Pelikan 120

January 10, 2023

Hi lovely people,

Yesterday I have purchased a fountain pen, about which the seller didn't know to tell me much about. The only thing he knew was that supposedly was owned by his dad. I have asked him if he knows what was the production year, he said that he doesn't know, but that he things it's a "newer date". All over this pen is written ' Pelikan 120 '. I am not sure if it's actually Pelikan 120 or Pelikan M120 ( production year 2016 ), because it looks in a pretty good condition for a pen that would be produced back in 1955-1965 or so. There is no number at the bottom part of the barrel ( which some of them had ). It's 125mm long ( like Pelikan 120 should be, unlike Pelikan m120 which is 130 mm long in total ). This probably is not Pelikan 120 M&K ( 1973-1977 ) because it's shorter in total lenght, plus M&K have some different features. So if anyone have a clue if this could be the genuine Pelikan 120, or what should I look for - give me some suggestions please. ( I still haven't even tried if it's "working" or not ... )

Thank you in advance ! Best regards - Tinpanalleybluesman.

January 10, 2023

nice find, this definitely is the first version of the Pelikan 120.

January 10, 2023

22 minutes ago, joss said:

nice find, this definitely is the first version of the Pelikan 120.

Thank you for your answer joss ! Are you sure that this could be the first version of the Pelikan 120? Can you please explain what makes you think that? I trully hope that you don't mind that I am asking questions, since I don't know much about vintage fountain pens. I am still learning, so it would be of a great help if you could elaborate your conclusion. For instance, I have never seen a Pelikan 120 with this kind of gold sticker from the front side ( with F sign ).

January 10, 2023

There is no doubt on this one. These pens were school pens but can be found in virtually any grade of use, even almost new and with original labels.

You narrowed it down perfectly in your entry above, so I thought that you had already found this website which compares the three different 120 models:

www.pelikan-collectibles.com/en/Pelikan/Models/Revised-Piston-Fillers/120-Basis/index.html.

This website also shows a version with original label:

www.ruettinger-web.de/e-pelikan-modell-120.html

January 10, 2023

9 minutes ago, joss said:

There is no doubt on this one. These pens were school pens but can be found in virtually any grade of use, even almost new and with original labels.

You narrowed it down perfectly in your entry above, so I thought that you had already found this website which compares the three different 120 models:

www.pelikan-collectibles.com/en/Pelikan/Models/Revised-Piston-Fillers/120-Basis/index.html.

This website also shows a version with original label:

www.ruettinger-web.de/e-pelikan-modell-120.html

Thanks a lot ! Yes, that is very true. I have found out about the first site you have mentioned. But still, I was not sure if this is genuine, original Pelikan 120, or if it was for instance assembled from several different ones, to make it look " genuine ". At the second site you have mentioned , you can see that the label ( gold sticker ) of a model 120 , type I, looks different. It is not in a circular shape like on mine pen.

.

January 10, 2023

Some 15 years ago my car mechanic, knowing I collected pens gave me some, including a 'mint' Pelikan 120. Like yours.

I used that pen seldom. The nib is what I call regular flex, in once many pens were issued with that springy flex....= Japanese 'soft'. A springy nib.

Mine had a partial American Bump Under nib tipping, that was a bit flattened; not from use in the pen was 'mint' or the next thing to it.. The Geha piston school pen's nib tipping, was rounder.

Sigh cubed. :gaah: ..................sooner or later, and with out you doing something stupid like cleaning the ink off the gold plated nib with a rough paper towel, the gold plating is going to die....when it does so it will do it quickly.

Don't worry.....the springy regular flex nib writes just as good as it had when the gold plating was whole....for me my gold plating lasted 60-70 years....that's a long time for plating.

It is a fine pen you have, well balanced posted.

The vintage F you have is 1/2 a width narrower than modern Pelikan widths. So you have a true F. (Semi-vintage '82-97 is the same width as vintage.)

January 10, 2023

11 minutes ago, Bo Bo Olson said:

Some 15 years ago my car mechanic, knowing I collected pens gave me some, including a 'mint' Pelikan 120. Like yours.

I used that pen seldom. The nib is what I call regular flex, in once many pens were issued with that springy flex....= Japanese 'soft'. A springy nib.

Mine had a partial American Bump Under nib tipping, that was a bit flattened; not from use in the pen was 'mint' or the next thing to it.. The Geha piston school pen's nib tipping, was rounder.

Sigh cubed...................sooner or later, and with out you doing something stupid like cleaning the ink off the gold plated nib with a rough paper towel, the gold plating is going to die....when it does so it will do it quickly.

Don't worry.....the springy regular flex nib writes just as good as it had when the gold plating was whole....for me my gold plating lasted 60-70 years....that's a long time for plating.

It is a fine pen you have, well balanced posted.

The vintage F you have is 1/2 a width narrower than modern Pelikan widths. So you have a true F. (Semi-vintage '82-97 is the same width as vintage.)