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AUCH-Pelikan 200 (ca.1934) - the first generation

Cap top; material: ebonite, logo: old four chicks logo on the top.
Cap top holder; material: ebonite.
Clip; shape: gold plated drop clip.
Grip and barrel; material: one piece ebonite, logo: "AUCH-Pelikan" imprint on the barrel.
Cone; material: gold plated brass, shape: four slits.
Dimensions;

On June 26, 1934, the first mechanical pencil was introduced to extend the line of Pelikan fountain pen. The model name was "AUCH-Pelikan", and model number was 200. The price was 3.50 RM (filled with 15 HB leads in colored box) (Pelikan catalog No.60 (1934)). In "Pelikan-Blätter" (Pelikan-news letters), the meaning of the name was explained to retail traders as follows (Pelikan Schreibgeräte);


"Für die große Gemeinde der Besitzer eines durchsichtigen Pelikan gibt es nur eines:
Füllhalter? Selbstredend Pelikan!
Und diese Freunde neuzeitlicher Schreibgeräte werden bald sagen:
Füllbleistift?
Natürlich AUCH-Pelikan!"

"For the large community of owners of a transparent Pelikan, there is only one thing:
Fountain pen? Pelikan, of course!
And these friends of modern writing instruments will soon say:
Mechanical pencil?
Of course, ALSO Pelikan!"

According to Pelikan catalog No.60 (1934),"Druckbleistift AUCH-Pelikan - Der AUCH-Pelikan ist ein Hartgummi-Füllbleistift besonderer art. Er enthält insgesamt 3/4 m Mine, die automatisch durch Druck vorgeschoben wird. Nur eine Hand ist zu seiner bedienung erforderlich. Ein druck und der AUCH-Pelikan ist schreibbreit.  Die Mine steht unverrückbar fest, kein Drehen beim Schreiben. Er ist praktisch und arbeitet unbedingt zuverlässig. Für Farbige Minen wird der AUCH-Pelikan mit farbigem Kopf geliefert. Werden farbige Köpfe gewunscht, so ist dieses in der Bestellung ausdrücklich vorzuschreiben".

"Mechanical pencil AUCH-Pelikan - The AUCH-Pelikan is a hard rubber mechanical pencil of a special kind. It contains a total of 3/4 m lead, which is automatically advanced by pressure. Only one hand is needed to operate it. One push and the AUCH-Pelikan is ready to write.  The lead is immovably fixed, no turning while writing. It is practical and works absolutely reliable. For colored leads, the AUCH-Pelikan is supplied with a colored head. If colored heads are desired, this must be expressly specified in the order"¹.

Contrary to screw-based pencils (propelling pencils) that were popular of that times, AUCH-Pelikan was ratchet-based pencils (repeater pencils). The mechanism of mechanical pencils is as follows (please see Fig.0 for illustration);

  1. When start using the new lead (1.18mm), turn the mechanical pencil tip down. The lead falls down to the three-fork chuck body⁽²⁾.

  2. The chuck body is connected with the cap top on the end of the pencil. When not in use, the chuck body is clamped in the chuck ring. When the cap top is pushed, the chuck body moves forward with the chuck ring. After a certain advance of the chuck body and the chuck ring, the space in the cone gets slightly narrowed. So, only the inner chuck body can enter it, and the chuck ring is pushed back by the cone to be dislocated from the the chuck ring, making "click" feeling and/or sound (movie). Out of the chuck ring, the chuck body gets separated open, and allows the lead to fall through it to the cone. 

  3. When the cap top is released, the chuck body, retracted into the chuck ring, holds the lead in place (Fig.3-1).

  4. When the cap top is pushed again, the chuck body sends the lead into the cone-tip. After a certain advance of the chuck body and the chuck ring(*), the chuck ring is pushed back by the cone again, and the chuck body gets separated, releasing the lead (Fig.3-2). But the precisely-fitted cone-tip (Fig.2-3) keeps the lead in place, preventing the lead from either falling freely outward or riding back into the shaft.

  5. When the cap top is released again, the chuck body recovers grip of the lead. The lead, kept in place by the chuck body and the cone-tip, doesn't turn or wobble while writing.

  6. The lead advances with each push for the same length as the advance of the chuck ring(*) (Fig.0). 

 

In modern pencils, lead retainer (e.g. rubber ring) is installed into the cone to hold the lead. In AUCH-Pelikan, the cone-tip fulfils the role. The cone-tip has four slits, and these slits may render the tip appropriate springiness. In later versions, slits  were decreased to three.

The back of cap top is covered with a brass ring (Fig.4-2). Every time it is pushed, the cap top collides with the edge of brass shaft. So, it might have needed reinforcement.

As for dimension and appearance, AUCH-Pelikan is shorter than posted 100, but longer than closed 100. The clip is a drop clip, and its length is same as Rappen. Except for clip ring, there is no ring on the body. The first year Auch-Pelikan had "AUCH-Pelikan" imprint on the barrel⁽³⁾ (Fig.1), and old four chick Pelikan logo on the cap top. Any other imprint is not seen on the body.

 

As I don't own other manufacturer's pencils, I can't tell what was new and what was different with AUCH-Pelikan. My honest impression is "lean in design and function". 

Note;⁽¹⁾As shown above, colored cap tops were offered for colored lead upon request (Fig.9) (Pelikan-guide).

²⁾According to Pentel, three fork-chuck body is the best to hold the lead.

³⁾In 1935, the imprint was changed to just "Pelikan"(Pelikan-guide). So, "AUCH-Pelikan" imprint indicates that it is the first year version.

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