Adding To The Flock

[sirgilbert357]

1 hour ago, N1003U said:

 

Don't give up hope. Some good deals on M800s do emerge now and then, especially on regular production models. Patience and persistence can bring dividends. I even had a member here contact me with an X800 set he was looking to sell, and we agreed on a very fair price (not cheap, but given condition quite reasonable, from my view)

 

No, I mean the 2013 Tortoise specifically. I have three M800's (one was gift though). I love them all, but the 2013 Tortoise is the Pelikan I want the most. Last time I saw one for sale, it was $1200.00.

[sirgilbert357]

46 minutes ago, Pingu said:

I still have the email of the purchase -  in May 2013.  I think I got the discount because I was a repeat customer - the M800 tortoise was my third Pelikan purchase after the M600-GOG and a standard M800 which was a gift for the friend who gave me the vintage 100. I did ask for the discount though, and got a positive response - if you don’t ask, you don’t get! 🙂

 

anyway good luck with your hunt, I think they do pop up occasionally, in fact I find it seems more rare to see the M600 GOG on the secondary market.

 

True, I don't see that one often. I think I've only seen two of those pop up for sale since I've been into fountain pens.

[N1003U]

4 minutes ago, sirgilbert357 said:

 

No, I mean the 2013 Tortoise specifically. I have three M800's (one was gift though). I love them all, but the 2013 Tortoise is the Pelikan I want the most. Last time I saw one for sale, it was $1200.00.

Yea, I feel your pain (I recently almost had an M600 Pink for a sub $500 price and got sumgaied (if that is a valid verb in this forum)), but good things can happen. Not that they always will, but they can. Even for a 2013 M800 Tortoise. Don't give up hope.

[sirgilbert357]

I'm now struggling with the idea of purchasing the recent M800 Brown Black. It's not the 2013 tortoise, by any stretch of the imagination, but I do love how it looks (brown pens are my weakness). They are getting very hard to find and I guess if I want one, I should do it now before they dry up completely. I might regret not getting one in 10 years if they are also all 1200 dollars...

[N1003U]

30 minutes ago, sirgilbert357 said:

I'm now struggling with the idea of purchasing the recent M800 Brown Black. It's not the 2013 tortoise, by any stretch of the imagination, but I do love how it looks (brown pens are my weakness). They are getting very hard to find and I guess if I want one, I should do it now before they dry up completely. I might regret not getting one in 10 years if they are also all 1200 dollars...

I bought the Brown-Black because the Burnt Orange was already sold out. It is a nice pen (it has a lovely golden shimmer in bright light), and for me it goes well as a set with the Burnt Orange ballpoint. I think there are maybe still a few in stock in remote corners of the market, but I wouldn't wait if you want to buy a new one.

[sirgilbert357]

15 minutes ago, N1003U said:

I bought the Brown-Black because the Burnt Orange was already sold out. It is a nice pen (it has a lovely golden shimmer in bright light), and for me it goes well as a set with the Burnt Orange ballpoint. I think there are maybe still a few in stock in remote corners of the market, but I wouldn't wait if you want to buy a new one.

 

You're going to trigger a 500 dollar purchase with this post...shhhhh, I beg you...

 

Alas, I know...you're not wrong. I have found ONE....just ONE retailer with them still in stock with the nib size I want. I have it in a cart awaiting check out...I even check the exchange rates on the currency I'd have to convert. Not sure why I haven't done it...

[N1003U]

4 minutes ago, sirgilbert357 said:

 

You're going to trigger a 500 dollar purchase with this post...shhhhh, I beg you...

 

Alas, I know...you're not wrong. I have found ONE....just ONE retailer with them still in stock with the nib size I want. I have it in a cart awaiting check out...I even check the exchange rates on the currency I'd have to convert. Not sure why I haven't done it...

Go on, just relax and do it, the pain will only be momentary...one click is all it takes... 😛

 

[sirgilbert357]

2 minutes ago, N1003U said:

Go on, just relax and do it, the pain will only be momentary...one click is all it takes... 😛

 

 

I just spent 479.00 dollars...sigh.

 

I wonder how long it will take to arrive...🤔

[Pingu]

@sirgilbert357Congrats on the striped brown-black! 🙂 Please share pictures once it arrives 

[sirgilbert357]

5 minutes ago, Pingu said:

@sirgilbert357Congrats on the striped brown-black! 🙂 Please share pictures once it arrives 

 

Thank you...I think. I must stop now. No more pens for the rest of this year. I was enabled by a decent tax return. LOL.

[N1003U]

19 minutes ago, sirgilbert357 said:

 

I just spent 479.00 dollars...sigh.

 

I wonder how long it will take to arrive...🤔

Where is it coming from, and where is it being delivered? My experience is that a lot of postal systems are slowly getting back to normal.

 

If you like brown pens anyway, you are not going to regret this one. Mine makes me smile every time I pick it up.

 

 

[sirgilbert357]

3 minutes ago, N1003U said:

Where is it coming from, and where is it being delivered? My experience is that a lot of postal systems are slowly getting back to normal.

 

If you like brown pens anyway, you are not going to regret this one. Mine makes me smile every time I pick it up.

 

 

 

Zafpens. I think they are in Athens. And I am in TX, USA. It is being delivered via DHL. Here's hoping I avoid the customs somehow...

