Pelikan M805 - A More Honest Re-Review

[Betweenthelines]

INTRO

 

Aloha FPN ~ so Pelikan and I have had an interesting relationship. They have been a bit of a conundrum. On the one hand I have long adored and drooled after Pelikans, ever since entering this hobby, and I find them to be some of the most attractive pens on the market (second only to Nakaya), and perhaps the most attractive modern mass produced pens. In fact, the m805 was my first “dream” pen. On the other hand, they are, in my opinion, overpriced, and additionally I kept failing to be wowed by the actual writing experience of these pens. 4 out of 6 Pelikans arrived with nibs that needed adjustment, whether tine misalignment, too much feedback, or baby’s bottom. And when they have been working right, or even perfectly, I have always ended up selling them. I think it’s because the stiff, broad and wet nibs have lacked personality for me. I have more enjoyed nibs with spring, and maybe even a little feedback. So while I had at one point a nice flock, I ended up selling all but my vintage 400 brown tortoise, despite my positive reviews of these pens.

 

Fast forward to recently – I continued to cull my collection in attempts to move from collector to user. And yet I just couldn’t get the m805 out of my head. I began to really regret selling it, and questioning why I did. Looking back, I recalled feeling like it was back heavy, having a bit of a baby’s bottom issue, having a few defects in the stripes which drove my OCD crazy, and overall telling myself that this pen was too luxurious for the “user grade” handful of pens I was aspiring to narrow down to. And yet… I just couldn’t get it out of my head!! What can I say, it was my first dream pen for a reason – I just love the m805’s look. And, I noticed that I had left myself with almost all Japanese fine size nibs, and was craving a broader nib to balance them out.

 

And so, I ended up taking some of the proceeds from my pen sales and buying direct from Rolf (missing-pen.de) for a price significantly cheaper than retail, or even his ebay list price. And, he swapped in a bi-color nib for me (which is one thing I loved about my last m805). Rolf’s a great guy.

 

So, why re-review? Well, I wanted to give the pen another shot as honestly as possible. And, I feel that I reviewed the pen a little bit through rose-tinted glasses in my flock review, as I was so happy to have finally gotten my hands on this dream pen of mine.. and yet I sold it. So.. were my reasons for selling the last one valid? Or will round 2 prove my decision was hasty and unwarranted. Let’s find out..

 

 

 

Presentation: 9/10

 

I really like the Pelikan box and faux leather slip the pen comes in. It’s not as wow-inducing as, say, a Nakaya box, but it’s really nice and classy. Rolf included some extra goodies with the pen.

 

 

http://i.imgur.com/Y7KPRco.jpg

 

 

 

http://i.imgur.com/PiBbFDn.jpg

 

 

 

Appearances and Design: 10/10

 

 

Yep. This pen is freaking pretty. Still makes my heart go pitter patter, and what’s more this one is brand new this time around. I could go on and on about the design and appearances of Pelikan pens, but the photos speak for themselves, and, well, we’re all pretty familiar with Pelikan by now. As I said, their looks really do it for me. The blue stripes on black with the rhodium accents… ahh man.

 

Handsome, classy, clean. It’s what keeps me coming back. Oh, that and the wobbly-knees inducing bicolor Pelikan nib. These are, in my opinion, the prettiest nib designs on the market. And they look even better with some ink on them. And the beak-clip is a unique, creative, and perfectly executed touch. Probably my favorite clip design of any pen. And being an animal person, I really adore the Pelikan logo on the cap and nib. What can I say? I’m crazy about this pen’s looks.

 

http://i.imgur.com/lpWSjbB.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Df9P8zO.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/LRL7nCr.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/2WYs4X0.jpg

 

 

 

 

Construction and Quality: 7/10

 

Ok. Yes, this is a high quality, luxurious, overall well-made pen. The piston works flawlessly, the pen is gorgeous, has some heft to it, and just screams high quality as you hold it. But here we are again with a brand new m805, and there are quality control issues – again, the stripes have small defects in them. This might not be a big deal for a handmade pen, but for a pen that’s made in a factory, and a pen that relies on a design of perfectly aligned stripes, it’s really noticeable. Is this a common thing with Pelikans? Or do I just have bad luck?

