I would love it if somebody who owned a few Pelikan sizes could post a picture of them UNposted for size comparison. I don't post when I write and I am thinking of upsizing from my M250 to a M600, if the difference is just enough. If some kind owner of a 2xx/4xx sized pen and a 6xx pen with a free moment or two could upload a side-by-side I would be ever so grateful. If you happened to also have an 8xx for comparison that would work too. The important thing is that I would like to see the comparison of UNposted length.

Cheers.



BTW I am coming around on my "dowel and arrowhead" perception of the Pel shape. As long as the pen is plain black it looks fine in my taste. Besides, they write so damn well.

Here ya go...

Thanks Chris, is the middle a 400 and the right a 600, it is hard to tell without context.

Sorry about that. Left to right are a 400, a 600, and an 800. With regard to length, they are very close to each other.
Incidentally, the bindes on all modern Pelikans are 2.5". 2xx/4xx/6xx/8xx/1xxx are all the same.

Thanks...

Looks like not enough length difference in the barrel for me, and I'd really not go to an 800. The cap is a lot longer in the 600 than to 400 from what I can tell.

Hmm... I sure with Sailors were not c/c pens right about now.

Edit: If the binds are indeed all the same length, are the sections the same length or is there a small difference. My Pel catches my skin in the web of my hand at the point where the bind ends and there is astep down to the knob/blind cap. With a significantly longer section it would help, otherwise not.

The unposted M6xx is 9/32" longer than an M2xx or M4xx. Of this length, 1/4" is in the barrel and the other 1/32" is in the nib. I have a comparison photo and data chart on my site:

Sizes of Pelikan Souverän and Tradition Series Pens

Thanks Richard. I've been all over your wonderful site dozens of times. That particular image seems somewhat deceiveing to me as I use the pens unposted and I notice there is a lot of difference in the lengths of the caps themselves.

Based on what Chris said about all the binds being the same 2.5 inches does that mean the added length is not where I need it to be. The dimension that is critican to me is the length from the front of the section to the joint between the barrel and the end knob.

A picture like the one from Richard's site, with them lined up on a grid, but wihtout caps would be perfect.
I am going to have to borrow my car back from the fiance and get around to a shop. I don't want to spend $200 or $300 on a pen that is not going to fix my one tiny problem with my $100 pen, which I could live with and pocket the large difference.

Sorry to renew an old post, but I have looked at them in hand now, my 250 and a 600 and 800 on the same occasion.

I have to say the size comparison image above (the ChartPak version) is a little misleading, especially to those who use the pens unposted. These pens unposeted are all remakably close in length. Width is different of course and the nibs get larger as one gets towards the top end. However, the length of the cap increases more rapidly than any other dimension and contributes more than any other dimension to the increase in length of the pens from 400 through 1000.

Look at the image proveded by Chris above, especially comparing the 600 (center) and 800 (right). Not much difference unposted. Then look at the ChartPak image below (linked from Richard's site), the 800 posted is better than half an inch longer than the posted 600.



For my money and given my unposted use, Pelikans increase in width for a heavy dollar! The length change is too subtle in my hands compared to any other dimensional change for me to really notice it.

And that's what counts, what the way a pen "feels" and works for you, not anyone else.
For me there is a significant enough difference between the 4XX and the 6XX to justify the price.