The Pelikan Experience

Long before discovering Pelikan, Montblanc was the fountain pen in my pocket. At the time, it was nothing more than a serviceable tool for putting words to paper on occasion. The pen was a Meisterstuck 146 and went through two nib changes before I could even say I liked it a little. Nothing like enthusiasm, and certainly no passion surrounded the pen, or my use of it. I saw it simply as an okay kind of fountain pen that had cost too much money. Well, about Montblanc and that old Meisterstuck 146 my opinion has done an about face, but that’s another story.

After a few years of using the Montblanc, a friend led me to a small pen shop in Tokyo and urged me to try a Pelikan Souverän. I mark that as the day my eyes were first opened to the beauty and craft of fountain pens. I experienced then the particular Pelikan joy of written words generated by a well-made fountain pen. That day I bought my first Pelikan, a Souverän 600. I have never wavered in my enchantment with Pelikan, and since that first Souverän have added another five Pelikan fountain pens to my treasure box of pens.

I like all of my Pelikans, but view one of them as the jewel in the crown. A year ago I bought a vintage Pelikan 100N from a dealer in Budapest, Hungary. The pen came to me in excellent condition, and from the first day became a special member of my collection.

The Pelikan 100N (N for ‘neu’ or ‘new’) was a modification of the 100, and was first produced in 1938. Some say that the 100 and 100N marked the beginning of Pelikan’s distinctive styling. The company produced the pen in a number of different versions, or models. For example, the export model was slightly different from that produced for domestic use. It was during Germany’s war years, and that fact determined things like available materials. During those years, the pens were all made with nickel or steel nibs and pocket clips.

My own 100N was manufactured in the years immediately after WWII, between 1947 and 1951. The barrel of the pen is marbled gray celluloid with a bottle green ink window (a post war feature). The cap is black with a 14 carat gold plated pocket clip and single band—both with a fluted design. The nib is 14 carat and the size is M. The logo on the top of the cap shows the traditional Pelikan design, with two chicks in the nest, and is white-filled engraving. Around the top of the cap (not seen in the photos) is ‘Pelikan PATENT’ also in white-filled engraving.

The pen measures 12.3 centimeters (5.24 inches) and 15.5 centimeters (6.1 inches) posted.

I have written in an earlier post (Rainy Day Favorites) a brief description of the 100N’s quality of writing. I will repeat that brief description here: The 100N makes a sound that I like very much as it moves across the paper. Other Pelikan pens have nibs that flow across the page without a murmur, but for some reason (related to age?), the 100N whispers to the paper in a soft susurrus as the words unfold. Ears as well as eyes bear witness to the pen’s writing.

This is one that I expect won’t allow my enthusiasm for fountain pens to wane.

Rainy Day Favorites

This being another of those cold, rainy days in Tokyo, it’s easy to be dragged down by wet feet, damp clothes and overheated trains. I find it helps me to put a better shine on the day with the thought of some favorite things I’ve enjoyed over the past week or two. Come home out of the rain, trade the damp go-to-work clothes for soft, crumpled old jeans and sweater with a hole in the elbow, put on a favorite CD, and make myself something to drink. Flip through recent pages scribbled in a journal, stop and admire again that ink, the one that seems to have made the thoughts come out better. Pull a book from the messy jumble on the desk and think again of words and images that knocked me for a loop last week. Discover between pages 116 and 117 the piece of paper with a poem copied from The Writer’s Almanac. The cold and damp recede and I’m home.

I’ve made a list of ten favorite things from the past couple of weeks, things that were important in opening my eyes, raising my spirits, satisfying an appetite, or just somehow making the days better. It’s not meant to imply that the ten things listed will be forever and immovable from the list. Ask me again next month and I’d probably rattle off ten new favorites. But for now…

Favorite Book

Tokyo Fiancée by Amélie Nothomb, published in 2009 by Europa Editions

Books about the experiences of young foreigners discovering Japan can be predictable and boring, too often lacking a fresh perspective and particular insight. This book (originally in French) takes us far beyond the banal and naive impressions of many ‘my time in Japan’ books. Nothomb has a good eye for Japanese society, and gives us two characters with depth.

Poem

“Twenty Question” by Maura Stanton, from Immortal Sofa, published in 2008

Who wrote Heart of Darkness? And what’s the name

Of Dale Evan’s horse? Why did thieves steal

Charlie Chaplin’s corpse? Can you explain

Hieroglyphs in shells? How do you feel?

How many grains of (popcorn, rice, sand) fill

This container? Why did they auction off

Maria Callas’s underwear? Would you like a pill?

Do you feel tired, perhaps? Is that bed soft?

Can you remember your parents’ wedding date?

Your own? Like a glass of milk? Some champagne?

How many rhymes in a sonnet? Something you ate?

Who invented Bacos? Think it will rain?

Lie back now. Shall I bring you some chips?

What’s the answer? It’s rising to your lips.

Movie

Slumdog Millionaire

For some reason I put off seeing this movie until it came out on DVD, and even then held off for another couple of weeks. What was I thinking? Great movie!

CD

Soundtrack from the 2000 movie, What Women Want

I pulled this one out of a dusty stack last week and played it every day for about a week. In my opinion an almost perfect compilation of great old love songs — Sinatra, Nancy Wilson, The Temptations, Bobby Darin, Christina Aguilera, Peggy Lee…

Short Story

“Welding with Children” by Tim Gautreaux, from a 1999 collection of the same name

No one, but no one writes characters and settings like Gautreaux. Treat yourself to some down home Louisiana gumbo.

Pen

Vintage Pelikan 100N with a gray tortoiseshell barrel and a medium nib

This pen makes a sound that I like very much as it moves across the paper. Other Pelikan pens have nibs that flow across the page without a murmur, but for some reason (related to age?), the 100N whispers to the paper in a soft susurrus as the words unfold. Ears as well as eyes bear witness to the pen’s writing.

Ink

‘Blood Orange’ a custom mix by Osamu Ishimaru at Sailor Jentle Ink

Paper

Very inexpensive light gray Muji paper, 55% recycled paper, in a wire bound notebook.

Food

Curry udon — This is a type of thick wheat flour noodle usually served in a brown soy sauce based broth. My preference is to put the noodles in a thick Japanese curry soup with vegetables and chicken.

Best Looking Blogs

Though the content is also commendable, two of the blogs I have most enjoyed looking at recently are Glass Petal Smoke and Noterati. These blogs both have a beautiful layout and choice of colors, fonts and design.

These are things that cheer me up on a cold and rainy day.

Better get busy cooking that curry udon.