Dating Pelikan fountain Pen

[tacitus]

I was long preparing this post. But I found the article by Pelikan’s Perch, and realized that my post has little information or insight to add to the article. Anyway I decided to post after a long time. So, please visit Pelikan’s Perch for details and more information.

 

Gdańsk (Danzig) model - foreign production

 

Here is focused on so-called Danzig model.

Before WWII, Günter Wagner had many foreign factories (e.g. Danzig, Bucharest, Barcelona, Milan, Sofia, Vienna, Warsaw, Zagreb, Zürich, and throughout South America). In some factories, complete pens may have been assembled out of those parts (Pelikan Schreibgeräte, Pelikan Pens: History).

According to Pelikan’s Perch, the Danzig factory was establishedin 1922, and primarily produced office supplies including inks. It seems that the factory began to produce pens in the late 1930s at earliest. Basically, pens were assembled from parts imported from the Hanover factory⁽¹⁾.

More than any other foreign factories, the products of the Danzig factory differed from the Hannover products most notably in the distinctive diamond shaped clip and the single cap ring. Pens with those clips and cap rings are sometimes called "Danzig model"⁽²⁾. Nibs may have been made there, some of them bearing a distinctive round “P” logo (Pelikan Pens: History).
 
After WWII, the factory resumed operations under the Polish management until it was seized by the state in October 1946 (Pelikan’s Perch).

Note;⁽¹⁾According to Pelikan’s Perch, there is no evidence that any pen production occurred on site.
⁽²⁾Interstingly, Pelikan’s Perch raised the possibility that "Danzig model" actually had nothing to do with that factory but was instead a product of the war, designed for export, as there are no known surviving price list or ads from that period or region which indicates a pen with a diamond clip / single cap band, and as the ads for the Polish market appear to be translated and reproduced from German ads rather than produced locally or unique to the region.

 

Pelikan 100 (ca.1938)

 

Pelikan 100N (ca.1938)

 

Pelikan 100N (ca.1939)

 

IBIS (ca.1936)

My collection

[stoen]

Discussion

(100N Gdańsk Model)

 

Thanks @tacitus for pointing at the elaborate contributions to this topic in “Pelikan’s Perch” site, which also casts some light on the economical and geopolitical context of that period.

 

This may be my humble contribution to the topic: there is a fountain pen in my collection, with celluloid (acetate) greenish barrel, tortoise binde, ebonite mechanism, section and cap, and a Gdańsk clip. The cap tube has two rings, however. Its ownership could be traced back to its original owner in Austria. The nib, has a standard Pelikan 585 nib script, not the Austrian  variation. It is not the first such pen I’ve come across. This one can be dated between 1937 and 1939.

Therefore I tend to exclude a frankenpen scenario for this particular pen.

 

At least three other possibilities can be considered:

 

- at some point a broken Gdańsk cap tube might have got replaced for a more robust, standard two-ring tube.

 

- at some point a broken standard clip might have got replaced for a (fairly scarce) Gdańsk clip.

 

- this may have been an authentic pen variation, though either undocumented, or without surviving market documentation (picture+price list etc…).

 

 

It should be remembered that there was no such thing as the EU or the WTO back in the thirties. Business companies were looking for loops in the laws of individual countries and inventing procedures meant to expand their market share and increase profits, by keeping the end products not only internationally available but also affordable through evading prohibitive import taxes of other countries.

 

Among those were:

-establishing foreign production by means of founding a limited partnership company in the target country:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kommanditgesellschaft

 

- exporting parts rather than finished products because of lower import tax rates

 

- combining imported parts with outsourced ones in the target country assembling facility

 

- employing local citizens

 

- subcontracting local manufacturers

 

- filing for patents in each of the countries where they had a manufacuring facility

 

- making slight ‘local’ variations of the mainstream export products.

 

- taking advantage of places with special econimic legislative and free trade status (such as the Free City of Gdańsk used to be) to establish business headquarters.

 

From all the publicly available documentation one can conclude that the Günther Wagner Company made no exception.

 

[tacitus]

Thank you @stoen for very rare example of Gdańsk Model and a deep insight into the business practices of the time related to the Free City of Gdańsk.

 

As two cap rings pen are presented in Pelikan’s Perch, I think your pen is an authentic pen variation.

[tacitus]

I'm posting variant models of vintage Pelikan fountain pens. 

