100 Dollar Budget, Help, I'm Drowning!

[ink-syringe]

I should be clear that I don't have iron clad info on that but my impression and what dealers have told me suggests that the M20x pens are being refreshed as C/C pens. I did not hear that directly from Pelikan but the sales on the old stock and the big signs I see announcing the 200/205 C & C pens sure does make it look like they are going to make this a C/C only pen. Others maybe perhaps confirm or deny. But it sure does look that way.

 

 

I have to agree with all the othe comments above for the Pelikan M200/M205 pens.

Oh no!!! I just discovered these great little pens. Do you mean they are being discontinued?

[mooshi]

I would be pretty sad if the 20X's got slated as piston fillers and *replaced* with C/C. Edited September 20, 2014 by mooshi

[Christi0469]

If you don't go the Pelikan 20X route the TWSBI classic looks like the best match for you. Unlike the 580 it is opaque (and available in black), postable and slightly more slender. It is well named in that it ceratinly looks like a classic pen. The postable cap is a new feature so if you buy this pen make sure you purchase from a reputable deaker and make sure you are getting the new version. If you are in the U.S. I recommend the Goulet Pen Company and ask them to test the nib before they send it out.

 

In my opinion the Pelikan 20X is the better pen but it eats up your entire budget. TWSBI is a good alternative bur they do have their problems, mainly cracking and inconsistent nibs. I have not heard of any cracking issues with the opaque plastic. TWSBI has excellent customer service and will replace parts as necessary with a minimum of fuss.

 

Most cartridge pens will accept converters, and many piston converters hold .09ml (cartridges hold about the same). You can also refill cartridges with a syringe, so all fountain pens can take bottled ink in some way. The primary andvantage of piston fillers is larger ink volume. Noodlers pens are fun but they often require (sometimes extensive) tinkering. Some poeple (like Waski_the_Squirrel) have had great luck with them, but I would not recommended the as a first (2nd in your case) pen.

[Randal6393]

Hmmm ... I have four Noodler's Konrads in my pen box, wouldn't be without them. Not using any of the stock nibs, though. It is a breeze to replace the nib. Usually I use a Goulet nib, made by JoWo nibs in Germany for Brian. Konrads can be hade for $20.00 in the celluloid version. Ebonites and acrylics run $40.00. The JoWo nibs are really good writers, run $15.00 each. And the Konrads are piston-filled, can be disassembled completely. The 'net has videos on how to adjust, heat-fit, and maintain the Noodler pens. Fussy pens but, IMHO, well worth the effort.

 

Other pens, lesser in price than the first-tier pens you are being told about, include Jinhao (most are rather heavy), Pilot Metropolitan, Monteverde, Nemosyne, and the whole Chinese/Hero lines. Owe it to yourself to check these pens out, often outperform the first-tier pens. (Sometimes do not.)

 

Found it interesting that the last time I was talking to Tim Girdler about pen repair everyone in that day had at least one small Pelikan that they wanted minor work done on. Usually because the pen had been dropped or harmed in some manner. My Pelikans are in service all the time, picked them up for less than one might think. Feel you can't go far wrong with any Pelikan. Many Pelikans are offered for less than the list price, many models have fewer features than the M20x series. But the nibs are always good -- or can be adjusted to be good without much effort.

 

Enjoy,

[ac12]

PenChalet still has the Pelikans on sale for $97.50

This is the only sub $100 price for a new M205 that I've seen.

 

If you want a Pelikan, you better jump on it.

Some of the pen color/nib selection combos are gone, and who know how much stock they have.

Edited September 20, 2014 by ac12

[sirgilbert357]

PenChalet still has the Pelikans on sale for $97.50

This is the only sub $100 price for a new M205 that I've seen.

 

If you want a Pelikan, you better jump on it.

Some of the pen color/nib selection combos are gone, and who know how much stock they have.

 

Yeah, that's the problem, I really wanted to wait until I sold this stuff I have first. But what the wifey don't know wont hurt her!! LOL. I'll mull it over today and try to make a decision sometime tomorrow. Maybe place my order tomorrow night...I still have a lot to think about.

Edited September 20, 2014 by sirgilbert357

[sirgilbert357]

Oh, and does anyone know if the Pelikan could be classified as an Eastern or Western nib? I like bold mediums, so I'd prefer it to write like a true medium, not like a Japanese medium for example...

 

And is there anywhere to see ANY of these here in a brick and mortar store in Dallas, TX?

[Oldtimer]

I recommend going with a Pelikan M205. Great entry level Pelikan, with a solid bloodline. If you're not going to consider the Lamy 2000, the M205 (or M200) is the next best thing in that price range, in my opinion.

 

The other option is to consider watching for a used Namiki Falcon... They show up in the $100 range, lightly used, with some regularity on the FPN classifieds.

 

 

Slightly above $100 on Amazon and NEW.

Edited September 20, 2014 by Oldtimer

[sirgilbert357]

Oh and here's a handwriting sample with all my current different pens and inks. The Waterman Hemisphere in Rollerball I just got is my favorite -- the line is bold, dark and thick (despite it being called "Fine", lol). I'd like my future fountain pen to write the same...

