Would You Buy An M600 Tortoise Pelikan?

[Calabria]

Like most people here, the price point I feel comfortable with for M600s (and what I have paid for all of mine, not a cent more!) is $300.

 

However, I agree that they will price it higher than even your last tier of $375, Dr. Codfish. Given the price hikes an desirability of the tortoise, I expect the price point for an M600 tortoise could resemble that of an M800.

 

I would be willing to spend about $350, or maybe slightly more. Despite really wanting a tortoise M600, I am not sure it is worth $500.

Agree on all of these points. I really prefer the M800. In the end, it would depend on whether I'm in a buying mood. Right now, for example, it would be easy to pass. Brown is not my favorite color anyway.

[Laura N]

Yes for $300, possibly yes for $350.

 

Chartpak pricing it in the $430 range would mean I'll buy it from overseas. As I did with my Pink Pelikan.

[Bluey]

No because I already have the standard green m600, so it's not going to give me a new experience as the design and nib is exactly the same. If you already have a Souveran Pelikan I just don't see the point of spending upwards of £200 just for a pen that's in a different colour. The fact that Pelikan has swappable nibs makes it even more pointless.

 

I feel as if buying it is simply encouraging Pelikan to continue to be apathetic and unoriginal, churning out the same old mass market design but merely with a different colour.

 

I would sooner give the money to charity instead.

Edited August 9, 2016 by Bluey

[Horseknitter]

No.

 

I already have the M800 brown. And I have the M600 white, and M640 Indian Summer.

 

Also own several smaller Pelikans and the M1000, which I've never really learned to enjoy.

 

Enough Pelikans for me for now.

[DrCodfish]

Yes, I would purchase one but I reckon the price of this M600 tortoise will be around $500 if not more. This would be an additional brown orangy tortoise after the M800 and M400 (soon to be issued).

 

I'm just wondering how will Pelikan deal with its earlier limited edition of the M600 tortoise (new style) if indeed it issues a new M600 tortoise. Although the brown stripe colour could be different for the new tortoise but the earlier M600 tortoise has been a LE commissioned.

 

Good point Daeng, I had not thought of that (obviously) and I was not aware that a M600 Tortoise had already been brought to market. I was thinking the old style M600 which was actually more similar to the M400 in size.

 

And obviously I should have done some homework on price. It has been long enough since I bought a new pen bigger than a M400 (the last one was the M800 Tortoise) that I am a little, or perhaps a lot out of touch with prices. But I have been whining about this particular pen so long that I feel I'd have to buy it even if it was north of $400. If for no other reason than I believe after it sells out this will be one which just sky rockets in value on the secondary market

 

 

Your answers are revealing, ....and confounding: Many say they world buy the pen, but also, many say they expect it to be priced so high that they 'would not' buy one. Maybe I am beginning to understand why the company has not brought this pen to market. Those of you who 'would buy the pen' but 'don't know' what you would be willing to pay are making me a little crazy. I can't understand how you are unable to set a 'max bid' or go-no go price. But hey, let's keep it going, perhaps the Pelikan czars might be influenced by what the masses have to say, And it is entertaining to see your (our) responses.

[AoKiu]

M600 light tortoise ...

[fplover01]

I personally cannot warm up with the brown tortoise pens. Perhaps it is because I do not like the brown colour at all.

 

However I do like the white tortoise models and I would buy one in M800 size too, if the price was affordable. I find that these pens match perfectly with R&k Altgoldgrün.

Edited August 9, 2016 by fplover01

[zaddick]

No. The pen and nib are too small for my preferences.

[stephanos]

Price is indeed all-decisive.

 

We can take some guidance from the soon-to-be-released M400 brown tortoise, using figures from Pelikanpens.co.uk as the basis (all prices include UK tax):

 

A standard M400 costs £190 (~$250 at current exchange rates). RRP is £260

The M400 tortoise is available for pre-order at £295 (~$380), and the RRP is £370

 

Note that the standard M600 is £220, the M800 is £290, and the M1000 costs £380 from the same seller. It wouldn't surprise me to find the price of a tortoise M600 being within spitting distance of the M1000.

 

So, the many who are saying "Yes in principle, but No because of the cost" are being quite reasonable (sorry, Dr Codfish).

[Denizzz]

I would buy a M800 Tortoise (i am actually in a search for one) . Price, would like to find one for around $300, but probably the real proce should the same as stresemann

[DrCodfish]

Price is indeed all-decisive.

 

We can take some guidance from the soon-to-be-released M400 brown tortoise, using figures from Pelikanpens.co.uk as the basis (all prices include UK tax):

 

A standard M400 costs £190 (~$250 at current exchange rates). RRP is £260

The M400 tortoise is available for pre-order at £295 (~$380), and the RRP is £370

 

Note that the standard M600 is £220, the M800 is £290, and the M1000 costs £380 from the same seller. It wouldn't surprise me to find the price of a tortoise M600 being within spitting distance of the M1000.

 

So, the many who are saying "Yes in principle, but No because of the cost" are being quite reasonable (sorry, Dr Codfish).