 

Demonstrator - for demonstration and display

 

Demonstrators were originally not for sale. They were furnished by the manufacturers, and used as sales tools to show dealers, salesmen, and customers how a pen or pencil was constructed and how it functioned, and to instruct repairmen (David Nishimura).

It seems that the earliest demonstrator were cutaway demonstrators, dating back to 1900's at latest. They had openings in barrel, allowing direct view of the filling mechanism. Many were furnished with nonfunctional dummy nibs or without nibs. That's how they were constructed, cutaway demonstrators were not fully functional.

 

Conklin 4 demonstrator (cutaway) (ca.1906)

From David Nishimura.

 

 

AFAIK, the first transparent demonstrator was Parker Bakelite pen. In 1914, Parker introduced the Lucky Curve pens with a transparent Bakelite barrel. “Transparent barrel lets you see just how much ink there is in the barrel at all times and shows how the Lucky Curve drains back the ink into the barrel by capillary attraction. This Bakelite Pen was originally made for the use of our salesmen in demonstrating.  Later they were supplied to the dealers for the same purpose. Now we are manufacturing four numbers in Bakelite pens for sale to people who wish something distinctive and unique in the fountain pens they carry."(Parkersheaffer.com). As state above, Parker demonstrator were fully functional and later sold to connoisseurs. Later, transparent celluloid was used for barrel.

 

Parker 71 (transparent Bakelite barrel) (ca.1914)
From Parkersheaffer.com.

 

Parker 28(transparent Bakelite barrel)(ca.1918)

From Parkersheaffer.com.

 

Parker Jack Knife (transparent celluloid barrel)

From Parkersheaffer.com.

 

I'm afraid I digress. The early Pelikan demonstrators were cutaway. Pelikan 100 and 100N cutaway demonstrators are known⁽¹⁾. They had openings in cap top, cap tube, section, barrel, and turning knob. These allowed direct views of the filling mechanism and the junctions between each parts. Dummy pens were also made for a display.

 

Pelikan 100 demonstrator (cutaway) (ca.1933)

From my collection. This pen is new old stock. The cork is an original over 90 years old.

Left; Pelikan 100 cutaway model (ca.1933), right; Pelikan 100 cutaway model (ca.1933).

 

Dummy nib. "OB" imprint.

 

Grip section and transparent ink view.

 

Barrel.

 

Turning knob.

 

Pelikan 100N demonstrator (cutaway) (ca.1949-)

By courtesy of Christof Zollinger.

 

 

Pelikan 100N dummy (ca.1949-)

This pen is made only for display in the store. The mechanism is glued. "SCHAU-MUSTER" on the cap tube.

 

In 1950's, Günter Wagner began to make transparent demonstrators for 100N and 400 using transparent acrylics. They were fully functional, but still not for sale.
 

Pelikan 100N demonstrator (transparent) (ca.1949-) 

From Pelikan’s Perch.

 

Pelikan 400 demonstrator (transparent) (ca.1950-) 
From Pen Cluster.

 

Note;⁽¹⁾I suppose that demonstrators for Rappen was not made as its filling system was visible as it was. Please let me know if demonstrators for IBIS and AUCH-Pelikan were ever made.

[tacitus]

 

Here are videos of my Pelikan 100 cutaway demonstrator (ca.1933).

 

By closing cap, airtightness of inner cap is secured by the junction of the cap top end and the section end. Nib doesn't interfere with inside of the cap (patented). 

 

 

Movement of the filling system can be seen.

 

[tacitus]

I'm posting variant models of vintage Pelikan fountain pens.

 

Desk pen model

 

Here, desk pens and pen stands are focused on.

 

Pen stand (model No.5) seems to be the first Pelikan fountain pen stand. It was catalogued at latest in 1932. According to Pelikan catalog No.50A (1932), it was desctibed as "Ständer zum Aufbewahren des geöffnefen Pelikan-Füllhalters. Halt die Feder stets schreibbereit. Lieferbar in Schwarz, Schwarz marmoriert, Dunkelrot, Rotgold, Grün und Braun (pen stand to store Pelikan fountain pens with nibs open. Keeps the nib always ready to write. Available in black, black marbled, dark red, rose gold, green, and brown)." Pen stands were sold either alone or in combination with fountain pens. 

