Pelikan's cartridge filler fountain pens were slim and modern classics until the Celebry, but Pelikan made a major change with the Epoch introduced in 2004. The Epoch features a unique cartridge filling system and a completely new design.

In most cartridge pens, the barrel is unscrewed off to change a cartridge, but in the Epoch, a knob at the end of the barrel is turned, and a plastic cartridge holder is pulled out together with the knob, into which the cartridge is inserted. When the knob is screwed back into the barrel, the cartridge is set to the feed. As with the Pelikan cartridge pens, the cartridge holder holds one large or two small international cartridges. Pelikan called this cartridge filler system a quick, convenient, and easy way to change cartridges (Pelikan’s Perch). However, it had several disadvantages. First, a converter cannot be used to fill the ink⁽²⁾. This makes it difficult to clean the pen. When a new cartridge is inserted into a dried-up pen, it can take several minutes before the pen is ready to write. Second, when using cartridges, Pelikan cartridges work well, but some other standard international standard cartridges may not fit well into the feed⁽³⁾.

Another feature that distinguishes the Epoch is its unique design. Unlike the long and thin shape of its predecessors, the Epoch is now a stubby, rounded shape⁽⁴⁾. With this Epoch, the cartridge pen has been transformed from a classic pen to a modern pen. This was probably because market research showed that slim, classic-styled fountain pens were no longer popular. The word "Classic" is no longer used in the brochure (Pelikan-collectibles). The name "Epoch" was probably chosen to signify a fountain pen that would usher in a new epoch. In the company's promotional brochure, the Epoch is described as "the symbiosis of tradition and modernity: design that transcends its era, technology ahead of its time (Pelikan-collectibles)". The material was still metal, making the pen heavy, but the barrel and section were thicker, making it easier to hold. The cap can be posted deeply into the barrel and the center of gravity is not too far back, which is probably why it is comfortable to hold. The Epoch has a snap cap. The cap top is printed with a Pelikan logo. The clip is wavy, no longer anything reminiscent of a pelican's beak. The grip section is integrated into the barrel, with the end of the nib side protruding slightly outwards. The nib unit protrudes slightly from the grip. The nib is shorter and stiffer than previous cartridge filler pens. This is probably in response to the shape of the fountain pen and the user preferences. The Epoch is easier to hold and more balanced than previous fountain pens, and combined with the stiff nib, it is comfortable to write with. The design of the Epoch won a red dot design award (Pelikan’s Perch, Pelikan-collectibles). The Epoch was innovative in both design and mechanism, but the production was discontinued after only four years⁽⁵⁾. However, the trend continued with the next model, the Ductus.

Note;⁽¹⁾In the mid-1990s, Montblanc already introduced a similar cartridge filler model, the Meisterstück 147.
⁽²⁾I tried, but the Pelikan converter did not fit well in either the cartridge holder or the feed. According to Pelikan’s Perch, it is technically possible but impractical. 
⁽³⁾I tried a Parker cartridge and the ink leaked into the barrel.
⁽⁴⁾As the models became newer (the Signum, the New Classic, the Celebry, and the Epoch), the parts that used to be made up of straight lines gradually became slightly curved and rounded, and the barrel became thicker.
⁽⁵⁾Pelikan's attempt to eliminate converters and have users to use Pelikan's proprietary ink refill system seems to have failed again following the Level.