What's Your Most Recent Addition To The Flock?

[sargetalon]

These two were meant to be the most recent additions to my flock and I'm extremely happy with the 101N. Sadly, I can't say the same about the 400 which doesn't work.The piston doesn't draw any water (ink) and it leaks what little it has managed to pull from the knob. The kick in the nuts is that this was bought from penboard.de and I really expected stellar service because apparently everybody loves them. The pen is marked as fully working and having a very smooth nib there but I wonder how they have tested to see if the pen is fully working or the nib is smooth without being able to draw any ink into it.

 

My first vintage pen and it is a disaster. So sad that my hands are shaking. Tried contacting the seller, got back an automated reply saying that he won't be in until 16th of March. Their site doesn't future any information on how to return an item. I'm pretty lost now. Looks to me like I have thrown about $300 down the drain.

Sorry to hear about your bad experience. My vintage 400 had the same issue upon arrival but from a different vendor. The piston seal is incompetent and that can happen on pens of this age. Ron Zorn of Main Street pens was able to repair mine without difficulty and not too expensively. The only downside was a long turn around time. Others also replace these piston seals. If you like the pen otherwise and choose to keep it, it can be repaired. Hopefully you and the vendor can come up with a mutually satisfactory solution.

[Manalto]

I've only just recently come to appreciate the traditional beauty of the Pelikan. I researched sizes and determined the M800 is correct for my hand and from what I can tell, I like the filling system. So, I shopped around and found the best deal ($305 "Best Offer" with free shipping) from Skystore1000 (Japan) for a classic green stripe with fine nib. Boring, I suppose, to seasoned Pelikan owners, but exciting to me. I realize I may be sacrificing customer service, but I've seen this pen offered for nearly double the price elsewhere. I hope, though, that I'm not sacrificing authenticity. Does anyone know this seller? Will I get a counterfeit?

 

James

Edited March 3, 2015 by Manalto

[canibanoglu]

Sorry to hear about your bad experience. My vintage 400 had the same issue upon arrival but from a different vendor. The piston seal is incompetent and that can happen on pens of this age. Ron Zorn of Main Street pens was able to repair mine without difficulty and not too expensively. The only downside was a long turn around time. Others also replace these piston seals. If you like the pen otherwise and choose to keep it, it can be repaired. Hopefully you and the vendor can come up with a mutually satisfactory solution.

If I'm honest I'd much rather return this one, get my money back and buy from Rick Propas. I really like vintage Pelikans and the body is to die for on this tortoise. It just doesn't work. I don't dare do anything to it myself. And I really don't want to pay any more than I do to get it repaired. After all isn't the selling point of Rick Propas and similar sellers to guarantee that you get pretty much no headache when you buy a vintage pen? I could easily have gotten this pen for about $100 less on ebay. I just assumed that the pen would be ready to dip into the bottle, draw up ink and write joyfully. That's what I understand when a pen is marked fully working.

 

Ah, just so frustrated. I waited by the door for the last two days and I had to place the pen on the pen for a while because my hands were shaking from excitement. It just broke my heart that the pen is not in working condition. Sorry if that seems a bit too raging.

[PDW]

Does having Oxonian get the nib out of my 140 on Sunday at the Cambridge Pen Show so I could at last grease the piston count as an addition? I'd heated, soaked, twisted as much as dared until I could almost feel the longitudinal fins bending, and even talked nicely to it, and the wretched nib wouldn't move. Handed it to him, a pass of the hands and a squeaking sound*, and it was out.

 

The newly-greased piston now moves freely and all I have to do is decide which ink to fill it with.

 

* edit: to clarify, the squeaking sound came from the pen, not the person.

Edited March 4, 2015 by PDW

[Charles Rice]

Oops

Edited March 3, 2015 by Charles Rice

[canibanoglu]

Hehe, nice additions but I believe the flock in the title means Pelikan flocks

[sargetalon]

Not a pen but Pelikan related. I found this acrylic single pen display stand at the Baltimore show. It had significant scratches but cost next to nothing. I was hopeful that I could rehab it and after a bit of Novus and some elbow grease it cleaned up almost as good as new.

 

Shown here with my M200 Café Crème.

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f282/jdanley/Mobile%20Uploads/1425857012_zpsa210f493.jpg

[Snamellit]

Pelikan M215 with the rings.

[dsio]

Just bought my first decent fountain pen and first Pelikan, an M805 F Solid Blue Edition. Its an old 2 baby nib that was NOS but initially really bad, untwisted the tines and smoothed it out a bit and now its very good probably just needing some polishing to get it spot on.

