The "bird Bug": Pics Of The Flock

[Lam1]

It's been 15 months, almost to the day, since I got my first Pelikan and ever since then I've got a serious case of "bird flu" .

 

Up until Christmas of 2014 I had been using FPs for about 12 years, but had only one working pen that I used daily for 3 years (a trusted Parker Sonnet). Then, I decided to give myself a new pen for Christmas, started looking around and, inevitably, discovered FPN and the whole idea of “collecting” FPs. I went through some Deltas and a NOS M400 from the 1990s (which I thought “too flimsy” and returned… the heresy! ), before settling with a Pilot Metal Falcon and a Sailor 1911.

 

Then, I saw an unbeatable price on the M640 Mt. Everest and decided to give it a try. A week later I added a M605 Marine Blue and the rest of the story follows the usual plot: the birds reproduced quickly . Here is the collection so far.

 

M1000 Black; M805s: Black, Demo (Clear), Anthracite, Blue; M800s: Brown Tortoise, Grand Place, Burnt Orange.

 

It is easy too see that, like many here, I am addicted to the M80xs.

 

M640 Mt. Everest; M605 Marine Blue, M600 Green/Black, M400 Brown Tortoise (1990s model).

M200 Demo, M201 Bayou, M205 Red, M215: Rings & Blue, M250: Burgundy (old style) & Black, 140.

 

Missing from the photos is a 120 Merz and Krell that is in the mail.

 

In case you’re wondering why just one M400 in the collection, that is because the M400s are the wife’s collection line - the “bird flu” is very contagious! When I received the M605 Marine Blue, she saw the advertisement for the M400 White Tortoise and started her own flock (she denies vehemently to be a collector! ). Her flock:

 

M405 Blue/Black; M/D400 White Tortoise, M400 Black, D/M/R400 Red/Black, D/M/R400 Green/Black

M200: Cognac, Café-Crème, Clear Demo; M320 Pearl.

 

In fact, everybody in the house got infected with the bird flu. Here are the ones that belong to my son.

R/M/D800 Green/Black and M200 Cognac.

 

Of course, I've got a few FPs from other brands, but I wouldn't make the birds jealous by posting their pics here. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to keep looking for that M800 Red striped .

Edited March 26, 2016 by Lam1

[OCArt]

A beautiful gathering. I am especially interested in the M201 Bayou-- does anyone know when that was released??Thanks for posting.

[fatswimmies]

Beautiful photos! The Burnt Orange is quite handsome. Such fun that your wife and son got into FPs too. A family that collects fountain pens together..

[Lam1]

A beautiful gathering. I am especially interested in the M201 Bayou-- does anyone know when that was released??Thanks for posting.

 

Thanks, OCArt.

The Bayou was produced for the Fountain Pen Hospital (NY) in August of last year. I believe it will be quite difficult to get ahold of one since only 100 were made. But you never know, I searched for the blue M215 for about 6 months and no luck, so I gave up. Then last week I was looking around and spotted one being offered as a M205 (bought it immediately ). Good luck

 

Beautiful photos! The Burnt Orange is quite handsome. Such fun that your wife and son got into FPs too. A family that collects fountain pens together..

 

Thanks, Fatswimmies. The burnt orange is quite the looker and a favorite of mine (it also helps that it has a wonderful Italic Broad nib).

 

Having everybody in the family collecting pens is indeed fun, particularly because I get to use all of their pens too ! It also makes for some fun (for us, at least) jokes: they like to annoy me and start "dividing" who will get this or that pen when I'm gone - the good thing is that I know they will probably not end up forgotten in a drawer.

[sargetalon]

That is a beautiful flock of birds. I love the fact that Pelikan is a family affair with you. I only wish my wife didn't disdain my pen collecting half as much as she does. You're lucky to have a like minded spouse. Having the same birds in my flock, i don't mind saying that I think you have a very well curated collection.

