While less relevant in today’s world of online retail and home delivery, department stores were once the predominant hub of consumerism. We’ve all done a little window shopping at some point in our lives. Shop keepers have used window displays as a form of marketing to draw in customers and boost sales for as long as most of us can remember. It was Harry Gordon Selfridge (1/11/1858 – 5/8/1947) of the UK who has been credited with bringing inspiration to the window display. His combination of salesmanship and artistic sensibilities fortuitously collided with improvements in the plate glass manufacturing process which allowed for ever grander window displays though simplicity still ruled the day back in the early part of the last century. Fountain pens, once the primary writing implement for most people, were much more ubiquitous than they are today. They could be found at just about any five and dime, general store, and apothecary to name but a few places. Of course, there were dedicated specialty shops as well. Later, the big-box stores would come into existence selling general merchandise and specialty items. Pen manufacturers certainly had an interest in empowering their retail partners in an effort to boost sales and one of the ways they did so was via advertising. Elaborate displays were created to highlight their products, some of which competed for prominent space in shop windows and glass counters. Rather than place a perfectly good fountain pen on display where it might be damaged, non-functioning display pieces were made, models that closely approximated the real McCoy but were merely shadows of the genuine thing. Pelikan had many names for these dummy models. In their native tongue, the two most commonly used terms were ‘Schau-Muster’ [ʃau-mʊstɐ] and ‘Attrappe’ [aˈtrapə] which roughly translates to ‘display model’ and ‘dummy’ respectively. Read on to learn all about these dummies and their unique place in Pelikan’s advertising history.

Pelikan made display pieces for advertising purposes seemingly from the outset of their foray into fountain pen manufacturing. Rare examples of the model 100 have been found as far back as the early to mid-1930s. Dominic Rothemel, in his piece on the same topic, depicts a non-functioning model 100 for display purposes with radically altered components featuring a slip fit cap made of thick plastic with a hole that allowed it to be affixed to the pen via a post at the back of the barrel facilitating display in the posted position. A 100N has been documented with a threaded shaft protruding from the barrel instead of a section. The cap would screw onto the barrel resulting in a realistic appearing but completely nonfunctional capped 100N. Dummy model 100Ns have also been found with the cap glued in place suggesting an iterative evolution in the thought process and design behind such models.

A rare model 100 dummy pen with a thick plastic cap that attaches via a post where the piston knob would otherwise be located. Reproduced with kind permission from Dominic Rothemel and the pen’s collector

A rare model 100N dummy pen without an ink view or section. The cap attaches to the barrel via a threaded post. This example was likely made for the Portuguese market as the cap is engraved “simulado.” Photo courtesy of Tom Westerich and Penboard.de

Perhaps not all display pieces were meant for display only. I have even seen a few functional 100N Schaumusters. In my collection is one such example, a dummy green marbled 100N with a fluted band that is actually a full-fledged pen. It has a working piston and a removable nib, just like the real thing. Where it differs is the cap which features unique engravings. Along one part of the cap’s arc (circles don’t have sides after all), the words “SCHAU-MUSTER” are engraved indicating a piece meant for display. Since only the German words appear, this example was likely meant exclusively for use in the domestic German marketplace. Along the opposite arc, the “Pelikan” name is etched in a thick font and filled in with green paint, sure to catch the eye of those passing by. Such a model likely dates from the very late 1940s or early 1950s and may have been used for demonstration purposes. That said, it is also possible, that someone altered a few non-functional display pieces after the fact to make a functional pen, something that would not be possible with later production dummies. Pelikan, it seems, would come to rethink the display model moving into the mid-1950s. A separate department is known to have been responsible for these specialized display pieces, many of which utilized modified parts not found on the regular assembly line. Unlike my 100N example, these subsequent models would generally be 100% non-functional.

