I've been looking at Pelikan MX05s (and it's all your fault FPN!) with black bodies, and the majority are pictured with green windows. The blue solid bodies have a grey/smoke window, and I understand that with any striped/stirated Pelikan, the 'black' lines let you see into the reservoir.

1. Is it possible to swap windows? Say I wanted to replace the green window with a grey one, could it be done? And if it were possible, knowing I'm too chicken to try such a stunt on my own, would it cost much?

2. I've seen pictures on various sites that look as though there are black pens with no ink window :
(image from nibs.com - is it cool to borrow an image like that?)
Is that just the lighting not showing the green, or do these pens exist? Or is it black/black striped/stirated? - but I never see that listed as an option for sale.

I suppose I could just ask the sellers where I see the images, but I hate bothering retailers when I'm not sure I'm going to make a purchase yet. And besides, this way is often more interesting!

Ryan.

Hey Ryan,

My guess is that picture either was taken with bad lighting, or it is just filled with ink - in which case you wouldn't notice the green window.

I don't know for sure, but I doubt you'd be able to swap windows; I'm pretty sure they come in one piece as part of the barrel. Now there may be a way to remove the green tint, but I haven't heard of one. Like I said though, I'm pretty sure you'll only notice the window tint when your low on ink; could be a good impetus to go fill you pen .

Hope this helps!

-Ryan



edit: Also you may want to consider the Pelikan m215 body. It has a very dark gray (almost translucent black window) and still sports the silver trim. I love my m215.

pic from www.RichardsPens.com

I am wondering virtually the same thing. I am looking at the Pelikan 425 and, while I like emerald green as a color, I think it breaks up the look of the sleek, black body with the silver cap and trim ring. I agree with Ryan in that a smoke grey window should be available....or standard. However, I do like the idea of the reservoir window...just not the color choice. I can't tell from the pictures I've seen of the Pelikan 805, but that clack pen looks like it may have a green window as well.

Thanks, Ryan! I wondered if the barrel was all one piece.

I went down to a pen counter a few weeks ago to handle a few Pelikans, and I was really surprised at how bright that green window looked (once I got over the outrageous prices they were asking!)- it seemed kind of out of place on such an otherwise reserved pen. I guess I was thinking that even full, it'd still be bright green with ink splashing around inside - like a green crystal demonstrator I remember seeing. But it darkens up. Cool.

Ryan.

I'm pretty sure that it darkens up rather well with a load of ink. In fact, I think the bright green tint has the purpose of illuminating (pun intended) the fact that you're getting low on ink. When light is able to pass through, the window seems to glow green, asking for a fill.

I'm not entirely sure on this, so wait for others to comment before making any decisions. Pelikans are certainly great pens; I hope you can find one that works!

Cheers,
Ryan

re: the 215.

I know _lots_ of people here at FPN love their 2XX's, and I was thinking about one before I went down to see the Pels in person. I've got fairly big mitts, and while I've got a few small pens and have no objections to them, the 8XX just seemed to drop right into place and feel great. So of course I like the more expensive one.

Oh, and I really do blame all of you! A month ago I didn't even know I wanted a Pelikan! :doh:

Ryan.

You won't notice the window when you've inked it unless you hold the pen nib up for a moment to let the ink run back.

I have all three M805 models.
When the all black model is filled with black ink, it is very difficult to notice where the ink window starts and stops.
With the blue striped model, it is fairly difficult to notice the ink level, unless the pen is held up to the light.
The all blue model is the easiest to see the ink level.

Caboose stated below:


The entire body of the M425 is green. There is no black. Perhaps you are thinking of the M420.

I don't think that the ink windows could be "swapped." It may be possible to change them, but only with a great deal of work. Mr. Burton would be able to speak to this.

The latest black version of the M215 shown below has officially an ink window

(pic by Pelikan)


[edited for facts]

You're correct. I was referring to the 420. After looking at the pictures some more, and reading the posts here, I think the 420 has made my short-list. Now, if the window were pink, I might be deterred, but I can live with green.

Ryan! Thank you for posting this. I would have sworn the 'window' on the M215 was completley opaque. I was even a tad ( really just a tad because this is my workhouse killer pen and it rules) disappointed that the window wasn't even a little transparent - BUT since you mentioned this, I just held mine up to the light and TA DA! there's a little visability! Who knew?? Apparently, everyone but me -

Pelikan windows on black pens come in two flavors: transparent and translucent. I am not sure what specific models come with what window version. For me, either version is fine.

If you photograph the transparent version when empty, it will be clearly green. The M1000s I have seen are like this.

If you photograph the translucent version, like my M800, it will be black. To see the ink level, you use a strong light, or the sun light on a sunny day (through a window no more than 20 feet away). You then see the sides of the pen as green, and any section of the window that is empty as green. In a nutshell, the emptyer it is the greener the window appears. Once you are used to this it is not a problem. I typically look at the window when the ink flow is bad, which happens, only when the pen is empty.