Pelikan Schreibgeräte 1929 – 2004
by Jürgen Dittmer & Martin Lehmann
A.H.F. Dunkmann GmbH & Co. KG, 2004, 188 pages (ASIN B004G8HQY0)
Pelikan Schreibgeräte is a book that was last printed 10 years ago. It is very hard to find in today’s market and when a copy is found for sale, it often commands prices upwards of $250+ dollars. Why then review it now? While many people save and search for their grail pen (a dream pen that often borders on unobtainable), my grail has always been Schreibgeräte. Don’t get me wrong, as far as pens go, a Pelikan Toledo would be my grail but, believe it or not, the Toledo is likely more obtainable than this now long out of print book.
The book detailed here is the second and last edition to be printed, covering pens from 1929-2004. The first edition was published in 1997 and covered pens produced from 1929-1997. Both editions were authored by Jürgen Dittmer and Martin Lehmann. Schreibgeräte is the German word for ‘writing instruments’ and anyone serious about collecting Pelikan writing instruments, especially those prized vintage models, should seriously consider finding a copy of this book. It would not be an exaggeration to describe it as an indispensable resource.
In the interval since the first printing, Dittmer and Lehmann undertook to provide more extensive information on the different models as well as include more pictures of the various pens described. The book itself is a survey of models from 1929 to 2o04 and, while not an encyclopedic catalogue, it often gives information on special and limited editions that is not readily available elsewhere. Not only are Pelikan’s writing instruments detailed but so is a thorough history of the company. All of this was made possible by having unlimited access to the Pelikan archives in Hannover as well as through the help of many Pelikan collectors who are well-known across the globe.