A fully functional green marbled model 100N dummy from the late 1940s featuring a chromium nickel nib

Some 100N caps have been found, not only with the “SCHAU-MUSTER” engraving but also with the “Pelikan” name, prominently placed to advertise the brand

At a glance through plate glass, it would be hard to distinguish a dummy model from the real thing, but it becomes fairly obvious up close. First, the caps are usually glued in place, either with the pen closed or in the posted position. Pelikan made a version of each for most models. The dimensions also don’t line up exactly with the corresponding production models because of where the caps are glued. The fake models lack an inner cap and instead use a plastic ring to facilitate permanently joining the cap to the back of the barrel for those pieces meant to be displayed in the posted position. That means these caps could not be utilized with standard production models due to the variation in design.

Most of the models from the 1950’s and 60s had their caps glued in place. For posted examples, a plastic band was affixed to the barrel to which the cap was then glued. These caps lack the inner cap found on production models

Clips have been observed to deviate in size and even the bands utilized may have been swapped around a bit. For example, the 455 ballpoint dummy has been found with a 355 band, possibly because of the cheaper plating on the lower end model. The substitution likely reduced cost without compromising the model’s intended purpose. Some bands were even inadvertently glued on upside down, an error not seen on the company’s production models, suggesting a certain lack of attention with the dummies that perhaps just had to be good enough.

To the left are a dummy 140 fountain pen and a 355 ballpoint. Both models have their cap bands installed upside down. To the right are non-functioning 355 and 455 ballpoints. Both models sport a band engraved 355 (click on the gallery to enlarge)

The nib is another oddity. These too are glued into place and cannot be removed. They were not production nibs but stamped pieces of what I presume to be stainless steel. The engravings varied with some just featuring the Pelikan name and a random nib size. Others actually emulated the look of a standard production nib though with subtle differences. For instance, the nib of a 400NN dummy features the words “GUNTHER WAGNER” where the gold stamp would normally be found. Such unique engravings would suggest that the nibs for these display models were produced from their own set of custom stamping dies. None of these nibs have a split between the tines nor any tipping material which means that their appearance mimics a nib without the actual functionality of one.

Display nibs were formed sheets of metal with a vent hole and an engraving but lacked a nib slit and tipping material. Note the variety amongst the known engravings and take heed of the subtle variations in the stamps when compared with their corresponding production models

Side by side comparison of nibs meant for display, seen on the left, versus their actual production counterparts on the right. Differences range from subtle to more dramatic. Note that the stainless steel ‘St’ nib of the 120 has simply suffered a loss of plating, hence its appearance (click on the gallery to enlarge)

Perhaps one of the biggest peculiarities amongst these dummy models is the presence of one or two holes drilled into the barrel and cap along the arc opposite that of where the clip rests. The holes are small, and just large enough to accommodate a push pin. Such pins could be used to fasten the model to a cardboard display if the retailer so desired, but they were also discrete enough to be hidden if another type of display were elected.

Many models had one or two holes drilled into the barrel and/or cap which facilitated the dummies being affixed to a display. This could be accomplished with push pins (click on the gallery to enlarge)

The push pins that might have been used and how they would work to affix a dummy pen to a display (click on the gallery to enlarge)

Most of the models from the 1950s and early 1960s would feature a multilingual engraving along the cap or barrel. Various examples are known. Comprising one or two lines would be the words “SCHAU-MUSTER” or, more commonly, “SCHAUMUSTER + DUMMY | FACTICE + FACSIMILE.” The words, all indicating a display model or reproduction piece, were commonly written in German, English, and French, languages that likely covered a large portion of Pelikan’s retail markets. Models from the Netherlands have been found engraved with just “DUMMY-FACTICE | FACSIMILE.” Very rare examples from the 1930s have been seen engraved “dummy-factice | simulado,” likely meant for use in the Portuguese market. Take note of how Pelikan would later compound Schau-Muster, losing the hyphen, a change likely made for the sake of simplicity.

