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Advice Needed To Choose A Gift - Pelikan M805, Onoto Magna Classic Or Caran D'ache Leman?


LaurenceN

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Hi, I'm a long time lurker on the foum and have enjoyed the many great fountain pen reviews here - thanks!

 

I want to buy a new fountain pen for my wife. She's not a pen aficionado by any means but she does appreciate her existing pen (a Montblanc Meisterstuck Mozart - small). I think she would appreciate another slightly more usuable pen (the Mozart is a bit small for frequent use). Based on my budget, reviews I've read here and the aesthetics of the pens, I have shortlisted three pens, all priced at a similar level in the UK:

1) Pelikan Souveran M805

2) Onoto Magna Classic

3) Caran d'Ache Leman

 

Her preference is for a fine nib. I would be interested in members' views on the comparative merits of each of these pens and their usability out of the box. I don't care about packaging - I just want a problem-free, free-flowing, robust and beautifuly put together pen that will basically last forever and bring pleasure when it is used.

 

Thanks in advance for your help.

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Pelikan M805 by a very long shot. Pelikans are simply amazing pens that will last for many years to come. And the blue striped M805 is a stunner. You could also get her a Vibrant Blue M805 which is almost more beautiful than the regular blue stripes version.

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It also depends on the size of the hand, length of the finger etc.

Pelikan m800 is a substantial pen and may cause fatigue in long writing sessions for a lady. You might want to consider M400s (especially with the new brown tortoiseshell coming out soon!) and M101ns as well.

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It is the striped blue that I was looking at: http://www.andys-pens.co.uk/pelikan.shtml/pelikan-m805-blue?sort=p.price&order=DESC

Perhaps I will look at their smaller models also.

 

The other models I'm looking at are the Onoto:

http://www.andys-pens.co.uk/onoto.shtml/onoto-magna-classic-fp-midnight-chased

 

I know this Leman is signficantly more expensive that the other two but the colour could tempt me to expanding my budget:

http://www.andys-pens.co.uk/carandache-leman-fp-grand-bleu?search=Grand%20&description=true

Edited by LaurenceN
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I have of the three pens, a Caran d'Ache Genève which was the predecessor to the Leman and a Pelikan 800. I've considered and played with the new Onoto Magan Classic; it's big.

 

Of the former the CdA gets more than its fair share of pocket time and the Pelikan has not gotten out to play in many years.

 

Another pen that gets far more pocket time than either of those is my Nakaya Piccolo in Kikyo. It may well be the pen you are really looking for.

 

http://www.fototime.com/9E184041FE4AA68/medium800.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/59ADCB25D532CD8/medium800.jpg

Each Nakaya Piccolo is hand made, of ebonite and then coated with Urushi lacquer. The nibs are hand tuned by a master. It is available as a writer (with a clip), as a cigar (no clip) or with a variety of roll stoppers.

 

Nakaya also has several other designs that are slightly larger. Here is the Piccolo next to my Portable writer:

http://www.fototime.com/6D2FA537CEFE35C/medium800.jpg

In the EU two sources I have dealt with in the past are La Couronne du Comte and Iguana Sell.

 

My Website

 

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Thanks for making my choice so much more difficult! I've just a had a look through the Nakaya range and the finish is beautiful. I will investigate further.

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Thanks for making my choice so much more difficult! I've just a had a look through the Nakaya range and the finish is beautiful. I will investigate further.

 

Remember that if you purchase from outside the EU there will be a 20% charge for VAT on the cost of the pen AND the shipping, and Royal Mail will add a handling charge (I don't buy from outside the EU anymore but the last time I did this was £8). IguanaSell (based in Spain) do stock Nakaya pens but I have no idea what their stock actually is, some pens they will order in and there can (I have been told) be a wait time of months. Having said that they are good to communicate with and will happily answer any queries.

 

I can recommend the Onoto from personal experience - the steel nib is great (no need to pay the premium for the gold). They are well built and whilst some have an issue with the 'boring' filling system (cartridge/converter) many find that to be a positive because you get to change inks more often.

 

The Pelikan is a good pen but some report it being 'back heavy' due to the weight of the brass piston mechanism. I hope to find out how 'heavy' it really is one day...

 

More research for you by the look of things.

 

By the way - awesome thing to do for your wife.

Edited by carlc

"Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what's for lunch" Orson Welles

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Thanks for making my choice so much more difficult! I've just a had a look through the Nakaya range and the finish is beautiful. I will investigate further.

You are most welcome. Remember; Enablers Я Us

 

My Website

 

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I have nothing but good to say for the Pelikan m80x series. Robust pen that will last a lifetime. However, you should see if it is too big for your wife.

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Yes, I think the M800/805 series would be too big. M400 or M600 seem to be a better fit - she has smaller hands than me: probably just above average for a woman I think.

The M400 is 121mm uncapped, the M600 is 124mm uncapped. The Magna Classic is 123mm uncapped and the Leman is 125mm uncapped so we're in roughly the same area.

 

I know I should be thinking about more than just how these pens look but while the Pelikan has an unbeatable reputation, the looks (at least of the regular striped editions) aren't quite doing it for me. The Vibrant Blue flagged up by canibanoglu is beautiful but probably just a bit too flashy for my wife. Her preference is more likely to be something classy, refined but just a little unconventional. She tends to favour silver over gold.

 

In reading reviews, I came across the Magna classic in jade, which I think is absolutely beautiful. https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/275547-onoto-magna-classic-jade-and-wes-2014/

Obviously, this colour is long since out of stock. But it says on Onoto's website that new colours are about to be released. Here's hoping there's something similar.

 

Thanks for everyone's help and advice.

