News of Pelikan International Corporation Berhad’s (PICB) decision to divest itself of its core stationery business back in May sent shock waves through the fountain pen community. Pelikan’s product range is vast, covering a wide array of school and office supply products. While their fine writing instruments division is a much smaller slice of the overall Pelikan pie, it means everything to their fans. Brand fealty aside, Pelikan’s contributions to the writing community over the last century cannot be ignored, especially when you examine just a few key examples amongst their innumerable writing instruments as well as their inks. More recently, the Pelikan Hubs event has become one of the premier social gatherings outside of pen shows for our little coterie. Of course, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. The brand’s luster has worn, tarnished over the last several years by Pelikan’s failure to invest and modernize their production, some notably inconsistent designs, a lack of exciting nib selections, wide regional pricing disparities, and, perhaps most vexing of all, the discontinuation of the ink view on their Souverän models. Perchance these were all signpost pointing to the eventuality that we find ourselves at today. The Hamelin Group will buy the brand in a sale that is expected to be closed by year’s end. The hopeful believe that this might be the dawn of a new era for Pelikan, heralded by a fresh vision from clear eyed investors and an infusion of capital. The pessimist prognosticates the beginning of the end, a stripping down and dilution of the brand to nothing more than a shadow of its former self. This dour view is sadly informed by experiences with other once famous pen brands which were sold, their heritage and brand integrity squandered for profit. Which direction will Pelikan end up going? Only time will tell but I have gained some insight as to which direction we may be heading. As I alluded to in a prior post, I reached out to Hamelin to try and clarify their intentions for the brand. What I learned was somewhat heartening. Read on to find out what Hamelin had to say for itself.
When my search for an executive email proved fruitless, I turned to the Hamelin Group’s generic contact form on their public facing website. With low expectations to start, their response did not disappoint.
“Thanks for contacting us. This is a recent news for us, someone of our team will keep you informed about. Best.”
The Hamelin Team
Expecting a generic reply to follow from some public relations person, you can imagine my surprise when I received an email from Hamelin’s CEO, Eric Joan, just 48 hours later. Monsieur Joan, now 59 years old, has an electrical and computer engineering degree from Ecole Polytechnique Universitaire de Lille, a field that he worked in for the first decade of his career as Managing Director at MPR. He also has a degree in business administration from Harvard Business School. M. Joan has been working in the paper and office products industry since 2001. The French based, family-owned Hamelin Group was helmed by Stéphane Hamelin at the time. With an eye towards European and global expansion, M. Joan’s role would expand over his 8 years as Managing Director, culminating in him taking over the role of CEO in 2009. In response to my query, he writes (posted with permission);
“Dear Joshua,
Thank you for your enquiry regarding Hamelin’s strategy for the purchase of Pelikan.
Pelikan is a brand with an incredible heritage and, since I’ve been reading your blog for a few months now, I’ve realized just how much of a fan club this brand has around the world for its quality writing instruments.
You may not know this, but France is one of the biggest markets in the world for fountain pens and most students learn to write with a fountain pen. Personally, I’m 59 years old and I learned to write with a nib holder and a pot of ink!…
To explain to you that this category carries a lot of emotion for me, for us.
To reassure you, we intend to maintain and develop this fine writing instrument activity. We see a lot of potential, but first we need to understand the market and consumers better.
It would be a pleasure for me to meet you and other members of the ‘Pelikan fan club’ in person on a forthcoming trip to the United States and listen to your ideas.
Best regards,”
Eric JOAN, Président du Directoire, CEO
Monsieur Joan is amid a major business deal therefore you can understand his need to be necessarily vague. What I find heartening is that M. Joan seems to understand what he is acquiring, especially with regards to what the brand itself means to the fountain pen community. The fact that he intends to invest resources and develop Pelikan’s fine writing instruments is reason enough to be optimistic about what the future may hold, and I appreciate his desire to better understand the consumer. I think that understanding was something the prior Malaysian owners failed to grasp. Nothing is final and we must all be patient and wait to see how this plays out. In the meantime, if you could sit in a room with M. Joan and share your ideas for the brand, what would you tell him? What makes the brand special to you? What are their strengths and what would you like to see them do differently? How can Hamelin polish the brand and restore the luster lost under the previous ownership? Please lend your voices to the conversation in the comments section below. You never know who may be listening and taking notes.
Dear Joshua:
I will tell him the following:
1.- Return today to the transparent barrel.