 

New form pen stand (model No.4) was first catalogued around 1938 (Pelikan catalog No.70 (1938)). While model No.5 had a cone-shaped base, model No.4 had a round flat base. It is made of Bakelite. There are four raised folds inside the pen holder to support smooth insertion and removal of pens. The pen stand consists of three parts and the nib cover⁽¹⁾ can be removed. Pen stand (No.4) was available in "Schwarz, Grün-Silber, Rot-Gold, Schwarz-Silber, Schwarz-Grün" (black, green-silver, rose gold, black-silver, black-Green). 

 

In March 1939, Günter Wagner introduced two desk pen models for 100N⁽²⁾.

• 100Nf with a fixed extension.
• 100Na with a removable extension. 

According to Pelikan Schreibgeräte, Günter Wagner wanted to win over two types of customers with these models.

• Companies that wanted to make a company fountain pen available to their office employees. The long extension was expected to prevent employees from putting the pen into their own pockets inadvertently.
• Customers who expected fountain pens to have the shape of their accustomed long dip pen holder.

 

100Nf desk set (desk pen plus pen holder with wide rectangular base that can be used as a pen tray) were also produced. 100Nf desk set are mostly found in Italy, where such desk sets were much more requested (Penboard.de). They are characterized by their unique barrels (Milan model). 

 

100Nf had been produced until model 100N was discontinued in 1954⁽³⁾. When model 400 was introduced, its desk pen model were also produced. Interestingly, pen stand (model No.4) survived model 100 and model 100N. It can be seen in Pelikan catalog No.90 (1955). 

 

Note;⁽¹⁾The nib cover protects a nib and prevents it from drying up. 

⁽²⁾Model 100f is presented in Pelikan-guide. But, neither further information nor other sources are available.

⁽³⁾There exists 100Nf desk set with a fir tree nib. Fir tree nibs were introduced into model 100N in 1954.

Pen holder (No.5) (ca.1932)

Pen holder (No.4) (ca.1938)

My collection

 

Pelikan 100Nf (ca.1939)

Pelikan 100Nfa (ca.1939)

 

Pelikan 100Nfa (ca.1939)

Pelikan 100Nf made in Milan

Pelikan 100Nf desk set made in Milan

 

Pelikan 400 desk set made in Milan
By courtesy of Christof Zollinger

[tacitus]

Now, I finished posting variant models of vintage Pelikan fountain pens.

 

I will post some pens that have been omitted from previous posts.

[mana]

Regarding the No. 4 stand, there might be an additional variant of it. The "default" stand was made entirely of bakelite, but there is also a version that has a metal disc as an insert in the base. You lose the great branding on the bottom part but gain more stability (much harder to accidentally knock it over). I have two of the all-bakelite ones and one with the metal insert, aside from that they are identical.

[tacitus]

2 hours ago, mana said:

Regarding the No. 4 stand, there might be an additional variant of it. The "default" stand was made entirely of bakelite, but there is also a version that has a metal disc as an insert in the base. You lose the great branding on the bottom part but gain more stability (much harder to accidentally knock it over). I have two of the all-bakelite ones and one with the metal insert, aside from that they are identical.

 

Thank you for your comment, @mana.

I never knew such a variation😲. Can you upload photos for us

 

 

 

[mana]

Sure!

Nothing much to show there as it literally is just an inset metal disc that has been painted black, and which acts as a weight.

There are also other slight variations in product quality/manufacturing. The one on the left has a bit thinner trumpet and the overall finish is not so good as on the other two. The other all-bakelite one is otherwise like the one with the metal base, better material thickness and finish. Could be about when they were produced? Anyway, there you go. I wish I had had the chance to get some in other colors. I've seen one red, and one black-silver in the wild but someone was quicker on the draw... or the seller didn't want to ship to Finland. 😕

[tacitus]

Thank you for your photos, @mana🥰.

 

First time I knew that pen stand (no.4) had several versions or variations. But that may be no surprise since it had been in production for more than 20 years.

 

Old Pelikan ink bottle and thumbtack are cool, too😍.

 

 

 

[tacitus]

Addendum to Desk pen model

 

@stoen reminded me of the blind cap of model 100Na.

 

Model 100Na had a small blind cap that could be used to cover the threads for the extension. By removing the extension and covering the threads with the blind cap, users were able to post the normal cap to the tail and use the pen like a normal model or store it in the pocket.

 

 

Unfortunately, such small components are often lost today as below.