 

i was initially very taken with the glitziness of the Leman Grand Blue - it is very pretty. But now I'm worried it might be over the top.http://www.andys-pens.co.uk/image/cache/data/caranpix/lemangrandbleufp-750x650.jpg

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I am another big fan of the Pelikan M800. I have 8 of them and I'm always looking to add more: Pelikan's are classy, reliable, piston fillers and, in my opinion, gorgeous.

 

However, I agree that the M800 may be a bit heavy and large for some people (my wife thinks it is way too big and she goes with the M400).

If you want a pen a little larger, I would say go with the M600, and if your wife favors silver, you could consider the gorgeous M605 Marine Blue. It can still be found with a little work

(here for example: https://www.martiniauctions.com/item/id/PELIKAN_M605_fountain_pen_marine_blue_demo_27195.html - if you order from there, you need to explicitly ask for box beforehand. No affiliation).

Edited by Lam1
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I second others' suggestions for the Pelikan M600/605 series, rather than the 800-series, on grounds of size and weight. A department store in Germany sometimes sells a solid dark blue M605, which is a little different, but also not too flashy, and you may be able to get one somewhere. The Marine Blue is very pretty also.

 

Two things about Pelikans.

First, their nibs have tended to run a little wide in recent years (I just compared an old M nib to a new EF nib (same platform): the EF is thinner, but not by all that much).

Second, in my experience, Pelikan's quality control (with their nibs) has become less stringent, particularly with the higher end of their range. I therefore have no plans to buy any new Pelikan models unless it's in person.

 

So, my main recommendation would be to go to a physical B&M shop and check it out in person. Yes, you'll pay more, but you're paying for the service, and as it's to be a present, the extra money you would pay would definitely be worth it to ensure that you got exactly the right item.

As a bonus, if you decided the Pelikan wasn't suitable after all, then you could look at alternatives. Your profile flag says you're in the UK - depending on where exactly, there should be a physical shop within reach; and if you're close enough to London, you could go to the London pen show on 2 October...

 

Having said that, if you're comfortable tinkering with pens, then you could make any necessary nib adjustments yourself, which could actually enhance the value of the pen in your wife's eyes.

 

As an alternative to the Pelikan, Caran d'Ache and Onoto, you might also consider a Sailor (1911 or ProGear), which are excellent writers and excellent quality, and come in a small range of relatively discreet colours (there's also the precious woods collection, which I've not tried in person). You linked to AndysPens, and I know you can get a range of Sailor pens from him (no affiliation other than being a happy customer).

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I've M800, M600 & M400 pens. Also I have small hands but find all of them perfectly acceptable. Personally, I would go on the side of caution and plump for 600 or 400.

Having said that, the Onoto Magna is a great pen and the fine nibs are a joy. I had one of the M ones ground by John Sorowka and it's a beauty.

All have always written straight from the box but I can't allow for other people's preferences for ink/paper combinations, of course.

The Good Captain

"Meddler's 'Salamander' - almost as good as the real thing!"

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I own both Pelikan and Caran d'Ache. Although I like the Pelikans, the shiny plastic looks like... shiny plastic. Underwhelming compared to the lacquer over brass construction of the Caran d'Ache Leman. Same goes for the silver furniture. The Pelikan metal bits looks cheap compared to the CdA plating.

Edited by hankjgg
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Thanks for all the advice. hankjgg, that was my concern about the Pelikans - technically they seem superior to my other two choices, but the finish may not be what I'm after.

 

One major curve ball is that I had an oblique conversation with my wife about colours last night (she doesn't know I'm getting her a pen) and she voiced a preference for something brightly coloured... I know she's not a fan of pattern but I may now be looking for a pen that makes a bold statement in terms of colour.

 

That could put the Leman Grand Bleu back in contention. I also heard back from Onoto last night and they sent me their new colours, which are very bright - a major change from the recent past. I may now be leaning towards an orange or yellow pen. SO may choices. In just a few weeks of studying I am becoming obsessive and this may be the first of many gifts.

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That could put the Leman Grand Bleu back in contention. I also heard back from Onoto last night and they sent me their new colours, which are very bright - a major change from the recent past. I may now be leaning towards an orange or yellow pen. SO may choices. In just a few weeks of studying I am becoming obsessive and this may be the first of many gifts.

 

There's an orange Léman ...

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Yes, it's pretty.http://store.carandache.com/uk-90-240-large/leman-plume-bicolor-safran-rh-f.jpg

 

There are no photos of the new Onotos online. How do I upload a photo from my desktop?

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Yes, it's pretty.http://store.carandache.com/uk-90-240-large/leman-plume-bicolor-safran-rh-f.jpg

 

There are no photos of the new Onotos online. How do I upload a photo from my desktop?

 

I have the same pen, Laurence, but in black:

 

http://store.carandache.com/ch-78-1424-large/stylo-plume-l%C3%A9man-bicolor-noir-argent%C3%A9-rhodi%C3%A9-prochainement-disponible.jpg

:

Regarding the size, it's perfect for a lady's hand. About quality and writing, you can read and watch about its atributes here:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/167765-caran-dache-leman-review/

 

and here:

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Heh, after this "bright colors" update, I thought of the Pelikan Burnt Orange...

 

People can say plastic is cheap, but its light and usually pretty resilient. The binde on the Pelikans are what make them beautiful - not the plastic of the cap.

 

Lacquer over brass is heavy and once it chips (some are better finished than others; my Waterman Hemisphere chipped on day 3 while my Pilot Decimo has been flawless for about a year now) you can't repair it. Just saying...

But if we'd all learn to arm write, I bet a lot of these "heavy" pens would suddenly become easily manageable, eh? LOL. In a perfect world...

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