 

[risingsun]

Just bought my first decent fountain pen and first Pelikan, an M805 F Solid Blue Edition. Its an old 2 baby nib that was NOS but initially really bad, untwisted the tines and smoothed it out a bit and now its very good probably just needing some polishing to get it spot on.

Welcome to FPN and that's a nice job you did!

[dms525]

A M620 Piccadilly Circus with a B nib from Regina Martini. The current exchange rate makes purchases from EU vendors much more attractive. I will probably have the nib ground to my usual crisp cursive italic, probably about 0.8mm.

 

I also picked up a M650 BB nib from Regina that I will also have ground to a CI.

 

David

[canibanoglu]

Nice score! I'm in the same position, buying from EU vendors is much more attractive at the current rates. As far as grinding that BB to CI, I'd advise you to get a vintage Pelikan B/BB and use that as a CI and keep the BB in all its glory

 

Only joking though, your pens, your taste! Again, nice score!

[DrCodfish]

If I'm honest I'd much rather return this one, get my money back and buy from Rick Propas. I really like vintage Pelikans and the body is to die for on this tortoise. It just doesn't work. I don't dare do anything to it myself. And I really don't want to pay any more than I do to get it repaired. After all isn't the selling point of Rick Propas and similar sellers to guarantee that you get pretty much no headache when you buy a vintage pen? I could easily have gotten this pen for about $100 less on ebay. I just assumed that the pen would be ready to dip into the bottle, draw up ink and write joyfully. That's what I understand when a pen is marked fully working.

 

Ah, just so frustrated. I waited by the door for the last two days and I had to place the pen on the pen for a while because my hands were shaking from excitement. It just broke my heart that the pen is not in working condition. Sorry if that seems a bit too raging.

Not too raging at all. You paid for a fully functional pen and got something which does not work, but as Sargetalon points out it is a fairly simple fix, and not something you should be on the hook for. Connect with your vendor when he returns and see if he will fix it or allow you to have someone else fix it at his cost. If not get yourself a full refund and shop elsewhere.

 

You are absolutely correct in the assumption that if you purchase from someone like Rick Propas, a well respected vendor, the premium paid assures that you will get something works as good as, if not better than new.

 

In the meantime, play with your M101n, that is one of the most attractive Pelikans around.

[DrCodfish]

Not exactly a 'recent addition' and certainly not a pen, but I had a little down time on another wood working project so fiddled around and crafted a pen stand from a piece of old growth Cottonwood bark.

 

 

 

 

 

A step up from this one I fashioned from the bark of the old growth Styrofoam tree

 

Edited March 10, 2015 by DrCodfish

[canibanoglu]

Not too raging at all. You paid for a fully functional pen and got something which does not work, but as Sargetalon points out it is a fairly simple fix, and not something you should be on the hook for. Connect with your vendor when he returns and see if he will fix it or allow you to have someone else fix it at his cost. If not get yourself a full refund and shop elsewhere.

 

You are absolutely correct in the assumption that if you purchase from someone like Rick Propas, a well respected vendor, the premium paid assures that you will get something works as good as, if not better than new.

 

In the meantime, play with your M101n, that is one of the most attractive Pelikans around.

Thanks a lot for the comforting words, I really appreciate it. After reading a *lot* about how to remove the piston assembly from a 400, I have just decided to go for it and removed the piston assembly from the pen. It turns out that the problem isn't a failed seal, because there is no seal to talk of. Here's a picture:

Forgive the bad photo, I'm at work and couldn't get a better shot. I asked Norbert to send me a seal, instead of me sending the pen back to him (that would eliminate a lot of shipping costs). Waiting to hear back from him. I understand that if I soak the piston and the seal in hot water and the slip the seal over the notch, that should be it, right? Doesn't sound too hard, if I'm not missing something.

 

What is that last pen? It looks amazingly colorful, I think I'm in love.

[risingsun]

Reproduction seals are also available from David Nishimura:

Go here, and scroll down:

http://www.vintagepens.com/catill_nibs_parts.shtml#sacs

 

And I have also noticed they are available at Custom Pen Parts out of the UK:

http://www.custompenparts.co.uk/11-pelikan

[pmn]

I know sh.. happens, but I find these "slips" hard to accept.

The good thing out of this is that you get a (forced) course on vintage Pels repair, and a nice working tortoise

No need for hot water, just wetting it will more than suffice.

Don't Forget to test the piston travel before reinserting the assembly into the body

 

P.s. It would be a good opportunity to put a smudge of silicone grease (the food grade one) on the perimeter of the seal, and a little on the spindle too.