Sorry to say this is hardly a perfect fountain pen.

 

 

 

 

One of the reasons I started this thread is to share correct information about vintage Pelikan pens, so that you don't buy or sell a pen that is not worth its expensive price.

 

[tacitus]

Happy holidays!

 

Now that I almost finished to post model 100, 200, 100N, Rappen, IBIS, and their variant models, I'm planning to post their successors, namely 400, 300, 140, 120.

 

Before I do that, I would like to state what I think about vintage fountain pens.

 

When I started my old website "Vintage Pelikan Pens" on Google site basis, I listed only model 100 series (100/100N) and their economy pens. Model 100 was the first fountain produced by Günter Wagner, and model 100N was the revision of model 100. Both models have their origins in prewar time (Golden age of fountain pens). Without doubt, model 100 and 100N should be the vintage Pelikan fountain pens.

 

Upon renewal in April, 2022, however, I changed my mind, and added model 400 series (400/400N/400NN)  and their economy pens to my new website. Indeed model 400 series were introduced after WWII (The Fall of Fountain Pens), but the glass negatives in the Pelikan archive indicate that design study for the model 400 had been started in late 1930's (Pelikan Schreibgeräte), and the model has inherited much heritage from model 100 series. 
 
I would say that model 100 series and their economy pens are the first generation of Pelikan fountain pens. Model model 400 series and their economy pens would be the second generation of Pelikan fountain pens.

 

Both the first and the second  generations have much in common. For example;

• The filling system; almost all the fountain pens in both generations had a piston filler system (the only exception is bulb filler Rappen). In the following  generations, new filling system was introduced (e.g. cartridge/converter filler).
• The nibs style; the first and the second generations had traditional open nibs. In the following  generation, hooded/semi-hooded nibs dominated, probably reflecting the tastes of the time.
• The numbering system; we can see that model 100 series and model 400 series were numbered after the same concept. All fountain pens except for Rappen had three digit model number. New model was denoted by "N" that was placed after the model number (e.g. 400N). Other alphabet letter(s) were placed after the model number to denote other variation or model  (e.g. 100Na, 100Nf). In the following generations, model numbers had one, two three, or four digits. Alphabet(s) were placed before the model number to denote the filling system and the grade of the fountain pen (e.g. MK30, P490, L5. M7000). K denotes "Kunststoff" ("plastic") (Pelikan-collectibles).

So, both generations taken together are vintage Pelikan fountain pens for me. From a viewpoint of "generations" and flagship/economy model, I rearranged vintage Pelikan fountain pens, as shown in the top page of my new website.
 

Modern Pelikan pens started, in my opinion, from model P1. Although the model was introduced in 1958, the middle of the second generation and sold concurrently with model 400NN, P1 had novel nib/feed system and the new model numbering. Moreover, its companion model P25/15 were the Pelikan's first cartridge/converter filler. So, I included model P1/25/15 in the third generation following the second generation. My website is still under construction and and only its framework is almost complete.

 

There are so many vintage Pelikan fountain pens produced ever. I hope that my website is any help for the better perspective and the better understanding of vintage Pelikan fountain pens. Please note that "generation" and my ”rearrangement" are just my opinion, and are basically for descriptive purpose.

 

 

 

[stoen]

Discussion:

Which is vintage?

 

I find that the criterium of common functional elements, technology and succession, backed with the period of manufacturing and date of design allows for a fair view to answer if a pen can be considered vintage. Age minimum: 40+ ?

 

It can be demonstrated that the Pelikan 100 and Pelikan 400 are functionally the same pen, which isn’t so for the M400, sharing much of the functionality, but re-introduced to rework the historic design, 18 years after the production of 400NN had already stopped.

 

I believe it can be agreed upon the idea that the P1, with its completely reinvented ink flow system can be marked as turning point toward modern pens. It evolved around the revolutionary patent of thermal regulator, filed in the US Office as late as 1960/61, which is probably among the last major inventions by Theodor Kovàcs, the principal inventor of the Pelikan Fountain Pen.

 

https://patents.google.com/patent/US3134363A/en

 

https://thepelikansperch.com/2020/10/02/pelikan-piston-patent-de457462/

 

[tacitus]

Thank you@stoen for your comment and patent data of model P1☺️.

 

I may need to add a few comments regarding the model number P1.

