I just found the announcement by Rolf Thiel (missing-pen.de) on the German board penexchange, that Pelikan is in the process of determining the necessary production numbers in accordance with distributors for a M800 kind Demonstrator FP with gold trims. Regional availability is unknown yet, pricing may be rather regular. He says he has some pics.

Hope, Rolf doesn't mind I mention it here ...

WOW! Thanks for letting us know

Bill

Wow, I'd love to see picks. Is the demonstrator a particular color? Or just clear?

Just clear.

That would be very interesting to see. Doesn't the 800 have some internal brass bits?

Doug

This sounds really cool. I hope it comes to pass. A clear M-800 is going to wind up on my want list.
Bill

Great. I just hope I don't like IT better than the Pilot Custom 823 clear Demo, that'll be in next week.

Yes the M800 does have a brass piston so should look good in a clear model. Sounds like something to start saving for.

Andy

Call me when they've got an M805 demonstrator.

Maybe we should count the number of us willing to buy one and see if that influences the numbers that would be available to accomodate all of us.

Count me in. One Clear, please.

Count me in. I'll buy one. The M800 is not only a cool pen, but it is a marvel of German engineering. I can think of no better pen to make in a demonstrator version.

I remember hearing some time ago that the Tortise 800 did not originally sell well, and that is why it was discontinued.

Do you think in the long run a clear demonstrator will sell better than a tortise stripe?

I think it is sort of odd that Pelikan is doing a demonstrator, unless it is a purposely short run of pens, a sort of LE.

I wish they would give the tortise 800 another go.

j

Cool, thanks for the heads-up!

Has anyone been able to find pictures or a possible release date?

I really, really want one.... Like Deidre, though, I'd really like to see an 805 demo.

I'm just not a fan of GT on any pen, but especially demos. Perhaps if the initial 800 sells well, they'll consider the 805.

~~King

King, GT= gold trim, right? Actually, I prefer that color, unless chrome looks better w/ the pen color. My 823, due in tomorrow, is clear w/ GT. BTW, what's the difference between an 800 and a 805?

I believe 05 denotes silver trim (E.G. 200 is gold-- 205 is silver.)

Gotcha, thanks.

Yep, in a demo they'd be identical, except trim color.

The Mx05s are/were generally available in some combination of all-black, all dark blue, and blue with black cap and black blind cap, all with silver trim... Funtionally (and dimensionally), they're identical to their striated/GT Mx00 siblings.

~~King

Thanks for sharing this news, I'm definitely in for one.

Of course, my first thought was that I'd prefer an 805 demo as well, but I imagine Pelikan would run into some difficulties with the piston mechanism, which is brass. I guess they would have to plate it with something to make it match the trim, which would probably be a pain.

But plated brass would be that much more "durable" than plain brass...

I'm not usually a fan of gold trim, but I think it looks great on clear demonstrators.

If they made it with a nice brown transparent material I'd be a happy camper. (oh and keep the standard price rather than over pricing it because its "limited".)

There are a lot of people who would love to see a M 800 Tortoise (myself included), I have only seen one in photos and I have largely treated it as urban myth amoungst Pelikan freaks (why torture myself).

Until then I will make due with my 1990s Tortoise M400 and late 1950s 400nn.

Oh, the 800 tortoise fountain pen and ballpoints are real enough, just very uncommon, in strong demand, and priced accordingly. Ouch!

I believe that both Rick Propas and Henry "The Yiddil" have a tortoise 800 (set, I think.)
Regards, greg

I would certainly be up for an 805 and I am not a demo fan usually.

What we really need is definitive facts about this pen. Will it, or will it not see the light of day?

Somehow, as a realist, I doubt it!!

Yeah, of course the tortoise M800 is real. I have owned two sets at various times and seen several more.

Although . . .

If they are only urban myths and I think I own one, and in fact have sold another, that opens all kinds of options in terms of minimizing the costs of buying and selling pens.

Gotta get to work on that . . .

Or maybe three and a half hours was not enough sleep last night.

So, has anyone heard/found any updates about this pen? Pictures? Anything?

