I am very new to world of FP's, and am in the market for my second purchase. I currently have a Centuary II. I am trying to decide between the Lammy Studio or the Pelikan M215. I have read good reviews about both, but I have heard the M215 can be a little dry or scratchy? Any help would be great.

Thanks, Kevin

Welcome to FPN!! I have one Lamy (2000) and 10 or so Pelikans. I've never really experienced a dry scratchy Pelikan. The only scratchy Pel nib I have really heard of are the extra fines.

Both are excellent pens in that price range. It really boils down to what you want. I have a blue Studio with a steel nib and it is extremely smooth, moreso than some of the Pelikans that I own. However, the nibs on both the Studio and the Pelikan are interchangable, so what one hears is really not an issue. Given the choice that you have, I would go with a Studio Palladium with its gold nib, and I would get the F nib since it writes a lot like a medium. But that is just my preference. I have a Pelikan M200, and I have to say that I like the nib on the Lamy better. You also have to decide if you like a piston filler or a cartridge / converter filler. Also, there are some really nice user replaceable nib units for the Pelikan, so I would probably think about what you want to do in the future. Really, I don't think that you can go wrong with either pen, so pick the one that you like the best.

I agree with Punch and would also add that the Lamy Studio is a heavier pen.

Thanks for the advise. I was looking at Richard's pen website and read that he can custamize a M215. How do you think that route could be? I like the look of both pens but am a little more partion to the shape of the M215.

Then buy the M215. Customization at this point does not make a lot of sense unless you really know what you want. Get a standard M215 with a M nib and write with it for a while. Then ask yourself what it is about the pen that you do not like (if indeed there is anything), and that will give you a basis for customization. I currently own 8 Pelikans and 6 Lamys and I have not even scratched the surface of what is available in stock nibs for these two makes. However, I have been writing long enough (30+ years) and with enough different fountain pens that I could give Mr. Binder a good idea of what I do and don't like. I have not yet done this because I have not really found anything that I need to do at this time that I cannot do with one of the several dozen pens that I already own. Get the M215 if you like it better and write with it until your arm drops off. Then think about customizing it.

Just my $0.02 (worth less than a steaming turd in this economy).

I'll second the spirit of the advice but differ on the M nib aspect. Unless you are deliberately looking for something with a much wider line than a typical ballpoint/gel/rollerball, go for an F nib. An F nib is already as wide or wider than ballpoint/gel/rollerballs, especially on typically encountered copier paper and office pads. I'd go with an F to start.

Both are wonderful pens!

The Lamy Studio has great balance and is very, very smooth. The Pelikan M215 holds a ton of ink and fits perfectly in a shirt pocket.

I've not experienced it, but I have heard that Pelikan Extra Fine nibs can be a little scratchy. If you go with the Pelikan M215, I would recommend starting with a Fine nib. I purchased a Medium nib when I originally picked up mine. The Medium nib puts down a little wider line then I expected. I later ground it down to a Cursive Italic. (Not recommended for the faint of heart)

You can easily change the nib on either pen. I bought my Lamy Studios with several replacement nibs: Extra Fine, Fine, and 1.1M Italic. I found that I like different nibs depending on the situation. You may find the same.

Please let us know which pen you decide and what you think!

That depends on a lot of factors. I write with a pretty light hand, and the steel M nib on my M215 puts down about the same line as the F nib on my M200. Both are about the same as my Lamy Rollerball (I just checked). The steel M nib on the M215 is noticeably more narrow than the M nibs on my M600's.

And by the way, why on Earth would I want my writing with my fountain pens to look like the line on a ballpoint or rollerball? Copier paper and office pads? Heresy! Why not just forget about a $100+ pen and go with a Pilot V pen with that paper?

I have the M215, and it's a beautiful pen, writes consistently (XF) and smoothly. I have no complaints about it, none.

Truth be told, my fountain pens do lead a sheltered life. They taste only Clairefontaine. However, since I figured the original poster might want to take his pen slumming, he should allow for the line widening effect of typical office paper.

My new 200 series steel rhodium plated Pel F nib is perfect - I honestly can't imagine wanting a finer line. It is definitely finer than the Medium, but not scratchy. Smoother than most Esterbrook steel nibs, IMO, and I have some pretty smooth Estie nibs!

I have always had good luck with both brands but if I had to pick one, based on the two options, I would pick the LAMY due to the size. The M200 I had was a great writer but just to small for me.

Thanks!
I do like my fountainpens looking like a fountainpen! And this is why I prefer medium nibs
At the office I need a fine nib, too, but the fine is still broader than any ballpoint.