2.- Stub nibs, 2 as minimun
3.- Pelikan is without doubt the best engineered fountain pen. What about a Nikola Tesla, Henry Ford, Thomas A. Edison, Édouard and André Michelin? The field is vast.
Best Regards
Santiago
I think a return to a transparent barrel will be at the top of many peoples lists and I can certainly get behind a better selection of nibs.
Yes, to all the above! It’d be a complete long shot, but I wish they would bring back to oblique stubs like on the vintage Pelikans. There’s just nothing else like them. At the very least, bringing back the IB nib for steel nibs and in the M400, M600 sizes would be amazing.
Yes, those vintage nibs are indeed second to none. If we could see some of that know how and craftsmanship come back, that would be something special.
What I would want Monsieur Joan to be aware of is best summed up by something I said five years ago. “Pelikan pens have some indescribable quality, a character and a discipline, that makes owning and using them a joy that transcends the sum of their parts.” I would stress the importance of keeping production in Germany but also of the need to modernize production. I would stress the importance of fresh pen designs that still respect the brand heritage. I would argue for revisiting a broader and more exciting lineup of nib widths. I would advocate for a fairer global pricing structure. Most importantly, I would encourage returning an ink view to the Souverän line. I think that would all be a good start.
I particularly like Pelikan for it’s heritage. I can’t buy a newly made soenneken or Osmia, but I can buy a new Pelikan (that isn’t just a name made in the Far East). I would look forward to new Pelikans that are as good as vintage but with new styles and panache. I think of Pelikan vs MB as BMW vs Mercedes— both high quality but different styles. And room for both.
I think the BMW vs Mercedes analogy is very fitting. There is room for both indeed but Pelikan has to show up and show that it is still a part of the conversation.
My sentiments exactly. Also Pelikan should work with partners, like they did with Levengers and the German department stores. I can see a Pelikan edition tied to a social media site, charitable organization, sports, online gaming, etc—- done properly and not cheap.
Partnerships, if done right, could yield something great. Definitely an area worth exploring.
I agree with Santiago’s comments, entirely.
And M. Joan could talk with no one better than the author of the Pelikan’s Perch.
A common refrain, I’m sure and you flatter me sir but I appreciate the vote of confidence.
Joshua, your personal pursuit of all things Pelikan has made you a system expert of the best writing instrument made. Even the incoming CEO stated that the Hamelin Group has been closely following Pelikan’s Perch for several months. The new organization can’t improve on the “Birds” I own. My only request would be to have the new company provide you with new Pelikan pens at no cost to you for testing and evaluating, since you do such a thorough job for us all.
Well…I still need to maintain my independence so that I can bring you unbiased reviews. That said, I would be happy to contract for consulting services and accept new Pelikan fountain pens as compensation, lol. Sounds like a dream job to me. Thanks for the vote of confidence.
In addition to the return of an inkview for every pen, as mentioned above, I would encourage a resumption of imaginative designs, such as the City Series, and a much wider range of nib widths, to include a true extra fine all the way up to 3OB. These changes are the things that excite true Pelikan afficionados.
This would be very popular!
I want more Pelikan nibs and I want Pelikan to be successful, so if there were upcharges for nibs or a paid nib-swap program I personally wouldn’t object.
Something to be said for a special selection of nibs available for an uncharge. That could be an option definitely worth exploring.
I agree. I would add a true flex nib (at least for the M800 series), like other companies have introduced in recent years. And a more consistent nib quality control. The pens have to write properly (if not perfectly) right out of the box.
I totally agree about flex nibs. Montblanc 149 with a flex calligraphy nib was a huge hit, and we need something similar from Pelikan in M800 and M1000 body.
Even if it were special order, that would be a welcome addition.
yes, bring back flex nibs. when did they stop making flex nibs? in the 1960s? music nibs and architect nibs too, along with broad and BB.
Pelikan never really sought to make flex nibs outside of their stenographic offerings. It’s true that many of their vintage nibs have an inherent flex to them and are a treat to use but that wasn’t by design necessarily and there is a lot of inherent variation out there. Music nibs were pretty much special order only and are as rare as hen’s teeth. That said, there is definitely room for Pelikan to improve in the nib department.
yes, at the price point of a pelikan, every nib should be hand-tuned before shipping.
That would certainly be nice but there does need to be some caution about added price with certain services not to mention slowing of the assembly line. Plus, shipping all across the world, parcels getting jostled here and there, may still have some detrimental effect even on a tuned nib. Not saying its a bad idea, just different angles to consider.
