Rappen (pump filler) (ca.1932)

Cap top; material: ebonite, shape: conical, inclined cap top edge, logo: "RAPPEN PATENTED RAPPEN HANOVER" on the lateral side.

Cap tube; material: ebonite, shape: 2 vent holes (one hole facing each other), "Rappen" imprint with a rearing horse, one gold plated narrow band, ring groove around the inner wall at the level of vent holes.

Clip; shape: gold plated drop clip.

Nib; material: 14 ct gold, shape: round vent hole, logo:

GARANTIERT

14

KARAT

Feed; material: ebonite, shape: flat tail, three lamellae with the recess.

Nib socket; material: ebonite. shape: short (12 mm).

Grip section; material: Bakelite, shape: inclined top edge, tapered grip section.

Barrel; material: transparent Bakelite (yellow).

Filling system; material: rubber fixed with brass ring, ebonite? narrow tube (a pump filler mechanism).

Blind cap; material: Bakelite. shape: conical.

Dimensions;^(a)ink chamber volume

Total Cap Barrel Barrel Cap Ink Total

length length length width width capacity^(a) weight

112.5 mm 55.5 mm 90.5 mm 11 mm 12.5 mm 1.4 ml 11.5 g

"Rappen (black horse)" was a sub-brand utilized by Günter Wagner. Many product groups from the company were separated into two lines in order to reach the largest possible number of consumers:

• Premium products of the highest quality that carried the name "Pelikan".

• Products of a second level of quality that was less costly but still promised good workmanship. These products usually carried the name "Rappen" (e.g. typewriter ribbon, carbon copy paper)(Fig.11).

In October 1929, the Great Depression started in the United States. In the same year, Günter released its first fountain pen in Pelikan brand. The Great Depression spread worldwide and struck Weimar Republic. The unemployment rate reached up to 30-40% in a few years. In 1932, Nazi (NSDAP) overtook the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) as the largest party and rose to power. In January 1933, Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor. In 1932, the company released its second pen with a pump filler (or bulb filler) in Rappen brand as an economy model⁽¹⁾ in the midst of the depression and the rise of NSDAP. It may seem retrograde for the company to have produced a pump filler pen. Main reasons for that were the facts that this type of pen was still quite common at that time, had low production costs, and thus was distinct from the flagship Pelikan writing instruments.

One of the most different points from Pelikan 100 was its shape. At the end of 1920's, the pen shape became more streamlined according to fashion as represented by Waterman Patrician, Parker Streamlined Duofold, and especially Sheaffer Lifetime Balance (Fountain Pens of the World). Different from Pelikan 100, Rappen was streamlined with both ends being tapered like Sheaffer Lifetime Balance.

Cap top, more tapered than that of Pelikan 100, had no cap top logo. On the lateral side, imprinted was "RAPPEN PATENTED RAPPEN HANOVER" logo in red color⁽²⁾. Instead of the cap top logo, there was a red "Rappen" logo with a rearing horse on the cap tube (Fig.3)⁽³⁾. The cap tube had only one ring, differentiating it from the flagship model. But, Rappen had the same sealing system and drop clip as Pelikan 100 (ca.1933) (Fig.4).

The early nibs were outsourced production, presumably made by Montblanc like those of Pelikan 100 (ca.1933), and had "GARANTIERT 14 KARAT" imprint (Fig.1)⁽⁴⁾. As they were used from 1932 to 1934, this pen can be dated around that time. The feed had three lamellae with the recess like early models of Pelikan 100. The last drop of ink in the ink chamber was utilized through the transverse slit (Fig.7 top; white arrow).

The first year model had a blue barrel (ink chamber) (Fig.9 top) with yellow and green options becoming available sometime after 1932 (Fig.9 bottom)⁽⁵⁾. Material of the body of the early models were Bakelite like those of Pelikan fountain pen (ca.1929). Sometime later, ebonite and celluloid replaced Bakelite as in Pelikan 100 (ca.1931).

The filling system was the most different feature from Pelikan 100. Fig.6 shows a narrow tube (or a breather tube) connected with the nib unit. As shown in Fig.7, there is a hole in the rear end of the feed to insert and fix the tube. The other end opens to the transverse slit. When the nib unit is screwed into the grip section, the end of the tube comes out of the opening of the barrel (Fig.8 top left). Rubber sac should be air-tightly fixed to the barrel with a brass ring. An oversized blind cap, covering a rubber sac, protects it against the pressure applied to the sac (Fig.8 top middle). To fill ink, screw off the blind cap and squeeze the rubber sac to expel air in the barrel. Even if there is ink in the barrel, air preferentially goes out through the tube and transverse slit of the feed (Fig.7 top)⁽⁶⁾. Then, releasing the rubber sac makes a negative pressure in the barrel, which sucks ink into it through the feed⁽⁷⁾. Please note that ink is not filled through the breather tube (cf. Noodler’s Ahab flex pen). Ink comes into the bottom of the barrel through the grooves and slit of the feed like a piston filling system⁽⁸⁾.

Fig.12 and 13 show Pelikan 100 and Rappen (and their boxes) side by side. Rappen is a small pen: it is shorter than Pelikan 100 by 4 mm and 12 mm with cap closed and posted, respectively. Its design is simple: without sleeve nor imprint on the barrel, it is adorned with Rappen logo and a single cap ring. But Rappen sucks as much ink as Pelikan 100. Ink is easily visible. Rappen has a similar feed, clip, and sealing system to Pelikan 100. S0, with its distinct design, Rappen had more than enough function and quality for its price.

Except for my observation and experiments, the description above is based on Green book, Penexchange, Pelikan’s Perch, and Pelikan-collectibles.

Note;⁽¹⁾The price was 6.75 Reichsmark (RM)(Fig.13 bottom), one half of Pelikan 100 (13.5 RM) (Pelikan catalog No.60; 1934).

⁽²⁾Other examples of cap logo were "GÜNTER WAGER GÜNTER WAGER" and sometime later "RAPPEN GERMANY D.R.P. RAPPEN GERMANY D.R.P."

⁽³⁾There exist "Rappen" logo in blue color and white color (Fig.10). The logo did not always have a horse on it, but sometimes carried just "Rappen" name (Fig.10 bottom) during the earlier stages of production. Please look at letter "a".

⁽⁴⁾My pen has no nib size specification on the nib or anywhere else. Some pens have it on the nib (Pelikan’s Perch).

⁽⁵⁾According to Green book, a blue barrel was rare. But I doubt that a blue barrel was produced only in 1932, because Rappen with a blue barrel was advertised in Pelikan catalog No.60 (1934).

⁽⁶⁾Without the tube, squeezing rubber sac expels sucked ink rather than air, so ink chamber won't be filled up.

⁽⁷⁾Repeating these processes 4 to 5 times will fill up the barrel.

⁽⁸⁾While I was filling with the pen inclined as shown in Fig.8 bottom left, a water droplet (white arrow head) between the tube and the barrel wall did not move or change at all (Fig.8 bottom right), indicating that water was not coming down from the top of the breather tube.