Is Pelikan Going Down The Path Of Mb?

[Notgatherox]

Hello all,

 

I was looking through the Pelikan website (http://www.pelikan.com/pulse/Pulsar/en_SG.FWI.displayShop.95268./souveraen-black-blue) when this line caught my eye : If you love classics, you own a Souverän writing instrument.

 

And that got me thinking. It seems that Pelikan is going down the path of a certain Major Brand (hint in the initials).

 

The rebranding and the removal of the various nib choices (BB, BBB etc), which, IMHO was the distinguishing feature that Pelikan had over its competitiors, seems to suggest so.

 

What do you people think? Do share your thoughts!

 

 

 

~Epic

 

 

[perth]

The Pelikan Ductus seemed a bit of an MB-ish move, with the cartridge only thing.

[Ernst Bitterman]

I'm less concerned. As long as they admit to things like Pelikano and Twist, they're only hanging their toes in that particular pond.

[Albinoni]

The Pelikan Ductus seemed a bit of an MB-ish move, with the cartridge only thing.

The Ductus to me was probably one of their biggest failures and it's probably one pen I'd never own.

[dave-]

I think Pelikan are trying to increase their market share by any means possible. Getting rid of many nib types is an odd move but maybe sales are poor for those nibs and they dont see it as worth doing anymore. Thankfully the price of the M1000 is not as bloated as some companies top of the range pens, but that might slowly change

[The Blue Knight]

Edit

Edited August 29, 2014 by The Blue Knight

[brewsky]

I have been thinking the same for some time. I have since moved onto vintage pens. I cannot stand iridium balls on my nibs, they're too boring for my taste.

[PAKMAN]

Rebranding? This has always been branded as a Souverän.

[Notgatherox]

I think Pelikan are trying to increase their market share by any means possible. Getting rid of many nib types is an odd move but maybe sales are poor for those nibs and they dont see it as worth doing anymore. Thankfully the price of the M1000 is not as bloated as some companies top of the range pens, but that might slowly change

 

But with the price increase in recent years (case on my side, a M400 gold nib cost 90 bucks last year but 150 this year), I wonder how are they going to make it sustainable for people who don't have deep pockets.

 

 

~Epic

[Notgatherox]

Rebranding? This has always been branded as a Souverän.

 

Rebranding meaning trying to market themselves as a brand for the very rich, much like MB. They are trying to market themselves like MB, IMHO.

 

 

~Epic

[WaskiSquirrel]

I suspect that Pelikan is trying to maximize profit by eliminating minimally profitable options.

 

That said, I'll admit that I once had an interest in Pelikan pens. I even own an m200 demonstrator which I like. However, my desire to acquire a Pelikan evaporated some time last winter. The m800 now just leaves me cold, and I always thought the m1000 was too big. Oddly, thanks to some surprise income that arrived months after I had forgotten the job, I now have the money to buy a great pen like the m800 and have no desire to do so.

[orfew]

 

But with the price increase in recent years (case on my side, a M400 gold nib cost 90 bucks last year but 150 this year), I wonder how are they going to make it sustainable for people who don't have deep pockets.

 

 

~Epic

Why should that be their goal? They are trying to make money.

[alexander_k]

It seems that they are going that way: their pens and spare parts have become much dearer, perhaps due to production costs, so it seems logical to follow the example of other luxury brands. After all, except for a few odd people who insist writing with them, who buys fountain pens today unless it's a gift that has to impress? My former chairman has everything Montblanc: mechanical pencil (his favourite), ballpoint, iPhone cover, wallet etc. - but no fountain pen. With the exception of the mechanical pencil everything has been given to him either by his wife or by business acquaintances. Why should other brands not try to emulate that?

[Notgatherox]

It seems that they are going that way: their pens and spare parts have become much dearer, perhaps due to production costs, so it seems logical to follow the example of other luxury brands. After all, except for a few odd people who insist writing with them, who buys fountain pens today unless it's a gift that has to impress? My former chairman has everything Montblanc: mechanical pencil (his favourite), ballpoint, iPhone cover, wallet etc. - but no fountain pen. With the exception of the mechanical pencil everything has been given to him either by his wife or by business acquaintances. Why should other brands not try to emulate that?

 

That makes sense!

 

Still, I'm a little perplexed by how this is unfolding. I mean, there can only be one Montblanc, yes? So why not differentiate yourself by offering something Montblanc doesn't offer, like the wide variety of nib sizes?

 

Also, if prices continue to rise like this, it is possible that people will shun the modern pens and go for vintage. That is how I've been sustaining my love for Pelikan, the vintages, because at today's prices, the modern pens are out of my reach.

 

 

~Epic

[KBeezie]

In regards to their website, when I first looked at http://www.pelikan.com/ (as I had not visited their website before today), I would have thought they were going down the path of BIC or Pental, and definitely not something of "Fine Writing" equipment.

Edited August 30, 2014 by KBeezie

[Matlock]

In regards to their website, when I first looked at http://www.pelikan.com/ (as I had not visited their website before today), I would have thought they were going down the path of BIC or Pental, and definitely not something of "Fine Writing" equipment.

 

It should be born in mind that Pelikan do, indeed, offer lower end products but if you click on "Fine Writing" you get the full range of top end products. It is also true that, in Europe at least, prices are WAY below that of that other well known brand and of better quality. I don't think we need to worry just yet.

[KBeezie]

 

It should be born in mind that Pelikan do, indeed, offer lower end products but if you click on "Fine Writing" you get the full range of top end products. It is also true that, in Europe at least, prices are WAY below that of that other well known brand and of better quality. I don't think we need to worry just yet.

 

I figured that much, but I was thinking in terms of first impression. Outside of Europe and such I'm usually only seeing Pelikan's higher end stuff online. Then when I reach their main website, it's a cookie cutter scholastic style layout, and linking to fine writing has the huge url that you can't just remember off the top of your head. They really need to start using better url/folder-paths.

 

But yep, once I hit Fine Writing, the appearance was more predictable, because the main website the only thing that looked high grade was the logo and swoosh.

[Keyless Works]

The Pelikan website is much more Caran d'Ache and Faber-Castell than MB.

[KBeezie]

The Pelikan website is much more Caran d'Ache and Faber-Castell than MB.

MB is much more Flash-Heavy and doesn't even have a working Boutique locator.

[Keyless Works]

I have been working on a big remodel this last year and a half and I have concluded that many European websites are terrible almost to the point of being unusable thanks in large part to Flash. Dorn Bracht, Poltrona Frau, Creation Baumann, de Sede...just to name a few horrible (bleep) websites. Flash was garbage over 5 years ago.