I think that’s a big part of the issue. The late 90s/early 00s were great with the M620 and M640 series amongst others. We need more of that once again and I think the Art series floated back in 2021 would be an amazing place to start.
I agree with the first two points from Santiago. Bring transparency back to the bindes. Provide a few interesting nib options like a 1.1mm stub or italic nib, maybe an oblique.
Add a few colors to the Souverain line. Make the Stresseman permanent.
But perhaps more than anything, bring down the price. I love my Visconti Homo Sapiens, but I’m past buying a pen for $600. I’d like an M4xx in the $150 range.
I think we keep the standard nibs and add some exotics like an O3B and an italic. Bring back the nib widths of the early 90s.
What I would tell Mr. Joan is:
(1) I am very encouraged that he appreciates the value of fountain pens and the value of Pelikan as a particularly historic brand in the fine writing market. Pelikan’s unique, classic style combined with an amazing piston system and easily removable and interchangeable nibs is unparalleled.
(2) Taking a macro view from when I got into fountain pens around the mid 2010s until the present, I don’t think Pelikan has felt off-track as a brand except in ways that felt reactionary to COVID, with the key exception of the pricing difference between the EU and US. The release rate of special/limited editions felt about right (1 M200/205 per year, 1 M600/605 per year, occasional M400/M405s, periodic M800/805s, about 1 M1000/year).
(3) I do think there was more room for creativity in Pelikan designs and in their marketing in recent years. For example, I was not interested in the 205 Petrol at time of release. I recently picked one up in a trade–and in person if I had seen it I would have immediately wanted it at time of release. Differentiating special designs from current offerings and good marketing are necessary. On the other hand, Tortoiseshell Red and Tortoiseshell Black were stunning instant classics that I snatched up as soon as I could.
(4) I look forward to new management helping to close the EU-US pricing gap. Chartpak leadership went on podcasts in the US and promised to look into this, but it never got anywhere.
(5) I, uh, yes would like an ink window on the Souveran line. We all miss the transparent bindes, but even just an ink window between the section and remainder of the binde would be fine.
It is encouraging indeed. Marketing definitely has to improve. That has always been significantly lacking, at least here in the USA. they have relied on their distributors to do the heavy lifting and that hasn’t really worked out.
Joshua,
Thanks for this update. Having worked on mergers and acquisitions for nearly four decades, I consider it unusual – and a positive sign – that Monsieur Joan took the time to reach out to you with a personal message in the midst of a pending transaction. I was also pleased to see that he purports to have a soft spot for fountain pens and appears to recognize that the brand has intangible qualities and a loyal following. That said, Monsieur Joan was also careful to point out that he has more to learn about both the brand and the market. And, like any buyer of a business, Hamelin will be focused on profitability following consummation of the deal. So, as you say in your post, only time will tell what kind of impact the acquisition will have on our beloved Pelikan fountain pen.
Best,
Marc
Not having much experience with acquisitions and mergers myself, I was still floored to get such a personal message from the company CEO. I think that speaks a lot about the new stewards of Pelikan and in good ways. I think there can be a balance struck between reinvigorating the brand and profitability.
Monsieur Joan, the fact that you took time to address the fan community and respond so quickly to Joshua’s general inquiry speaks volumes. Welcome to the family!
Anyone who learned to write with a dip nib surely understands the simple, tactile, meditative experience of writing with a high quality fountain pen as an escape from today’s overly saturated digital world.
Several of us will have opinions about ink windows, nibs, color options, etc. If I ever had the pleasure of your company, I would simply encourage you to continue interacting with the fountain pen community. The details are just details.
Continue with the Pelikan Hubs. They were my first introduction to the brand. I’ve since purchased over a dozen M600s or larger, and look forward to collecting more. We invite our friends every year who are curious when they notice our pens.
Experiment and take chances. As a collector community, we favor brands that try new things! You have an opportunity to become an icon and a visionary in our hobby.
Attend pen shows. Bring a display of prototype pens that we can oogle. Have demonstrators available to test different nibs, and we will flock (no pun intended) to purchase our favorites through your vendors, who also attend these shows. Walk around, shake hands, and build a legacy for yourself and the Pelikan brand.
Make yourself available for interviews. There are several blogs and podcasts that we aficionados subscribe to religiously. There is no better way to reach the pen community.
We’re looking forward to hearing more from you, and to many more years of collecting from Pelikan’s Fine Writing Instruments division!
