Pelikan History
Pelikan History -
The beginnings of the Pelikan Company trace back to the chemist Carl Hornemann, who made his customers an offer for oil paints, watercolors and for so called "farbige Dinten" - colored inks, on April 28, 1838. This price list - safely restored in the Pelikan archives - was the foundation of the company's manufacturing line, from which the worldwide known trademark Pelikan has developed.
The small manufacturing site continued to grow and constantly expanded its range of products. The school products developed from the paints, e. g. the Pelikan opaque paintbox, which has become a daily essential in German art classes. The "Dinten" generated the famous Pelikan writing instruments on the one hand and its office accessories with inks for ink jet printers and toner cartridges for laser printers, on the other.
The company's inks found use in many different sectors and the product line reflected that, too. For example, in the price list of 1892, 17 pages were needed to present the variety of "Dinten" (historical expression for the German word inks) available, from which today a difference can barely be told. Among the writing inks alone the following versions were distinguished: Regular ink, Anthraces writing ink, Aleppo writing ink, German Reich ink, emperor's ink, chancellery and archive ink, pure iron gall nut ink, salon ink for the gentlefolk, perfumed lady's ink, office ink, black school ink Ia and IIa.
For copying and business mailings, however, there were 7 different "Copirtinten", copying inks, together with autographic and hectographic inks.
In 1871, Günther Wagner bought the company from Carl Hornemann. By registering the pelican as one of the first trademarks in Germany for his products in 1879, he had proven how important it had been to him to advertise the products he made. The pelican he had used was adopted from the family crest.
Another wise step of his was to give his inks names that were easy to remember. In 1898, the most important writing and copying inks received the product names 2001, 3001, 4001 and later on were followed by 5001 and 6001. In the long run, the 4001 ink remained the number one Pelikan ink. Until now, it is sold all around the world.
There had been a variety of shapes for bottles and labels that were supposed to induce consumers to buy the inks made by Pelikan.
Lewis Edison Waterman had a fountain pen patented in 1884 and a market began to emerge for new pens of the kind. Only a few years later Günther Wagner started producing inks for fountain pens.
Self filling fountain pens using pressure and lever mechanisms and so called safety fountain pens that were filled by using an eyedropper ruled the market after World War I. However, they could only carry a small amount of ink and, as the name indicates, using the safety pen was rather complicated if you wanted to keep your hands clean at the same time.
It was then that the Hungarian engineer Theodor Kovacs developed a revolutionary new system: The piston filling mechanism with a differential spindle gear. Compensation chambers were added to the ink feed to prevent blotting. In 1927 he sold the patents to the company Günther Wagner in Hanover that re-patented them under its own name in 1929.
In the same year, the "transparent Pelikan fountain pen" was launched. It received its name from the transparent ink container, which made it easier to monitor the ink capacity. Apart from the striking, jade green barrel, the fountain pen was rather plain looking and did not receive a model number either.
The technical advantages, made known to the retailers and buyers in and outside the country by extensive advertisement, quickly resulted in the company Günther Wagner gaining a substantial share in the fountain pen market. Although, however, with the price ranging in 13.50 Reichsmark, the pen was rather ascribed to the upper middle class.
At the end of 1930, the second model, the "Pelikan Gold" appeared. It had a 14 carat gold sleeve and decorative rings on the cap of the same worth. The caps of the Pelikan fountain pen "green" and "black", as they were called, received decorative rings, as well.
In 1931, the product range was expanded further. As a consequence, model names became necessary.
Model 100 with a sleeve in either green (now green marbled), black, grey, red, blue or yellow.
Model 111 was used as a name for the Pelikan Gold. Model 110 (2nd from left) for the fountain pen with a cap and sleeve made of rolled white gold. Model 112 (3rd from left), cap and sleeve in 14 carat gold.
1932 brings out the new model T 111, the Toledo. This fountain pen had a sleeve engraved with pelicans, crafted using the Toledo technique. It is considered to be the most beautiful of the historic Pelikan fountain pens. It is the most favorite model among collectors and its price reaches up to several thousand Euro. A modified model is part of the basic collection, even today.
