I don't live near a pen store, so I took a chance and ordered the Pelikan M805. While the nib seems excellent (haven't inked it), the metal piston filler makes the back of the pen heavy. The weight forces the pen to slide into my thumb and feel wrong in my hand. I have no problem with the weight of the pen, it's the distribution of that weight that annoys me; I prefer an evenly balanced pen or a bottom-heavy pen. Needless to say, I never post.

I love my M200, but I'd like something a little bigger. I think it's the lack of metal in the M200 that that accounts for its superb balance. I also own Nakimi VPs for work, and I like their balance but wouldn't want to go much heavier. I think the VPs weight about an ounce each.

I love the look of the Sahara but worry that it might have the same balance problem as the M800. Do the Natural Wonder pens' all-metal construction make them more balanced than the celluloid pens? If not, what Pelikan would you recommend? I'd like to keep it under $300, but I'd make an exception for the sexy Sahara.

Hope to avoid another mistake. Thanks for the help.

The 600-sized pens (and everything smaller) uses a plastic piston mechanism. Its feel will be similar to your 200. Only the 800 and 1000 use the brass piston unit.

Chris

If you like your M200, but need a bit "more heft", then check out an M215 and M400. Both are very close in size to your M200. The 400 is somewhat heavier. The 215 is "nicely" a bit heavier. The M600 is bigger but not as big as an M800 or an M805 and weighs more than the M200 but less than the M600.

Mike

I'll second this rec. The M200 is the perfect weight for me. I find the M215, although well balanced, a bit heavy for my taste so it might be a nice weight for you. I don't really notice any difference between the M200 and the M400.

I haven't tried the natural wonders pens, but I think Richard posted a message in one of the threads here saying that it was well-balanced. It is an awfully sexy pen.

Edit: The post from Richard is in this thread: Pelikan Polar Lights

I have the Pelikan Souveran Picadilly Circus which is a 600 size. Not heavy, not unbalanced. If the M800 is to heavy and clunky, you could get a PC or (presumably) any M600 series.

annieblue, the Sahara weights approx 1.2oz with cap, and approx. 0.8oz without. Its weight is mostly distributed in the barrel, which is of metal construction whereas the cap is plastic so even when posting it's not off balance. But that's my experience; if you're not sure perhaps you might wanna get it from a source that'd let you return or exchange.

The Sahara's the only one among the series with a textured barrel, and the sense of tactile it provides I find pleasing. I dunno about a pen being "sexy" but I still find the Sahara the prettiest among them.

Thank you for all the responses. Looks like 640 and below should suit me fine.

Does anyone know if the Natural Wonder pens have brass or plastic piston fillers?

I can't be sure, but I think the barrel is likely plastic. If you unscrew the M800 piston you can see a bit of brass from the gap. With the Sahara it doesn't show any brass from the gap, but similar material like in the M620 Cities series, which I think uses plastic piston like the regular M600 series.