Pelikan Pelikano Jr.

[kadymae]

First Impressions -- I picked up my first Pelikano Jr. from my local Paradise Pens in Las Vegas. I discovered the Pelikano Jr while looking at Pelikan's website and kind of liked their bold, chunky styling and colors.

 

The Pelikano Jr comes in a no-frills cardboard box which contains a small sheet of instructions about how to put the ink cartridge in as well as a sticker to write your name on and so that you don't get your pen mixed up with a schoolmate's.

 

It's bold, it's plastic, and utterly utilitarian in design, the style coming mostly from the bright colors. It looks like a rugged pen built to take abuse.

 

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h305/tartymae/pens/2PelikanoJr.jpg

 

Appearance & Finish -- This is a $10.95 pen. It's made of a translucent plastic with a matte finish on the barrel. It's not elegant and fancy, but everything about it -- the heft, the simplicity of the design, the way the nib and barrel screw together, the snap of the cap say "cheap and good".

 

The plain steel nib has no marking on it other than the letter A. (I wonder what it stands for -- Ich kenne genug Deutsch zu wissen dass "mittel" auf Englisch "medium" ist.)

 

Design/Size/Weight -- The top of the barrel is rounded, so it was hard to get good measurements. Unposted, it's a skoosh under 5 inches (about 12.5 cm), and about 6 1/8 inches (15.5 cm) posted. The barrel is tapered slightly in the center. It's not a fly weight like the Pilot Varsity or my old Sheaffer Cartridge Pen, but I would hardly call it heavy. I'll take a swag and call it "Medium-Light" weight.

 

The grip section is ergonomically designed and made of a somewhat rubbery plastic with some hard plastic ridges in it. I find it less slippery and more comfy to hold and write with than my Lamy Safari. It's also rather wide -- a good thing for me because the way I hold a pen often means that my thumbnail digs into the side of my index finger if it's skinny and perfectly round. This width also makes it more comfortable for me because I have carpal tunnel; this pen is also a good choice for somebody with arthritic fingers or wrists who needs an "everyday" fountain pen.

 

I prefer to write with it unposted because otherwise the edge of the cap rides right along the webbing between Thumb and Index finger and is constantly "tripping" on it. This puts me at some risk for losing the (rather substantial) cap.

 

Nib Design & Performance -- As mentioned before, the nib is unornamented steel tipped with some sort of harder metal (probably iridium). This A size nib is supposed to be a medium but is visibly wider than the M nibs on my Lamy and my Sheaffer. The A nib is the only option for this pen.

 

It lays down a smooth, fat, wet line of ink and the glide of pen across paper is excellent. What convinced me to buy this pen was casually dragging a display model (uninked) across a sheet of Rhodia paper at the store. It was smoother than the Lamy (inked) on the same paper.

 

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h305/tartymae/pens/BluePelikano.jpg

(From my first Pelikano, writing on 28lb Office Max Color Laser paper)

 

The nib is so broad that it's possible to get line variation from nib angle + speed of stroke. I know it's not a particularly flexible nib -- I happened to slam my 2nd Pelikano Jr nib first into my desktop about 2 minutes after taking it out of the box, and that brought the tines only slightly out of alignment. (I've since pressure flexed and fingernailed it back into alignment.)

 

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h305/tartymae/pens/GreenPelikano.jpg

(Sorry for the off center scan. Note modest line weight variaion on Js, Ys and my kind of ampersand.)

 

 

Filling System -- This pen takes Pelikan short and long cartridges or a Pelikan piston converter. For now, I'm using the large cartridges which contain a goodly amount of ink.

 

Cost/Value -- This pen is an excellent value at $10.95. It writes smoothly, has a pleasant heft, and is rugged enough to withstand abuse that would cripple another pen.

 

Overall Opinion -- The saleswoman at Paradise Pens told me that a lot of adults enjoy using this pen, too. And after 2 weeks with one, I can see why. It's a nigh-perfect "everyday" writer, a good "starter" pen, and a perfect "loaner" (if you don't keep a Pilot Varsity on hand for that). It's not the pen I'd pull out if I need to sign something with a flourish and make an impressive statement, but it's perfect for notes, letters, and jotting down the drafts of articles.

 

My only complaint is that the Pelikano Jr. doesn't have a clip on the cap. The raised lettering of "Pelikano Jr" is usually enough to stop the pen from rolling on a flat or very slightly inclined desk, but nothing more than that. I have no doubt that it would survive a fall to the floor capped, but there's also the annoyance of having to pick it up. Also, no clip increases the chance of it being tucked nib down into a pocket, backpack, purse, etc.

Edited October 12, 2007 by kadymae

[Chip]

Nice review. I just got one of these this week with the converter and have used it a lot at work. It will join my

Safaris as a pen I'll use often, leave laying around and not worry about losing. The converter works fine too.

 

I'm not absolutely sure, but given that this pen is designed to teach children to write, the "A" on the nib most likely stands for "Anfänger," which means "beginner." Viel Spaß!

 

[kadymae]

  Chip said:

I'm not absolutely sure, but given that this pen is designed to teach children to write, the "A" on the nib most likely stands for "Anfänger," which means "beginner." Viel Spaß!

 

Chip --

 

Yeah, it probably is "beginner".

 

Thanks for the feedback!

[AndyHayes]

A = Right handed

L = Left handed

 

Don't know why, buy that is the answer from Cult Pens when I asked the question.

