Pelikan 100 of 1930s-1940s are enjoyable to handle and write with and are considered highly durable fountain pens made to last decades. Pelkian 100 from the golden era of Pelikan, i.e., 1929-late 1940s continue to rate high on pen shows and on ebay. If you come across a Pelikan 100, especially as a set with a pouch, your purchasing decision should be informed by condition of the nib, transparency of the ink window and of course overall shape of the barrel. These lovely Pelikan 100, if cared for, tend to show little brassing on the clip and cap ring and are great collector items.
In terms of design, one of the most interesting and certainly notable characteristics is the ink window. Looking at the time period, across the board, fountain pen manufactures such as Sheaffers and Parker did not implement the same clear and pronounced ink window that Montblanc and Pelikan implemented. Sheaffers, however, implemented a very interesting vaccumatic system with not as pronounced as an ink-window that could be seen in classic piston filling system at the time, but a so-called striped casing of the ink barrel which allowed visual inspection of the volume of ink.
