Today I have for you the only Pelikan in the big box of pens. This is a 120 “school” pen from probably the early sixties. I think originally the nib was gold plated, but lots of pictures I found of this model, the gold wears off. I’m going to guess that is what happened here. The piston to fill the pen moves by turning the black end piece. I love how the clip is a pelican head and beak. It’s very gentle to fill compared with the piston actions of some of the other pens.

Here are three Skylines. I was trying to get the light to show off the brown and blue pens’ tortoise shell. All three needed cleaning and new ink sacs. The brown one is still in process because I can’t get it apart no matter how hard I pull and I’m afraid to break it. The nibs on these are especially smooth and nice to write with, even when I’m making tiny letters. I’ll keep posting pens as I clean and restore the ones in this box I inherited. Ideas on how to live with, use, and store a dozen or so pens welcome. They are all turning out so well I want to rotate through using them but want to make sure they don’t get all dried out and broken between rotations.

I was looking for a way to post my before picture as well, but couldn’t figure it out. The metal was dull and dirty, the rubber pen sac was cracked and hardened and, the pen was full of dried ink. I disassembled the pen, soaked it, polished the parts and fitted a new ink sac. I think it is a Whal Machine Turned pen from the 1920s.

When I write with it, the first few centimeters have no ink, then it flows. I gather this can be fixed, but I don’t want to press my luck with reshaping the nib and potentially breaking it.

I found a stash of old pens when cleaning out a relative’s house. So, maybe I’ll be able to share more of the ones I’m able to revive.