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Pelikan M205 (Broad, Red) Review.


Stacksanddroppers

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http://www.pen-house.net/contents/html/images/pelikan/m205/m205_red/top.jpg

 

I picked up a Pelikan M205 about a month ago and I'm excited enough about it to write a review. I went with red and a broad nib. I write with a very light touch and I find that a wider nib allows me to use barely any pressure. I've read a lot of reviews that talk about how wet the Pelikans write--one reviewer noted that they 'practically have diarrhea!' while my M205 is by no means dry, I haven't found it to be too wet, even with the broad nib. I also have a Lamy2000; while I don't want to get into a Lamy2000 vs. Pelikan review (that would be like choosing between your two gifted, handsome, and well behaved children) I will talk a little bit about how their nibs differ.

 

Appearance: 4/5 Umm, I mean it's a Pelikan. This is a damn shinny pen and I really like the red--it comes in white and black if you don't. The M205 might be short on the sort of detailing one gets with the Souveran series it is still a good looking pen.

 

Construction & Quality: 4.5/5 There are fancier pens out there and there are heftier pens out there. I haven't had the M205 long enough to say much about its durability but so far, so good. It doesn't feel like a fragile pen.

 

Nib and Performance: 4.999999/5 The nib is wonderful. It writes well with hardly any pressure. it writes well with lots of pressure. I simply have not encountered a better steel nib, and I've tried some inferior gold nibs. This is where I’d like to compare it to the Lammy. I beg to differ with nearly every review comparing these two pens and say that I prefer the M205 and I find its nib much more responsive. Like so much when it comes to pens, this is a matter of preference and I'd say try’m both. I think the Lammy and the Pelikan are in the same league but perhaps are meant for different types of writers. The Lammy has a stiff nib (hooded)--something like the parker 51 of our generation. The M205 on the other hand is your traditional FP, it likes to be a little less vertical than the Lammy, and you can actually see the nib. Like I said, my nib is a Broad and it is broad! If you're heavy-handed you might want to go smaller to keep your 'a's and 'o's from caving in.

 

Filling System: 5/5 Ummm, I mean, it's a Pelikan. The piston is perfect. Good capacity (maybe not as much as the Lammy). No leaks. No complaints. so so smooth.

 

Cost: 4/5 At 98Euros (I didn't pay that) this is not a cheap pen but a great first luxury pen.

 

Conclusion: Like the woman at the shop said "c'est un stylo," "It's a pen!" I bought my M205 to write with. It's a pretty pen but that's not the point for me. I'd recommend the M205 to anyone who wants a real pen that really writes. But the red one's mine!

 

hope this helps, happy scribblings,

 

P.S: has anyone tried putting a M400 (gold) nib on his/her M205? I've heard it can be done...

--Charlie

 

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I just got a Pelikan M150, Your pen's little brother. I find the same thing with my broad nib, smooth and wet but not too wet.

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Firstly, loved the review, secondly, I recently bought my first Pelikan FP. it is a 600 and has a broad nib, but I guess I got one of the rare dryish Pelikans, so I am going to have to send it to someone to get the flow adjusted.

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  • 9 months later...

Nice review. I agree - M205 pens are nice and indeed very good writing instruments. (They might easily perform better than some of the higher grade pens.)

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http://www.pen-house.net/contents/html/images/pelikan/m205/m205_red/top.jpg

 

I picked up a Pelikan M205 about a month ago and I'm excited enough about it to write a review. I went with red and a broad nib. I write with a very light touch and I find that a wider nib allows me to use barely any pressure. I've read a lot of reviews that talk about how wet the Pelikans write--one reviewer noted that they 'practically have diarrhea!' while my M205 is by no means dry, I haven't found it to be too wet, even with the broad nib. I also have a Lamy2000; while I don't want to get into a Lamy2000 vs. Pelikan review (that would be like choosing between your two gifted, handsome, and well behaved children) I will talk a little bit about how their nibs differ.

 

Appearance: 4/5 Umm, I mean it's a Pelikan. This is a damn shinny pen and I really like the red--it comes in white and black if you don't. The M205 might be short on the sort of detailing one gets with the Souveran series it is still a good looking pen.

 

Construction & Quality: 4.5/5 There are fancier pens out there and there are heftier pens out there. I haven't had the M205 long enough to say much about its durability but so far, so good. It doesn't feel like a fragile pen.

 

Nib and Performance: 4.999999/5 The nib is wonderful. It writes well with hardly any pressure. it writes well with lots of pressure. I simply have not encountered a better steel nib, and I've tried some inferior gold nibs. This is where I'd like to compare it to the Lammy. I beg to differ with nearly every review comparing these two pens and say that I prefer the M205 and I find its nib much more responsive. Like so much when it comes to pens, this is a matter of preference and I'd say try'm both. I think the Lammy and the Pelikan are in the same league but perhaps are meant for different types of writers. The Lammy has a stiff nib (hooded)--something like the parker 51 of our generation. The M205 on the other hand is your traditional FP, it likes to be a little less vertical than the Lammy, and you can actually see the nib. Like I said, my nib is a Broad and it is broad! If you're heavy-handed you might want to go smaller to keep your 'a's and 'o's from caving in.

 

Filling System: 5/5 Ummm, I mean, it's a Pelikan. The piston is perfect. Good capacity (maybe not as much as the Lammy). No leaks. No complaints. so so smooth.

 

Cost: 4/5 At 98Euros (I didn't pay that) this is not a cheap pen but a great first luxury pen.

 

Conclusion: Like the woman at the shop said "c'est un stylo," "It's a pen!" I bought my M205 to write with. It's a pretty pen but that's not the point for me. I'd recommend the M205 to anyone who wants a real pen that really writes. But the red one's mine!

 

hope this helps, happy scribblings,

 

P.S: has anyone tried putting a M400 (gold) nib on his/her M205? I've heard it can be done...

 

 

"P.S: has anyone tried putting a M400 (gold) nib on his/her M205? I've heard it can be done... "

 

If you go to John Motishaw's website you can find a table in the Pelikan Pens section that discusses ithe interhchangeability of nibs : http://www.nibs.com/...bleForCusto.htm

 

As for a discussion of the differences between the Traditiosn series and the M400 (Souveran) he has this to say:

"Customers sometimes ask about differences between the Pelikan Tradition and M400 Souverän series pens. From our point of view, it's much like comparing a reliable, comfortable Corolla with a luxurious, upscale Lexus. With 14k nibs specially set by us, these Tradition series pens offer the superb writing qualities expected from Pelikan. The Souverän series pens, in turn, present classic styling, more metal accents in the trim, and greater filling capacity. ..."

 

I recently bought a 205 demonstrator and upgraded to the gold 205 nib. Though this adds to the cost considerably, it makes a great writer.

 

P.S.: I think you got a great looking pen.

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