The calendar has flipped, and a new year has begun which means it is time for Pelikan to clue us in on the next special edition ink to join their Edelstein line. New for 2023, this year’s special edition “Ink Of The Year” will be Rose Quartz. The shade of this new ink promises to fall somewhere on a spectrum between pink and red. This new edition will be the twentieth gemstone inspired ink to join the Edelstein line. Pelikan has been playing the special edition ink game for twelve years now, first launching Turmaline in 2012. Since that time, we have had several solid inks along with some really great but too short lived releases. Since Turmaline, we have had Amber (2013), Garnet (2014), Amethyst (2015), Aquamarine (2016), Smoky Quartz (2017), Olivine (2018), Star Ruby (2019), Moonstone (2020), Golden Beryl (2021), and Apatite (2022). Because these are special edition inks, they are generally produced for only one year therefore once supplies run out, they are gone (unless Pelikan decides to resurrect a shade or two down the line). Rose Quarts will be available in the Spring with an anticipated launch date for some time in March 2023.
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News: Edelstein Ink of the Year 2022 – Apatite
It is hard to believe that 2021 is just two weeks away from drawing to its close. Not only is another disjointed and surreal year ending but it seems like the long shadow of the coronavirus pandemic will carry well into 2022. To counteract the doldrums of the pandemic, many have sought refuge and solace in this hobby of ours. Something that always brightens my spirits, whether I’m buying or not, is news of a new product release from a favorite brand. Thanks to the good people over at Federalist Pens, we now have fresh news of the first new product of 2022. Coming hot on the heels of this year’s M200 Golden Beryl is word of the next Edelstein Ink of the Year release. The 2022 special edition ink will be called Apatite, the nineteenth gemstone inspired ink to grace the Edelstein line and the eleventh special edition Ink of the Year. It will join the likes of Turmaline (2012), Amber (2013), Garnet (2014), Amethyst (2015), Aquamarine (2016), Smoky Quartz (2017), Olivine (2018), Star Ruby (2019), Moonstone (2020), and Golden Beryl (2021). These special edition inks are generally produced for just one year therefore availability will only be while supplies last. At the moment, Apatite is anticipated to have a March 2022 release date giving us another reason to look forward to the spring.
Continue readingNews: Edelstein Ink of the Year 2021 – Golden Beryl
We have seen a release schedule upended and product slow to make its way into retail channels thanks to a pandemic which came to define 2020. Still, the show must go on and Pelikan seems ready to rise to the challenge of brightening all of our spirits, both figuratively and literally. The first new product of 2021 comes in the form of the next Edelstein Ink of the Year release. This year’s selection is nothing short of astonishing as Pelikan has decided to break new ground by introducing its first ever shimmering ink to the Edelstein line, a top request per the company’s social media accounts. The 2021 Ink of the Year will be none other than Golden Beryl. The silver-gray hue of Moonstone now gives way to a yellow-golden ink with shimmering qualities, perhaps the biggest departure from any past release to date. Golden Beryl will mark its debut as the eighteenth gemstone inspired ink in the line-up and it will be the tenth Ink of the Year, soon to be counted amongst the likes of Turmaline (2012), Amber (2013), Garnet (2014), Amethyst (2015), Aquamarine (2016), Smoky Quartz (2017), Olivine (2018), Star Ruby (2019), and Moonstone (2020). As of now, this is expected to be a limited run, in production for just one year only. Golden Beryl is slated to hit store shelves in April provided the pandemic doesn’t intervene to delay the launch.
News: Pelikan’s 4001 Pink To Come Bottled
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.
News: Edelstein Ink of the Year 2020 – Moonstone
It was around this time last year that we learned of the 2019 Edelstein Ink of the Year selection so it should not come as too much of a surprise that today brings news of Pelikan’s next batch of limited edition ink. In addition to learning of the M200 Pastel-Green, our second bit of product news is all about Moonstone, the forthcoming 2020 Edelstein Ink of the Year. The palette again shifts, this time to a silver-gray hue which is a significant departure from the prior Star Ruby release. This will be the seventeenth gemstone inspired color to grace the line-up. Moonstone will join Turmaline, Amber, Garnet, Amethyst, Aquamarine, Smoky Quartz, Olivine, and Star Ruby as the ninth Ink of the Year release. Some of these special editions have been resurrected to have a second life but, at least for now, we can expect this one to be a limited run for the next year. Moonstone is anticipated to grace store shelves sometime around March of 2020.
News: Edelstein Ink of the Year 2019 – Star Ruby
As the embers of 2018’s excitement begin to slowly fade with the year’s close, Pelikan rekindles a sense of anticipation for next year by giving us a small taste of what’s to come. News broke yesterday of the limited edition Herzstück 1929 which pays homage to the origins of Pelikan’s fountain pen production some 90 years ago. Today, reports of the 2019 Edelstein Ink of the Year have surfaced. With the introduction of Star Ruby, the palette appears to have swung from a shade of green to more reddish hues. This will be the sixteenth gemstone inspired color to grace the line-up. The forthcoming Star Ruby will join the likes of Turmaline, Amber, Garnet, Amethyst, Aquamarine, Smoky Quartz, and Olivine as the eighth Ink of the Year. Unlike last year’s Olivine, this one was not a fan chosen shade. While details are just emerging, we can expect availability sometime in March of 2019.
News: Edelstein Garnet Added to the Standard Line-Up
The Edelstein collection of inks now spans 15 different shades inspired by various gemstones. These have been split between a standard perennial line up of eight inks with the remaining seven comprising a more limited edition series usually only available for a short time. In a surprise move during March of 2017, Pelikan announced that Aquamarine, the 2016 Ink of the Year, would become part of the regular line-up, swelling the ranks to nine. Today, Pelikan took to social media to announce another resurrection. This time it is Garnet, the 2014 Ink of the Year, that will joint the standard assortment, bringing the total number to an even ten.
“We have some great news for you! It‘s back again: our Edelstein Ink of the Year 2014 Garnet is now part of our standard assortment! 🙂 Catch it, if you can. 😊”
Garnet was billed as a dark red color. The fact that this is the second time an older limited edition has been put back into service suggests that this might be a new trend for Pelikan. That possibility may give hope to those longing for some of the inks from days gone by. Amber, Turmaline, and Amethyst come to mind as past fan favorites that have been sorely missed since their discontinuation. I’m a little bit at a loss as to why Garnet may have been chosen ahead of any one of those. It’s not that Garnet doesn’t have its admirers but it generally received somewhat mixed reviews at the time of its original release. Amber, in my opinion, would have been the smart play here, hands down. Still, I won’t complain about added variety and I’ll take heart in the fact that we may yet see some of the more desired inks make a return. What are your thoughts on Garnet’s new status?
News: Ink of the Year 2018 – Olivine
The 2018 Edelstein Ink of the Year has long been anticipated and Pelikan took the opportunity today via their social media accounts to make the official announcement. You may recall that Pelikan ran a social media contest back in 2016 which allowed fans the opportunity to choose this year’s limited edition color. Over 1,200 suggestions were submitted per the company but Johannes from Cologne was ultimately declared the winner of that contest with an olive-green colored entry. That ink now takes on the official moniker of Olivine in keeping with their gem stone themed line of colors (not to be confused with the Monteverde ink of the same name). This release follows the brown tinted Smoky Quartz from the 2017 limited edition run. It will be the fifteenth addition to the Edelstein line-up, a line that is currently composed of nine regular production inks. It joins the likes of Turmaline, Amber, Garnet, Amethyst, Aquamarine, and Smoky Quartz as the seventh Ink of the Year.