What's Up At Christof's

[christof]

I just wanted to show you another pen find of the past week. It's a Pelikan 400NN in Black. Boring! ...you will say. And yes, it is probably boring but nonetheless it is a not so common Pelikan 400NN. To be honest, it is only the second that I ever have seen.

Well, the special thing about this pen is the barrel. Usually, Pelikan 400 barrels are striped and translucent. This is not. It's just plain and solid black with a green inkwindow. Common for a Pelikan 140 but uncommon for a Pelikan 400.

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8233/8509867932_1dfd48f3f2_c.jpg

 

and this is the Pelikan 140

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8379/8508806345_016b8fef64_z.jpg

 

and this is how the "common" 400NN in Black should look:

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8249/8509865916_7fc06e7f91_c.jpg

 

...so this one will be another member in the huge family of Black Pelikan.

 

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7265/6946713950_9f7b874314_c.jpg

 

 

 

Edited February 26, 2013 by christof

[Soot]

How interesting! Pelikan seems to have all these countless variants, and you really never know what you're going to find.

[christof]

How interesting! Pelikan seems to have all these countless variants, and you really never know what you're going to find.

 

Actually, the variants are not that countless like other brands, SoenneckeN for example.

Interestingly, this 400NN is not listet on PELIKAN - GUIDE

but on Werner Ruettingers site it is RUETTINGER - WEB

Edited February 26, 2013 by christof

[Soot]

Actually, the variants are not that countless like other brands, SoenneckeN for example.

Interestingly, this 400NN is not listet on PELIKAN - GUIDE

but on Werner Ruettingers site it is RUETTINGER - WEB

You got yourself a keeper there! That especially so since you can now add solid black 400NN to your black Pelikan collection.

[christof]

 

Just wanted to show you what I recently discovered. Last week end, I've been visiting the toy museum of the city of Basel with my kids. Very nice Museum and a visit worth. SEE HERE

In one of the show cases we found this:

 

...looks like a self made toy car of a vintage Steyr advertising vehicle for MontBlanc pens. I remembered to have seen this before...and found in one of my books this picture:

 

Quite nice toy car, even the pen on the top is identical, it's a safety filler.

 

Sorry for the crappy iphone pics. Will do this better next time...

 

Edited March 6, 2013 by christof

[ethernautrix]

Wow! Love that! The little car and the photo -- :-D.

[Soot]

Now, that's one big pen on top of the car!

[christof]

 

Recently I picked up a quite interesting pen on a local auction. These Pelikan 100N appear often there but this one is an exception. The pics in the online auction were not the best, but with some imagination I could see what's special about this. I have quite a few 100N and I think this are nice pens but I do rather prefer the 100 model for collecting. As I said, this one is exceptional. But have a look yourself:

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8109/8549507812_9287cec370_c.jpg

 

The facts: This is a late, probably 1950's Pelikan 100N. The section is smooth (not stepped) and the feeder already has 4 finns like the Pelikan 400. The nib collar has two tiny slots for the use of the nib removal tool and the piston seal is white plastic. Everything correct for a 1950's pen so far. Now the Special thing: The binde!

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8514/8549517410_1ca02fb56e_c.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8372/8549516926_60d54be2c0_c.jpg

 

Usually Pelikan 100N do not have translucent bindes. Usually they are green marbled, gray marbled and black, but opaque (except tortoise, which also is translucent). That's why there is an inkwindow needed on this pens. This binde is different. It's highly translucent, like the material on Pelikan 400 barrels.

The second special is that it's striped. Usually this pattern has been used on Pelikan 400, 400N and 400NN but not on 100N. On Martin Lehmanns site "Pelikan-Guide" this color and pattern is not mentioned. On Werner Ruettingers site "Ruettingerweb", there are two variants mentioned: green striped and tortoise striped. Well this one is definitely not green and not tortoise. It's clearly gray striped. Here's a pic for comparison with a gray 400 and 400NN.

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8511/8548410701_c9e612897e_c.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8251/8549516792_c091a7ef99_c.jpg

 

Now, is this a prototype? I don't think so. I think it has been produced regularly but in small number. Probably, the most people preferred the sleeker and more elegant Pelikan 400 in this period, when Pelikan 100N and 400 has been produced at the same time. And probably, most people prefered brighter colors as green, or tortoise than grey. But at least one person liked and bought this!

 

... and I do too!

 

Edit: Gary Lehrer has listed one tortoise at his current catalog. It's pen #9. Would be interesting to see more pictures. I think I will ask Gary to provide some.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 12, 2013 by christof

[markiv]

Truly remarkable specimen. Congrats.

[christof]

 

Here comes the picture that Gary Lehrer kindly provides of his pen. Thank you Gary.

It's a Pelikan 100N with tortoise striped binde, probably made in the same period than the gray pen. (This pen is currently for sale at gopens.com, catalog #66).

[BMG]

Interesting! That is indeed an elegant pen.

[christof]

Werner Ruettinger has just up dated his site:

 

Ruettinger-Web

 

Thank you Werner, great job!

[christof]

 

Probably some of you knows that I have a weak spot for Italian Designers. No, not Gucci or Armani...

 

What I mean are Italian Designers and architects which created fountain pens. For example Marcello Nizzoli, Marco Zanuso, Ettore Sottsass etc...… Here’s my small colection:

 

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7146/6399943577_99d9a1a5ed_z.jpg

 

And now, I also have a Mario Bellini! Great Italian Architect of post modern aera. The pen itself is a Lamy Persona, which has been the top oft he range model in the 1990’s:

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8513/8573480325_5a75fbabe1_c.jpg

 

Great pen: Huge like a Duofold, built like a thank, springy smooth 18ct. nib and a springloaded clip. One of the rare successful symbiosis of Italian design and German engineering.

 

Edited March 20, 2013 by christof

[BMG]

Nice pens, Christof, and beautifully photographed as always.

 

I've got a titanium Persona roller ball, an early gift from my wife. It's a bit big, a bit heavy, but well balanced and a pleasure to write with. A FP version is on my list...

[christof]

I was waiting a really long time for this.

Actually, I do not collect pen ephemera but this birds are somewhat cool that I had to have one. They do not appear that often so I jumped on this when it came up in South Africa!

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8530/8588141583_a85763a68c_c.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8239/8589243174_63b29f7c5a_c.jpg

 

Isn't it cute? ....happy me!

 

PS: Hard decision which pen should fit to this strange color. I decided for a burgundy 140 from 1950.

 

 

[dcpritch]

Very cute! The color is not what I would expect from a venerable old brand like Pelikan, but I like it.

[christof]

 

I have done this drawing for another thread here in the photography forum. It's called "show us pics of your desk"...clean or messy. Amazingly, I did feel addressed...

I thought that it would be nice to have the sketch here also.

 

 

 

Edited March 26, 2013 by christof

[peterpen53]

 

I have done this drawing for another thread here in the photography forum. It's called "show us pics of your desk"...clean or messy. Amazingly, I did feel addressed...

I thought that it would be nice to have the sketch here also.

 

 

 

 

How did you know what my desk looks like?

[ethernautrix]

I love this thread.

 

:-)

[Frank C]

My desk is more like "B" in the above comparison. Speaking of Italian design and German engineering, I have always liked the Karmann Ghia.