[N1003U]

13 minutes ago, sirgilbert357 said:

 

Zafpens. I think they are in Athens. And I am in TX, USA. It is being delivered via DHL. Here's hoping I avoid the customs somehow...

IME, single private purchases for under about $800 or so rarely attract attention from USCBP. In any case, the duty from most countries on fountain pens is something like 1.56% last time I looked. I don't think it is a big earner for the customs people.  However, true, if the package does get caught in customs clearance (not likely but possible) it will typically encounter delays.

 

DHL becomes more and more of a (bleep) shoot all the time. Sometimes they are great, other times less so. IME, DHL tracking is often good until the the package lands in the destination country. Then it gets less good.

[sirgilbert357]

4 minutes ago, N1003U said:

IME, single private purchases for under about $800 or so rarely attract attention from USCBP. In any case, the duty from most countries on fountain pens is something like 1.56% last time I looked. I don't think it is a big earner for the customs people.  However, true, if the package does get caught in customs clearance (not likely but possible) it will typically encounter delays.

 

DHL becomes more and more of a (bleep) shoot all the time. Sometimes they are great, other times less so. IME, DHL tracking is often good until the the package lands in the destination country. Then it gets less good.

 

I'll just try to forget about it for a couple of weeks. I'm tracking multiple purchases (not all pens) and many are delayed. It's teaching me patience...or something.

[N1003U]

8 minutes ago, sirgilbert357 said:

 

I'll just try to forget about it for a couple of weeks. I'm tracking multiple purchases (not all pens) and many are delayed. It's teaching me patience...or something.

That's the spirit! As soon as you ignore it, it will turn up on your doorstep in 5 or 6 days...or not...

[sirgilbert357]

12 minutes ago, N1003U said:

That's the spirit! As soon as you ignore it, it will turn up on your doorstep in 5 or 6 days...or not...

 

LOL. You're such an inspiration...

[mana]

On 6/3/2021 at 11:27 AM, Pingu said:

The vintage Pelikan is actually the one I use most often, as the nib is incredible. I carry it around with me as it doesn’t attract attention (ie theft), most people think it’s an old worthless pen. The cap actually looks more brown than black depending on the lighting; I think it’s the ageing of the material which feels like rubber. I’m not sure what model it is, as it was a Christmas gift given me years ago from a friend who is a pen collector, but I think it might be a 100? I didn’t (still don’t!) know much about vintage Pelikan and thought ‘why is he giving me a really old pen with a discolored cap?’ and I am ashamed to say I put it away for a few years before trying it, and was blown away by the nib 😲

 

Yeah, that is a Pelikan 100 all right. The cap discoloration is because it is made of ebonite/BHR (Black Hard Rubber) which slowly oxidizes due to exposure to elements and turns olive brown. The piston knob and filling mechanism are also made of ebonite during that time. There are products that can be used to restore those parts to jet black appearance (Mark Hoover's formula seems to work a treat). One thing to note, do not expose those ebonite parts to water for any length of time, it greatly speeds the process and can start to turn shiny black parts brown in surprisingly short order.

...and yes, the nibs on vintage Pelikans usually have that exact effect when first used. They are lovely, wonderful, sublime... in short, awesome.

 

You can read more on Pelikan 100 on this page > https://www.pelikan-collectibles.com/en/Pelikan/Models/Historic-Pens/100/index.html

 

There is also this extremely in-depth, informative and evolving thread on this same forum which currently deals with 100:

...and finally, if you venture out to FPNuts, there is this wonderfully illustrated thread by Christof about the evolution of 100 > http://fountainpenboard.com/forum/index.php?/topic/4323-1929-44-evolution-of-pelikan-100/

[Pingu]

@mana thanks for the great information! I’ve also read the excellent ‘dating’ thread discussion... and I think it is a 1937... 

 

but yes the nib was a revelation! 🙂

[Pingu]

15 hours ago, mana said:

 

Yeah, that is a Pelikan 100 all right. The cap discoloration is because it is made of ebonite/BHR (Black Hard Rubber) which slowly oxidizes due to exposure to elements and turns olive brown. The piston knob and filling mechanism are also made of ebonite during that time. There are products that can be used to restore those parts to jet black appearance (Mark Hoover's formula seems to work a treat). One thing to note, do not expose those ebonite parts to water for any length of time, it greatly speeds the process and can start to turn shiny black parts brown in surprisingly short order.

...and yes, the nibs on vintage Pelikans usually have that exact effect when first used. They are lovely, wonderful, sublime... in short, awesome.

 

You can read more on Pelikan 100 on this page > https://www.pelikan-collectibles.com/en/Pelikan/Models/Historic-Pens/100/index.html

 

There is also this extremely in-depth, informative and evolving thread on this same forum which currently deals with 100:

...and finally, if you venture out to FPNuts, there is this wonderfully illustrated thread by Christof about the evolution of 100 > http://fountainpenboard.com/forum/index.php?/topic/4323-1929-44-evolution-of-pelikan-100/

This picture shows better the discoloration of the cap. I didn’t like it at first, and even thought it was a cap transplanted from a different pen! But now I really like it...  i also like the vertical fins. 🙂

 

edited to add:

just realized looking at the picture that the point of the nib looks asymmetrical. Don’t know if that is due to wear or damage, but whatever, it writes wonderfully! 
 

 

[austinwft]

 

My latest addition and first time inked up...

 

 

...and though I don't prefer fine nibs this is one I am really enjoying!