The "Rappen" fountain pen was launched shortly after. "Rappen" was Günther Wagner's second brand and served as a backup for the Pelikan brand. The Rappen cost 6.75 Reichsmark and was equipped with a pump mechanism. However, it also had the transparent container to monitor the ink level more easily, as well as a 14 carat golden nib. The name "Rappen", which is also the German expression for a black horse, had the advantage that it could also be used in English as "Rap-Pen".
In 1934, Pelikan introduced the "automatic refill pencil", a mechanical pencil. It received the name "Auch"-Pelikan, as it "also" was a Pelikan writing instrument.
The model 200 fit to the model 100 with its black and green, black, later on even black and grey, brown and tortoiseshell colored and black and lizard colored barrel. Very rare and undocumented, however, produced nevertheless, remained the design in brownish red.
The pen with the product name 210 was built to fit in a waistcoat pocket or a lady's handbag.
The models 101 were offered internationally and were available in red, green, blue, lizard colored and tortoiseshell-like. The last model was alternatively available with a reddish brown cap, the same color of the pen's gripping section and the neck of the pen.
In 1936, the IBIS was introduced. It was a low priced fountain pen with a piston filling mechanism, which was supposed to replace the Rappen. Only in some countries, this model was sold under the name of "Rappen", in South Africa even still with a pump mechanism.
In contrast to its "black" predecessor Rappen, the IBIS pens were also offered with a barrel and cap in grayish black, reddish black and greenish black. These designs are not documented in the Pelikan archives, however, they had obviously been produced.
In 1937, the model 100N was introduced to the international market. N stood for new, as it was the successor of the model 100. In size, the fountain pen is a bit larger than its predecessor and therefore can carry a larger amount of ink.
In the same year, Wilhelm Wagenfeld, who was counted among the most renowned industrial designers of his times, was contracted to re-design the squared ink glass, the Liegeflasche (laying bottle) and the 1/4l, the 1/2l as well as the 1 liter ink bottles. In 1938, in celebration of Pelikan's 100th anniversary, the glasses and bottles were introduced to the market, by and by.
Also in celebration of Pelikan's 100th anniversary, the model 100N was now being offered in Germany, too. The design variations of the model 100 were borrowed for it: all in gold, the Toledo, the rolled white gold version, the lizard and tortoiseshell color, however, not the colored models in red, blue and green.
The lizard hued model is known to have either a lizard design on the top of its cap or a black top. Additionally, both versions are equipped with decorative rings and a clip in golden or, respectively, silver.
The standard designs are available with a barrel in green, grey and black. The caps have either two decorative rings and a smooth drop shaped clip or one wide, fluted decorative ring and a matching clip.
In 1939, the desk fountain pens 100Nf with an affixed extension and the 100Na including a detachable extension, both only rarely found today, were introduced.
Based on the increased distribution of the fountain pen after World War II, the use of iron gall nut ink decreased, as it is blue in color when still liquid, however, turns black when dry, due to oxidation. Instead, the interest in colored inks grew and, in the course of time, the color royal blue prevailed. The ink is bright in color. The surface tension is made to provide an easy but not too strong ink flow and it also provides quick drying on the paper, however, not on the nib. Even after not using the fountain for a while no residues form.
In 1950, after several years of development, the Pelikan fountain pen 400 was launched. The remarkable green transparent striped ink container became a color symbol for the Pelikan fountain pen, which has yet remained.
The same counts for the beak shaped clip that had already been "invented" during war. Some variations are designed with brownish tortoiseshell transparent or black transparent striped ink containers. The models of the 500 series have a cap made of rolled gold and a matching sleeve over the gripping section. These previously named parts even have a 14 carat gold plating on the model 600.
In 1952 the model 140 was launched. Like the Rappen hedged the model 100 downwards in price in 1932, the fountain pen 140 that cost DM 16.50 safeguarded the pen 400, which was priced at DM 25,-. This fountain pen was delivered in black, blue, red, green and grey. In 1954, the transparent green-striped barrel followed and the price was lowered to DM 15,-. In 1955, Pelikan counted among one of the last manufacturers of writing instruments and, moving with the times, Pelikan introduced ballpoint pens fitting the fountain pens. Pelikan called the pen "Roller". The writing instrument that is known today as a rollerball pen was not added to the Pelikan product range until the 1970s.
It was the year 1956 when the models 400 and 500 switched over to 400NN and 500NN. Like its predecessor, the 400NN cost DM 25,- and was the leading model of its kind on the market.
