Pelikan has been on fire this August, dropping news of not one, not two, but three new releases. Earlier this month, we learned of the M600 Glauco Cambon, a pen that breaks new ground with a spirit that feels a lot like the Pelikan of old. Before we even had a chance to fully wrap our minds around that release, Pelikan announced the much anticipated M205 Rose Quartz. While that would have been more than enough to temporarily slake our thirst for new models, Pelikan drops yet another release just as the month of August comes to a close. Earlier today, the company announced the forthcoming Souverän M600 Red-White fountain pen, conspicuously just in time for their upcoming 185th Anniversary celebration this Saturday. Pelikan has been bringing bold, bright colors married with white resin to the M6xx line since 2012. Taking into account the tortoise releases over the past few years, that makes the mid-sized M6xx line arguably one of the brand’s most exciting at the moment. In case you need a refresher, white resin M6xxs have included the M600 Tortoiseshell White (2012), M600 Pink (2015), M605 White Transparent (2017), M600 Turquoise-White (2018), M600 Violet-White (2019), and the M605 Green-White (2021). Pushing past the pastels, the new M600 Red-White will come in a bold and striking shade arranged in stripes made of cellulose acetate accented by white resin and gold plated furniture. While this model may frustrate those longing for a new M800 or even M1000, the bold colors and striking looks of this one will likely have it flying off store shelves. Worldwide availability is expected starting in mid-October of this year, available only while supplies last. Read on to learn all about the newest Souverän to join the family.
Continue readingPelikan 4001 Blue-Black Returns To North America
Pelikan has been producing various inks suited to a multitude of purposes for well over a century. The 4001 line, originally crafted and marketed as Günther Wagner’s premium writing ink, is the only one of those historic formulas to continue production into the 21st century. Widely regarded as one of Pelikan’s best inks within that line, 4001 Blue-Black has not been available in the United States since around 2011, a topic that I addressed back in 2016. Off of the US market for over a decade now, those who’ve wanted to use this ink have had to order it from overseas vendors or do without. Pelikan actually has a whole line of permanent and semi-permanent inks which include Scribtol (best reserved for dip pens) and Fount India, a more fountain pen friendly formulation that requires meticulous pen hygiene. 4001 Blue-Black, while not as permanent as the other two formulations, skews even more fountain pen friendly while still providing some relative lightfastness. Its semi-permanent nature is accomplished by a small amount of iron gall in its formulation. Oak galls or gallnuts are tumors that occur on certain oak trees in response to insects. These oak galls serve as a food source for larvae but are also rich in tannic acid which makes them well suited for use in ink when combined with iron salts. Pelikan began using iron gall in its ink products circa 1892 thanks to the emerging dominance of the steel nib. In fact, the original formula for 4001 began as a class I iron gall writing ink that flowed blue from the pen and darkened to black so you might say that today’s Blue-Black speaks to the very heart of the line. It has been presumed that 4001 Blue-Black was formulated in such a manner as to not be in compliance with the United States Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), thereby barring its importation and distribution. According to a large advertisement in the August 2023 issue of PenWorld Magazine, Blue-Black is back! After a protracted absence, this ink will once again be available for purchase in North America.
Continue readingNews: M205 Rose Quartz Special Edition Demonstrator
It is the summer of Barbie and pink is in the air. Since the moment the new Edelstein Rose Quartz ink was announced, talk of a matching pen took flight. To say expectations were high for this one would be quite the understatement. Perhaps even Warner Brothers took note, colluding with Pelikan to cash in on some of the pink fervor. While I say that tongue in cheek, I’m very serious about being blindsided just 48 hours ago when Pelikan announced yet another new model, the first to grace their freshly minted Art Collection, the Glacuo Cambon M600. While still reeling from that news, Pelikan comes in for the body blow with today’s announcement of the upcoming Pelikan M205 Rose Quartz. The practice of marrying a matching fountain pen to their annual Edelstein Ink Of The Year release has been a tradition that goes all the way back to 2015, making the Rose Quartz the ninth such pairing to make an appearance. Six of the prior releases have been M205s whereas only two were M200s, the two being distinguished only by their trim. Before I move on, it’s worth recapping just what we’ve been given to date. Past models have included the M205 Amethyst (2015), M205 Aquamarine (2016), M200 Smoky Quartz (2017), M205 Olivine (2018), M205 Star Ruby (2019), M205 Moonstone (2020), M200 Golden Beryl (2021), and M205 Apatite (2022). Despite every model mentioned being a demonstrator, Pelikan used the line to experiment some, bringing out their first glitter impregnated finishes. The Rose Quartz appears to have none of that, relying instead on its delicate pink features to capture the eye. Keep reading to learn all about this new model’s secrets.