 

http://i.imgur.com/BujOr5r.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/0PvsT5G.jpg

 

 

 

And.. one look at the nib with the naked eye and I could tell the tines were severely misaligned. Laughably misaligned. Like this:

 

http://i.imgur.com/9S8wtCD.jpg

 

Are there any humans actually working in the Pelikan factory taking a look at these nibs before shipping them?

 

Weight/Dimensions: 7/10

 

It’s a nice sized pen with some good heft that tells you it’s quality, but yep, the pen is back heavy. The pen is REALLY back heavy while posted. And because I have large hands, I pretty much need to write with it posted if I’m writing for longer sessions. It also feels like a fairly heavy pen while posted, seems far heavier than my (vintage) MB 149 while posted though nibs.com lists the m805 as lighter. If it is indeed a lighter pen, then the balance (or lack thereof) of the pen is what’s creating that heavy feeling. This combined with the narrower girth and the small section with sharp threads makes the m805 one of my less comfortable pens to write with. The 149 feels like a relief when I switch to it. Again, a lot of this may simply be because I have large hands and you’ll probably tell me to try an m1000, but I don’t care for the green/gold or black/gold stylings, and regardless, the pen is objectively back heavy and unbalanced while posted.

 

Nib and Performance: 4/10 out of the box, 10/10 after adjustment.

 

Does anyone else get annoyed when multi hundred dollar pens consistently need adjustment out of the box, while Pilot is sending out $10 metropolitans that consistently write perfectly? I’m sorry, but Japan drops trou and takes a big ‘ol whopperoonie of a dump on European brands when it comes to quality control. As I said, the nib arrived laughably misaligned – like hard-to-miss misaligned… like Pelikan’s-quality-control-unit-is-a-95-year-old-blind-lady-named-Helga-who-happens-to-also-be-a-raging-alcoholic-and-falls-asleep-on-the-production-line-and-has-her-even-blinder-cat-FiFi-handle-the-QC misaligned. Kind of unacceptable.

 

That being said, once I realigned the tines…. Wow. What a nib. Silky smooth, with just a whisper of pleasant feedback, even though it’s EF, with again the perfect wetness level that shows off shading and sheen, and again the perfect line width for me when it comes to a western fine. Yes, it’s an EF nib, but if you didn’t know already, Pelikan nibs run about a size larger their many other western counterparts. So this is about the perfect western fine size for me. The Pelikan fine would be too broad, I think.

 

This one has far less of a baby’s bottom than my last one so a lot more consistent performance. It’s firm, but it’s not a nail. It has a hint of softness to it – feels about on par with my Nakaya nib – not rigid like a Sailor, but not springy like a Pilot. Just a little bit of gentle give that creates a pleasant writing experience. Pelikan nibs seem to be “thicker”, as in there is more metal used to make the nib than, say, a Pilot nib. This would be corroborated by their being firmer, as when nibmeisters add flex to nibs they thin the tines. The nib does seem to dry out fairly quickly if left uncapped, though I can’t say I have conclusive data compared to my other pens.. I’ve just noticed it the last couple weeks while writing at work.

 

Overall very happy with it, and grateful I didn’t get a lemon nib (aside from the misalignment).

 

http://i.imgur.com/4KJroOF.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/komzStc.jpg

 

 

Filling System & Maintanence: 10/10

 

I think Pelikan makes the best piston fillers on the market. And I love piston fillers. To the point that I’ve noticed that I’ve gradually removed almost all of my c/c pens. This pen is no exception – flawless filling mechanism (so far) – very smooth operation, sucks up a nice big portion of ink, piston nob lines up against the pen body perfectly.. no complaints.

 

Cost & Value: 7/10

 

Luxurious is the word that keeps coming up with this pen, and it is surely a beauty. You can see and feel the difference between a $150 utilitarian Japanese pen like a Pilot Custom series or a Sailor and this pen, which is more like a work of art, and definitely classier.

 

That being said, I do not believe this pen is worth the MSRP, nor the average current “street” price of around $400. Especially with the QC issues. God forbid you have to send your pen to a nibmeister and add another $50-100 to your price. I think, brand new, this is a $250 pen. Maybe $300.

 

However, I did not personally pay MSRP, or the going “street price”, so I’m not feeling ripped off by any means. It was still a little more than I’d like, but no regrets here.