[Mookli]

I am glad you are getting to know your new bird, the knowledge you acquire and time invested, will make you love this pen even more.

Besides that, it's always good to know how to field strip your weapon!

I love the 400 design, the removable nib is so practical, not just for changing nibs, but to access the inside bore of the pen.

It is not uncommon to lubricate the piston with a minute amount of silicon grease, this is easily done with a "Q" tip through the section.

Note that it is extremely important to never get silicon on the feed or nib.

There are different ways of testing the seal.

A simple method is to slip a tight fitting tube over the section, put the pen in a cup of water and blow into the tube.

No bubbles, no leak

I am sure all will work out fine.

 

BTW did you dip that nib for a test? That's one of my favorite nibs.

 

 

Mark

[canibanoglu]

I am glad you are getting to know your new bird, the knowledge you acquire and time invested, will make you love this pen even more.

Besides that, it's always good to know how to field strip your weapon!

I love the 400 design, the removable nib is so practical, not just for changing nibs, but to access the inside bore of the pen.

It is not uncommon to lubricate the piston with a minute amount of silicon grease, this is easily done with a "Q" tip through the section.

Note that it is extremely important to never get silicon on the feed or nib.

There are different ways of testing the seal.

A simple method is to slip a tight fitting tube over the section, put the pen in a cup of water and blow into the tube.

No bubbles, no leak

I am sure all will work out fine.

 

BTW did you dip that nib for a test? That's one of my favorite nibs.

 

 

Mark

I thought about returning the pen right away when I first got my hands on it but now I can't bring myself to let it go. As you said, I have bonded with the pen, we have developed a history in a very short time and I truly enjoyed pulling the piston apart. I knew how Pelikans look and work because I had completely disassembled my M1000 before but still.

After talking with Norbert, he told me that sometimes seals get free from the piston rod and he told me to check the part close to the section to see if the seal is there. I did check when I first pulled out the piston but it was just cursory. I hope it is there and is in good working condition.

 

As far as testing the nib, I actually did more than that. I'm currently using the vintage nib in my M101N! Simply amazing nib, a lot of flex when I ask for it and I'm simply in love with the amount of flow I'm getting. This nib is even wetter than that of my M1000. Actually I'm planning to get a vintage nib for my M101N once the 400 gets its nib back.

 

I know sh.. happens, but I find these "slips" hard to accept.

The good thing out of this is that you get a (forced) course on vintage Pels repair, and a nice working tortoise

No need for hot water, just wetting it will more than suffice.

Don't Forget to test the piston travel before reinserting the assembly into the body

 

P.s. It would be a good opportunity to put a smudge of silicone grease (the food grade one) on the perimeter of the seal, and a little on the spindle too.

Yup, I still feel very angry about the whole deal. But as you said, I learned a lot about how to disassemble a vintage Pelikan and I can't wait to get it back in working condition to use it daily. I didn't know you could just pop it off after wetting it. I was actually very surprised at how easily it came off. I read somewhere that the force needed to push it out could be high and mine just slid off after a gentle, instant force. I checked if I could replace it easily and I could. Maybe it was because I let it wait in hot water for a little while. I will definitely apply silicon grease once I get a seal.

 

Reproduction seals are also available from David Nishimura:

Go here, and scroll down:

http://www.vintagepens.com/catill_nibs_parts.shtml#sacs

 

And I have also noticed they are available at Custom Pen Parts out of the UK:

http://www.custompenparts.co.uk/11-pelikan

Thanks for those links, but I don't intend to pay for something that I didn't cause. But they will come in very handy when I get my hands on my Parker Vacumatics.

[DrCodfish]

Thanks a lot for the comforting words, I really appreciate it. After reading a *lot* about how to remove the piston assembly from a 400, I have just decided to go for it and removed the piston assembly from the pen. It turns out that the problem isn't a failed seal, because there is no seal to talk of. Here's a picture:

Forgive the bad photo, I'm at work and couldn't get a better shot. I asked Norbert to send me a seal, instead of me sending the pen back to him (that would eliminate a lot of shipping costs). Waiting to hear back from him. I understand that if I soak the piston and the seal in hot water and the slip the seal over the notch, that should be it, right? Doesn't sound too hard, if I'm not missing something.

 

What is that last pen? It looks amazingly colorful, I think I'm in love.

 

 

You are a brave soul! I hope things go back together well for you.

 

The blue and colorful pen is a Pelikan M805 with a custom binde. Not everyone's cup of tea but I like it quite a lot, not the least because It sports a Pendleton Brown Butterline Stub nib. A great looker and a fantastic writer.