I was well on my way to having a large collection of fountain pens when I stumbled upon my first Pelikan, an M400.

4 months latter and I had 4 M200's, 3 M400's, 1 M1000 and a Toledo

Since then I have not bought any more fountain pens and have sold off all my non-Pelikan pens. I like these Pelikans so much that I have yet to even think of selling one of them and have yet to buy another Fountain pen because I like the ones I have so much.

I specially love the M1000. If you are only going to get 1 pen in your life, this is it!!!!
The nib is so springy and lays ink down on paper so smoothly you'll feel like a king writting with this beauty. It is a giant of a pen, but its not too heavy and its well balanced.

All in all, I have Pelikan Derangement Syndrome, am addicted to the brand to the point that I won't even stop to look at a FP that's not a Pelikan!

You're not quite deranged until you get one of these Pelikans.

My collecting other brand of fountain pens ceased as soon as I acquired my first pre WWII Pelikan 100. Now I have six Pelikan 100s, 2 vintage pre WWII and four 1931 Legends of their time LEs equiped with vintage nibs and three post WWII Pelikan 100Ns. The only things I am looking for now beside additional vintage Pelikans are Mont Blanc 138s and 139s and Waterman #7 with pink or black nibs.

I'm gearing up to buying my first Pelikan in about 5 weeks time. Yes, it will take me that long to afford it! Are you saying that my life will never be the same again and that my current pen obsession will turn into a Pelikan obsession?!

In that case can someone please dissuade me from buying an M400. Please? Anyone?

Um... stop. Don't do it. Hey. Hold on there. What do you think you're doing? Slow down. Put the pen down. Put it down. Don't buy it. Don't make me say it again. Seriously. Stop. Think about what you're doing. Think of the children. Will no one think of the children?*

Hey, those M400s are pretty!





*This was my Radiohead voice drone.

And now I notice Dr.Ozzie's avatar! That white bird just literally cannot escape my thoughts! Is there something seriously wrong with me?!

I do have a big problem however. The place I think I'm going to purchase my bird from also has the solid blue M405. What on earth should I do????

Buy the white bird...i heard they are discontinued...you might regret it and have pay premium to get one in a year or so.

I don't get it. What's the problem?

Actually, I'm firmly in the Sailor/Pilot/Pelikan camp and can't really get interested in any other brands. The only pen that interests me outside those three is an Edison Herald but that's because those are in a class by themselves, IMO.

I loooove my M1000. It hasn't left my hand since it arrived a few weeks ago. What a wonderful line it lays down!

I've only got two Pelikans at the moment, an M200 in blue pinstripe with an XF nib and a translucent blue Level 5 (anyone remember those?) with an F nib. The M200 is a wonderful pen to write with, my only complaint about it is that it is a bit light for my taste. I suspect that I'll have to get a couple of the larger Pelikans in order to take care of the weight issue. As I've recently gotten into collecting vintage pens can anyone recommend some older Pelikans that I should consider purchasing?

Have fun,
Ron

I'm curious about the M1000. Everyone says the nib is so very springy, and I believe it. What I'm wondering is if a pen so large is really comfortable for all-day writing. Eight hours. Even four hours. Does anyone feel that it just seems t o o b i g to be practical?

Russ asked:

"I'm curious about the M1000. Everyone says the nib is so very springy, and I believe it. What I'm wondering is if a pen so large is really comfortable for all-day writing. Eight hours. Even four hours. Does anyone feel that it just seems t o o b i g to be practical?"

I think there are many different pens because no one pen is universally utilitarian. I find large pens, even very large ones, very comfortable to hold and for writing. I can write with an M-1000 all day with no problem. The pen is large but moderate in weight and nicely balanced - for me. The huge nib allows me a certain freedon in writing. I can rest the pen comfortably in the web of my writing hand and pratically let the nib write on its own.

But the M-1000 might be too big for you, depending on whether you like large pens to start with. A small pen like an M-800 or M-600 might do for you what the M-1000 does for me. That is a decision you must make for yourself. I can only relate what the pen does for me.

Pels will get you Buhahaha! Ignore those other Germans sneaking into the right side of the Pic, they just can't stand for the Pels to have all the spotlight!!

I've got a 1000 and like it muchly. However, it IS too big for prolonged writing. I also have a 200, 400, and 600 and I enjoy the size of the 600 the most. It is what I would call a "normal" modern FP size. The 1000 is also very generous with ink. Too much for most routine uses. I do love it when I have to sign a pile of checks!

I suppose an 800 is in my future someday just to see if I like that even more (and to have one of each useful size). The 300 would clearly be too small for me, but I do think it is very cute.

Andy

Deranged? I already have a lower opinion of myself: I only have an M215 and an M800, love both, use both, but my next pens (in general) will be an M320 (just because it's nice and small for my T-shirt pocket) and an M1000 (because of the nib). But I also want a Toledo M9XX. So I'm still confused who comes first.
I've heard that there are other brands out there, but that doesn't matter.

Mike

Lisa's right. Don't go there.

Step away from the Pelikan!

My Pelikans are the only pens inked and used, and the only pens I now purchase. I love Pelikans.