 

Final Score: 8/10

 

This pen is a solid classic. I’ve encountered a few issues with it, both times I’ve owned it. Some of those are the result of personal preferences, others are objective issues around QC. All my gripes and issues aside, I have to say I adore this pen. It’s odd – there’s this irrational part of my brain that wants to rate it higher for the final score because I feel so attached to this pen, despite it not being the most comfortable in my hand, despite it having some QC issues… I just love the damn thing. Pelikan makes NICE pens. And if they could refine their QC, they would probably be the –nicest-. I most certainly won’t be selling this one any time soon. In fact it’s been my daily carry consistently since I got it.

 

I think, for me, the bottom line is that when it comes from a pure utilitarian perspective, nothing’s going to beat a good Japanese pen, like the Pilot Custom 823. But when it comes to splurging on a luxury item that’s going to be pretty, add that extra dash of class, have a smooth piston filling system and a big wet gorgeous nib, you go for a Pelikan. It’s a different breed of pen.

 

http://i.imgur.com/UdvEAfG.jpg

[Uncial]

I think the QC issues you site with the stripes are very common. I've never had pone with a bad defect as in your first picture, but I think all of mine have that dimpled defect. I actually quite like that defect in it as it catches the light. I can see why it might be a huge irritation to some though.

 

I think I've been very, very fortunate with Pelikan's as I have yet to have a dud nib or a misaligned tine.

[Betweenthelines]

I think the QC issues you site with the stripes are very common. I've never had pone with a bad defect as in your first picture, but I think all of mine have that dimpled defect. I actually quite like that defect in it as it catches the light. I can see why it might be a huge irritation to some though.

 

I think I've been very, very fortunate with Pelikan's as I have yet to have a dud nib or a misaligned tine.

 

Hey, good to know. Thanks. It really isn't that big of a deal I suppose - more of a practice to let go of OCD tendencies . It's just that the design itself - being 'perfectly' parallel lines - really makes these dimples noticeable.

[visvamitra]

Fantastic review, I remember when I've purchased Pelikan M405 I had to exchange nib three times (!) before they've succeeded in sending me decent one. It's really a shame. Pelikan does a lot when it comes to marketing and social media but they should refocus on quality issues as well. especially given the price tag of their pens.

[Tas]

Lovely review.

Sadly, again, the writing sample is what stops me buying another Pelikan. Their EF nib writes like a medium.

 

I don't want to spend a small fortune and then pay extra on top to have someone grind the nib to a true EF for me

[Betweenthelines]

Fantastic review, I remember when I've purchased Pelikan M405 I had to exchange nib three times (!) before they've succeeded in sending me decent one. It's really a shame. Pelikan does a lot when it comes to marketing and social media but they should refocus on quality issues as well. especially given the price tag of their pens.

 

Thanks. Ouch on the exchanges, and I agree with your comments. It really is a shame as they have everything else going for 'em.

 

 

Lovely review.

 

Sadly, again, the writing sample is what stops me buying another Pelikan. Their EF nib writes like a medium.

 

I don't want to spend a small fortune and then pay extra on top to have someone grind the nib to a true EF for me

 

Thank you. I'm assuming you mean Japanese medium, as this nib writes like a western fine. I would say it writes about the same as a Pilot MF nib. It is indeed on the broader end of the spectrum for me as I mostly own Japanese fines but not too broad. It's on par with my MB 149 F (that's actually closer to an EF), and my Lamy 2000 F (that's also closer to an EF). You're right in that you won't be able to get a true EF line width with Pelikan without a grind.

[sannidh]

Hey there ! Thanks for the re-review

I almost echo your thoughts, and prefer the stripes to be perfect too. (else it pinches) - perfect piston, clip, cap, finial ..I do love mine.

 

And of course the one that matters most - the nib has got to be tested before shipping ..

 

PS: Serious nib issues of my flock is just limited to one pen a m400, pelikan did confirm a replacement. Just my experience, among expensive pens with bad & misaligned tines, Visconti just wins the race

I think they really need some Japanese Quality managers

Edited May 31, 2016 by sannidh

[Bluey]

Nice and honest review! Sorry for your disappointment.

I had recently considered a Pelikan because of their gorgeous looks of the m400-m1000, but the more I read the more I'm put off by their(it seems to be not just Pelikan that are afflicted but German pens overall) quality control issues and their prices being way above what they're worth. What on earth were Pelikan thinking by hiking up their prices recently? As others have alluded, they would be best off sorting out the basics before doing that.

 

For the time being I think I'll stick with Japanese and Chinese . Perhaps Pelikan are resting on their laurels too much while the others overtake.

