I didn’t really want one, but I saw Caloy’s. Damn.
The M101N in brown tortoiseshell is a replica of a Pelikan model from 1937. I want to lick the tortoiseshell celluloid. All right, I won’t.
Like mother-of-pearl blended with Bakelite, the surface has a subtle shimmer over pesto and pistachio green, with streaks of dark brown and burnt sienna. It makes me think of combs with silver handles and starched linen handkerchiefs and dance cards.
The M101N comes with a special gold nib with the Pelikan script logo. I replaced it with a two-tone Binder flexible nib. White and gold don’t really match the pen’s vintage feel, but I like the way the flexible nib writes, so it stays for now. The piston filler is its usual efficient Pelikan self.
This is, for all intents and purposes, celluloid porn.
“Railroading” is what happens when ink runs out mid stroke and the surface tension breaks, giving you two thin lines instead of one fat one. I have yet to figure out what’s causing it. You won’t get this with the stock nib, I promise. That one doesn’t flex at all. I got one in fine and it was a very reliable fine in the one day I used it.
