Diplomat Excellence A Vs Pelikan M800

[Pendemonium5]

Hi Friends,

 

I am new in fpn community. I am using fountain pens for some days and have metropolitan and pilot CH 92. For the past few days I was planning to buy a pilot custom 823. But I did not like the 92's writing style. That's why I am planning to buy a German one. Diplomat excellence a and pelikan m800 are the two prime choices. Would you please suggest me in this regard. I do not like a lot of line variations. A round nib point with a little spring would do. Thanks you guys in advance.

[Wolverine1]

Get the Pelikan M800, it is the superior pen.

[Pendemonium5]

But recently I read a lot of pelikan nib issues. Whereas for diplomat nibs I read only great reviews. That is why I am concerned.

[jar]

There are both really nice pens. The Diplomat will be a cartridge converter pen likely with a steel nib. The Pelikan will be a piston only pen with a gold nib. I have had great luck with pens from both companies.

[sandy101]

The Diplomat pen is nice, with a bombproof construction and it lays down a nice, precise line. I like the Diplomat - it is low maintenance and does not seem particularly fussy about the ink I use in it. It is a heavy pen, being made of all metal. The steel nib is hard - there is no spring in it whatsoever. I don't know about the Pelikan, but the Visconti Rembrandt, whilst Italian, has a bit more of a spring too it - but not much.

[BillH]

But recently I read a lot of pelikan nib issues. Whereas for diplomat nibs I read only great reviews. That is why I am concerned.

 

 

I now have 5 Pelikan M800's (2 F, 2 M, 1 B ) and every one wrote perfectly out of the box. I love them and plan to add more to the collection in the future. The collection has lots of Pelikans in it besides those 5, many purchased new... I don't worry about getting a nib with "issues". I've never had one.

 

I think it is human nature to be publicly vocal when you are unhappy with a product while most folks just quietly enjoy what they have when it works well. That's my experience anyway. Whatever you choose, enjoy your new pen!

Edited February 25, 2017 by BillH

[CAG_1787]

Unequivocally the Pelikan at that comparison.

[Mrpink]

Unequivocally the Pelikan at that comparison.

+1

 

Where I am there is quite a signifant price difference in these 2. You can skip the diplomat because if you owned both I think the pelikan would get all the use. Dont get me wrong the Diplomat is tank of a pen, it has some weight to it and does not skip a beat but if I had to choose between a stiff steel nib and heavy body of the diplomat vs the gold nib and piston filler of the pelikan- and money was not an issue I would take a Pelikan. I like the look of the Pelikan too.

[Pendemonium5]

Thank you friends for so many replies. I was considering diplomat gold nib not the steel one. Can you please bring some light on that nib. Again thanks in advance.

Edited February 25, 2017 by Pendemonium5

[max dog]

There is a good reason the M800 is so well regarded here and hardly anyone know much about the Diplomat model. But get whatever makes you more comfortable.

Edited February 25, 2017 by max dog

[flipper_gv]

You get a free nib swap from Pelikan during the first month IIRC. So, if the nib isn't to your liking, you can switch it for something different.

[voltron]

Hi Friends,

 

I am new in fpn community. I am using fountain pens for some days and have metropolitan and pilot CH 92. For the past few days I was planning to buy a pilot custom 823. But I did not like the 92's writing style. That's why I am planning to buy a German one. Diplomat excellence a and pelikan m800 are the two prime choices. Would you please suggest me in this regard. I do not like a lot of line variations. A round nib point with a little spring would do. Thanks you guys in advance.

While Pelikan M800 is a great pen which is very suitable for people who like heavy piston fillers with smooth nibs but the nib is a nail like that of M400 & M600 . M1000's nib is soft & flexy but as you said what you want is a rounded tip with a little spring & in that regard M200 or M205 would be better choices as they offer exactly what you are looking for in the nib department. If lightweight of an M200 or M205 puts you off then get an M215 rings version which has tad more weight to it due to the additional rings.

Edited February 25, 2017 by voltron

[Mrpink]

While Pelikan M800 is a great pen which is very suitable for people who like heavy piston fillers with smooth nibs but the nib is a nail like that of M400 & M600 . M1000's nib is soft & flexy but as you said what you want is a rounded tip with a little spring & in that regard M200 or M205 would be better choices as they offer exactly what you are looking for in the nib department. If lightweight of an M200 or M205 puts you off then get an M215 rings version which has tad more weight to it due to the additional rings.

Thats pretty surprising that the 200 series have more spring to them and are more rounded than the others excepting the m1000. I have read elsewhere that Twsbis write better than the 200's. The whole reason I have not bought Pelikan is because I cant afford the gold and the M200 highly priced for the pen value.

