The release of a new Raden model to follow-up on last year’s Sunrise has been expected but specific details have been lacking. That changed this evening when De Roos gave us a glimpse of a new Raden model from Pelikan via their Instagram page. De Roos is a fountain pen retailer based in Heemstede, Netherlands and has been around since 1953. The pen featured today is the upcoming M800 Royal Gold. It appears that De Roos is the first to break this news. This would be the first Raden release in the M8xx form factor since the Kyokko & Gekko of 2005. It will join the likes of the Kyokko & Gekko (2005), Moonlight (2011), Sunlight (2013), Starlight (2014), and Sunrise (2016). For those unfamiliar with Raden, it is a traditional Japanese decorative craft characterized by finely ground abalone embedded or glued onto laquer-coated surfaces. The inlay glitters in wonderful colors when struck by light. The painstaking process ensures that these are usually limited in number and quite expensive at retail.
Monthly Archives: April 2017
The Tiffany & Co. Atlas by Pelikan
In 1837, Charles Lewis Tiffany and John F. Young opened Tiffany & Young with a $1,000 loan from Mr. Tiffany’s father. That store was located in New York and sold stationery and other luxury goods such as costume jewelry. In 1841 Mr. Tiffany and Mr. Young took on another partner, J. L. Ellis, and the store became Tiffany, Young & Ellis. The name Tiffany & Company was adopted in 1853 when Charles Tiffany bought out his partners and took control. As the company’s sole lead, he established the firm’s emphasis on jewelry and developed a tradition of introducing designs that captured the mood of contemporary fashion and defined American luxury. The company has had its share of ups and downs throughout its history, particularly suffering from the effects of the stock market crash in the 1930s. Over the years and under various mantles of leadership, the company’s fortunes rebounded, making it the multi-million dollar company that it is today. Perhaps best known for its stunning jewelry, Tiffany & Co. has crafted many branded goods over the years. In the early 1990s, approximately 1/4 of those goods were made by the company itself. The balance was produced under contract by other manufacturers. Pelikan was one of those manufacturers, producing the M817 and M818 Atlas series of pens for Tiffany & Co.
News: M800 Renaissance Brown
This year promises some interesting additions to the Pelikan line-up if rumors are to be believed. We have already seen the Zeus and M101N Bright Red released along with the Ink of the Year, Smoky Quartz. News of Pelikan’s newest special edition broke today, courtesy of several vendors. Slated for a May 2017 release, the M800 family expands with the introduction of the Renaissance Brown.
Review: M101N Bright Red (2017)
News broke of the M101N Bright Red at the end of January and pens started shipping just a few weeks ago. The M101N is a modern re-imagining of a line of pens that Pelikan first introduced in the 1930s. Since 2011, we have had several releases in the series including the Tortoiseshell Brown (2011), the Lizard (2012), and the Tortoiseshell Red (2014). It’s not clear why the hiatus between the Tortoiseshell Red and the new Bright Red. What’s interesting about the Bright Red is that there is no direct historical 101N model from which it draws upon for its design. Perhaps that might explain the delay in a new model being put forth. The closest approximation in Pelikan’s history appears to be the amazing 101 Coral Red. The 101s were 100s that had colored caps but still retained the design of the 100. While the finishes of the modern Bright Red and vintage Coral Red are similar, the look of the two models is significantly different. There is a lot of divided sentiment about these modern releases and I find most of the accolade and adoration consistently goes to the Tortoiseshell Brown. Read on to find out whether or not the M101N Bright Red can upset the Tortoiseshell Brown’s place on the throne.