I purchased this M nib Pelikan Future from Todd at isellpens.com about 3 months ago because I liked my Pelikano Jr, and wanted a durable "daily driver" with a finer nib.

First Impressions

Like the Pelikano Jr, it comes in a no frills cardboard box. Then again, this is an under $20 pen at most retailers.



Design

Like the Lamy Safari and the Pelikano Jr. this is a love it or hate it pen. In addition to Silver, it comes in Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow, -- bright, bold, command colors.

The nib is the same style found on the Pelikano family of pens. No decoration, just "M" for medium.

The section has an ergonomic grip different from those on the Pelikanos, made of three lobes of hard rubber embedded in plastic. I find it as comfortable to hold as a Lamy Safari, but unlike the Safari, a user is not forced to hold the pen a certain way in order to write.



The barrel of this silver Pelikano is made of a lightweight metalicized plastic. It's not 100% metal, and it's not 100% plastic -- tapping on the barrel makes a metalic sounding ring, but not the tone that would be produced by something 100% metal. About half way down the barrel is a cut out window which allows the user to check (to some extent) the amount of ink left in the pen, or see exactly how short a small ink cartridge is.

The clip is made of what looks like plastic and rubber. I reguarly clip it to my shirt at work and it shows no sign of fatigue so far. The cap seats with a soft snap and is not hard to pull off.

I find the pen lightweight, with a good balence, and IMHO, it writes best without the cap posted, although posting the cap does not make it unusably top heavy.

Ink System

This pen takes Pelikan's cartridges and piston converter as well as international cartridges.

Performance

DO NOT USE NOODLER'S INK IN THIS PEN! When filled with Noodlers, this pen becomes a balky, scratchy, utterly unpleasant writer. (Odd because my M205 -- different nib design -- does just fine with Noodler's.) It performed so badly with Noodlers (even Aircorp Blue-Black, an ink noted for excellent flow properties) that I considered giving up on it.

On the advice of Old Griz, I tried using a different ink in it. It was like getting a whole new pen! When filled with Pelikan, Private Reserve, or Lamy ink, it writes smoothly and reliably, just like a Pelikan should. Ironically, I get the smoothest and best performance with Lamy Blue-Black (iron gall). With proper maintainance (daily use and a weekly flushing of the nib), I used iron gall ink for 3 consecutive weeks and experienced no problems.

(At the moment the pen is filled with PR Tanzanite because I'm at home and don't need a waterproof blue ink, plus I feel like purple.)



Final Thoughts

The Pelikan Future is an inexpensive, smooth writing, reliable pen.

And while it may be picky about the kind of ink it's fed, the nib can take a beating. I dropped it tip down --twice in the same day -- on thin carpet laid over cement and experienced no damage. The nib is a "nail".

Its light weight means it won't tire the user's hand, making it suited for extended use, and its grip is a good choice for those who need something ergonomic, but find the Lamy Safari uncomfortable.

Like the Lamy Safari, this is a great pen to use as a loaner or as workplace daily driver. It can take a beating, and if the worst happens, it can actually be replaced cheaper than the Lamy.

Thanks for the review and photos, kadymae! I got the same pen (but from PenCity.com) a few weeks ago and I love it! No wonder KendallJ was always raving about it as a great beginner fountain pen... I don't know why I waited so long to buy one, but I'm glad I did.

My Silver Pelikan Future pen starts up without hesitation and lays down a generous, wet line (I got a M but it's a wide M, I'd say). I love those long Pelikan cartridges that can fit in the barrel. I got one for free with the pen and I will keep refilling it with a syringe when I run out because it holds so much ink. I got a convertor for the pen, but the cartridge looks like it holds more ink, so I'll use the convertor in another Pelikan...

Oh, and thanks for the tip re: Noodler's. I haven't used up the cartridge that came with the pen (presumably it's Pelikan Royal Blue, but I can't be sure as I only got 1 free cartridge--no cartridge box). The ink is nice and dark, though, so I don't mind refilling it with the bottle of Royal Blue I have at home

Thank you for that wonderful review! Thanks to your review, I will not be buying this pen!! Ha ha! More specifically, the close-up picture of the section grip reminds me of the head of a Gromphadorhina portentosa, of which I have a mortal fear. That pen would give me the heebie jeebies.

I just looked up your little insect friend. My gosh....All I can say is thank goodness it's wingless!!!

They can jump.

Oh jeez......

(sorry for the off-topic posts, kadymae )

Thanks for the review.


I think I should mention that there are also discontinued and special edition colors. I own a black Future, for example. Other colors I know are clear (transparent), anthracite and silver/black.

Regards
Hans-Peter

I've had a few of those. The one that's currently inked is the Silver version (like the one reviewed) and I have found it less comfortable to write with than the bold colors because the finish is a little different and tends to make my hand sweaty.

This being said, I love the pen. It's the one I take on trips when I know I'll have to use cartridges...

Odd - I use Noodlers in all of my Futures and Pelikanos, and I've never had any problem...

What colors do you use because I've had nothing but misery with: Aircorps Blue-Black, Le Coleuer Royal, and Red-Black.

Great review! I purchased one of these when I needed a pen for a different color of ink and my dealer was out of Safaris. While it is a good pen, I certainly prefer the Safari. However I will say this about it, I was impressed enough to get another Pelikan (Pura), and am rapidly becoming a fan of the brand.

Depending on the day and pen, I use LCR and Red-Black (above), Midnight Blue, Brown, Walnut, Kiowa Pecan and, mostly, black. Plus the FPN colours...
Never had a problem with any of them in the Futures or the Pelikanoes (or any of my pens, truth be told).

Thanks for a good review! I'm curious as to whether anyone has tried modifying Futures or Pelikanos with custom nib grinding. They're probably not nearly as suitable for such work as the nibs of the Pelikan M200+ series, but I'd be interested to hear any reports of success or failure with them.