Why Pelikan?

[Bo Bo Olson]

A vast number of years ago (7or 8 or 9...it was indeed a long time ago...telling you about it, but almost yesterday so strong was the memory.), I was just broke the E-25-30 border. Actually 'gasp' spent E-70 on my first and still deepest chased BCHR pen. A No-name.

 

Still E40-50-70 was a fortune to a noobie, use to the E-20 range; going boldly to 25, and still had the E-30 brick wall.

 

I knew of, but didn't look for a bound to be expensive 100.

At an indoor flea market, after setting up our table, I toured to the left....came back and my wife pointed to a odd pen on the very next table next to me. Telling me some fella told the woman it was worth a lot of money.

I was so, so noobie, I wondered if it was a new Chinese knock off...

Had I turned right, had she the pen out, I'd gotten it for E-5. After much bargaining, I got a near mint 100n, for E-20, so that makes me Somegi's cousin.

Superflex K nib, looks EF....no body or pen markings, green after the war ink window....and the 100n was like the Ibis made till 1954. The superflex nib will go 5X, so I strive to keep it at 4X.

[stoen]

8 hours ago, mana said:

 

Re: Carrying vintage Pelikans.

 

Hi, is the black one the rare and much praised #300?

(-:

[mana]

5 minutes ago, stoen said:

Hi, is the black one the rare and much praised #300?

(-:

Unfortunately no. It is a “frankenpelikan” made out of a 500NN  pen/barrel and a Gimborn 150 cap. The 500NN unfortunately lost its cap and the Gimborn 150 (which is basically a 140) its barrel so... I joined them in that happy union.

 

I actually really like that old style tear drop style clip and as a combo it looks just stylish. 🥰

[inkstainedruth]

2 hours ago, NumberSix said:

I was just being silly. But the parallel did strike me. 

 

That said, it's highly unlikely that 50 or 75 years from now, Noodler's will be known for making some of the best pens in the world. 

True, but I don't think that is Nathan Tardif's goal.  I think he wants people to have well-behaving, inexpensive pens that people can have fun with, tinker with if that's what floats their boat, etc.  

And no, my FPCs and resin Konrads do NOT smell bad (at least not that I've ever noticed, and from the descriptions people have had about them over the 9 years I've been on FPN, I'd think I'd notice...).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[NumberSix]

18 minutes ago, inkstainedruth said:

True, but I don't think that is Nathan Tardif's goal.  I think he wants people to have well-behaving, inexpensive pens that people can have fun with, tinker with if that's what floats their boat, etc.  

And no, my FPCs and resin Konrads do NOT smell bad (at least not that I've ever noticed, and from the descriptions people have had about them over the 9 years I've been on FPN, I'd think I'd notice...).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

I have owned at least 15 different Noodler’s pens of every style, and not one of them has smelled bad. I’m convinced that there’s a genetic sensitivity, or something, and some of us are fortunate enough not to have been born with it. LOL

[OMASsimo]

On 3/1/2021 at 11:32 PM, Bikerchick said:

Do you carry the vintage ones too? The 60 to 90-year old specimens you mentioned? 

I have on occasion carried my 100N with me, mainly to show it to a fellow Pelikan enthusiast, but I just about wrapped it in 187 layers of bubble wrap before I head out the door. 

These pens were designed to be workhorses in a time when most people could afford only one pen. No need to treat them like museum pieces. Here are my currently inked EDCs:

 

 

 

I have no problem with carrying my vintage Pelikans in my shirt pocket and use them whenever I need. They are sturdy, super reliable, and not rare. I’m only slightly more concerned with the extremely rare LE OMAS Galileo Galilei in the picture. But after all, it’s a pen that was made to be used as well. Most vintage pens are way more robust than many people think.

[inkstainedruth]

1 minute ago, NumberSix said:

I have owned at least 15 different Noodler’s pens of every style, and not one of them has smelled bad. I’m convinced that there’s a genetic sensitivity, or something, and some of us are fortunate enough not to have been born with it. LOL

And the irony is that I'm the one that my mother had smell leftover roast beef in the fridge to see if it was still good or needed to be tossed out....

