a drawer for 15 or so years. When I
rediscovered it (some time in 2002 I believe), I almost tossed it. But
somehow, I just couldn't bring myself to throw something in the trash that
has "14K" stamped on it. After a couple of hours searching around the
internet, I found an pen repair shop in Monrovia, California. As fate
would have it, I drive past Monrovia a couple of times a month on
business. So I dropped the pen off in the same little plastic sandwich
bag that my mom gave it to me in. I asked Fred Crinkle if he could fix
it. He gave the bag a grim look, then said, "I'll see what I can do". On
my next trip to Monrovia a week later, I was astonished to have Fred
present me with a whole and completely restored 1946 Eversharp Skyline
fountain pen. It looked great! Fred dipped the pen in Quink blue ink and
handed it to me. I'd never written with a fountain pen, so Fred had to
post the cap and show me how to hold the pen for correct nib orientation.
Well... That was the beginning of a great hobby. And I now write with a
fountain pen almost exclusively. I have a nice collection of inks as
well. Although Pelikan Brown is clearly my favorite.

My two latest fountain pen acquisitions are a "first year" shaeffer
Snorkel, and a brand new Krone "Think". They are both fine pens in their
own right. But I must say that I have become particularly attached to one
particular brand of fountain pen. While looking for a good everyday pen
that I could lose without freaking out, I stumbled upon a Pelikan M200
demonstrator (red). I purchased one with a medium nib. But I soon
discovered that I preferred Pelikan's fine nib. so I ordered a fine nib,
and replaced the medium. I then had a friend give me another M200 with a
medium nib. I ordered another fine nib and installed it on the new pen.
I love the ease with which the M200 fills with ink. And it holds enough
ink for at least two days of note taking. The pen writes beautifully.
It's also durable and inexpensive. In my opinion, it's an awesome pen
right out of the box. I have since purchased another M200 clear
demonstrator.

Well, I figured if the M200 was a great pen, Pelikan must make other great
pens. So I ordered an M800 with a fine nib. What an awesome fountain
pen! As much as I like to rotate my pens, I find myself grabbing a Pelikan
when ever I need a pen to carry with me for work or travel. These pens
just seem to be perfect for my needs. Is Pelikan a great pen in the
opinion of most pen collectors/users? Or is this a less conventional
preference?

Enjoy!



--

Cliff Reynolds

__O
_-\,_
(_)/ (_)

Cheers!


"C Green" wrote in message
news:Jh6Ui.8130$0l4.4103@trnddc08...
Hey, Sonny, [& FWIW, my mother always called me 'Sonny'.... the fountain
pen she gave me was her 1946 Parker 51 vac, which I still have & which
still writes beautifully],

Yes, the Pelikan is arguably the best all-around fountain pen in
production today, IMO. I have 3 400s, 2 800s, a Steno, & a 200 which I
upgraded to a 250 [gold nib]. Love to write with them all. Bought the
pencil to match the red stripe 400/800.

I'm sure that there are folks on this board who can cite reasons that
other pens are better, but I stand by my high opinion of Pelikan.

I'm glad you like them, too.

Pens are a whole 'nother world out there. I'm old enough to remember when
everybody used a fountain pen. I'm glad I was able to find my way back.

Cheers.

Clint

"Sonny" wrote in message
...
First of all, I am not a fountain pen expert. I have a few pens that are
supposed to be worth collecting. But I own mostly new pens that I have
purchased over the past five or six years. So my comments are my opinion
only.

