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Deciding Between Pelikans?


kon-peki55

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I'm not sure if I want to buy an M200/205 or go for a M400 or maybe even an M600. Unfortunately, the 800 and 1000 are unreasonable, but I would love your guys' opinions on which one of those three I should go for.

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I think it depends on your hands. I mean I like the M200 and 400 because they fit my hands, and I don't have any M600 because they are too big for me. If you want to choose between M400 or 600, you should check with your favourite pens, the ones you have and make you more happy when you write, and check their size. Then you can choose between 200/400 or 600.

If your size is 400, I can tell you there are really beautiful pieces in the 200. For really good prices. Of course, nib is made of steal, not god.

M200 is a good place to start. Because if you find you don't like Pelikan, you have not spend much money...

 

And if you like them, then you are lost and this M200 will only be the first one from a very long list..... :)

“I am as bad as the worst, but, thank God, I am as good as the best. ”
Walt Whitman

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Great advice! The M200 is a wonderful pen and has served many here as the door to their love affair with Pelikan. The nibs are very good, the color choices are many, and the price can't be beat. They are the same size as the M400 line. I heartily second Peter's "if you like them, then you are lost" :D

"Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working." -Pablo Picasso


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Don't know if I am an exception to the "norm" but I have large hands (usually wear XL or size 11 or 12 gloves) and find the 400 series pens (vintage 400/N/NN & M200/M400) to be just the perfect size even when unposted (sometimes I use the pens posted, most often unposted). Might be how I hold them but yeah, YMMV on this (naturally).

 

You can find M200 series pens for fairly cheap so starting from there would not be a bad choice at all (and they sell ok if you find them not to be to your liking).

M400 series pens offer gold nibs which are a bit different from the steel nibs on M200, with a bit more springy/soft writing experience. Vintage ones are different creatures entirely and my personal preference.

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I heartily second Peter's "if you like them, then you are lost" :D

 

x3. Pelikans tend to... multiply all on their own. :D

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I now have one old style m600 (so m400 size, 18k nib as far as I understand) and two m205; I have large hands and find this size comfortable, the wider section (compared to other pens in the price range) helps a lot. To me their design is just about perfect, and Kon Peki in a clear m205 looks pretty cool, the air bubble inside looks like a blue eye staring out...

 

fpn_1531750152__m205_kon_peki.jpg

 

Amazon seems to have several m405 at decent prices, anything above is way too expensive for me.

"The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt."

 

B. Russell

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I would personally skip the M400. If you like the size, the M200 writes just as well as a modern M400 but at much lower of a price. You can get aftermarket gold nibs for the M200 (including vintage Pelikan nibs) if you're interested.

 

Personally, the M200/M400 are a good size, but I prefer the M600 for the slight increase in girth.

“My two fingers on a typewriter have never connected with my brain. My hand on a pen does. A fountain pen, of course. Ball-point pens are only good for filling out forms on a plane.”

Graham Greene

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I have owned several older model and modern M400/M405s and M200s. They're a perfect size for me. The White Transparent M600 was also a good size (which surprised me -- the pink M600 from a couple of years ago was a bit too heavy (and also too expensive :(; I'm wondering if using a TWSBI 580-AL has gotten me more accustomed to a heavier pen).

It all depends on what you want: is a firm but smooth steel nib good enough for your needs? Or do you want the extra spring and softness of a 14K nib (my first Pelikan was a 1990s era M400 Brown Tortoise with a juicy and springy gold nib; it kinda spoiled me and the first M200 (same era) I got was a bit of a disappointment (OTOH, it was a "joke" gift from a friend and I don't think she realized what it was worth, since she got it on Freecycle). I did like the nib on the M200 Café Crème I bought once I had work done on it (it skipped really badly) -- but then lost the pen. :crybaby:

There are some great colors on the M200s. The M400s tend to be more sedate (the striated bindes) but are also very classy looking. And yes, as someone said, you can get a gold nib later because the nib units between the M200 and M400 size pens are interchangeable.

Warning: Pelikans are REALLY addictive. And unlike something like vintage Esterbrooks, they are a really expensive addiction.... All my most expensive pens are Pelikans: modern M405 Anthracite Stresemann, and M405 Striated Blue, followed by the aforementioned Brown Tortoise and a 1950s era M400 with an OB nib (and the lost Café Crèmes -- yes, I lost TWO of them :gaah: though I keep thinking the second one is here in the house someplace) bringing up the rear of my high-priced pens (trailing behind is an English-made Parker 51 with an OB or OM nib which I got in the auction at the Triangle Pen Show last year). Of course I also have a couple of less expensive birds -- a 1980s era M100 with a very nice 1mm italic nib and the $5 US 1980s Pelikano I picked up at the Baltimore/Washington show in March.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

"It's very nice, but frankly, when I signed that list for a P-51, what I had in mind was a fountain pen."

