This month’s pen selection do seem to share many similarities with each other, I’ll admit. I typically avoid inking more than one pen from the same brand as there’s more than enough variety in my current collection to select from.
However, I was just at Scriptus Toronto over the weekend and bought the vintage Pelikan 400 from Philip Akin which I utterly adore so I couldn’t help keeping it inked for a little longer. Sadly, it did not come with the original nib and the replacement nib was unbranded … but it does flex! The non-original nib wasn’t a deal breaker for me because it was priced quite affordably and I’m not into calligraphy so the chances of me flexing extensively is fairly low.
The nib does have a sharp, fine point. Even though there is a faint “Germany” printed on the nib, I certainly have not encountered an European-make nib that feels this fine. So I would classify it as an EF for everyday writing and it flexes to about 0.8mm - that’s with the most pressure I dare put on the nib though I’m sure more experienced fountain pen users would challenge it further. When compared with a Japanese-make nib, a soft touch on it produces a line approximately closer to a F nib.
Pelikans aside, the other two pens are rose gold plated. I’ll admit I’m partial to gold plated pens, but the rose gold ones have a burgundy tinge that just tickles my fancy.
From left to right:
- Pelikan 400 Tortoiseshell-Brown (circa 1950s), EF with Waterman Mysterious Blue.
- Pelikan Souverän M400 Tortoiseshell-Brown, EF with Pelikan 4001 Turquoise.
- Platinum #3776 Century Nice Rose, F with Organics Studio Ralph Waldo Emerson Twilight Blue.
- 3952 Abalone Shell, EF with Pilot Iroshizuku Fuyu Shogun.