 

I too have two of these, blue and green - spooky!!

 

Brilliant little pens. I have to laugh at how well they write for the price!

[Chip]

  AndyHayes said:

A = Right handed

L = Left handed

 

Don't know why, buy that is the answer from Cult Pens when I asked the question.

 

I too have two of these, blue and green - spooky!!

 

Brilliant little pens. I have to laugh at how well they write for the price!

 

 

My surmise about the A standing for Anfänger was from the circumstance that an A nib is also available for the regular Pelikano, along with Fine, Medium and Left Handed nibs. Pear Tree's web page for the Pelikano allows the selection of an "A-starter nib" or a Fine, Medium or Left Handed. Maybe the A is slightly broader than the normal Pelikan Medium, which is consistent with my experience. The German for right and left handed is, respectively, rechtshändig and linkshändig.

 

[ht1]

I have six Pelikano Jr. pens...one of each color for me and two for my sons. I like the way they write, and I find that each of them writes finer and less wet than my fine point Pelikanos (I have four Pelikanos) and my Pelikan Future fine point (I have one). My yellow Pelikano Jr. has become one of my favorite pens. I agree that it would be nice to have a clip. My one complaint about the Pelikano Jr. is that the cap develops cracks in it very easily.

 

ht

Edited October 14, 2007 by ht1

[Paladin]

  ht1 said:

I have six Pelikano Jr. pens...one of each color for me and two for my sons. I like the way they write, and I find that each of them writes finer and less wet than my fine point Pelikanos (I have four Pelikanos) and my Pelikan Future fine point (I have one). My yellow Pelikano Jr. has become one of my favorite pens. I agree that it would be nice to have a clip. My one complaint about the Pelikano Jr. is that the cap develops cracks in it very easily.

 

ht

 

It's the same in my family. We have all the colours.

 

I use an Orange and Green.

 

My wife Red and Blue.

 

My children Red, Green, Blue and Orange.

 

They are simply brilliant to write with!

[Sailor Kenshin]

I have a bunch of these in red, yellow, blue, and one green. They're light to hold (important for me), carry a lot of ink from those big long carts, and they write well and smoothly. Great, inexpensive, fun pens.

 

I loved them until both the blue and green one decided to leak all over my fingers in the same day.

 

 

[FrankB]

Gee, I wonder how the heck I missed this review when it was first posted?!

 

I really like the Pelikano Junior. For an inexpensive childrens' pen, it is well made, durable and a darn good writer. I have several of the older versions (yellow bodies with lavender or turquoise caps) that I frequently use as knock about pens. I have also given dozens of these pens as gifts, both to children and adults. The kids generally like them as a novel writing instrument, and the adults have all exclaimed with some surprize that they are very good pens.

 

I think every FPNer should have one of these little guys just to remind one that a good pen does not really have to cost hundreds of dollars.

[Sailor Kenshin]

  FrankB said:

 

I really like the Pelikano Junior. For an inexpensive childrens' pen, it is well made, durable and a darn good writer. I have several of the older versions (yellow bodies with lavender or turquoise caps) that I frequently use as knock about pens.

 

I have one of those, too! The lavender color----and I like it just a bit better than the newer models.

[devaldez]

I recently picked up a Pelikano Junior for my 10 yr old. Here's my review:

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/1734/pelikanojrreview.jpg

 

I much prefer fine nibs, but I hope my writing is legible.

EDIT: This review was written on a Moleskine Large Squared Notebook. I know I'm not hip using this notebook, but it's a lot easier to find than alternatives.

Edited July 12, 2010 by devaldez

[Ernest]

The A nib is way too broad for my liking.

I grind it down to a medium Italic which is much better.

 

 

[devaldez]

Oooh...that ground down nib is MUCH more my style!

 

I have converted to an ED now and I'm doing the testing now. So far, so good with no leaks! I admit the utility of giving an ED to a 10 year old is suspect, but I hope she's too enamored of the style to attempt deconstruction...

Edited July 12, 2010 by devaldez

[jaideepnitin]

I got a Green one today; an addition to my 4 other Pelikan school pens. Made in Germany with A nib! fantastic build for the price. I paid Rs. 190 which is equivalent to $4, a six cartridge pack came along in the blister. Cartridges cost at Rs 15 which is 35 Cents - also imported from Germany. Still this is costly for in India where the locally made pens sell for 10-15 Rupees. The Pelikan products are sold at a discount in India and the quality is top notch. I guess Pelikan is trying to catch Parker ( with average build quality and absolutely no quality control) and Pilot which have captured the market in India. Some pictures

[rwilsonedn]

It's wonderful being in the minority. I don't know why, but despite my expectations I've never been able to warm up to my P Jr. It is undeniably cute. But I find the triangular section, which apparently corresponds to some unique Teutonic thinking about how everyone must hold their pens, uniquely inconvenient. And I found the pen to be an uninspiring writer--mildly scratchy, rather dry, small and quirky sweet spot, and without even a hint of the feedback that I would get in an inexpensive Japanese or Chinese pen. I grant that for a primary-school student it has the virtue of near-indestructibility. But couldn't the mighty Pelikan achieve that without the writing characteristics of a sharpened stick?

ron

[cwnidog]

I have a couple of Pelikano Juniors (green and red) with blue and yellow on the way. I really enjoy using them, which is odd as I have really dinky handwriting and normally use a F or XF nib. They've got to be the absolute best value going. Just a gas - maybe I really am still a second-grader, deep down.