Edited May 31, 2016 by Bluey

[TheRealMikeDr]

What ink are you using for your writing sample?

 

I'm thinking of trying some Pelikan 4001 inks to see what effect they have on mine.

[jar]

 

Hey, good to know. Thanks. It really isn't that big of a deal I suppose - more of a practice to let go of OCD tendencies . It's just that the design itself - being 'perfectly' parallel lines - really makes these dimples noticeable.

Remember that what you think are stripes are not, they are simply layers. And when making and curing celluloid you do not get absolute uniformity.

[Prithwijit]

Dear Betweenthelines,

 

Thank you for sharing such an honest and informative review of such a renowned pen. What I loved most about your write-up is how you have managed to be forthright about some of the shortcomings of the pen and the brand (e.g., QC issues, inconsistent nib performance out of the box, etc.) without letting them clouding your appreciation or enjoyment of this fine writing instrument. It requires a certain kind of self actualization to do that and not fall into the trap of post-purchase justification and/or fanboyism.

 

May you get a long and enjoyable association with your M805.

 

Regards,

 

Prithwijit

Edited May 31, 2016 by Prithwijit

[utopic]

Thanks for the honest review. And you know, in spite of the bad rep that FiFi is getting, I can't stop thinking fondly of the cat )

[alexwong001]

Agree with you! My 805 blue/black EF needed to ground down to a real EF, and then sent out to be smoothed out. Now, its "perfect"

 

If this is how it came out of the box/ factory... I think there will only be one brand in my case!

 

The design, piston and appearance does makes me want to hold it all day!

[Betweenthelines]

Hey there ! Thanks for the re-review

I almost echo your thoughts, and prefer the stripes to be perfect too. (else it pinches) - perfect piston, clip, cap, finial ..I do love mine.

 

And of course the one that matters most - the nib has got to be tested before shipping ..

 

PS: Serious nib issues of my flock is just limited to one pen a m400, pelikan did confirm a replacement. Just my experience, among expensive pens with bad & misaligned tines, Visconti just wins the race

I think they really need some Japanese Quality managers

 

Howdy pardner! Lovely review as always. I've heard as much about Visconti but haven't tried their pens - the ones I'm really interested in are out of my price range! Thanks for stopping in.

 

Nice and honest review! Sorry for your disappointment.

I had recently considered a Pelikan because of their gorgeous looks of the m400-m1000, but the more I read the more I'm put off by their(it seems to be not just Pelikan that are afflicted but German pens overall) quality control issues and their prices being way above what they're worth. What on earth were Pelikan thinking by hiking up their prices recently? As others have alluded, they would be best off sorting out the basics before doing that.

 

For the time being I think I'll stick with Japanese and Chinese . Perhaps Pelikan are resting on their laurels too much while the others overtake.

 

Well I'm not really disappointed, I really love this pen and continue to enjoy it. But, unlike other reviews (including my own previous one), I gotta say this ain't a perfect pen by any means. I hadn't heard about another price hike, though I have noticed the prices climb consistently over the years. I would definitely recommend trying a Pelikan at least once before writing them off - try to pick up a used one for a good price.

 

What ink are you using for your writing sample?

 

I'm thinking of trying some Pelikan 4001 inks to see what effect they have on mine.

 

Bung Box Sapphire. I only have one 4001 ink - blue black, and it is one of the worst looking, faded, bland inks I have ever tried. I'll stick to my Sailor inks, thanks!

 

Remember that what you think are stripes are not, they are simply layers. And when making and curing celluloid you do not get absolute uniformity.

 

I can not remember what I did not know! Thank you for the info - I indeed had the impression that they are stripes simply glued to the inside of the barrel - had no idea it was more than that. Is there somewhere where I can learn more about how they make these pens? Perhaps then I won't be so harsh about the dimples.

 

Dear Betweenthelines,

 

Thank you for sharing such an honest and informative review of such a renowned pen. What I loved most about your write-up is how you have managed to be forthright about some of the shortcomings of the pen and the brand (e.g., QC issues, inconsistent nib performance out of the box, etc.) without letting them clouding your appreciation or enjoyment of this fine writing instrument. It requires a certain kind of self actualization to do that and not fall into the trap of post-purchase justification and/or fanboyism.

 

May you get a long and enjoyable association with your M805.