 

In Pelikan catalog No.100A/4 (1962), P1 was advertised as "Füllhalter P1", while model 400 series were "Standard-Füllhalter". Günter Wagner likely named the model P1 with the meaning that it is the No.1 model of Pelikan fountain pens as the flagship model. Does anyone know why this pen was named P1?

 

For the following pen, "P" was placed before the model number to denote "Patronen-Füllsystem"(cartridge filler system), while "M" denoted "Mechanik-Kolbenfüllsystem" (mechanical piston filler system). Model P1 had a piston filler system. P1 had new model numbering, but presumably P1 (and probably P15/P25) was given its name in a different way from the subsequent models.

 

Model P1 was discontinued before model 400NN, probably because it was not as successful as Günter Wagner had expected. In this sense, it was a fountain pen of a transitional period for Pelikan pens.

 

 

[tacitus]

Starting with the model 400 series, I plan to post the successors to the model 100N and IBIS, but in a much simpler manner. For each of these models, I have only one or two pens. Therefore, I do not know what variations there are in each model, and even if I did, I would not be able to cover them. I also can't take them apart; I can't go into the details like I did with model 100 and 100N.

 

 

Pelikan 400 (ca.1950) - the first version

 

On May 25, 1950, model 400 was introduced as the new flagship model (Pelikan Schreibgeräte). Technologically and physically, model 400 was the successor of model 100N, but they coexisted for 4 years (1950-1954). Like 100N, model 400 had the differential piston filling mechanism. In other respects, many changes were made.

• Dimension: The diameter was almost same as that of model 1ooN⁽¹⁾, but about 5 mm longer than model 100N with caps closed. But, with caps posted, model 1ooN is much longer than model 400 (Pelikan catalog No.70B (1951)).
• Nib unit; Model 400 had the redesigned feed and socket. The new feed had four lamellas and more complicated ink and air channels. Its material was ebonite. Interestingly, the first socket adopted a friction fit nib unit. There are no threads on the socket nor inside the section. The feed has a slit at its backside. This makes it springy to keep the nib unit in place (Fountain Pen Network). But shortly after (in August 1950) model 400 went back to a traditional screw-in fit nib unit (Pelikan Schreibgeräte). So, produced only for a few months, the first model is most characterized by its friction fit nib unit⁽²⁾. The imprint and dimension of the nib was identical to that of model 100N. But the nib unit of model 400 doesn't fit 100N, and vice versa.
• Cap: The clip resembled more closely the face and beak of a pelican than that of model 100N did⁽³⁾. The clip was secured to the cap top by a "crown" (metal ring). The cap top and cap tube were integrated⁽³⁾. The cap tube had a single wide brass ring. The cap ring was smooth and without any imprint. The cap ring not only served a decorative role but also protected the cap lip from cracks (Pelikan Schreibgeräte). The crown, clip, and cap ring were rolled gold (Pelikan catalog No.70B (1951)).
• Body: The barrel, without sleeve and definite ink window, was made of alternating colored and transparent stripes⁽³⁾. Ink was visible through the transparent stripes (Pelikan Schreibgeräte). The barrel had an imprint "Günter Wagner" near the turning knob. Ink capacity was increased to 2.0 ml (Pelikan-collectibles). The filling mechanism was fixed with the barrel in a friction fit manner. The piston seal was old black plastic seal (Pelikan 101N(ca.1949)). The nib specification was engraved on the turning knob.
• Color: The model was made in several colors, the main ones of which were green stripe, black stripe and gray stripe barrel with black cap, turning knob and section and tortoiseshell stripe barrel with brown cap, turning knob, and section. Of these colors, by far the most common is the green and black, echoing the traditional color scheme that distinguished Pelikan fountain pens at least as much as its logo (FountainPen.it).

 

Model 400, with its new clip in the shape of a pelican's beak and the vertical stripes of the body became one of the symbols of the postwar modernist style, achieving enormous success (FountainPen.it). 

 

On March 1, two months ahead of the model 400's introduction, model 450 mechanical pencil was introduced.

 

Sometime between May and September, 1950, model 500 with rolled gold cap and turning knob was introduced (Pelikan Schreibgeräte).

 

Note;⁽¹⁾Model 400 looks slimmer than model 100N to me, presumably due to long striped body.

⁽²⁾Pelikan adopted the same system again in 1980's when the company introduced model M400 (and model M200) (Fountain Pen Network).

