A Tale of Two Pels

[Guest Denis Richard]

Pelikans M400 White Tortoise and M620 "Place de la Concorde"

 

Those of you familiar with my regular ranting and blabbing on FPN may remember reading --on several occasions-- about my propension to yawn uncontrollably at the sight of Pelikan designs. It is not astonishing, then, that, not willing to pass on the pleasure and pride of owning some fine models of the reputable brand, I rested my choice recently on two models that some would consider “fancy”, coming from the German maker. The first one is the M620 “Place de la Concorde” --second in the “famous city squares series”; the second, the M400 White Tortoise (a.k.a. White Honey). While some FPNer, that shall remain nameless for the duration of this review, would possibly call both models “chick sticks”, they definitely are lookers, both in a very different style.

 

Pelikan M400 White Tortoise

 

While the “Place de la Concorde”, with its horizontal rings of blue, tan and grey acrylic, is resolutely modern and parts from all previous Pelikan designs, the White Honey is definitely inscribed in the brand’s tradition, inheriting the famous tortoise barrel of vintage models. The twist is the use --along with the traditional gold plated trims-- of white acrylic for the cap, section and blind cap instead of the classic black; it makes a world of difference. While I remain somewhat cold to the tortoise black combination, the White Tortoise has a completely different feel. Where the black version reminds me of wet leather (don’t ask), this one puts me in a deep and wide armchair in a comfortable fumoir or boudoir, where whiskey, tea and cookies have been served; I call it my “Arsenic and Old Lace” pen. The details and variations of transparency of the green and yellow tortoise are very elegant, with an undeniable vintage look.

 

 

The “Place de la Concorde”, with its soft colors and silver plated trims could not be more different in appearance. Much colder, it has no less personality. The acrylic is highlighted by a gorgeous pearlized effect, seemingly flowing around the pen. The silver trims were the right choice to enhance the material, without detracting the attention. The gray and tan shades are reminiscent of Paris paved roadways and stone buildings, while the soft blue reminds me of the traditional light blue shirt that Frenchmen wear to work, adding a hint of color to their suits. The chromatic scheme is in tune with an early coffee at a Parisian terrasse, watching white collars leisurely making their last steps towards the office.

 

Pelikan M620 Place de la Concorde

 

The size of the M620 is that of the regular M600 series, at 5’’1/8 long closed and a width of 7/16’’. The White Tortoise is part of the smaller M400 series, 4’’7/8 long closed, and 6/16’’ wide. Unlike the M620, I use the M400 posted. Their weight and balance feel very similar in that configuration. Being Pelikans, they are not heavy pens, and both balance very comfortably in my hand.

 

The filling mechanism in both cases is the famous Pelikan piston. It is a no-nonsense, efficient, and well-designed filling system; in a word, it is German engineering. Also common to both pens are the impeccable, flawless finish and performance. Both came with fine nibs, which were smooth and laid down a wet well defined line (“were” because I reground one to an oblique and the other to a .6mm italic). The flow is irreproachable, without any skipping or hesitation (tested with Noodler’s Black, Aquamarine and Gulfstream).

 

 

In conclusion, these two pens are all that can be expected from a major manufacturer in terms of quality of fit, finish and performance. If your taste leans toward models with a little more colours and brightness than the regular Souveran line, these could definitely be for you.

 

Denis.

Edited September 22, 2005 by Denis Richard

[Stylo]

Denis, you are making me drool. This forum is dangerous. All these great reviews, some quasi-academic, others with literary flair, they are all inspiring, to review and TO BUY!

 

I vaguely remember the subject being discussed, but would it be possible for the FPN site to host pictures for reviews only?

[Guest Denis Richard]

Denis, you are making me drool.  This forum is dangerous.  All these great reviews, some quasi-academic, others with literary flair, they are all inspiring, to review and TO BUY! 

 

I vaguely remember the subject being discussed, but would it be possible for the FPN site to host pictures for reviews only?

Thanks Stylo

 

FPN does host pictures. You can attach one picture per post. The option is under the input form when you reply (File Attachments).

 

The pics in that review are also hosted here : All the pics here are in other of my posts in the Pictures and Fountain Pen forums. I right click to get the address on the server (they are renamed when uploaded), and insert them with the image tag.

Edited September 22, 2005 by Denis Richard

[Roger]

Lovely, Denis. Anybody that would refer to them as "chick sticks" is thertainly mithguided!

 

Daughter's theater group up at The Sea Ranch is doing "Arsenic and Old Lace" last weekend and this one. You ought to run up and see it. Obviously, MY daughter has a PRINCIPAL role.