The Pelikano and the cartridge filling system.
The year 1958 began with the introduction of the model series P1 and with it began a new era in the construction of Pelikan fountain pens. The fountain pens had a completely covered nib and a thermal ink feed that was able to improve the blotting problem by far. The piston-filling mechanism remained at first.
In 1960 the Pelikano was launched - it was the first school fountain pen that was constructed on the basis of fundamental research from writing educators, teachers and students. The advantages - the thermal ink feed, the cartridge filling system, the low weight, the unbreakable aluminum cap, the color combination blue and silver - combined with the advertisement in television made this pen the leading fountain pen in the market.
In these years, the consumption of ink coming in glasses decreased strongly after the vast use of the ballpoint pen. Ink glasses were only sold in very small amounts, particularly the ink glass 78. The cartridge filling system that now became prevalent on the market, and for which until today Pelikan yet produces the cartridges nearby Hanover, made the ink business profitable again. The fountain pen ink received its classic brand name 4001.
Inspired by the great success of the Pelikano pen, Pelikan launched the models P 15 and P25 for adults. Even though they had the same shape as the Pelikano, the difference was that they were equipped with a golden nib.
In the following years, changes were made on the nib and the shape of the Pelikano fountain pen, due to the new requirements given by the teachers. The models for adults received the same modifications, however, were alternatively offered with a piston filling mechanism. With these models, however, Pelikan never managed to keep the position in the market it had reached with the model 400, of which manufacturing was ceased in 1956.
In the 1980s, writing with a fountain pen experienced a revival. Not necessarily in everyday use, however, it was used again for personal letters, for signatures and as a status symbol. This kind of change was reflected in particular models. The fountain pens became more elaborate in their equipment and special product series were made. As a consequence, an article of daily use changed to a collector's item.
In 1979, with the "Signum", a fountain pen specially made for adults was introduced for the first time again. Yet, only in 1982, when the "Souverän M 400" was launched, which was a renewal of the fountain pen 400, Pelikan managed to live up to its previous successes. From the outside, the fountain pens were identical. Only the ink feed and the mechanism showed slight differences.
Taking the contemporary taste into account, every once in a while Pelikan also offered pen series with modern designs and a cartridge filling system, apart from the classic Souverän with its piston filling mechanism.
So, the "Signum" was followed by the model "New Classics" in 1992. 1997 brought out the "Celebry" followed by the "Epoch" in 2004 and 2007 by the "Ductus".
In 1993, with the introduction of the model "Blue Ocean", Pelikan began constructing limited edition models with an extraordinary design for collectors and enthusiasts of fine writing instruments. These special writing instruments were awarded many times. At the beginning of the 21st century, series of limited edition pens were made that were dedicated to certain topics, e.g. "The Seven Wonders of the World" and the "Achievements of Civilization".
A bit lower in price, however, aiming at the same target group, the town series of the special editions began with "Berlin" and "Stockholm" in 2002. Like the limited editions, special editions are also produced for a short time only, however, without being numbered in single. The most recent special edition brought out by Pelikan celebrates the topic "Beauties of Nature".
In 1996, with the "Level", Pelikan tried to introduce a fountain pen that would be characterized by an ink capacity three times as big as all fountain pens so far. However, the fountain pen had to be filled using a special ink bottle and in a very unusual way: It was not filled over the nib, but from the rear end via a filling button, rather comparing to the way gas lighters are filled. The consumers were not ready to adapt, so Pelikan ceased its production.
In 2007, the range of classic fountain pens reached the top with its model "Majesty". The grooved barrel made of sterling silver reminds of the striped ink reservoir known from the models 300 to 1000. The longstanding tradition is depicted by a special feature on the cap: The decorative ring means to interpret the wall frieze of 1906, which still decorates the towers of the historically preserved original company building of Pelikan.
In celebration of Pelikan's 170th anniversary in 2008, the model "Majesty" including three diamonds in a nest (on the cap) was launched as a limited edition of 170 pens. This edition was sold out immediately.
In the year 2010, Pelikan launched the "Edelstein Ink Collection". Thanks to a special ingredient, these inks, which are still produced in the factories nearby Hanover, provide a pleasantly smooth writing comfort and with their high quality glass flacon, they make a fancy decoration on any desk.