 

http://i327.photobucket.com/albums/k446/sirgilbert357/IMG_1761.jpg

 

http://i327.photobucket.com/albums/k446/sirgilbert357/IMG_1763.jpg

 

http://i327.photobucket.com/albums/k446/sirgilbert357/IMG_1762.jpg

[Lou Erickson]

Where did you hear the M205 was being replaced with a C/C pen? I read they're adding a C/C pen, the P20x, but hadn't seen any information that the M20x was being discontinued.

 

sirgilbert357: I've got a Pelikan M205 in Medium, and a Parker Vector in Medium. I'll try and get a writing sample up for you this afternoon.

 

Pen Chalet mentioned that Pelikan will swap nibs for the first 30 days, so if you're not happy with the size you can scale up and down relatively easily.

[sirgilbert357]

Where did you hear the M205 was being replaced with a C/C pen? I read they're adding a C/C pen, the P20x, but hadn't seen any information that the M20x was being discontinued.

 

sirgilbert357: I've got a Pelikan M205 in Medium, and a Parker Vector in Medium. I'll try and get a writing sample up for you this afternoon.

 

Pen Chalet mentioned that Pelikan will swap nibs for the first 30 days, so if you're not happy with the size you can scale up and down relatively easily.

 

Yes! A comparison would be great! Thank you!

And good to know on the nib swapping. I'll keep that in mind. I would certainly buy the Pelikan from Pen Chalet at this point I think (if that's the pen I choose).

[Tadeusz]

As far as I know the M200 series pens are NOT being replaced or remade into Cartridge/converter pens.

 

Pelikan is ADDING a NEW LINE (the P2xx) series, which is cartridge/converter.

 

The P2xx line is NOT replacing the M2xx line anytime soon. At least that is the impression I have gotten from scouring the internet.

 

Do not worry, the M2xx piston filler line should be with us for quite awhile.

[sharon888]

On the Goulet Pens Nib Nook they don't have a Vector, but they have an IM and an Urban. The Parker medium looks finer than the Pelikan medium. All their interactive tools are fantastic by the way. They also have the Swab Shop, which lets you compare inks, and the Pen Plaza, which lets you compare pens by size.

 

 

 

[sharon888]

They have the steel Waterman Hemisphere in medium on Amazon.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Waterman-Hemisphere-Fountain-Medium-S0920630/dp/B004ML7HKO

[Christi0469]

I meant to say in my bit of sage advice (which is worth about what you paid for it) is that I don't recommend Noodlers pens as 1st (2nd) pens but I do advocate them as later purchases. If you get a persnickety pen later on your journey you will be better able to handle the higher-maintenance pen and it won't color your opinion of other fountain pens quite as much.

 

And you might get lucky and and get one that works well out of the box.

Edited September 20, 2014 by Christi0469

[sirgilbert357]

They have the steel Waterman Hemisphere in medium on Amazon.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Waterman-Hemisphere-Fountain-Medium-S0920630/dp/B004ML7HKO

 

Wow, thanks for the nib comparo above, sharon888, that's pretty awesome. Hmm, and I'm surprised the medium Hemisphere isn't listed on Waterman's website...strange. I just assumed it wasn't offered in that nib size at all...good info. Ugh, that's going to make this decision even harder...I'm going to bust out my Vector and do a little side by side hand written comparo of my top three...

[Lou Erickson]

Here, as promised, is a sheet with the Vector and the Pelikan M205:

 

http://www.rdwarf.com/users/wwonko/images/fpn/fp2014-09-20_Vector_Pelikan.jpg

 

Both pens were loaded with a fresh fill of the same ink, Noodler's Borealis Black. (The blue is a FM Parker 51, with Namiki Blue.)

 

The medium points are very comparable.

[Water Ouzel]

Is there not a way for the Vac to write constantly for more than just two pages? Anyway around that? I thought it could be "locked open" basically for continuos ink flow.

Unscrew the filler knob, then pull it out just 'til it clicks. Sorta.

 

From there I can write until I run out of ink, or my hand cramps up completely, which is well past two pages.

 

Oh, and the JoWo nibs used by Twsbi are definitely Western (German), not Eastern widthwise.

Edited September 21, 2014 by Water Ouzel

[ac12]

Now, this discussion is making me think about getting a white M205.

[FayeV]

Here, as promised, is a sheet with the Vector and the Pelikan M205:

 

 

Thanks! The two look virtually identical to me.

 

Now, this discussion is making me think about getting a white M205.

 

As the Nike slogan says, "Just do it!"

 

I picked up a white M205 (F) this month and it looks great, feels great, writes great. I've got it inked with J. Herbin Rose Cyclamen and it makes me smile seeing pink ink coming out of this white pen.

 

I loved my 1st M20x pen so much that I picked up 3 more shortly afterward. In retrospect, I could have allocated those funds toward one nicer M4xx pen. However I think (this is me justifying my splurge) it's more fun to be able to have 4 pens using 4 different colors than to have just the one nicer pen.