 

 

"So, the many who are saying "Yes in principle, but No because of the cost" are being quite reasonable (sorry, Dr Codfish)"

 

Stephanos, I understand that completely, and agree that is a vey reasonable position, in fact there are many pens I would gladly buy, but for the price. It is the people who say "I would buy one but I don't know how much I would be willing to pay" who make me scratch my head. after all, the thread offers a range of prices. all one needs to do is look at the at range and say, "yes, I would pay that much, but I wouldn't pay that much". I thought it was an easy question to answer.

[stephanos]

Stephanos, I understand that completely, and agree that is a vey reasonable position, in fact there are many pens I would gladly buy, but for the price. It is the people who say "I would buy one but I don't know how much I would be willing to pay" who make me scratch my head. after all, the thread offers a range of prices. all one needs to do is look at the at range and say, "yes, I would pay that much, but I wouldn't pay that much". I thought it was an easy question to answer.

 

Yes, of course. Sorry if I came across as snide in any way.

 

But prices vary so much from place to place. Perhaps what you are really interested in is how much of a premium people put on the more desirable finish.

In that case, perhaps the question to ask is how much more people would be prepared to pay, compared with the standard model.

 

For my part, I find the standard pricing is already too high for me, so I woudn't be prepared to pay any premium for a tortoise model.

Having said that, I think the tortoise version is pretty enough that it would be worth a small premium. So, to sort of answer your original question: if I were looking on the second-hand market, I would be prepared to pay a premium of up to 15% on the price of a standard model, for a used tortoise model in equivalent condition.

[Calabria]

I personally cannot warm up with the brown tortoise pens. Perhaps it is because I do not like the brown colour at all.

 

However I do like the white tortoise models and I would buy one in M800 size too, if the price was affordable. I find that these pens match perfectly with R&k Altgoldgrün.

I agree. I feel like I should like the brown more than I actually do.

[debraji]

Yes, I'm saving for the mythical m600 brown tortoise. I've found that the 600's are the perfect fit for my hands, and, to my eyes, the brown tortoise Pelikan is the most elegant of pens. (I already have a 1990's era m400 in brown tortoise.)

 

I would expect the price to be above $400. One part of my brain thinks that's a crazy price to pay for yet another pen, and the other price accepts that that's just how it is. Since Pelikan announced the tortoise m400 this year, I expect I'll have another year or more to build my savings.

[FrozenLand]

At some point, I was searching for a reasonably priced M800 in tortoise, as I prefer bigger Pelikan models due to the refined filling system. However, since I acquired the M805 in gray, the "Stresemann", to my collection, the tortoise started to seem a bit obsolete to me. I now prefer this set of colors in the vintage models of Pelikan.

[Barkingpig]

I agree. I feel like I should like the brown more than I actually do.

Thank you for admitting to the way I have felt about my 800 brown tort since it's arrival. I enjoy the pen's performance but was disappointed in the appearance after receipt & ownership for a couple of years. I doubt it has been inked in more than a year & altho I prefer it's size to the 600 I have used the 600 a lot more because "I like it's looks more in the white finish. Perhaps it is the contrast of the white plastic/tortoise?"

 

I suppose I "expected" to like it better than I did, especially since the nice lady @ Fahrneys had said to me, "OH, you got the pretty one," when she agreed to ship my pen directly to Chartpak, for nib exchange. I have felt rather like there was "something wrong with ME for not being excited by the pen," while so many people obviously appreciated it. It is the first pen that I felt that way about & perhaps my expectation was based on cost of the pen.

[stephanos]

I enjoy the [800 brown tort]'s performance but was disappointed in the appearance after receipt & ownership for a couple of years. ...

 

I suppose I "expected" to like it better than I did

 

The 800 tortoise is lovely, but to my mind Pelikan used a much colder/more clinical tortoise finish than is present on many of the vintage tortoise models - more grey tones, compared with the warmer yellow and even orange tones of those older models. Perhaps that's why it didn't 'speak' to you as loudly as you had expected.

 

And if the 600 white tortoise finish is like that of the 400, then the overall impression is also warmer on a comparison between the two modern models.

[Orthostylos]

I had seen the Pelikan Tortoise on magazine adds and on line, and thought it was attractive. Then at the Long Island Pen Show 2 years ago, I saw one displayed by Fountain Pen Hospital. I don't remember if it was a 400 or not. Anyway, it was stunning! Far more attractive to my eye than photos. Unfortunately, it was:

 

1) A medium nib ( I would have preferred a fine point)

2) I already had spent much more than I intended at the show, between a vintage flex pen and a custom Pelikan 200 with a Binderized cursive italic nib.

 

Regret, regret, regret.

 

On the upside, it will be something to look forward to.

 

(Sigh)

[rudyhou]

A: yes.

B: no.5.

 

as much as i love the design of pelikan pens, i've handled them before and feel that i should be paying less than $300 for one. they are really over priced.

[Erik Dalton]

Yes I would buy one and would pay no higher than $350.

I love the look of the brown tortoise. Have one in m400 and m800. The m600 would fit perfectly for me.

I think that the Pelikan pricing is getting a bit out of line. When I go looking for a Pelikan, I shop with the intent of finding the pen I'm lookin for at the best price. I refuse to pay the standard price at the more popular retailers. I can wait years to find the right pen.