My first fountain pen was a gift from my mom. She received it in 1946 as
a high school graduation present from her brother. When I received it,
it was literally a bag of parts. My first impression was that I had just
received a bag of junk that my mom just couldn't bare to throw in the
trash. I threw it in the back of a drawer for 15 or so years. When I
rediscovered it (some time in 2002 I believe), I almost tossed it. But
somehow, I just couldn't bring myself to throw something in the trash
that has "14K" stamped on it. After a couple of hours searching around
the internet, I found an pen repair shop in Monrovia, California. As
fate would have it, I drive past Monrovia a couple of times a month on
business. So I dropped the pen off in the same little plastic sandwich
bag that my mom gave it to me in. I asked Fred Crinkle if he could fix
it. He gave the bag a grim look, then said, "I'll see what I can do".
On my next trip to Monrovia a week later, I was astonished to have Fred
present me with a whole and completely restored 1946 Eversharp Skyline
fountain pen. It looked great! Fred dipped the pen in Quink blue ink
and handed it to me. I'd never written with a fountain pen, so Fred had
to post the cap and show me how to hold the pen for correct nib
orientation. Well... That was the beginning of a great hobby. And I now
write with a fountain pen almost exclusively. I have a nice collection
of inks as well. Although Pelikan Brown is clearly my favorite.

My two latest fountain pen acquisitions are a "first year" shaeffer
Snorkel, and a brand new Krone "Think". They are both fine pens in their
own right. But I must say that I have become particularly attached to one
particular brand of fountain pen. While looking for a good everyday pen
that I could lose without freaking out, I stumbled upon a Pelikan M200
demonstrator (red). I purchased one with a medium nib. But I soon
discovered that I preferred Pelikan's fine nib. so I ordered a fine nib,
and replaced the medium. I then had a friend give me another M200 with a
medium nib. I ordered another fine nib and installed it on the new pen.
I love the ease with which the M200 fills with ink. And it holds enough
ink for at least two days of note taking. The pen writes beautifully.
It's also durable and inexpensive. In my opinion, it's an awesome pen
right out of the box. I have since purchased another M200 clear
demonstrator.

Well, I figured if the M200 was a great pen, Pelikan must make other
great pens. So I ordered an M800 with a fine nib. What an awesome
fountain pen! As much as I like to rotate my pens, I find myself grabbing
a Pelikan when ever I need a pen to carry with me for work or travel.
These pens just seem to be perfect for my needs. Is Pelikan a great pen
in the opinion of most pen collectors/users? Or is this a less
conventional preference?

Enjoy!



--

Cliff Reynolds

__O
_-\,_
(_)/ (_)

I agree that it is nice to pick up a pen that you haven't touched in a few
days and have it start writing with a smooth even line as soon as it touches
the paper. How do they do that?!

Cliff


"j. fabian" wrote in message
...
In article Jh6Ui.8130$0l4.4103@trnddc08,
"C Green" wrote:

Yes, the Pelikan is arguably the best all-around fountain pen in
production
today, IMO. I have 3 400s, 2 800s, a Steno, & a 200 which I upgraded to
a
250 [gold nib]. Love to write with them all. Bought the pencil to match
the red stripe 400/800.

Not really posting a "Me Too" ... OK, me too. I (currently) have 22
Pelikans, including 100s, 100Ns, 140s, M400, M600, M800, M1000, Toledos,
L.E.s, and one Pelikano. I also have a large collection of Pelikan
Graphos technical drawing pen sets.

One thing which I really admire is the close tolerances they all are
manufactured to. I have changed the nibs on many of my 100s from the
1920s and 1930s (which have cork plungers), none has ever leaked or lost
suction, and they are all a joy to write with.

The other thing that draws me to Pelikan and "another well-known German
pen company" is that no matter how long I leave a pen, if it has some
ink in it it starts writing immediately with no fussing.

As far as family pens go, my father's 1939 100N in RHR and Tortoise is
the centerpiece of my collection, and as I promised Osman Sumer who
restored it I still use it. My mother's 1945 Sheaffer Triumph leaks like
a sieve, and she once told me that it leaked from the day she bought it
at the UCLA student store. It's the centerpiece of my Sheaffer
collection :-)

Jon

When I started collecting and researching Pelikans over 20 years ago, my
favorite observations were made at most pen shows....no matter what they
sold or claimed to like most, there was always a Pelikan 800 in their
pocket! My 900 Toledo (W. Germany...limited editon) has been in daily
use since 1991. It's my favorite of over 200.
Enjoy and regards,
Pelikanyo Paul