Last year, I wrote an in-depth piece looking at how Pelikan’s 4001 line of inks got its start.  As it turns out, the number scheme began in the late 1890s to provide clarity in their marketing and to allow for easier product recall.  This was particularly necessary since the company’s price lists from that decade took up 17 pages detailing the available ink varieties alone.  Multiple numbered lines, each with their own unique properties and purposes were developed.  Only the 4001 product line, historically one of their more popular, has continued production into more modern times, albeit with a different chemical composition from the original.  The line currently has many standard bearers such as Royal Blue, Brilliant Black, and Blue-Black.  Available in 30 or 62.5mL bottles, these inks have generally been well reviewed and highly recommended for taming the somewhat wet and generous feeds of Pelikan’s fountain pens.  In addition to bottles, the product line comes packaged in cartridge form.  What many may not realize is that there have historically been unique colors introduced to the line that have only been available in cartridge format.  Examples have included Apricot, Cherry Red, Cyan Blue, and Moss Green to name just a few.  Many of these have been short lived and part of limited production runs.  One ink that has persisted over time has been Pelikan’s 4001 Pink.  Somewhat lesser known, Pink is regarded as a well behaved color lacking sheen but possessing some nice shading along with magenta undertones.  In a surprise announcement today, Pelikan has revealed that Pink will be coming to a bottle near you.  Read on to learn more.

Pelikan’s standard line-up of bottled 4001 inks

Pelikan took to their Instagram and Facebook accounts today to give us a preview of 4001 Pink which is due out in bottles as of October of this year.  The last new color introduced to the 4001 line was Dark Green back in 2016.  Like the other colors in the line, this one will be available in both 30 and 62.5mL sizes.  The company’s announcement reads as follows;

“We believe, PINK isn’t just a color it’s an emotion.  For everyone who loves the color shade of pink and can´t get enough of it, this amazing color is available as ink bottle of 4001 ink as of October 2020. The refined formula of our ink 4001 guarantees a bright and colorful writing result and an even ink flow and a strong, expressional writing.”

Now it is not immediately clear whether this is meant to be a standard addition to the 4001 line-up in its new format or more of a limited run.  Pelikan’s Pink has always been a solid performer though lacking in any water resistance or permanence.  It does resist drying out and can be considered a vibrant color that is also easy on the eyes.  Pink should serve as a nice counterpoint to the gray colored Edelstein Moonstone released earlier this year.  Of course, there are many competing inks in this hue from other manufacturers already on the market so I’m not sure how this one will fare, but it is one that I have personally not pursued before due to its cartridge only formulation.  Perhaps now that it will come bottled, Pelikan will find a new audience to delight, particularly with those who adore their piston filled fountain pens.  If nothing else, Pelikan will finally be able to satisfy all those with a Yink who “likes to wink and drink pink ink” (Dr. Seuss; One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish).

4001 Pink in standard international cartridge format

4001 Pink in the new bottled format for use in piston filled pens