-collector, fan, and continued customer, USA
I think you make great points. Interaction with the pen community is huge and something that will go a long way. Engagement is a great start to getting the brand back on track.
I am game for any improveent. Hopefully they will do more than just produce more demonstrators that I don’t buy. I know I’m a minority, but I have the M200 Smokey Quartz and that will last me a lifetime.
Nothing wrong with demonstrators but, yes, variety is the spice of life.
I agree with the comments on brining back the speciality nibs and especially the translucent ink barrels. I love my Pelikan fountain pens, and have worked really hard as digital marketer to afford these awesome pens. I would like to see the digital marketing aspect improved so that it would assist with sales our beloved fountain pen company.
A few random digital marketing ideas in no particular order:
On Instagram, the hashtag used is #PelikanPassion, #PelikanHubs, and sometimes #FountainPen. The #PelikanPassion #PelikanHubs while nice doesn’t attract new users. Adding basic everyday keywords like #writing #letterwriting #journaling will help bring in new users.
The https://www.pelikan.com/int and https://www.pelikan-passion.com/int/ don’t appear to rank in the top page searches for the term “fountain pen” on Google in the United States. Improving site page SEO will help. The Google Tag Manager is installed but Google Analytics 4 doesn’t appear to be installed at all, starting to track the page site views will help to start formulating strategies about page traffic and page ranking.
There also doesn’t appear to be any Google Ads or Facebook Ads tracking, indicating that there isn’t a paid search campaign active. Adding a paid search campaign will help bring up the site traffic. Paid search spend can be capped and can help even with a small marketing budget.
On the main website, structured data is used, but the social channels aren’t organized by the structured data, that could be a small win.
The microsite https://www.pelikan-passion.com/int/ appears to have gone through a rough site migration, https://www.pelikan-passion.com/experiencing-the-brand/history-of-the-brand 301 redirects to https://www.pelikan-passion.com/int/experiencing-the-brand/history-of-the-brand, while this is technically correct, SEO should be audited to see if organic page traffic has fallen.
If budget for paid search campaigns or SEO improvements are an issue, suggest making some strategic improvements on the organic social media channels. Suggest also creating Pinterest boards to help promote the Pelikan brand.
Interesting insight on the use of social media and SEO. Those are areas where I lack expertise but I’ve still always felt there was a missed opportunity there on Pelikan’s part. Just the migration to their new website was soo sloppy. Definitely seems like there is room for improvement.
Watching the developments closely.
Joshua, thank you for reaching out to the Hamelin group! Even though I may not be able to afford another Pelikan pen, I nevertheless appreciate the response you received.
Pelikan is a brand that I deem as a Grail pen for me, with my desiring a Souveran in the 600 size. I have an older 140, a 120, a gray pen much like today’s Pelikan Style (that writes so smoothly!), and a Pelikan M205. What I would like is to see Pelikan be able to offer lower prices in the US. I’m too new to the fountain pen world to offer a more meaningful response to you, but I can say that I especially love my older Pelikan pens.
I love my Pelikans… especially my 800s. What I would also love are new designs… the art series you wrote about in Audust 2021 comes to mind. Or a red and black marbled finish in an 800….
Hello,
This was a very positive and optimistic new and fresh communication from Hamelin Group.
May one suggest making limited series, eventually simple with just special color, ink, booklets and different types of pouches – presented in a fine box. Obviously the price could be higher.
The Souverän series should not be more expensive. If you really would attract new users and expand the pens among collectors, the price should not inflate – just because its a “fine premium product”. I have stopped all my collecting of Montblanc because the prices have increased again and again – making the gap between product and price too wide. Today its like the same mechanics as with vinyl records: We do not need them, but if you present a top class product wrapped convincing, then i see a reason to purchase.
When i said goodbye to Montblanc, i expanded the Pelikan collection. I must say that i again find reason to collect, since the quality is convincing.
Another key to improvement would be quite simple: In Denmark there are not a single dealership of Pelikan. Only only supplied from England and of course EU. That means we cannot see the product but must rest assured it pay of to be nice. I can, but i think a lot of people will not spend that amount without having seen the bird.
I could continue, but i thing this will be too long. So just: This was hopefully good news for the fine pens and the market.
