Pelikan has been a big name in Penland since the mid-1800s, as one of
the longest standing makers of ink around. They didn't being
making pens until 1929, but we'll not count that against them; Germany
is a land which perfects things more than it invents them, after all.
The "Pelikano" is an even later appearance, introduced in 1960 as
a specifically for-kids marque. The earliest pens of this line
differed in appearance from 'proper' Pelikans mainly in colour,
although they've always been cartridge pens rather than piston-fillers.
This particular model comes from a run between 1970 and 1972-- it can
be told from those before and after it by colour (red, rather than
blue) and by the lack of the company logo on the clip. The logo
does appear on the point, and also on the tassie, by the way, just in case you needed to
prove it was made by Pelikan.
That blue band you can see in the picture is an ink-window, allowing
the user to get a sense of how much is left in the cartridge.
About a third of it remains visible when the cap is on, and the
joint is below the window rather than at the metal trim-ring above it,
so it is possible to change cartridges without taking the cap off.
When dealing with a school market, this has got to make fewer
angry moms than having an ink-filled section waving around during the
reload.
The point is smooth, in much the same relentlessly firm way that the
more modern Lamy
school pens are smooth. The section has a little bit of shape to
it to receive the right index finger, rendering this pen
extra-miserable for left handers (I have to assume there was a linkshander version available) but
setting up a brilliant writing posture for the rest of us.
Specifications:
Medium steel point. Cartridge filler, short international (with a spare
carried back-to-back in the barrel). 13.4cm long capped, 14.6cm
posted.
Condition:
A good deal of wear on the lower part of the barrel, but it's hard to
tell the source-- it doesn't look like chewing, but it it were from
posting the cap you'd think the section would have taken a similar
beating. Above the mid-line of the barrel, all the plastic is
free of scuffs. The cap has some scuffing and a very shallow dent
around the back.
Repairs: Substantial cleaning of the feed; someone left a
cartridge in this thing for a number of years.
Location: Sent to one who has
an attachment to this sort of pen in Delta,
British Columbia.
For sale?:
Sold for $9.
Please use your browser's
BACK button to return to the page you came from.
Website
design
by Dirck de Lint, renaissance thug, with the great assistance
of 