⁽³⁾According to FountainPen.it, the material was synthetic resin such as cellulose acetate.

 

Pelikan 400 (ca.1950)

By courtesy of Christof Zollinger

 

Pelikan 400 with an uncommon 18 ct. nib and a smooth cap top (ca.1950)

This pen seemed to be the export model for the French market.

 

Pelikan 500

 

Pelikan 450

Matching pencil of model 400.

 

Friction fit nib unit of M400 and M200

Screw-in fit nib unit and friction fit nib unit of M400.

 

Friction fit nib unit of M200.

 

[stoen]

Pelikan 400 

first version

 

Few technical remarks:

 

Quote

The cap top and cap tube were integrated⁽³⁾

- the meaning that the cap tube and cap top were “integrated” is unclear. All 400s had a stepped-and-threaded cap top which was friction-fit from the inside of the cap tube, but fitted with a washer-mounted clip and tightly secured with a screw-on crown-nut from the outside. Thus, the modular engineering for easy maintenence and serviceability was combined with the elegant integrated appearance.

Here’s a take-apart view of a Pelikan 400 cap (black) - Fig1:

Fig.1

1. cap top

2. washer-mounted clip

3. crown nut

4. cap tube

 

- the barrel construction was two-layered: the outer, striped layer (binde) was first solvent-welded of cellulose acetate sheets. Then the inner layer was injection moulded with acrylic plastic inside the binde.

 

- the acrylic section was permanently ultrasound-welded to the inner barrel layer.

 

- the differential filling mechanism was installed in the barrel by an utterly simple, yet sophisticatedly engineered, robust and reliable friction-fit mechanism. This also increased the ink capacity for  approx. 13%, as compared to the 100N:

 

Fig.2 Pelikan 400 take-apart view:

1. nib unit (2nd version, w. screw-in collar)

2. cap

3. differential mechanism

4. body (barrel+section)

 

- the mechanism knob carried the nib size imprint

 

- the barrel top part carried the  GÜNTHER WAGNER PELIKAN imprint

 

- there were no imprints on the cap tube rolled gold ring.

 

Quote

But the nib unit of model 400 doesn't fit 100N, and vice versa.

This is only true in part:

1. No other nib unit fits the first version of 400, because of its specific friction-fit installation mechanism

 

2. In later (1951-54) models, only the collar makes the difference. Fitted into appropriate collars, nibs and feeds are interchangeable between 400 and 100N, which has been demonstrated elsewhere in this Forum.

 

 

Much of what is being discussed here can also be seen in the photo of this first-version Pelikan 400:

Fig.3

Unfortunately, I don’t have this pen anymore to demonstrate its friction fit nib unit in detail.

 

 

Edited January 8, 2023 by stoen
take-apart view of the pen added

[tacitus]

Thank you @stoen for the correction and supplement☺️.

 

My knowledge of model 400 is no more than what I can glean from the Green Book and websites such as Pelikan-collectibles, any information would be appreciated.

[stoen]

Pelikan 400

friction-fit inking piston mechanism

Take-apart view:

 

The differential inking mechanism has itself been manufactured in three different variants, depending on the gasket type:

Fig.1.

1a. original (1943 type 100N) black elastomer gasket (1950-51) piston

1b. 1st version of nylon gasket (1952-54) piston

1c. 2nd and final version of nylon gasket (1954-) piston

2. acrylic friction-fit housing with piston guides

3. acrylic turning knob with steep-threaded friction-fit ebonite spindle

 

- the gaskets are interchangeable. Therefore the gasket types are not fully reliable in dating the pen, since they have frequently been upgraded in repair shops. (1a) material was prone to shrinkage, while (1b) has proven not robust enough in some cases, and both used to fail. Therefore, an earlier pen with a later gasket is not considered a frankenpen.

 

- both, pistons and gaskets are interchangeable with wartime and post war 100N pens.

 

- ebonite spindles are interchangeable with those in 100N pens.

 

Each of these facts adds to the point of Pelikan 400 being considered successor to the 100N.

 

Hope this can cast a little more light on some of the “shady corners” of Dating Pelikan Fountain Pen.

🙂

[tacitus]

I happened to find an interesting article.

Please refer to the link.

You can see how modern M800 barrel is constructed, and how it is repaired by the third-party repairer. This may help to imagine how the barrel of model 400 was constructed.