I agree with the transparent barrel, nib sizes and price issues
Personally I would also like to see a range of Pelikans in the sub $100 range, in between the Pelikanos and the M200s. As competition for TWSBI – plus it will open up new customers and get them accustomed to Pelikan’s high quality, so they will be willing to splurge on a 400, 600, 800, 1000
What disappointed me in my new M600 was the nib baby bottom. I sent the pen to Pelikan for repair, but they found no defect. The pen was put in a drawer and I lost faith in the brand. My 1980s M400 is great.
If you think it has baby bottoms just view a couple of Youtube movies about that and get some micromesh. Very easy to remedy.
I think this is extraordinary. A good omen I think.
My desiderata:
– All the above suggestions.
– Real F and EF sized nibs with Japanese QC standards.
– new Pelikan notebooks and notepads since the Hamelin group already manufactures excellent Oxford products.
The actual Pelikan and Herlitz notebooks available on Amazon.de are so so.
– Considering a new ink line to replace the edelsteins.
Thank you Joshua for reaching out to the Hamelin Group and publishing M. Joan’s response. I would like to see a continued focus on Quality. The Stresseman line and add some colors to the Souverain line. Ink view window is a must along with added nib widths. While keeping with the Stresseman and Souverain lines, start looking at different body materials in another line to expand the brand. Which could also lead to making a more affordable line while retaining Pelikan’s quality to help bring in new aficionados.
There is definitely a balance between affordability and quality. Hopefully a happy medium can be struck between both.
I would love to see more Tortoises, back to translucent barrel, and more nib options.
Can we hope fore a soft flex nib?
Perhaps not as part of the standard line up but something more exotic like that as a special order could be neat.
🙂 How cool is that?!
My first fountain pen was a blue Pelikan, which I use to this day (and I’m 60+), which also speaks for its outstanding quality!
Hope the new team will keep up the quality.
Thanks for sharing and kind regards,
Claudia 🙂
No matter what they do, sacrificing quality should not be amongst them.
That he read your blog is a very good sign. Wanting to meet you is an even better sign. Try to become an advisor to them. Good luck.
And tell them my wish: a real EF nib (line size like a Jowo EF) for all the models – even the M1000. Tell them, they need this in Asia to compete with Montblanc M146/149 EF. Montblanc EF is the most sold nib size in Japan, followed by B for the people wanting a signature pen.
Perhaps I should keep my Pelikan a little bit longer and see if that materializes.
If asked, I would be happy to provide my insight and advice. A true EF has been on many people’s wish lists.
If Pelikan is looking for “real EF” beta-tester, I volunteer.
🙂
Ha! I think you’d have to get in line.
What a great response from Hamelin’s CEO at this early stage. I am happy to see a commitment to Pelikan’s fine writing fountain pens and to feel that M. Joan has a personal understanding and affinity with these products. I am also happy to read that nobody is jumping to make changes and the approach will be considered and he is seeking to consult with his customers and dealers.
What would I like Pelikan to consider?
1. The prices have become uncompetitively high for the quality and innovation that is offered – both for regular production and special editions. It was short term thinking that appeared to come from financial constraints, and it surely damaged the business to over-price like this
2. Nib quality control needs attention – if I buy a Pelikan online I only buy from a dealer that I trust to test and correct any issues. With a Sailor, Pilot, Aurora or even a recent Visconti I don’t have these issues. I also tend to buy fine or extra fine nibs and Pelikans have too much variability with theirs – often they have a much wider line than desired
3. The ink visibility – transparent barrel or ink window – was always a particular strength of Pelikan. The move to opaque barrels seemed to be a cost cutting move that has made the brand less attractive and less differentiated
4. More interesting designs across all pen sizes. The Pelikan new product design department must be the laziest in the industry. We wait a year and we get a brown striped pen instead of a green one, in the 600 size only, and it’s nothing new or interesting. The last new Pelikan that excited me was the M800 Stone Garden, and that was just a different celluloid wrap. What’s stopping Pelikan from even doing something like this every year, for every pen size?
I think these are basic things that the previous owners allowed to lapse, and I do not think fundamental change is required to revive the excitement for this brand that the customer base had. We want to buy Pelikans if only there were Pelikan pens that were interesting and fairly priced.
I think that you make excellent points all of which could help to improve the brand’s standing and offerings.
To chime in, for me, the most distinctive aspect of Pelikan is 1) the translucent stripes, and next, 2) tortoiseshell. Go back to those stripes and use the history of the brand (just look at how Montblanc has succeeded in both using its heritage for the design of the Heritage series and using other existing names/brands (authors, le petit prince, artists) to develop new products.
