Pelikan M800's are my favorite pens and I recently completed that portion of the pen box. What started as the "traditional suite", a black, red, blue, green and M850 vermeil has undergone an interesting customization. The traditional green and red just didnt' do it for me....I'm a more traditional guy. So off the green and red went for custom bindes. About the time I got ready to do this I began the Italian portion of my collection and fell in love with the more traditional celluloids. Have a look at the outcome and let me know what you think.

Click to view attachment

While this collection was being put together I also stumbled into custom nibs so the flock has a nice mix of standard Pelikan nibs (Fine, OB, and OBB) and Richard Binder custom nibs (.6mm oblique round, .5mm oblique stub, .6mm music stub).

More pics here:

http://theflock.floridafpnut.mailcan.com/At%20Home/

Randy in Florida

Mine are 600's, and are rollerballs, rather than FPs. I have six, and this is what I've done:

1. Piccadilly Circus cap and barrel; white blind cap from New York 620 LE.
2. Black barrel and blind cap; cap is from a Piazza Navona 620 LE.
3. Just the reverse: Piazza Navona barrel and blind cap; black cap.
4. New York 620 LE barrel; black cap and blind cap.
5. Blue striped barrel. Solid blue blind cap from 605 blue and white New York cap.
6. Blue 605 barrel and cap; black blind cap.

Like Randy, I think a bit of imagination makes the Pelikan street version a lot more interesting that the way they come from the factory.

Randy --

The custom bindes are great looking. In a post-Chris burton world, are these Julia Tate bindes or someone else's handiwork?

David, it is my understanding that Chris is back on a limited basis. If you search his name on FPN you'll see a Pel he did and sold recently. When I first became intrigued with custom bindes I contacted Chris but it was shortly after he stopped doing them (a year ago or so). In asking around I discovered Scott Meyer (onlyonecreations), fellow FPN member, who does beautiful custom pens. He agreed to do these two for me but stressed that he was not interested in getting into the custom binde business which I respect. Clearly there is interest in custom bindes by some folks so I do hope that a market will develop. I just hope it won't lead to the same long delays that custom nibs often have.