Maker: Pelikan
The Stola III is what one might call a utility-grade fountain pen. It is not particularly expensive, it lacks the festive oddities of school pens, and is made of durable materials– there is almost no plastic involved in it, and what there is lies hidden inside the pen. It’s also a German pen, from a company that apparently cares about its reputation, so the fit and finish are extremely good.
The roman numerals in the name indicate a trim level, not unlike the early Sheaffer Imperials. The Stola I is all black, the Stola II offers a matte silver cap, and the Stola III carries the cap finish onto the barrel. This page is specific to the Stola III, as this is the only trim in which a fountain pen exists (and I am an admitted chauvinist in the area of writing instruments). The other difference in the trims is the clip, which at levels I and II is a wide interpretation of the beak-shape common to the company’s offerings, while the III’s clips is more skeletal. The combination of finish, which seems more like something one would find in a car, and the clip got the Stola III a Special Mention from the German Design Awards, handed out by the delightfully named Rat für Formgebung, in 2017.
The writing is all one might expect from a Pelikan at this price– smooth, firm and damp. Since both body and section are made of metal, it is a slightly heavy pen. Amusingly, the cap is made of aluminum and much lighter than the barrel, so it would do little to the pen’s balance if it was posted. However, the inner diameters of the cap and its inner components mean that is does not so much post as perch uneasily and wait for the slightest excuse to fall off. I’m not even including a posted length, to avoid suggesting that this should even be tried.
Production Run: From 2015 on.
Cost When New: $45.00.
Size: 13.4 cm long capped, 11.6 cm uncapped.
Point: Steel.
Body: Metal.
Filler: Cartridge, capacity approx. 1.4 ml or 2 X 0.6 ml (international pattern). Accepts a converter, about 0.7 ml.
Pelikan Stola III, aka P16. Compare the diameter of the front of the section with that of the tail of the barrel. It does not want to be posted.
That clip is not just a clever adaptation of the corporate mascot, it’s extremely clingy.
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