With a new Pelikan demonstrator due out in a few weeks, I thought now might be a good time to revisit how to best clean one. The endearing thing about demonstrators is that they put the inner workings of the pen on display, warts and all. Perhaps that is why the demonstrator is such a polarizing model amongst fountain pen enthusiast. No matter what side of the debate you come down on, it’s undeniable that cleaning this type of pen can be a real challenge. You can see every drop of residual ink and even more disturbing, every stain left behind. Thankfully, good pen upkeep can help to avoid this type of permanent staining. In addition to the usual pen maintenance issues that we all face, there is one exceedingly frustrating area on Pelikan demos that is particularly troublesome to clean. That area would be the section which, no matter how much you may rinse or swab, simply won’t come clean. With Pelikan’s demos, there is a little trick to be learned here which can make your cleaning woes a thing of the past. Due to the design, there is a little lip on the inside of the section where the threads are located. The area behind that lip will collect ink as you fill and use your pen. It is not readily noticeable until you try to flush the pen clean. Thankfully, it’s easy to remedy if you know what to do. Read on to learn how to get that residual ink flushed out of the section.
Monthly Archives: April 2018
Guest Post: Recapping A Tour of the Pelikan Factory
I was recently contacted by John Taylor who, along with his wife Nanci, had the good fortune to tour the Pelikan factory in Voehrum/Peine, Germany during a trip abroad this past January. John and his wife reside on the East Coast of the United States and have only been into pens in a big way for the last year or two. Not having a platform of his own, John asked if I might host a recap of their experience here at The Perch. While I have not entertained a post written by a guest author previously, I thought that it may be of interest to those who, like myself, are unable to make the pilgrimage to Pelikan’s factory. If you do have the means and the opportunity, I will include some pertinent links at the bottom of this post which will help you facilitate a similar visit. Without further ado, I give you John’s write-up. I hope that you enjoy it and please, leave a comment to let us know what you think.
News: Classic M205 Demonstrator Special Edition
Somewhat unexpectedly, news broke today about Pelikan’s next release for 2018. This one hails from their Classic line-up which is Pelikan’s lower end fountain pen line. Rather than something fresh and unique, Pelikan once again resurrects a model from the past. This time, we are given the Classic M205 Demonstrator Special Edition. The last M205 clear demonstrator was released in 2005 making it a full 13 years old. This is the second time Pelikan has re-issued a clear demonstrator in their Classic line, the last being the gold trimmed M200 released in 2012. This one is due out sometime around mid-May 2018. Pelikan says the following about their new model;
“Our latest special edition Classic 205 Demonstrator with its clear transparent barrel gives a clear view of the black-colored inner parts. It makes the interaction of the sophisticated parts visible while operating the piston mechanism.”
If seeing the innermost workings of your pen, imperfections and all, is your thing, read on to learn all of the details.
The Jubilee Pens That Weren’t
As you likely know by now, 2018 marks Pelikan’s officially recognized 180th anniversary. It is no surprise that such a significant event in the company’s history brought about a limited edition release to mark the occasion, the Spirit of 1838. Love it or hate it, the Spirit of 1838 continues a tradition of limited edition anniversary pens. In the past, we’ve seen commemorative releases for Pelikan’s 150th, 170th, and 175th anniversaries. The year 1988 marked Pelikan’s sesquicentennial or 150 year anniversary. That occasion was commemorated with the release of the M750 and M760 Jubilee pens. These two models, now 30 years old, are done in a silver or gold electroplated barleycorn pattern with 24 carat gold-plated accents. The production run was not limited to the anniversary year and reportedly ran from 1988-1995. Earlier pieces were engraved with “Pelikan W.-Germany 1838-1988” on their cap bands whereas models from later on in the production run had the dates omitted. I’ve written about these two pieces previously in my post Pelikan’s M700 Series where you can find more information about the entire M7xx series. What you may not realize is that these two pens weren’t the only contenders for the job of the Jubilee model. Today I will introduce you to the two M730 prototypes and their matching ballpoints which were considered but ultimately never put into production.