Examples of the various cap engravings found on dummy models, predominantly those spanning the 1940s through the 1950s. Image of the third cap kindly provided by Dominic Rothemel of Pelikan Collectibles. Image of the fourth cap kindly provided by Tom Westerich of Penboard.de

In addition to the more unique 100 and 100N examples, dummy models were made for a large variety of product lines, particularly those pens made in the 1950s. Examples have been found of the 120, 140, 400, and 400NN (hardly an all-inclusive list) in not just one but multiple finishes. These display pieces were not limited to fountain pens either. Pencils and ballpoints also were produced as non-functioning dummies. These include the 350, 355, 450, and 455.

Dummies from the 1950s. Left to right; Black/Green 400 (capped/posted), Tortoiseshell Brown 400 (capped/posted), Black/Green 400NN (posted), Black/Green 120 (capped/posted), and Black/Green 140 (capped/posted)

Not all display models were fountain pens. Top to bottom are a 455 ballpoint, 355 ballpoint, and 350 pencil

It should also be noted that the dummy models weren’t limited to just pens. Pelikan also produced ink bottles for display that were likewise meant to only emulate the real thing. Pelikan’s 4001 Royal Blue schaumuster ink bottle was made from a dark blue tinted glass which would give the impression of being filled with ink at a distance. The actual production bottle was made of a clear glass. The labeling and packaging on this example suggest production in the 1950s.

A Pelikan Royal Blue display bottle and box from the 1950s

The practice of producing dummy pens would continue on into the 1960s and 1970s, utilized heavily amongst the Pelikano and Silvexa lines. Observed models have included the P12, P15, P20, P30, P482, many of the Pelikano variations from that era, and the Graphos but that list is certainly not complete. The engravings were altered some, many now being featured along the cap band rather than the barrel or cap itself. In addition to an alternate location, the words were adjusted slightly. Mostly gone was “schaumuster” and, in its place, the German word “Attrappe” would be used. Facsimile was also omitted leaving most models engraved with “PELIKAN ATTRAPPE DUMMY FACTICE.” It wasn’t until the 1980s that the dummy model concept would die out. It is unclear as to exactly when and why the practice was abandoned but logical inferences can be made. With an increasing abundance of models, particularly the limited editions which began in the early 1990s, the practice of producing dummies may have become cost prohibitive. Later on, a change in consumer habits with the rise of online shopping would all but ensure that the effort put into such pieces would pay little dividend. That said the 1990s did see a rise in actual functional sample pens. One such example would be the Pelikan Level L65 which was provided to retailers in a demonstration box.

As we moved into the later 1960s, Pelikan ditched the “SCHAUMUSTER” terminology in favor of “ATTRAPPE,” but the meaning was similar. The practice of multilingual designations persisted as seen on these Silvexa models

Dummies from the 1960s and 70s. Left to right; Pelikano model 1 (capped/posted), Pelikano P460, Pelikano model 3, Pelikano model 2, P15, P20, P482, and P12

On the left is a blue Pelikan 3*1. On the right are two P30s and a D30 (click on the gallery to enlarge)

An example of the demonstration box that was available to retailers featuring working examples of the L65 Level fountain pen

The dummies are neat relics, now little more than a foot note in advertising history. With fewer and fewer pen shops in existence today and the omnipresence of the internet, there is little demand for such models, but they once served to expand Pelikan’s fortunes by helping the company and its retail partners bolster their sales. Because these pieces have little intrinsic value, many of them have been thrown away, lost to the ravages of time. The ones that have survived often have a number of scars to show since they were not cared for like one would a real pen. The survivors serve as reminders of past shopping habits when a catchy display could make the difference in a sale by luring an unsuspecting consumer in for a persuasive spiel by a diligent salesperson. What the dummies lack in terms of function, they make up for with nostalgia. If you come across one unceremoniously tossed aside, stop and think for a second how proudly it must have once stood on display, a centerpiece used to highlight a brand and its wares.

Spot the dummy. Each photo has one genuine pen or pencil paired with one or two of its corresponding non-functioning display pieces (click the gallery to enlarge)

I would like to thank Stefan Wallrafen for his foresight in preserving so many of these dummies that might otherwise have been thrown away and for allowing me to acquire them for my own collection