 

As for the Bayou, I have only ever seen one for sale since the initial run sold out and that was immediately after the sell out. I don't expect they will come up for purchase often given that only 100 were made. I expect that when one does surface, the asking price will be rather exorbitant.

[Christopher Godfrey]

Lam, just so I understand: have you collected these birds all since last Christmas? Holy mackerel! Over thirty pens in so few months!

 

I think you should hold a record of some sort for severe acquisitive-ness. (Clapping) <Did> I understand you correctly, then?

 

Heartiest congratulations; but no prize for...restraint!

Edited March 26, 2016 by Christopher Godfrey

[Lam1]

That is a beautiful flock of birds. I love the fact that Pelikan is a family affair with you. I only wish my wife didn't disdain my pen collecting half as much as she does. You're lucky to have a like minded spouse. Having the same birds in my flock, i don't mind saying that I think you have a very well curated collection.

 

As for the Bayou, I have only ever seen one for sale since the initial run sold out and that was immediately after the sell out. I don't expect they will come up for purchase often given that only 100 were made. I expect that when one does surface, the asking price will be rather exorbitant.

 

Thanks, Sargetalon. It's really nice to know that you think it's a good selection - not that you would be biased, right? .

 

But you can't say that I'm lucky aloud, now my wife (who also frequents the forum, although she never posts) says that she will frame what you said and whenever I'm misbehaving she'll show that to me! Now, I'm in trouble.

 

Oh, and you're right about one Bayou showing up for sale. I also saw that one, but forgot about it. And, if they show up, they will certainly be very expensive.

Edited March 26, 2016 by Lam1

[Lam1]

Lam, just so I understand: have you collected these birds all since last Christmas? Holy mackerel! Over thirty pens in so few months!

 

I think you should hold a record of some sort for severe acquisitive-ness. (Clapping) <Did> I understand you correctly, then?

 

Heartiest congratulations; but no prize for...restraint!

 

Thanks, Christopher.

 

And that was a mistake. Gosh, I wish I could buy all of those in 3 months. But I started during Christmas of 2014. My wife says that she is ok with my pen habit, but if I were to even think of buying them that fast she would kick me out .

I would think Sargetalon probably is the recordist (I believe I saw a post of his from 2013, and he had just a few birds at the time, IIRC).

 

But restraint indeed is not my forte. I actually just added an M800 Green to the collection . I'm also the kind of person that opens Christmas presents around the 30th... of November , as soon as we get them home. So, yeah... no prize for restraint.

Edited March 26, 2016 by Lam1

[oregano]

Gorgeous flock, and photos, Lam1, thank you for sharing them! I love that your family collects them too! and kudos to your wife for getting them in sets! I wish I could have that discipline for all my pelikans.

[Lam1]

Gorgeous flock, and photos, Lam1, thank you for sharing them! I love that your family collects them too! and kudos to your wife for getting them in sets! I wish I could have that discipline for all my pelikans.

 

Thanks, Paloma32. My wife started getting the sets recently and she really liked the idea of always carrying the three of the same color. Now she is looking to complete her White Tortoise set by adding the rollerball.

[Mastiff]

Beautiful collection. I used to be into Pelikans too, so it bings back memories.

I think a couple of Toledos will pretty up your collection nicely.

[Lam1]

Beautiful collection. I used to be into Pelikans too, so it bings back memories.

I think a couple of Toledos will pretty up your collection nicely.

 

Thank you, Mastiff. The Toledos are my "grail" pens, particularly the M910 Black-Silver. I've tried to start saving for it a couple of times, but I always seem to find another Pelikan that I want at a great price and end up spending the "Toledo" money .

[Bo Bo Olson]

What sort of tax write off are you using?

For only 1 1/2 years that's a huge collection....but it's easy to have good taste with a Pelikan.

I've an assortment of about 14, but that took me 7 years.

[Lam1]

What sort of tax write off are you using?

For only 1 1/2 years that's a huge collection....but it's easy to have good taste with a Pelikan.