The pen that made me fall in love with Pelikan was the white tortoiseshell model. I think that was maybe the last pen that brought both innovation and was in keeping with Pelikan’s history. As the poster above mentioned, the Stone Garden was also original. Why not do the same in different colors and sizes?
Nibs: I also really like the m101n models, particularly for their softer nibs. Incorporating nibs with different qualities is another way to offer something for everyone. +1 on a true EF nib. There is currently no true extra fine Pelikan nib, and some people do need it for notes and have small handwriting.
I would love to see some new M101Ns or maybe even an M100N with perhaps a short cap top option. That could be really neat. I think keeping the brand heritage in mind with any future designs is key but they still have to find ways to stay true to themselves while also branching out.
It is certainly a positive sign that the CEO took time to write to you. As many others have mentioned, more nib options that create line width variability would be tremendous. I tend to always have my nibs sent to a nibmeister to create a custom grind. Also, the ink view window/translucent barrel should be standard. While all consumers would love for the prices to come down, this cannot happen if that means a decline in quality. You have to be very careful what you wish for.
There is truth there regarding being careful what we wish for. It will be interesting to see how Hamelin finds the balance.
Joshua, M. Joan’s response is most encouraging.
When Pelikan’s latest offerings don’t suit me (I’m not fond of pastels and I have enough demonstrators), I look for vintage birds. I seek out good visibility in the ink window or binde, interesting nibs (a true EF or oblique or stub or semi-flex), and affordability. I would love for these features to be returned to modern Pelikans.
When Pelikan offered the two M60x Tortoiseshell pens, Red and Black, I couldn’t buy them fast enough. The designs were fresh and new while still being very Pelikan. The art series proposed in 2021 looked promising.
I hope the brand emerges stronger than ever.
That Art series, in my opinion, is Pelikan’s gateway back to restoring some of its former greatness. I definitely think the new owners should resurrect that idea and take it further.
This is very positive and gives me optimistic feels about Pelikan’s future of the Luxury Writing Instruments division! For some feedback for a meeting with M. Joan (or if he or others from Hamelin are reading this), I have some that I’m confident I share with many others in my various pen collecting circles / groups:
1) Bring back transparent barrels!
2) Bring back more non-standard nib options (e.g. stub, italic, oblique, BBB, etc.)
3) Release more M100X “regular color” versions. Currently, the pen is only available in a few colors, maybe add some standard colors for a year or two at at time, such as Red Stripe, Blue Stripe or others. Also, maybe do more Limited Edition releases in materials simliar to what M80X series receives, instead of only extremely expensive maki-e / raden versions. Some past examples are Vibrant Blue, Brown Tortoise, Ocean Swirl.
4) Reduce US MSRP; it’s gotten prohibitively expensive and the value equation is harder to justify.
I think all of your points are valid and worth Pelikan exploring to see if there is a path to achieving these things while still maintaining profitability.
Black tortoiseshell m800/m805, please!
That could be neat, for sure. The most exotic tortoises have been relegated to the M6xx line. It would be nice to have some bigger tortoises.
This *is* heartening news, Joshua! Thank you for reaching out to the new ownership on behalf of all Pelikan fans 🙂 As many have pointed out, a return to a transparent barrel would be lovely, as would greater nib selection.
I’d love to see more Pelikan M215 models—the ones with the brass barrels. They were a really nice weight, but they only made four variations, and three of the four were only made for a very short number of years.
I agree that the M215 series really didn’t get the attention it should have. Keeping the small form factor but adding that weight was a small change that made a big difference. There is a lot more they could do there by revisiting that.
Oh, I had another thought since the Pelikan Classic line is in my budget. The Cafe Creme was a fantastic color combination. If they could do more of those combinations with the ink window like the Cafe Creme has, that would be cool.
The Café Crème was unique and exciting. One of the best M200 releases we’ve had in years in my opinion. More pens like that would be very welcome.
I would love to see a Pelikan piston filler under $100 that could be an entry level pen for folks who are interested in one of the higher end Pelikan pens but not ready to commit to spending over $100. My first Pelikan was an M200 and was my first “splurge” pen at just over $80 around 2000. It felt like a huge leap from my basic school pens, but I was hooked after I experiencing the build quality and reliability of a Pelikan fountain pen. One of the great joys at the Pelikan Hubs is to see the next generation of fountain pen collectors enthuse about their Pelikan collections, and some of Pelikan’s beautiful designs coupled with their superb engineering a lower entry price point would have the potential of generating new Pelikan fans.
