Which Of The Two Would Be The Wisest Choice?

[Bo Bo Olson]

I find that sometimes the extra weight of a pen makes up for the difference in size. The metal cap and grip knob would make the pen a tad heavier than an all plastic pen.

 

 

It is true, I have a rolled gold capped and piston cap Pelikan tortoise 500, which when posted is a tad more back weighted than the @ same time tortoise 400. They have the same somewhat lighter tortoise than my '90-96 400 tortoise.

 

What I think I forgot to mention, was either of the pens, the 450 and the 600 will take a vintage '50-65 semi-flex nib.

I have a 605 that I finally got stubbed from BB to 1.0/B, but it lacks the ease of tine spread that makes the B nib of that vintage 400 tortoise's nib...so .

 

 

I'd get the 'sea green' 450, in it is rarer, and then that gorgeous 600.

There are ever so many beautiful 600's....or 620's.

Got six numbers for the lottery?

Edited October 12, 2019 by Bo Bo Olson

[daenghafez]

Go for the M450 Tortoise. It has a classic & warm & handsome look and is now in a premium price. Mine came with an old style 18k two tone nib which I requested from Pelikan HQ here when purchasing. A word of advice, this pen nonetheless spotted frequent tarnishing. You may need to buff it but not too hard to avoid losing its gold plating.

[Brianm_14]

My advice: don't over think this. At about the same price, it would seem the m450 has won the race here. (With the unknown being, alas, the nib.)

 

Setting aside the question of which is the best buy for the money, here's my lowly IMHO. Personally, I don't care for how metal caps look, so making this decision would be easy if I were in your situation. Plus I really don't like that particular look of the m450. The brown m800, on the other hand, is all visual pluses for me.

 

Are you sure you don't -deep down- already have a favorite? "Liking it," is all the justification you need.

[fpupulin]

Dear all, thank you so much for your numerous inputs. According to the large majority of your votes, I will say that... There is a clear winner!

 

I thought it was a good idea to tell my wife having a look at this fantastic thread. It was not only, and not primarily, for the information about the pens, but for the warm climate of friendship of this forum and the unselfish opinions and contributions of you all.

 

In the morning (we have eight hours of difference) I read her answer: "You are crazy, and I see that you are not alone...". Ha ha ha!

 

Well, I have no idea if I eventually won a pen or not, but I know that you gave to my wife all the information to made the wisest choice, should she wants... And I also won a lot of extraordinary Pelikan pals!

 

Thank you.

[inkstainedruth]

Good luck with whichever you end up with. (I have a sneaking suspicion that both might end up in your stash because your wife might decide she needs the M450.... )

Admittedly for me it would have been a tough choice. The M800 is too big for me, but I'd worry about losing the M450 (and truthfully I'm not overly enamored of that color tortoise, although my first Pelikan was an older model M400 Brown Tortoise).

Most Pelikans (except for the low end school pens) tend to be piston fillers, and I did have some trouble with the Brown Tortoise because apparently the former owner tried to "repair" it at some point. Old pens have cork seals which can dry out or get damaged but I don't know whether my oldest one (a 1950s era 400) has the cork seals or not.

I should warn you that they tend to breed in captivity. And are an expensive addiction (my favorite pens are vintage Parkers -- but my EXPENSIVE pens are all Pelikans...).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[DrDebG]

I am sure that she will make a wise decision. If it were me, I might opt for both if the price was right.

[fpupulin]

Are you sure you don't -deep down- already have a favorite?

 

I am lucky, dear Brianm_14, as my favorite will be the pen that my wife will select for me, if she would decide. I will not choose. Whatever it will be, this will not only be another pretty pen, but an expression of something that my wife sees me bonded to, and I will love it specially for that. In so many years as a pen passionate, she only bought two pens for me, and both are "essentials" to my collection. It maybe I will now have also a Pelikan...

[Lam1]

 

I am lucky, dear Brianm_14, as my favorite will be the pen that my wife will select for me, if she would decide. I will not choose. Whatever it will be, this will not only be another pretty pen, but an expression of something that my wife sees me bonded to, and I will love it specially for that. In so many years as a pen passionate, she only bought two pens for me, and both are "essentials" to my collection. It maybe I will now have also a Pelikan...

That is, indeed, the wisest decision!

👍

[dennis_f]

 

I am lucky, dear Brianm_14, as my favorite will be the pen that my wife will select for me, if she would decide. I will not choose. Whatever it will be, this will not only be another pretty pen, but an expression of something that my wife sees me bonded to, and I will love it specially for that. In so many years as a pen passionate, she only bought two pens for me, and both are "essentials" to my collection. It maybe I will now have also a Pelikan...

 

You have a great attitude!

[inkstainedruth]

 

You have a great attitude!

 

You also have great taste in spouses, fpupulin!

My husband has flat out said he will never buy me a pen for fear of getting the "wrong" one.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth