Pelikan 400 colour opinon sought, please.

[grainweevil]

Hello all, hope the wisdom of the Pelikan lovers on this forum can help with a simple question:

What colour/color is (or was) this 400? Photographed next to a green striated 400 of similar age as the most helpful reference (I hope). It doesn't seem to be light faded as the colour appears too uniform, but I really don't know. Nothing else particularly notable; regular black cap, section and piston knob... and a load of crud in the threads. Yuck.

51624

Thank you for your attention, and any and all wisdom offered.

Cheers, Al

[Jon Szanto]

That's a very light tortoise. I picked up a 400NN from Miroslave Tischler at the SF show last August. He had probably 20 of them in a row, and the variation, from light honey color (like above) all the way down to dark brown simiply showed the variety in this material, which is but one of the reasons I *always* preferred it to the green striped versions.

[carlos.q]

One of the most complete guides to all things Pelikan is Dominic's site:
http://www.pelikan-collectibles.com/en/Pelikan/Models/Revised-Piston-Fillers/400-Basis/index.html

[jos]

A picture of the complete pen would provide more convincing proof but if the colour is uniform I would say it is a grey 400.

[Jon Szanto]

A picture of the complete pen would provide more convincing proof but if the colour is uniform I would say it is a grey 400.

How on Earth is that grey? It is actually sitting on a grey background and has a yellow-gold tint to it. I don't think that is a grey pen at all.

[FredRydr]

Faded green

[jos]

A picture of the complete pen would provide more convincing proof but if the colour is uniform I would say it is a grey 400.

How on Earth is that grey? It is actually sitting on a grey background and has a yellow-gold tint to it. I don't think that is a grey pen at all.

We all know how difficult it is to capture the actual colour of a pen in a picture and there is a lot of flash-light in this picture.

I only expressed my opinion and I do not clam that my opinion is truth. The tortoise stripes, even on the lighter tortoise pens, do show a clear colour variation (light to dark to light) along the length of the stripe. I do not see this variation here, although it may be obscured by the flash-light. The grey 400 does not show such variation, hence my opinion that this might be a grey 400.

.

[grainweevil]

I'm relieved that you all haven't immediately agreed; makes me feel better for having spent a considerable amount of time combing the web trying to answer the question for myself and failing!

Jon, as far as I understood it from Dominic's site and others (Thank you, Carlos - it is an excellent resource, I agree) a light tortoise comes with either a matching cap or a brown cap/piston knob/section. But perhaps I'm mistaken and there is a black version?

jos, pictures below. I had come across a reference to ambering from the barrel resulting in grey stripes possibly looking like this, but sadly no picture.

Fred, well that's certainly the most probable, I agree.

Okay, couple more pics, but in terms of colour the close up seemed the most representative - looks a little too golden here. Could really do with some daylight (minus rain).

51625

51626

[Jon Szanto]

We all know how difficult it is to capture the actual colour of a pen in a picture and there is a lot of flash-light in this picture.

I only expressed my opinion and I do not clam that my opinion is truth. The tortoise stripes, even on the lighter tortoise pens, do show a clear colour variation (light to dark to light) along the length of the stripe. I do not see this variation here, although it may be obscured by the flash-light. The grey 400 does not show such variation, hence my opinion that this might be a grey 400.

Yes, I understand! I am sorry if my wording made my comment seem pointed, it was only my disbelief. Certainly, many factors at play and I could very well be wrong. I'll certainly follow along as things progress.

[Jon Szanto]

A 140 and 400NN, shot with clouded daylight just now:

https://i.imgur.com/esiNTt7.jpg

Here is a grey (allegedly), taken from this thread (http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/263153-gray-or-faded-green/):

http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/uploads/post-73845-0-14955300-1395263857.jpg

... or these of Christof's (from same thread):

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8511/8548410701_c9e612897e_b.jpg

[jos]

I'm relieved that you all haven't immediately agreed; makes me feel better for having spent a considerable amount of time combing the web trying to answer the question for myself and failing!

Jon, as far as I understood it from Dominic's site and others (Thank you, Carlos - it is an excellent resource, I agree) a light tortoise comes with either a matching cap or a brown cap/piston knob/section. But perhaps I'm mistaken and there is a black version?

jos, pictures below. I had come across a reference to ambering from the barrel resulting in grey stripes possibly looking like this, but sadly no picture.

"Light tortoise" is a confusing description: the rare Pelikan 400 "light tortoise" with matching light tortoise cap is a completely different pen compared to the common "tortoise striated" Pelikan 400.

The tortoise striated 400 comes in different shades of tortoise-brown. But a tortoise striated Pelikan 400 always has a dark brown section (plus a dark brown blind cap and cap but these can be easily swapped). What is the colour of the section?

Colour fading of the barrel is commonly seen on these pens, especially on the green striated version, but such fading is generally not uniform along the whole length and surface of the barrel.

[christof]

Would need to see the pen in reality to be sure but it's actually possible that it's a gray one. Here is a picture of the full range, but it's still a picture...( gray is the fourth from left)

https://live.staticflickr.com/7624/16631962723_f2e787e7cc_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/rkHa4Z)Pelikan 400_ALL von -C.M.Z- (https://flic.kr/p/rkHa4Z)

...some of the early 400 had a yellowish tint.

c.

[Chrissy]

From my own Pelikan M400 I know that the brown of the cap, barrel and end cone is a really dark brown, almost black. But distinguishable by eye next to the black of my other M400 (green striated) in daylight.
I did a screen shot of your 2nd picture in post #8. Opened it in Photoshop, put my eyedropper tool on both end cones one after the other. They come up as completely different shades. Not even close. Maybe check them next to each other in bright daylight, in a sunny spot just to confirm they are definitely 100% both black?

[grainweevil]

Thank you for all your replies, folks. Very grateful.

I can re-confirm the section, cap and piston knob are most definitely black. I am aware it's quite an important point. :)

Christof, after extensive searching your image was the one that seemed to most closely resemble what I have here, but blessed if I could find a version with a caption telling me which was which, so thank you. But as you say, it's still comparing picture with real thing.

When all's said and done I like it regardless of colour; it's a lovely extra-fine with a bit of spring, so what's not to like?