This is something that actually first drew me to the brand. At the time, the Classic series was right around that price point and I felt it was an amazing entry into the brand. Sadly, that is no longer the case. It would be nice to have something fill that niche to excite people new to the brand but who find the current price points prohibitive.
Thanks for another excellent article as well as bringing us the latest exciting news, Joshua.
I am late to this party, and here are some of the personal nice to have to share with this community:
(1) Bring back the H nibs. No matter in the past or present, Pelikan has been a popular brand in Asia. In addition to the wide nib selection that others had mentioned (om, ob, obb, o3b, bb, 3b), maybe also bring back the HEF, HF, and HM options that feature the special grind for CJK (Chinese, Japanese, and Korean) characters. Personally, I know a lot of Chinese fans are trying really hard to hunt for the old-style H nibs as they are preferred for character writing.
(2) Resurrect the old prototypes. There are many elegant designs that are worth to be massively produced. For example, the grey and burgundy M800, dark blue (Nord/LB blue, not solid dark blue) old-style M600. The solid color design definitely is classic and timeless.
(3) Keep up the good hard work, and keep the consistent design. Being able to interchange the nibs is one of the greatest features of Pelikan. We can easily swap in a vintage or old-style nib onto a modern barrel. This makes the pens more customizable and fun to play with. Also as Joshua has mentioned in his early writings about the crown cap top of the recent M205 releases (Petro Marbled and Apatite), please bring back the chrome plated design, we all know the pen would look way nicer with the consistent design.
(4) Bring the screw-on piston assembly to all the Souveran lines. I know this one might be harder to get as it would definitely increase the cost of the pen. As we all know, we can smooth the piston seal by just removing the nib units and putting in silicon grease with a Q-tip. But sometimes the piston seal is broken or the ink leaks to the other side, completely disassembling the piston assembly as we could do for M800 and M101n series would be necessary. The piston assemblies are unfortunately friction fitted for the 200, 400, 600, and 700 series. There is no way to remove it without possibly breaking it.
I am very much looking forward to a new chapter for the brand we love so much.
Thanks for the cultural insight as to the desire for H nibs. That is something I wasn’t aware that there was still a demand for. I can definitely see the use scenario for that particular market. Totally agree w/ design consistency as well. I don’t think we’ll see a removable piston brought to the lower lines due to issues w/ cost but who knows how things will shake out in the future.
Very nice of him to take the time and respond. Beyond our own preferences for the product the bottom line is how many more people would buy Pelikans and why; my suggestion is to go deep into the ultimate goals of customers, for instance as an antidote to the distractions and toxicity of digital media, to recover some attention span, to have a special pen instead of throwable ones, to think things through.
They will need to review their entire marketing and distribution, at the very least, strengthening the brand with customers as opposed to old style marketing that talks at customers and is ignored, manage expectations (not all pens with starting or skipping problems have baby’s bottom) and improve QC even more; while having to deal with a market flooded with cheap copies from China, not yet of Pelikans but who knows.
Proper marketing or any marketing at all would definitely be a way to reach those unacquainted with the brand. I’ve oft wondered why advertising pens is seemingly much less important than it used to be, particularly with the reach of digital marketing these days. I agree with quality control but even the strictest standards aren’t infallible. Still, there is likely room to do better.
This interaction is very positive indeed. I agree with what’s been said, and I would add that hopefully Pelikan’s fine writing division will not try to follow Montblanc into the pure luxury goods segment. In the dawning age of AI everywhere, the whole “writing is thinking” perspective should have room for Pelikan as a quality, but applied brand. Souveräns have indeed lost functionality with the lack of ink level transparency and also the whole nib-without-line-variation approach, presumably to cater to people accustomed to ballpoint pens. For writers, the M2xx has arguably been the better choice in recent years, if the pen size works for you. Interestingly, the Pelikan ilo fountain pen, while probably not an economic success for the company, has brought back some line variation in a beginner pen’s steel nib. I would wish for a combination of the qualities of the ilo and M2xx steel nibs with the sophistication of the 1990s Souverän (and earlier pre-Souverän) gold nibs. There’s a reason people covet the script nibs in old 400s. Summing up, I think there will be a trend to make a point of human thought by using handwriting, and Pelikan’s fine writing instruments can play a role here. In general, I have high hopes knowing Hamelin’s focus on quality in mass-market paper products and for innovating with things like the Scribzee app.