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Unless you are very sensitive to the weight of the pen or in love with a certain colour/style (the transparent M200/205 or the M400 White Tortoise) I'd say it doesn't matter whether you get an M200 or M400. No one except you will know whether the nib is a gold nib or steel. And the steel nibs feel & write great, too.

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Thanks so much for everyone's replies! I feel like I am leaning towards the Smokey Quartz M200 special edition now, it looks great and I trust the nib will write very well. Thanks again!

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You should check out CultPens when looking for a Pelikan. They seem to have the best prices anywhere. I do think the m200 is a good pen to start. I have two m200's and a m215. You might also look at the m120 Iconic Blue. It's m200 sized but slightly longer but there is something about the nib that is just nicer then the normal m200 nibs. It's a steel nib like the m200's but it seems to write softer. Maybe it's the extra engravings or something. Or maybe it's all in my mind ;)

 

If you like a slightly bigger pen the m600's are great. I like mine.

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Thanks so much for everyone's replies! I feel like I am leaning towards the Smokey Quartz M200 special edition now, it looks great and I trust the nib will write very well. Thanks again!

I like those very much; all the transparent colors are very attractive - light blue, purple, aquamarine, cognac, quartz, clear. You can get some good prices online, and order some extra nibs to play around with.

 

I love the M6xx range but at the price, you really should try the pen in a store before buying it.

"If you can spend a perfectly useless afternoon in a perfectly useless manner, you have learned how to live."

– Lin Yu-T'ang

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The 200 and 400 size are too small for me. I like the 600 or larger. Buying used can improve your chances at finding the larger pens at a decent price.

PAKMAN

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Thanks so much for everyone's replies! I feel like I am leaning towards the Smokey Quartz M200 special edition now, it looks great and I trust the nib will write very well. Thanks again!

Nice choice for a first Pelikan!

 

It will set a benchmark for your other birds

LETTER EXCHANGE PARTICIPANT

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I'm not sure if I want to buy an M200/205 or go for a M400 or maybe even an M600. Unfortunately, the 800 and 1000 are unreasonable, but I would love your guys' opinions on which one of those three I should go for.

The m200, m400 and m600 are the same length uncapped and unposted with the m600 being slightly girthier. The nibs are swappable between all three of them.

 

The m400 comes in some really pretty (to my eyes) finishes like the white and brown tortoises and has a gold nib too. Personally I would recommend the M400 if you want to spend just once since I feel that if you get the m200 you might feel like upgrading soon.

 

Go with the m200 if you aren't too particular about the materials and are price conscious. Personally I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a good m200 steel nib and good m400 gold nib purely by the writing experience so don't worry about that too much.

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As far as I am concerned, the major difference between the M200 and M400 series is the M400 series has the striped blue/black and red/black finishes, gold nib and more expensive.

 

Size wise the steps are M300, M100, M200/400, M600, M800

The M100 fits my hand best, the M200/400 is at the upper limits of what I want to hold.

San Francisco Pen Show - August 28-30, 2020 - Redwood City, California

www.SFPenShow.com

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You should check out CultPens when looking for a Pelikan. They seem to have the best prices anywhere. I do think the m200 is a good pen to start. I have two m200's and a m215. You might also look at the m120 Iconic Blue. It's m200 sized but slightly longer but there is something about the nib that is just nicer then the normal m200 nibs. It's a steel nib like the m200's but it seems to write softer. Maybe it's the extra engravings or something. Or maybe it's all in my mind ;)

 

If you like a slightly bigger pen the m600's are great. I like mine.

 

ooooo

The blue M120 is nice :)

San Francisco Pen Show - August 28-30, 2020 - Redwood City, California

www.SFPenShow.com

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Depends much on what you want the nib to do.

The modern 'post 97 400/600 are semi-nail, double kugal...so ball point users won't have to learn to hold a fountain pen....ie fat and blobby.

The 200 is the same width as vintage or semi-vintage and is a nice springy regular flex nib.It lays a nice clean line.

 

Back when I was a gold snob, I had a chance at a yellow 200, when I got my 605.... :doh: :wallbash:at a great price, but had a semi-vintage '90's 400 so didn't think I needed it. (never found another yellow Pelikan)

 

I didn't know then that the semi-vintage 400's gold nib and modern 200's gold plated/steel nib are =.

I have a semi vintage 14 K 381, two Celebry pens, one gold, one steel. That era the steel is as good as the gold.

Eventually the stubbed semi-flex nib can be had for a 200/modern 400/600. :notworthy1: :drool: :puddle:

Now to size and balance. The 200/400/ pre 98 600 are standard sized pens. Posted with great balance.

