The object
The 400NN feels almost insubstantial when I first pick it up, then completely natural once I begin writing. Its low weight keeps the hand relaxed, while the tapered body and cap threads sit far enough back not to become a distraction. It is a small pen that never feels mean or compromised.
The striped celluloid is one of its best functional details. Held to the light, it shows the ink level without adding a separate window. The piston draws a generous fill and the nib has enough response to make handwriting feel alive without turning every line into a performance.
This pen arrived with a stiff filling mechanism and old ink in the feed. Cleaning and a careful piston service returned it to use. I have not tried to polish away every mark on the barrel; the fine scratches belong to years of being capped, posted and carried.
Why I keep it
I keep the Pelikan because all of its cleverness is directed toward writing. Capacity, balance, ink visibility and nib feel work together so well that the design becomes more convincing each time the pen is filled.