[Sergio 46]

I have the two - Pelikan 805 Stresemann and Diplomat Excellence Marakesh- , and I find the same pleasure to write with the two, with a slight advantage to the Diplomat, without mentioning that the Diplomat is cheaper than the Pelikan .

[voltron]

Thats pretty surprising that the 200 series have more spring to them and are more rounded than the others excepting the m1000. I have read elsewhere that Twsbis write better than the 200's. The whole reason I have not bought Pelikan is because I cant afford the gold and the M200 highly priced for the pen value.

I think the M2xx series nibs are as rounded as that of Souverans but yes M2xx series pens have more spring to them than all Souverans except M1000. And if you haven't got M200/M215 because it looks overpriced for a steel nib pen then let me tell you you that there are good & bad steel nibs just like there good & bad gold nibs. M2xx nibs fall into the category of excellent steel nibs with a bit of flex to them. Somewhere in the late 1990s all Souveran nibs except M1000 started getting 2x wider tipping material & got turned into nails to save the costs incurred on them when destroyed by what Bo Bo Olson calls "Ham fisted ballpoint barbarians" But M2xx nib has stayed the same hence offering more flex. Also most of the 18k nibs are meant to be used with very light pressure or else they could get damaged easily hence I advise fountain pen newbies & those who write with lot of pressure to not go near them.

Edited February 26, 2017 by voltron

[Bo Bo Olson]

A nails a nail, why pay for a gold nail, when it don't do anything more than a good steel nail.

 

The Diplomats I've had were nice pens...not too heavy. But in they were nails, I got rid of them. One I still think about as too bad....it was one of my lighter metal pens. Do check what each pen weighs.

 

The Pelikan 800 is a thicker slightly clunky pen, heavy on the back weighting due to brass guts.

I might take the time to get use to a springy nibbed W.Germany '88-90 pen....but never a modern nail.

 

Diplomat is a solidly made pen by a good company.

Get one with a converter.

 

The Diplomat should be be a much cheaper. Invest your savings in good to better paper and a small sampling of different ink company's inks.

Edited February 25, 2017 by Bo Bo Olson

[marcelo]

You get a free nib swap from Pelikan during the first month IIRC. So, if the nib isn't to your liking, you can switch it for something different.

That's what I call commitment to quality and customer satisfaction!

[voltron]

Pelikan are one of the few older fountain pen companies who are still not only producing top quality quality pens but also have an excellent customer service department. Regardless of whichever model you choose, you can't go wrong with Pelikan.

Edited February 26, 2017 by voltron

[langere]

I have both pens, though only a steel nib from Diplomat. If price is at all a consideration, get the Diplomat.

 

My sense is that, by far, the Pelikan 200s are superior to the TWSBIs. Just a different category, with the TWSBI pens being good for entry level, but the 200s simply last longer and are of better quality construction. The Pelikan, as the Diplomat, will outlast your lifetime and you will be able to pass them on to your children. It is much less likely for the TWSBI.

 

Erick

[Bo Bo Olson]

I never heard that a Twsbi is better rated than a Pelikan 200.

All I read is folks asking which is the better nib for a Twsbi.

 

Diplomat don't advertise much...and as far as I know the Diplomat gold nail would just like the Pelikan gold nail.....very over priced in it's gold. A nails a nail no matter gold or steel.

There are no soft nails....there are semi-nails that one might think soft in one don't know what a semi-nail is....try a P-75 which is a semi-nail. When mashed 2 X tine spread....when mashed, really, really mashed a nail will give 1 1/4 to 1/2 X...could be one of those One Time Flex pens that some folks get to $$$$ repair.

 

Diplomat makes s good pen, so the nib will not be poorly made, ... might be a Bock nib. I don't think they make house nibs, but could be wrong.

I thought my 'wife's silver plated Diplomat slid down behind some pewter topped beer mugs....in I was going to see if the nib was steel nail, gold plated or gold. I'd put it in my cherry pen box with the glass top. It's a nail, two tone non-gold semi-vintage era M nib.

It's one with a stirrup clip and a jumping horse in the jewel. They made one for tennis players too with that model. I use to have a picture of it but when my computer died, I lost half my pictures.

 

Weight of that one...don't know which model you are looking at....24g....My Pelikan Celebry a lacquer metal pen, 37g.

 

I had a Diplomat that was even lighter but I didn't have an electronic scale back then. It was a very well balanced light metal pen. Nail nib, which is why I got rid of it.

 

Is OK, I did find my second bottle of LE MB Diamond, blue ink, that I'd forgotten I'd bought hidden away.