Just curoius what's the 4th one from the left ?
And the 5th one a M450 ?
And do I see a steel Lamy 2k here ?

Count me as another who, once she wrote with a Pelikan, put all her other pens away...

“I think all writing is a disease. You can't stop it.”
-- William Carlos Williams quotes

You may start with a vintage 400, 400NN or a 140. They are easily available and reasonably priced.
100 and 100N are much more expensive and harder to find. One day I will get one of those. Hopefully ........



Pretty much so! There are some other pens, too, but the Pelikans see at least 95% of my fountainpen use.



4th from the left is a Grand Place.
5th from the left is a 420.
I would love to have the 420 or the Grand Place
The Lamys are the Lamy Studio. That's the steel pen. And the L2K as the last one in this row.

I think I've got some variation of this Syndrome.

I had 3 Pelikans come in today (M320 Green, M320 Orange and M300 Black). This means that I'm up to a total of 12 birds, now the majority of my collection (I had a little over 20 Montegrappas but ended up selling a lot of them recently). I don't think I'll be letting go of any more of my Pelikans - I believe I have just the set I want!

Pelikan Enjoyment Syndrome, not Derangement Syndrome; Pelikan Enjoyment is no more a derangement, than Obsessive Compulsive is a Disorder. Why would any reasonable person describe the most orderly people on the planet as disordered? That, by the way, is a question frequently asked by members of my immediate family, who refer to it as OCC (Obsessive Compulsive Condition) because it would not be orderly to describe themselves as disordered. BTW, some members of my family consider Adrian Monk to be a slacker.

Donnie

I'm so happy I found this thread. What I'm suffering from has a name: Pelikan Enjoyment Syndrome. Thanks for giving it a nice name Donnie. Besides , I thought I was alone, what a relief I'm not.

So, count me as another who, once he wrote with a (vintage)Pelikan, put all his other pens away...

Now I just need a nicer name for my "flex nib obsession" and my " copperplate/ roundhand envy"...

BTW I have decided to go for it - I'm expecting a nice 100 soon
kind regards Henrik

The only cure for PES is--- more Pelikans!!!!

Why not just go for the Toledo...you know you want to

Sorry, I've aready said this above and 10 x elsewhere, but Pelikan is already MY BRAND. Get it?
Parkers (as re Duos), Watermans, Auroras are all great (MB is NOT great (AFAIK)....
... but Pelikan is THE brand I'm sticking to.

Sooo, I said it.

Mike

As a newbie who has yet to take his first plunge into serious FPhood (although I am gradually narrowing the field; in fact a Pelikan M200 with a Richard Binder nib is a strong contender), I'm observing that you FP folks do indeed have a disease very similar to one with which I am intimately familiar. It's an affliction known among brethren (and sistren) of the briar pipe as "P.A.D." — "pipe acquisition disorder". I don't need to describe it; simply translate your insatiable desire for pens, pens, and more pens to the pipe domain, and you will understand P.A.D. Or any other domain, for that matter; it's equally persistent if guitars are one's passion...and they are one of mine.

In fact, there are some FP junkies on a pipe smoker's forum I administer, and their posts are the culprits that sparked my interest in fountain pens. I was content to limit myself to suffering the joys of pipe and guitar derangement, but nooooooo...these particular brethren had to start carrying on about their Sailors and their Pelikans and their Noodler's and whatnot...and now here I am thinking about spending more on a nib than I spent buying my first automobile. (OK...it was a cheap car, but still...)

Anyhow, you're all crazy.

...by which I mean, I feel right at home.

I have....4 Pelikans, 3 of which are "Cities/Places" pens. And recently, I was thinking about buying an M400 because I'm crazy. But it's a good kind of crazy. I love my Pelikans.

I have been Pels all the way since I started with FP's again. 3 cities series, two 100's, 3 400's (brown striated). However,I have wavered over my next purchase, another Pel or a Nakaya. Undecided. But, to be honest, for me, the brand, ethos, etc, do it for me so for me to buy any other brand, it has to be special - Nakaya make some great pens. (Yeah, i know, i'll get a Nakaya and a Pel next time round).

I have a Pelikan M200 that needs a new nib because it got screwed up somehow and is scratchy now. Other than that, no more Pelikans (but my collection consists of a whopping 3 pens), my next Pelikan will be a City Series pen as soon as I can collect the money.

A true fountain pen lover is never satisfied by just one pen. Sure, there will be one, perhaps a few, that are favorites. But even a favorite can tire... variety satiates. One must have a collection, albeit small, medium, or large. But definitely a choice. Congrats on finding a pen that you're superbly satisfied with! And y'know what? You take a break, use others, then come back to it--it's wonderful. I feel the same way about chocolate. I enjoy it tremendously... but I don't eat it often. Because when I finally do have some, it's even more delicious. I don't want the experience to become pedestrian.

You are having the same group of favourite brands with me. On top of all these brands, i have added OMAS on it. but i managed to have one.

1) Pelikan - F
2) OMAS - F
3) Pilot - F
4) Sailor - M

Unusual but here's a third reply of mine in one post (I think):

--- To paraphrase the great Mark Twain ---

Stop Birding ? Absolutely no problem, I've done that a hundred times !

Mike

I own two pels and don't plan to add more.