 

Regards,

 

Prithwijit

 

Thank you for your kind words! Yes, I have learned over time that I really should wait to write a review until I've written with a pen for a month. But I think I, and many others, have a habit of getting excited about a new pen and the first thing we want to do is post pictures and a review before really getting to know the pen. I've actually seen this a lot - a lot of folks write up glowing reviews for a "grail" pen, then a few months later that same pen ends up on the classifieds! Heh. Part of the human condition I suppose.

 

Thanks for the honest review. And you know, in spite of the bad rep that FiFi is getting, I can't stop thinking fondly of the cat )

 

Thank you for the laugh! Indeed we must not judge FiFi too harshly - those paws can only adjust nibs so well.

 

Agree with you! My 805 blue/black EF needed to ground down to a real EF, and then sent out to be smoothed out. Now, its "perfect"

 

If this is how it came out of the box/ factory... I think there will only be one brand in my case!

 

The design, piston and appearance does makes me want to hold it all day!

 

Yeah you pretty much need to be wanting a Western fine or broader if you're going to get a Pelikan. They are simply not made for those folks who like their really fine nib sizes. But I have to say.. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. What I mean is, I think it's OK for brands to specialize. Pelikan is all about those broad, wet, smooth nibs. If you want an EF precise fine writing needle, you go Japanese. Rather than cater to everyone, I think it's OK if pen brands really put their energy into their strengths. It would almost feel weird to me to have a Japanese fine size nib on a Pelikan.

Edited June 1, 2016 by Betweenthelines

[Mulrich]

Lovely review.

 

Sadly, again, the writing sample is what stops me buying another Pelikan. Their EF nib writes like a medium.

 

I don't want to spend a small fortune and then pay extra on top to have someone grind the nib to a true EF for me

 

 

My first Pelikan M800 had a fine nib that writes anywhere from a M to a B depending on the ink and paper. Others have been more consistently F. I really like Pelikan but I've learned not to expect a really fine nib from them from the factory.

[E8x8]

...for a price significantly cheaper than retail, or even his ebay list price...

.

.

.

And.. one look at the nib with the naked eye and I could tell the tines were severely misaligned. Laughably misaligned...Are there any humans actually working in the Pelikan factory taking a look at these nibs before shipping them?

 

 

 

Oftentimes an item is cheaply priced because it was a store demonstrator or a return from a customer. Unfortunately, not all vendors disclosed the fact and not all the time. Either way, you are taking a chance that the nib has not been abused.

Edited June 1, 2016 by E8x8

[Bluey]

Well I'm not really disappointed, I really love this pen and continue to enjoy it. But, unlike other reviews (including my own previous one), I gotta say this ain't a perfect pen by any means. I hadn't heard about another price hike, though I have noticed the prices climb consistently over the years. I would definitely recommend trying a Pelikan at least once before writing them off - try to pick up a used one for a good price.

 

I understand.

For the price hike there was talk of it recently so that's all I know. Indeed I have tried Pelikan a few months ago, and the first one I ever tried the tipping on the nib shattered soon after putting pen to paper . Not a good first impression. I hope the modern ones are a little more hardy.

[Betweenthelines]

 

Oftentimes an item is cheaply priced because it was a store demonstrator or a return from a customer. Unfortunately, not all vendors disclosed the fact and not all the time. Either way, you are taking a chance that the nib has not been abused.

Uh oh looks like I found a pelikan apologist! Just kidding. I can tell you with confidence that this is not a display model. Rolf is a trusted seller who many on these forums frequently buy from. He lives in Germany and offers the best deals when you deal with him directly which is why I got such a great price. It would be a convenient explanation but unfortunately it is Pelicans QC that is to blame and additionally this is not by any means and isolated data point.

[E8x8]

It is important to set the record straight that my remarks were meant as a general comment on market dynamics ( "if something is selling for less than fair market value, then there is a reason...") and not directed at your specific vendor.

[stephanos]

Lovely, detailed, balanced re-review.

 

I really like Pelikan, as a brand and for the design and functionality of their pens. For what it's worth, though, I have had enough out-of-the-box problems with Pelikan's nibs (also from reputable sellers that have a good name on FPN and elsewhere) that I don't expect to buy any new Pelikans in the future.

The vintage models are a different matter, but as I'm more a user than collector, I feel I really have enough of those.

 

I think I agree with Bluey, that Pelikan is resting on its laurels too much.