FINE WRITING INSTRUMENTS 90 years PISTON MECHANISM in motion 01|2019 pelikan passion we are celebrating an important anniversary again this year: 90 years of a piston mechanism! With this ground- breaking invention, Pelikan set a milestone in the development of high-grade writing instruments. Our commemorative writing instrument “Herzstück 1929”, a homage to this exceptional technical accomplishment, shows once more how absolutely true we remain to our high quality standard. And how much passion we invest in continuing to write the story of our success. For us, passion is Our commemorative writing a way of life. It inspires us anew every day. Pelikan is pure writing instrument “Herzstück 1929” experience. honors the first fountain pen with a piston filling mechanism, with which Pelikan revolutionized the Jens Meyer, Global Marketing Manager Fine Writing Instruments market. A limited edition with a vibrant spirit. 2 3 90 years of piston mechanism The 1920s: Eventful times both on the the year ground and in 90 years in the air. 1929 great winner Thomas Mann receives the Nobel Prize in Literature for Buddenbrooks. The comic figures Popeye and Tintin and Snowy are setting trends in their own way in popular art. And, very entertainingly, Hollywood surprises with its first Oscars award ceremony. higher dreams In New York, a decade of far-reaching change: the 1920s. creative inventive spirit leads to the Chrysler Building rises 319 meters previously unseen advances in mobility. the sense of limitless freedom forges Motion into the sky to become the world’s a generation’s lifestyle. inspired by this liberation, pelikan sends out a new tallest building at the time. Walter type of writing instrument on a global journey in 1929, which continues until Gropius revolutionizes art and this day. architecture worldwide with the purist Bauhaus style. written history Pelikan presents the first fountain pen with a piston filling mechanism, revolutionizing the market with a steady flow of ink, no blotting, and a larger, more manageable supply of ink. The famed classic Souverän is the roaring twenties bring this new world’s emerging considered to be a symbol represent- metropolises alive: Berlin, Paris, New York… Progress compels people to ad- ing the Pelikan brand worldwide. vance at a frenetic pace. They look for new ways to break their daily routine. Transport innovations hasten the speed of travel. Automobiles drive along roads, propelled without the physical strength of horses. Count Zeppelin’s airship conquers the skies and flies around the world. Ocean liners cross the world’s seas while railways tracks crisscross the country. Moving images are shown in palatial picture houses with pro- jectors casting up to 18 images a second onto screens. Music is preserved on records and comes to life wherever there is a gramophone. Pelikan joins the march of progress, patenting a writing instrument which makes it easier for travelers to write while on the move, reliably transferring the ink to paper: The first fountain pen to feature the revolutionary piston mechanism system. Günther Wagner poster: Pelikan presents the first piston filler and revolutionizes the market with its patented system. 4 5 90 years of piston mechanism herzstück* we are commemorating the 90th anniversary of the piston mechanism with a special limited edition: Our “Herzstück 1929”. 1929 It brings technical achievement into focus with its exquisite design. The large, trans- Our new icon parent inspection window provides a view of the piston and its function. This gives due recognition to the importance of the patent, which had enormous implications for all subsequent Pelikan piston fountain pens. Over the decades, the technical basis of the piston filling mechanism and that of the ink feeder have remained virtually unchanged – an attestation to the maturity of the patent. We have further developed our piston fountain pens in terms of materials, colors and design. *Herzstück: The heart, the crucial core on which everything depends. It also has great emotional significance. historical look and feel in a new design: • Our new icon stands out, thanks to the traditional shape of the fountain pen from the M101N series, quintessentially Pelikan. • Highlight: The transparent inspection window extends along the length of the ink reservoir. • The piston is gold-plated and bears the historic patent number. Also in use for • The 18-carat gold nib is adorned with a special embossment. decades: The practical, shapely ink bottle 4001®. It makes it easier The limited edition to fill the piston of 462 pens takes fountain pen to its inspiration from the very last drop. piston mechanism A small the historic patent invention changes the world number, which con- The Pelikan fountain pen, with its unique piston filling mechanism, makes its debut tains 4, 6 and 2 as worldwide in 1929. What’s new is the fact that the ink reservoir is quick and