Stuff like that is really weird (my husband is a "super-taster" for metals, particularly aluminum -- and will not drink stuff like soda directly out of a can; he also didn't like it when I used to line the boiler pan with foil and then use that to wrap up leftovers with it, the way my mother always did).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Bikerchick]

37 minutes ago, OMASsimo said:

These pens were designed to be workhorses in a time when most people could afford only one pen. No need to treat them like museum pieces. Here are my currently inked EDCs:

 

 

 

I have no problem with carrying my vintage Pelikans in my shirt pocket and use them whenever I need. They are sturdy, super reliable, and not rare. I’m only slightly more concerned with the extremely rare LE OMAS Galileo Galilei in the picture. But after all, it’s a pen that was made to be used as well. Most vintage pens are way more robust than many people think.

Oh trust me, I don't treat them like museum pieces. For starters, I use all of them (not all at the same time) and they get quite knocked around in my house. They're not Ming vases. My cat pushed two off my desk last week and it didn't upset me in the slightest. Both of them survived unscathed. However, I do think there is a big difference between using them extensively at home and just throwing them in your purse or backpack, the way I would a Pilot Metropolitan or Kaweco Sport. I don't even bother putting those in a case, I just throw them in with my keys.  With an 80-year old Pelikan 100, I'd be a liiiiiiiiiiiiittle more careful, especially since I'm a little accident prone. 

[OMASsimo]

9 minutes ago, Bikerchick said:

Oh trust me, I don't treat them like museum pieces. For starters, I use all of them (not all at the same time) and they get quite knocked around in my house. They're not Ming vases. My cat pushed two off my desk last week and it didn't upset me in the slightest. Both of them survived unscathed. However, I do think there is a big difference between using them extensively at home and just throwing them in your purse or backpack, the way I would a Pilot Metropolitan or Kaweco Sport. I don't even bother putting those in a case, I just throw them in with my keys.  With an 80-year old Pelikan 100, I'd be a liiiiiiiiiiiiittle more careful, especially since I'm a little accident prone. 

Maybe wrap them in bubble wrap at home then? No cat or key gets into my shirt pocket where I carry my pen.🙂 And my pens only have to deal with Schrödinger’s cat anyway.

[Bikerchick]

32 minutes ago, OMASsimo said:

Maybe wrap them in bubble wrap at home then? No cat or key gets into my shirt pocket where I carry my pen.🙂 And my pens only have to deal with Schrödinger’s cat anyway.

I just need to make sure he's not hungry when I leave my desk unattended with fountain pens on it. I don't need to worry about keys hitting pens in my shirt pockets. My shirts are pocketfree. 

[shalitha33]

53 minutes ago, Bikerchick said:

Oh trust me, I don't treat them like museum pieces. For starters, I use all of them (not all at the same time) and they get quite knocked around in my house. They're not Ming vases. My cat pushed two off my desk last week and it didn't upset me in the slightest. Both of them survived unscathed. However, I do think there is a big difference between using them extensively at home and just throwing them in your purse or backpack, the way I would a Pilot Metropolitan or Kaweco Sport. I don't even bother putting those in a case, I just throw them in with my keys.  With an 80-year old Pelikan 100, I'd be a liiiiiiiiiiiiittle more careful, especially since I'm a little accident prone. 

 

You don't need to be super careful with vintage pens. They can take abuse and is designed that way. They are designed to be practical. By all means don't abuse them purposefully. Just use them as you would use any pen. In many cases they are more resilient than some modern pens. 

 

This doesn't apply that much to pelikans but if you are dealing with other vintage pens only things to look out for is some inks. Also if you can, don't use cases which ties pens down with two elastic bands. some hard rubber pens tend to go banana.  Obviously this doesn't apply to pelikans :P.

 

This is assuming they are user pens. 

 

[Lam1]

1 hour ago, OMASsimo said:

These pens were designed to be workhorses in a time when most people could afford only one pen. No need to treat them like museum pieces. Here are my currently inked EDCs:

 

 

 

I have no problem with carrying my vintage Pelikans in my shirt pocket and use them whenever I need. They are sturdy, super reliable, and not rare. I’m only slightly more concerned with the extremely rare LE OMAS Galileo Galilei in the picture. But after all, it’s a pen that was made to be used as well. Most vintage pens are way more robust than many people think.

