When i first discovered Pelikans i bought M400s, M600's and M800's thinking that anything bellow that would be junk. I avoided the M200 like the bubonic plague. However, recently an opportunity arose to purchase one of the discontinued blue M200 demonstrators. After using it for a month now here's what's happened.

I have now drifted away from the walthier "cousins" of the M200 and started to focus my tastes on both extremes of the Pelikan family. I now crave the M200's and the metal cap pens like the M420, M450, M625,. Really odd when you consider that the M200 is the entry level pen to the Souveran line and the metal capped ones are fancier and more expensive than the rest of the Souverans.

So why so radically different tastes? Well, i realized that the M200 in trim is actually closer in look to the vintage M400s of the 1950's and the marbled color and ink window is reminicent of some of the first Pelikans from the 1930's. The price makes it more comfortable to use as an every day pen and you still enjoy the same quality as the higher decorated Souverans.

And why also the other extreme? Am talking about the more expensive metal cap line with the Sterling silver and gold trimmings? Well, while the M400-M800 are beautifully decorared, they just don't seem flashy enough to be considered a "special pen for a special occation" You know, the kind of pen you use rarely when signing an important contract or writting that special letter to a loved one. I think the metal capped Pelikans have that impact, they really look the part. Plus most people have the regular souverans, these ones just seem more unique, less likely to find one out there than a regular Souveran.

While I will not swear completely off of the regular Souverans, it would take a new Tortoise or Demonstrator model to get me to buy one again, otherwise I'll stick to my new tastes, my weird taste for the low end and high end with little (if anything) in between. But then again, from my experience, there is no low end when it comes to Pelikan. Every Pelikan pen is a winner in my book, except for maybe the Magesty.

I tend to agree with you! I think many people buy very expensive Pelikans to show how much money they have rather than to write with.

Some of the 'best writing' Pelikans are at the low end of the range with regard to price. The very best of these is probably the Pelikan 'Go' which although no longer produced can be bought for about $20 on some auction sites. This is a large format piston-filled pen which writes superbly.

I consistently use one or other of two Pelikan P478 cartridge pens that I have. These 'vintage' pens are not expensive to buy, look great and also write superbly. The nib-grading on the P478s is also spot on!

I like your taste in Pelikans. Great choices. And I agree, there is no low end. I started collecting Pelikans, then drifted far and wide as I collected other brand pens and left the Pels behind (even sold a few). Then, within the last few months, I've started using my Pels again and wondered why I strayed. They're wonderful writers. I've indulged my renewed appreciation of Pelikans by purchasing several new ones, with a vintage 400NN on its way.

I had an M600 & an M400 recently, and I sold them after discovering that I lean more toward vintage pens. However, I kept my humble little M200 in black. I love the level of trim on it...it reminds me of a vintage pen, too. I bought mine from Richard, so it's one smoooooth writer! I doubt I'll ever get rid of it.

I can't justify the cost of "high end" Pelikans and don't usually like lots of bling. But I don't find the size or design of the 800 & 1000 very exciting. End result: I buy the 200/400/600 styles (and with the 600s, it's all about the Cities/Places pens) and skip over the 800/1000 and drool over the Toledo and other high end Pels.

the 200s and 400s are still my favorites. And my "new" (to me) 150 is a delight.

I love my vintage Pel 200 with steel nib and silver finish cap, which was a gift from a fellow FPNer. It just came back from Chartpak to get adjusted and get a matching silver cap and is just a wonderful little pen! I'm finding that smaller pens are tripping my trigger these days - my other favorites right now are my two Parker 51 demi aeros, one green, one gray.

I don't know if I can actually call it a preference, since I only have 200's, but I love them.

The demonstrators are some of my favorites. Something about seeing the guts of the pen is satisfying.
It is also fun to play with ink/demonstrator color combinations. (i.e. what is the apparent color of de Atramentis 'Pilsner' in a Blue demonstrator?)

Kevin

Have yet to try other sizes of Pelikans but my M250 feels just slightly smaller than I'd ideally like. Based on that I suspect the M600 is likely about the "right" size for my hand...

M200 is right on the very top of my list. In two weeks I should get money and then the order goes to Richard right away. I'm curious as everyone has been saying that Pelikans are great - I have no experience with them so far. I would prefer version with silver furniture, but whatever, they're cute anyway.

I am a big fan of the Pelikan 400. I am a user, not a collector and the 400 fits the bill. Vintage Pelikan 400s of various time periods are easily available in Germany and one can get them for reasonable prices (especially anything pre 97 without the additional bling). I would be sorry to loose one, but I can live with loosing a 30-50 Euro pen rather than loosing a M 800 (I do not have) for 360 Euros

Hey Ozzie,

Does this one trip your trigger as high-end enough? (It sure does mine!)

Looks beautiful, what is it?

Now that's one I'd like!

Yes, this does trip my trigger. Where can i get my hands on one of those beauties?

You could get about 40 M200s for the price of that Gekko Raden inlay! Muttering...

I like the M200 as a writer, I just prefer stripes (the marble looks a bit weird for me, not quite as nice as the 100's marbling)

Doug's right. They're mucho dinero for sure. List on them was $2500-ish.

Highly doubtful that any of 'em are still in anyone's inventory, although Bittner might be the one place I could think of that might have a shot at it.

For reference, it's a uber-limited edition Pelikan M800-series (M805 if you want to be technical) with a raden finish. Gorgeous pen!

They don't have one that they had on display, and if they do have one, it's probably one that belongs to Detlef personally.

I bought the most expensive Pelikan they had in store at the time.

I have a preference for the M200s, too. They may be one of the cheapest in the Pelikan line-up but they perform admirably well. They give that feeling like I'm writing on rails or something - does wonders for my penmanship. Sorry, 'writing-on-rails' is the best way I can describe it. Somebody else may come up with a better description, tho.

Winedoc had one of the Raden Pels on Ebay fairly recently... Don't know if it sold or not....

Not sure if it is the same one, but there was one that didn't meet the reserve (was bid to $363) and has been relisted. Item #110236318849.

CJ

Oh I agree on Pelikans tasting weird, the last time I tasted my Pelikan it tasted like ink. It had a bitter taste like turquoise but I could tell it was the taste of Legal Lapis. Now whenever I take a taste, it tastes like black cherry

Not the same -- the raden doesn't extend through the cap. Still, very nice.