easy to the last three digits. refill and the pen does not make a mess when handled or used to write. Hungarian engineer Theodor Kovács uses his technical expertise to develop this patented pen and sold the patent to the visionary Fritz Beindorff. Beindorff immediately recognized the ground-breaking advantages of this new technology, which reflected the spirit of the times: People were becoming more mobile, traveling around the world and wanted a simple writing instrument for their travels. No-one could have predicted how victori- ous this little invention would become over the coming decades. On its 90th anniversary, we can safely say that it transformed the world a little bit more and forms the basis of Pelikan’s lasting success on the fountain pen market. 6 7 index 3 24 32 36 68 100 stories limited special premium 36 elegance 68 accessories 100 Editorial 3 editions 24 editions 32 Toledo 38 Classic 70 Edelstein Ink Collection 102 90 Years in Motion 4 Maki-e 26 Limited Classics 34 Toledo Black 40 Two Filling Systems 72 Edelstein Ink Collection Index 8 Unique Spirit 28 Souverän 42 Overview of the Classic Bottles 104 The Pelikan Seven Wonders of the World 30 Souverän pen sizes compared 45 Fountain pens 74 Edelstein Ink Collection Cartridges 106 Quality Promise 10 classic gold-plated souverän gold-plated Ink 4001 108 Piston Mechanism 12 Classic 200 Brown-Marbled 76 Souverän M 1000, K 800 46 4001 ink bottles 110 The Art of the Nib 14 Classic 200 Green-Marbled 78 Souverän Black-Green 48 4001 ink cartridges 110 Make a Wish Nib 16 Classic P 200 Black 80 Souverän Black-Blue 50 Document proof ink 112 Edelstein Ink of the Year 18 Classic 200 Black 82 Souverän Black-Red 52 The Pelikan TintenTurm 20 Converters Souverän Black 54 classic silver chrome Ballpoint refills Short Cuts 22 Rollerball refills Classic 205 Blue-Marbled 84 Souverän Tortoiseshell-White 56 Erasers 114 Classic P 205 Black 86 souverän silver-plated Pen cases 116 Classic 205 Black | White 88 Souverän Stresemann 60 Zip-up cases 118 Classic 215 Rings 90 Souverän Black-Blue 64 Leather pouches 120 Classic 205 DUO Highlighter 92 Souverän Black 66 Gift boxes 122 Pura 94 Contact 125 Pura Silver 96 Pura Blue-Silver 98 Pura Black-Silver 98 8 9 the pelikan quality promise we make quality an experience Quality is the product of craftsmanship. It is the result of more than a century’s expertise. Even so, we rely on much more than just experience. The things that have been tried and tested over decades still need to inspire people both today and tomorrow. In order to meet the most sophisticated of demands at any time, we are consistently working to increase our accomplishment with the greatest passion. We show how you can refine ideas and develop visions. This is what Pelikan quality is all about, and how we have worked for 180 years – and this philosophy continues to guide us every day. Our promise to you. The perfect balance of our services at a glance advanced technical expertise and love of stylish design. Our • Unlimited warranty on limited edition pens* Souverän is a classic as well • Three-year warranty on Premium and Elegance collections* as our brand ambassador worldwide. • Spare part, repair, and engraving services * You can find more information about this in the warranty booklet for your writing instrument or on our Web site at www.pelikan-passion.com/service 10 11 piston mechanism In conversation with detlev köhn engineering fine writing let’s talk a little about you first, mr. köhn: how is this done? what ties you to pelikan? Each part, such as the piston mechanism, is checked under I started as a toolmaker trainee back in 1974 and it’s now my a very bright light strip. Any imperfections in the material, Factorytours 45th year working at Pelikan. During this time, I have held no matter how small, will distort the light. It takes a trained, various positions in toolmaking and work preparation and experienced eye to notice this change. Incidentally, machines register at have worked as a departmental manager. I’m now responsible are not able to check nearly as well. www.pelikan.com for developing and optimizing all processes and procedures for fine writing instruments and nib production in the Engineer- are pelikan piston fillers still manufactured by hand ing Department. then? piston mechanism – Yes, as they were 90 years ago. The materials have changed a what requires special attention when manufacturing little. Cork would be used to seal the pen in the past whereas these high-grade writing instruments? TPE, a rubbery plastic, is used today. Composites such as Ebo- Handmade in Germany The piston track must not contain even the smallest scratch nite, a hard rubber, were used for the piston rod; today, we use or mark; otherwise, the fountain pen will not be air-tight since materials such as PMMA (acrylic glass) or ABS in line with the the pelikan piston filling mechanism forms the core of each piston fountain pen.