 

The pens are amazing, but I also like the background calculation!

 

[Bo Bo Olson]

12 hours ago, NumberSix said:

smelled bad

There was much talk of bad smell of Ahabs, it did a pen smell from the material, don't remember what it's made of, but could well be some of my B&W TV days cheap school pens had a tad of 'natural' smell that went away naturally. Like the Ahab the smell goes away soon enough.

 

Imagine making a pen out of old fashioned fading slightly stinky plastic instead of more expensive non-stinky plastic.

Yes, Virginia, pens use to smell new, once upon a time, just like Santa's sled....well lets leave that subject before the sled starts flying and has a new non-plastic smell to it.

 

[SlowMovingTarget]

23 hours ago, NumberSix said:

I was just being silly. But the parallel did strike me. 

 

That said, it's highly unlikely that 50 or 75 years from now, Noodler's will be known for making some of the best pens in the world. 

As a fan of Noodler's Ink, I'd have to agree. That's just not why Nathan does what he does. His main thrust with the pens seems to be aimed at frugality, utility, and as a vehicle for expression with his inks. There was an interview he gave with Brian Goulet where the two were talking about how he likes to push at the industry. It was part of the reasoning behind all of the specialty inks. It showed up in Noodler's cheap flex nibs, which actually do seem to have moved the needle somewhat.

 

But I just hope the inks around in 50 to 75 years. For pens, we'll look to Pelikan or Pilot... heck my Edison Collier will be vintage then (should I still be among the living).

[SlowMovingTarget]

8 hours ago, Bo Bo Olson said:

There was much talk of bad smell of Ahabs, it did a pen smell from the material, don't remember what it's made of, but could well be some of my B&W TV days cheap school pens had a tad of 'natural' smell that went away naturally. Like the Ahab the smell goes away soon enough.

 

Imagine making a pen out of old fashioned fading slightly stinky plastic instead of more expensive non-stinky plastic.

Yes, Virginia, pens use to smell new, once upon a time, just like Santa's sled....well lets leave that subject before the sled starts flying and has a new non-plastic smell to it.

 

I let my wife smell the Ahab I have and she shrugged and said "Sandalwood." Her assumption is that it was added on purpose to scent the resin. I have a number of other pens made in India that have the same smell.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Never had a new hard rubber pen* outside the Ahab, if that is what it is made of, but there was some sort of late '30's plastic, with a camphor?? smell from my reading here.

 

*Have enough old out gassed ones; so I didn't smell a thing.

[maclink]

I do have a couple Ranga pens and remember receiving a small complementary pen with one of the orders.  That little pen was a demonstrator-type made of ebonite.  Oh man, did that pen stink .... it was the first and only time that I've experienced such a thing and wonder if this is what is being referred to.  I have a couple Noodlers pens from some years back that I no longer have with me.  They never had that smell.

[stoen]

20 minutes ago, maclink said:

 

I do have a couple Ranga pens and remember receiving a small complementary pen with one of the orders...

 

Hi,

Reading through the thread I feel I might be somehow missing the point. I don’t quite get how and why Ranga and Noodler pens connect to Pelikan?

Please feel free to educate me.

Thanks!

🙂

[Bo Bo Olson]

Sometimes with luck, topics wander; in we are not taking tests; so one can learn on the fly and absorb it, .....as close as I can get is an Ahab with it's or the Pilot half moon mod gives you a good first stage superflex nib; Easy full Flex as I call it.

Went from some pens smelt even in the Old Days.

 

I my self, toss in any aside BS that comes to mind, even if it's in the next valley and not the valley of the thread we are in.

 

Sort of like sitting in a bar chatting, subjects swimming in and out of the conversation, instead of conference table narrowness of thread.

[A Smug Dill]

21 minutes ago, stoen said:

I don’t quite get how and why Ranga and Noodler pens connect to Pelikan?

Please feel free to educate me.

 

When the topic is, “Why Pelikan?” perhaps the relevance is that Pelikan pens don't smell like Indian-made vegetal resin pens?