Continue readingNews: Souverän M600 Art Collection – Glauco Cambon Special Edition
Now we’re talking! That’s the first thing that leapt into my mind when news broke last evening of the next release due out from Pelikan. You might recall a story featured on this blog in August 2021 that detailed Pelikan floating the notion of a series of pens whose designs were derived from one of the company’s many historic posters. That back catalog is deep and, in addition to being vehicles for advertising, many of Pelikan’s historic posters were works of art, created by some of the early twentieth century’s notable artistic talent. Three different prototypes were previewed in 2021 and a survey asked respondents to vote for their favorite. Aside from a few unsubstantiated rumors, little has surfaced since, leading many to believe that the concept had withered and died on the vine. With Pelikan having a lot on its plate already, there was little optimism that we’d see the concept brought to life anytime soon, until yesterday that is. The company surprised us with the rather unexpected news of the new Souverän M600 Art Collection – Glauco Cambon Special Edition. Not only is this a concept and design that’s a bit unique amongst Pelikan’s pantheon of pens, the actual construction of this M600 takes a twist all its own. As if that weren’t enough already, this is just the first in a projected series of special edition fountain pens that Pelikan has planned. Hannover must be listening because this is just the direction that they’ve needed to go in order to breathe some life back into the brand. Read on to learn all of the exciting details about this upcoming release.
Continue readingReview: M200 Pastel Blue (2023)
Pelikan’s newest addition to its Classic line dropped last month, bringing a new color combination to the series. That said, the M200 Pastel Blue sticks to the company’s tried and true recipe of “same pen, different color.” That isn’t necessarily a bad thing provided the color appeals to you. Pelikan has been releasing marbled finishes for nearly a century so it’s not surprising to see the tradition continue. Three years after its introduction in 1988, the M200 line was expanded to include Green, Blue, and Gray marbled finishes. More recently, we’ve seen Brown, Gold, and Pastel Green varieties, the last two being amongst the first to be coupled with white resin components. The Pastel Blue does likewise with an ethereal, almost cloud like marbling. No two pens are the same which makes each unique in its own right. The caveat here is that you have to be comfortable with a smaller pen, but the payoff can be huge. The Pastel Blue has serious workhorse potential but there are some pitfalls to consider. Continue reading to figure out if this pen is right for you.
Continue readingHamelin’s Intentions Clarified
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.
Continue readingAssorted Goings On In Hannover
On occasion, tidbits of information will trickle out of Germany, each one not really worthy of a dedicated post of its own, but the aggregate sometimes makes for interesting reading. Obviously, we are all still processing the news regarding Pelikan International Corporation Berhad’s sale of their core stationery business and are anxiously waiting to see what the new French caretakers of the brand will do with our beloved fine writing instruments. Personally, I feel like we are engrossed in some kind of action movie, apprehensive about what kind of fate might befall our beloved hero. We will simply have to be patient and wait to see what happens, but I would caution everyone to try and maintain a neutral stance until more information comes to light. To that end, I will tell you that I have reached out to the Hamelin Group for comment on the situation. While I don’t expect much in return, I will continue to pursue any leads that I find and report back to you. Since there is not much more to report on that front at the moment, here are a few tidbits to tide you over in the meantime.
Continue readingPelikan To Be Sold To The Hamelin Group
On May 23rd, Pelikan announced that it was, “currently in negotiations with prospective strategic buyers to dispose substantially all its assets and business interest.” To this end, they hired KAF Investment Bank Berhad to advise and negotiate the terms of the transaction. The news took many by surprise and was met with quite a buzz in the industry. There has been a lot of speculation about who the prospective buyer might be. We now know that Holdham SAS, a holding company for the French based Hamelin stationery group, has entered into an agreement with Pelikan International Corporation Berhad (PICB) to acquire the Pelikan Group GMBH (PGG) which will allow PICB to exit its core stationery business. Many regulatory hurdles still have to be overcome in Germany and PICB’s shareholders will need to vote in order to approve the acquisition, but the deal is expected to proceed unimpeded with finalization anticipated for some time in the fourth quarter of this year, tentatively before the end of October. PICB also needs to carveout a number of its assets that are not included in the acquisition (e.g. Pelikan Procurement Sen Bhd, Pelikan Taiwan Co. Ltd., eCom Logistic GmbH, MOLKARI, and Kruezer Produktion + Vertrieb GmbH). The sale price has been reported at 136 million euros ($148.5 million) which Hamelin will pay in cash. The bulk of the proceeds are to be distributed to the company’s shareholders. In yesterday’s filing with Bursa Malaysia, Pelikan cited challenges with their distribution channels, production technology, and the global economy as the rationale for selling the brand which they’ve held onto since 2005. Wholesalers, Pelikan’s main customers in the past, have increasingly been replaced by more direct distribution channels, a change that has resulted in high complexity and increased margin pressures. At the end of the day, Pelikan felt that they lacked the resources necessary to continue to invest into the changes within those channels resulting in the company being less competitive in the global marketplace. Read on to learn just how the deal is expected to unfold.
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