I've an assortment of about 14, but that took me 7 years.

 

Hi Bo Bo,

 

I'm usually not a big spender, but it seems that this time I did go a bit overboard, didn't I?

You know... Pelikans are dangerously infectious.

 

A small part of it came from selling (at a big loss) some photographic material that I had for 10 years and never really used (Canon L lenses). The rest was a big dent in the savings account .

I'm also a big bargain hunter and, except for a handful of pens, most of my pens were acquired at deep discounts.

 

But I'm settling down now, and there isn't much more of the modern pens that I see in my immediate future except for the green M1000, and if Pelikan releases a Tortoise I'll probably get it too (one can't resist the Tortoises, right?) - but I intend to sell some of the non-Pelikans for that. After that I see myself only picking up some special edition that catches my fancy here and there, and, from time to time, searching for good deals on the vintage ones.

I also would love to have a Toledo, but that will certainly take me a few years.

 

Now, inks are a different matter... and I don't see myself scratching that itch anytime soon . Fortunately they are also a lot cheaper.

[fatswimmies]

Speaking to the Pelikan price bracket: When I started seriously considering my first Pelikan purchase, it was after I had already asked for a Kaweco Sport for my birthday. Fun to use still but my brother is into fountain pens too and we catch up over the phone every couple weeks and he put it well: "I'm not really into cheap pens anymore." I feel like the deeper I get into FP, the higher price bracket I move into and it happened VERY quickly.

[Lam1]

Speaking to the Pelikan price bracket: When I started seriously considering my first Pelikan purchase, it was after I had already asked for a Kaweco Sport for my birthday. Fun to use still but my brother is into fountain pens too and we catch up over the phone every couple weeks and he put it well: "I'm not really into cheap pens anymore." I feel like the deeper I get into FP, the higher price bracket I move into and it happened VERY quickly.

I understand completely. Once you put your hands on a top quality pen, there is no coming back. And it is scary how they "sneak in" on you, when you notice you have a drawer full of them. But I do think that, in the long run, the top pens are a better deal.

 

We talk a lot about the prices of Pelikans, but I still think they are probably the best value out there. Much more reasonably priced than MB, Omas, Visconti and Auroras, for example. And since Pelikan does not seem to exert a strong price control, they can be found at prices comparable to (or better than) the Japanese pens, with the advantage of a better filling system and better quality (in the same price range), in my opinion. That is not to say that I wouldn't want them all being a lot cheaper, of course.

 

But there are also some good, sometimes price conscious, alternatives with the vintage pens. I have a few vintages that I found in flea markets and a couple that I bought online. Of those, the Pelikan 140 is my favorite, it has a wonderful nib and when posted it is the perfect size (it is almost perfect, except for a small mark on the piston knob, and I paid $35 for it). I will probably focus on vintage Pelikans and some MB in the near future, because those flex or semi-flex nibs are growing on me.

Edited March 27, 2016 by Lam1

[OCArt]

I agree, the Pelikan 140 has some fantastic nibs and is quite a good pen. I have acquired M1000, M800 and M600 among others but find myself using the humble 120 a surprising amount of time.

 

I think fountain pens are similar to wine. There are some very nice inexpensive wines and paying more does not always result in a better product.

[Misfit]

Such attractive flocks you two have. (Drool).

[Lam1]

I agree, the Pelikan 140 has some fantastic nibs and is quite a good pen. I have acquired M1000, M800 and M600 among others but find myself using the humble 120 a surprising amount of time.

 

I think fountain pens are similar to wine. There are some very nice inexpensive wines and paying more does not always result in a better product.

 

That is a nice way of putting it, OCArt.

I haven't tried the 120 yet, but I have one in the mail.

 

Such attractive flocks you two have. (Drool).

Thanks. Pelikans are always attractive, aren't they?

[gordonhooker]

Wow what a beautiful flock and a family affair to boot.