I think the one of the worst things that Pelikan could do would be to go tit for tat with Montblanc. I have felt over the last several years that has been the direction they’ve drifted, and in my opinion, it can only be to their detriment. A combination of the ilo and M2xx could be interesting. Let’s hope our high hopes for Hamelin are not misplaced.
To me Pelikan stands on three pillars
Heritage, Quality and Consistency
I often use my grandfather’s 1954 pen with pride and total appreciation.
I think that’s summarizes it all in one sentence
I think that is a very good way to sum up the brand and would agree with those being corner stones of the brand.
I agree with all the ways to incrementally improve what there already is, but new ownership will want a clear sign of new ownership while doffing the hat to tradition.
Perhaps the flagship M1000 that isn’t only green/black (and yes, a (translucent) red/black one would be lovely…)
I know a lot of people have been clamoring for a little more love to be shown to the M1xxx line that is not a Raden or Maki-e release. Maybe new ownership will embrace that.
My one request (apart from agreeing with transparent barrel and BBB availability) is an end to regional pricing and over pricing in general. Pelikan is NOT Mont Blanc. Charging the earth for something does not make it better. The M1000 is in some ways better than the 149 but in Canada it is far more expensive. Just charge $100 less than a 149 and the M1000 wins every time. M1000 prices have doubled here in the last decade. So why would I get another M1000 if I can get a 149 with a broader nib selection for hundreds of dollars less? Am I crazy, or does competing with a brand not mean offering something as good as or better for less than the competition? Maybe now is a good time to end the distributor’s reign of terror and sell directly to shops? At a reasonable price they would fly off the shelves. I don’t own a pen shop but do prefer them to online. Thank you for all your excellent work!
I have repeatedly questioned the added cost that the distributors place between Pelikan and the product. I’m going to be watching that relationship very closely in the future under the new ownership. The distributor model may be ready for a replacement. In no way should a comparable Pelikan pen retail for more than its Montblanc counterpart. That is just not a recipe for success in my opinion.
I’ve only just recently got into Pelikan, and it’s been everything that I hoped for. I would argue first and foremost for Pelikan to not lose its identity, and the sense of totality you get from the brand, connected with a very strong tradition. To me, this means things like the 4001 ink line, and the excellence in true writer’s pens of the highest quality. Things like using more than just fancy acrylic in pens that are competitively and practically priced (cellulose acetate, for example). The refined functionality such as the piston system and the striped ink windows that go with the design rather than being somewhat garish. And, especially, the engineering and feel of the nibs.
While many other brands are embracing the somewhat cheap sense of easy collectability and otherwise chasing status with pens that deviate from what makes the pen best as a writer, I’d like to see Pelikan embrace its history as being one of the most excellent, ergonomic, elegant options for a truly fine writing experience.
As a new purchaser, the things that brought me to the brand after trying so many others are easy to point out: the piston system, the reputation for extremely wet and silky nibs, the design of the feed system that allows for very wet writing pens to stay wet over long writing sessions, their Italic Broad nib offering (and broad nibs in general), the use of cellulose acetate instead of acrylic in the barrel sleeve, the *light weight* of their M400 series, the perfect balance of a lightweight pen (also in the M400 series) when posted, and the subtle, but still luxurious appointments. Additionally, the fact that they are still “made in Germany” is huge for me; especially, the fact that they make the inks, nibs, and pen bodies are all critical, IMO. Pelikan just isn’t as interesting to me if they aren’t making their own nibs and inks.
I can’t find that combination of true writer’s pen in any modern pen these days. No one else has this unique combination. Other makers are sacrificing balance, ergonomics, and the luxury of a wet writing nib in favor of status markers that are larger and heavier. I like how much Pelikan has done with “vintage sized” pens even today, and especially ones that don’t also feel cheap.
The more Pelikan can become the preeminent elegant writer’s pen (maybe even the calligrapher’s pen, with nibs designed for beautiful, comfortable, ergonomic writing) steeped in tradition and excellence, the more I’d like it. I’d like to be able to have Pelikans across the price point, as well, since the ability for me to pick up steel nibbed “loaners” and school pens to give to children and friends that closely match my gold nibbed pens is big, too.
I think you that have done a really good job of putting into words “that something special” that Pelikan has. I would agree that it really is the whole package that makes the brand attractive, starting with its deep, rich heritage. The brand has all the pieces it needs for success if it uses its assets properly and avoids the pitfalls that so many other manufacturers have fallen in.