Standard sized are like the P-75 or Esterbrook, once every pen company made one.

 

The post '97 600 is a medium-long pen like a P-51. The 600 has a nice girth, a bit wider than the 400nn/200 (which is a medium long pen with a slight tad better balance than the 400/200 but is standard width. The semi-flex 400nn holds more ink than the rest of the Pelikans.....something with how the piston is set up.) The 600 is like the 200/400 a light and nimble pen.

 

If one was to own only one Pelikan I'd go 400NN in a nice semi-flex oblique nib.

I suggest a pretty 200, in the nibs are cheapest and better than modern....IMO. Modern fat and blobby are 'butter smooth'.....so what. The 200 is a good smooth nib.....close to butter smooth, but not quite. You can feel the paper with a 200's nib.

You can get other wider or narrower nibs for @ $27 give or take. Do Not waste money on a modern Oblique. That you need vintage semi-flex to have. :puddle:

 

The modern 400/600 nibs once one gets tired of their no character can be stubbed or made CI in they are semi-nail.

First as a relative noobie, knowing I'd be wanting to get a stubbed or CI nib, swapped a real good M in for a BB. Before I got it stubbed I had a '54 400's semi-flex B on it. :notworthy1: :puddle: It's now stubbed to a 1.0....butter smooth, but I think the semi-flex B had a bit more to offer...in it to was a stub, but had a bit of line variation of tine spread to go with it.

 

I suggest getting a used 200....this is last years and still on sale a marbled brown pretty 200. don't have the marbled blue, but it's pretty too. Do have marbled gray W.Germany '85-90 200. The Amathyst a LE pen, a 215....in at first having a slew of 400 and admiring the 200's nib, decided on the 215 for it's 200's nib.

There are lots of good looking 200's. The springy regular flex nib gives a good ride and lays a clean line.

Second I'd buy a modern 600....it can use the 200's nibs in it....should you bore your self with the 14 K fat and blobby butter smooth semi-nail.

Of course you will need a vintage 400/140.....of course you will need a tortoise 400....best buy is vintage and semi-vintage for tortoise.

 

So # 1, a tortoise 400nn semi-flex...perhaps in oblique. Has a tad better balance than the 400, only took me two years to come to that conclusion.

# 2, any nice 200....well balanced, good riding clean line nib, cheaper other width nibs.

 

#3, a post '97 600....the older 600 pre'97 was 400 size and had gold rings at the piston....which even a modern 200 has.....a 200 is much more fancy than it once was. But I think the 600 is also a must have pen; a light and nimble pen with very good balance....if one nibs it with vintage nibs.

The modern nib is prettier....so what, it ain't as good as the 400 vintage semi or maxi-semi-flex. . :bunny01:

 

I'm into balance....and the 200/400/600 has much better balance posted. They are very well balanced, light and nimble pens...with the 600 having a wider girth....but it's not as fat as a 800.

In vintage times, balance would force a One Man, One Pen......one brand user into using a different brand. :yikes: Which is why the better or Flagship vintage pens all have such great balance. Balance mattered to folks using a pen all day long to write with, and not just as a modern day conference table note taking bling item. ...well there are 600's that can bling with the best of them. :D

In reference to P. T. Barnum; to advise for free is foolish, ........busybodies are ill liked by both factions.

 

 

The cheapest lessons are from those who learned expensive lessons. Ignorance is best for learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

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I went the other direction. I started with a M805 blue striated with a medium nib. It is a large pen, but I am a large man, so it was a good choice. The pen has a 18K medium nib, and writes perfectly if somewhat like a nail.

 

A couple of months ago I purchased a M200 Smoky Quartz on a whim with a fine nib. The pen is much smaller, but when posted it is the same size as a Parker "51", so it it is very comfortable for me to use. The difference is the nib. The M200 has a fine steel nib, bit it is "softer' and gives a degree of line variation. I have only used Cult Pens Deep Dark Brown in it, but after writing over 100 full pages with it I can say it is one of my favorite pens.

 

Bottom line, I now think most Pelikans are pretty nice no what your preference is.

 

 

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Bottom line, I now think most Pelikans are pretty nice no what your preference is.

 

+1 on that. I picked up a 1980s era Pelikano in March for $5 US and it's a very nice little pen. Forget if it's an F or an M nib. And of course it's a nail, but very smooth.

Plus it now means I can actually USE the Edelstein Amethyst cartridges I got as swag at one of the Pelikan Hubs.... :thumbup: (I didn't really have too many pens that took International Standard cartridges or converters before that).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

"It's very nice, but frankly, when I signed that list for a P-51, what I had in mind was a fountain pen."

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