It's about time Pelikan released a clear M800 series demon. Count me in for an M805 demon, as well, but I wouldn't turn down gold trim if it came with a clear body.

Do they actually make 205? I haven't seen it anywhere yet.

Very real. Most major US online retailers are now sold-out of the 205. Nice pens.

I'd go for a demo 800. Hey, can anyone get Pelikan to do that Honey White as an 800?

Oww, I'd prefer 205 over 200. But as the situation is such, I'll go with 200. Few more days to payday...

I don't find it odd at all - didn't you think there was a reason they discontinued the other demonstrators in the first place?

I think that color was a major flop...they're usually the cheapest 400s around. I like it personally, but the white makes it look a bit "cheap" with the gold trim.

This Demonstrator will be unique, but I can't say just how yet
(Hint: different in it's labeling)
You heard it here first!

Actually, from what I've heard there will be two versions of the 800 clear demonstrator. "Labeling"? Well, I guess that could be considered a hint but a little misdirection too. };->

-T

Does anyone know if the pricing will be the same as the 800?

...

or when? Anxious to see this!

These are just now hitting retailers this week in the version that has etched in White the labeling of the parts, in Sept the all clear without the printing on the clear barrell to identify the parts will be shipped. THESE ARE going to be extremely difficult to get ---while you do not hear much of me on the boards I am a fairly large Pelikan Retailer. Was able to snare 15 of the clear with part descriptions (the rarer by far of the two) and 20 clears w.o part names to be received in September. A significant number of these are already allocated to my customer base, Other can email me, I have not determined pricing yet, but past customer get preference, Hey loyalty pays.

BILL

WHY would I want the parts labeled on my pen?

That's just ?????

I guess some Companies will try anything to make a pen "Exclusive".

I saw this during the Fahrney's summer event. The Pelikan guy was selling a labeled one for $450. I don't get the big deal over demonstrators.

I don't get it either. Idc about the labeling, especially if it costs more.

Does anyone know of the possible release date for this m800?

I can confirm that the version with the labels exists and is apparently available, at least it is if you can find one. I was able to snag the version with the labels from Swisher Pens late Sunday night. I thought it was probably a fluke and that they just hadn't updated their website yet, but I received the shipping confirmation yesterday morning, so it looks like I got lucky. Swisher appears to now be out of stock because the m800 demonstrator is no longer listed among the products on their website.

While I don't need the parts of my pen labeled for me, the labels seem to be in keeping with the "demonstration" purpose of the original demonstrators and I don't think I will mind them at all.

I'll post pics (if I can figure out how) when the pen arrives.

I saw the M800 Demonstrator "with text" today.
It had a Bold nib that wrote perfectly!!!!!!

Now if it only didn't have those dang word engraved in it!!!!!
(Maybe if the engraving was in German ...)

Someone at Pelikan went nuts...Why would you engrave it like that?.

I love the labelling. originally demonstrators were intended to be sales tools for salesmen to demonstrate the workings of pens to retailers, particularly in the era when there were many competing filling mechanisms and new fountain pen technologies. The 51 in particular had features that had never been seen before, that were marvellously transparent (sorry) in the demonstrator model.

I know this Pelikan m800 is just another limited edition run, so not a true salesman's demonstrator, but I like the labelling which takes us back to the roots of this kind of pen. IOW, not just a pretty edition that you get to see your ink in. btw, they made equal numbers of each in case you want your demonstrator for using and looking pretty--or for demonstrating. I heard 2000 of each.

I'd be very curious to hear what others think but in the long run, unless everyone else hates the labels, I suspect that that version, which is unprecedented for Pelikan as far as I know, will be the valuable one.

This is sold out everywhere in the US now that I could find. but I note a foreign seller has 10 for sale on the sales forum for $510 including shipping--not much higher than the US price of $455 plus shipping.

I have no connection with that seller. If anyone has had any experiences, good or bad, could you post a reference for those of us still looking for demonstrators?

If I could use an 800 and had the money, I'd have snapped one up with the engraving. I love it. heck, I've used terms like "thingamajig" and I would know exactly what to call those things now.