[southpaw]

Denis,

 

Awesome combo review! The photos are quite impressive. Seeing all of the wonderful photos makes me wish I had better equipment. Oh well.

 

One problem: where's the writing sample with the reground nibs ?

 

southpaw

[Guest Denis Richard]

Denis,

 

Awesome combo review! The photos are quite impressive. Seeing all of the wonderful photos makes me wish I had better equipment. Oh well.

 

One problem: where's the writing sample with the reground nibs ?

 

southpaw

Thanks SP,

 

I'll try to scan a sample this week end.

 

Our camera is a Nikon Coolpix 2 megapixels. Nothing huge on the MP side, but Nikon optic, which is... Nikon optic I also never use the flash... it flattens the image, distorts the colours and bring out all micro-flaws

 

I cheated with the M400 pics and added a little glamorous glow with Gimp

[Roger]

Our camera is a Nikon Coolpix 2 megapixels. Nothing huge on the MP side, but Nikon optic, which is... Nikon optic I also never use the flash... it flattens the image, distorts the colours and bring out all micro-flaws 

There's a lesson in Denis' photography, here, SP. That is, that mega pixels beyond 2MP for web sized pictures are gilding the lilly and will not produce noticeably sharper work. Sure, if you want to make prints from your digital work and those prints are expected to be 8 x 10 and above, then buy lots of MPs.

 

Denis' other lesson is the bad effects created by direct, on-camera flash.

 

Incidentally, the Cool Pix cameras are known for their super close focusing capabilities. Many Cool Pix owners, that have to be on the cutting edge, are getting rid of perfectly good earlier products that would be perfect for 'happy snap' family work with the added advantage of being great for pen work, as Denis illustrates.

 

No thread hi jack intended, Denis, but I know that SP would like to upgrade to a better camera for pen work and not have to deny himself too many pen purchases to do it.

[Guest Denis Richard]

I think I'm the last one here who could complain about thread hijacking

 

Not that I know anything about photography techniques, but we've had that CoolPix for more than two years now (may be three ?) and it's a great little camera. I don't think they still sell the 2MP, but the 4MP is now sold at the price we paid for it (~$200).

 

I know that before I reach its limits, I have a lot of work to do on the photographer himself Those pics are taken free hands, on the patio table. Next step is to build a little setup (tripod, light box, lights, etc...).

[Maja]

Denis, Congratulations on acquiring the two Pelikans---what the heck took you so long?

 

They are lovely pens and your review and photos described them beautifully (well, I haven't seen them in person yet.... but you know what I mean ).

Looking forward to seeing some writing samples.

[lanatir]

great close ups Denis... didn't notice this posting before. thanks for the heads up!

[wimg]

Hey Denis,

 

I missed it too. Great write-up, great pics, in your own unique, French-inspired, kinda laid-back style. I love it!

 

Thanks for sharing!

 

Warm regards, Wim

[amin]

Great review Denis. I was moved to pick up a White Tortoise at my local pen store. Your pics capture its looks well, and it is a wonderful writer. I'm going to pick up some Havana Brown tomorrow with which to fill it. I think it'll be a nice combination. Thanks, Amin.

Edited October 25, 2005 by amin

[JRodriguez]

Thanks for the review. I've had a white tortoise for a while and just ordered a Concorde today. I love the characterization of their being "chick sticks." Does that means such questions of masculinity are irrelevant to us - guess were too secure to worry about such things :ltcapd: !

 

(note to whoever made the chick stick comment - I'm just teasing. I actually got a kick out of the comment.)

[DrPJM1]

Great review Dennis! Can we see writing samples?

[Sonnet]

So what do you do when you're thinking it might be nice to own a Pelikan cities edition pen, but you can't decide between the Place de la Concorde, or the Piccadilly Circus edition?

[Stylo]

So what do you do when you're thinking it might be nice to own a Pelikan cities edition pen, but you can't decide between the Place de la Concorde, or the Piccadilly Circus edition?

You just buy the Piazza Navona

[Sonnet]

So what do you do when you're thinking it might be nice to own a Pelikan cities edition pen, but you can't decide between the Place de la Concorde, or the Piccadilly Circus edition?

You just buy the Piazza Navona

Yeah, but I don't really fancy the Piazza Navona the way I do the other 2 pens [ducks to avoid flaming by PN owners]. And then there's the issue that Pelikan could decide to come out with something REALLY pretty and shiny, like a Dublin pen

 

It would help if I lived close enough to a brick-and-mortar pen store so I could at least try out the M600 pens and make sure I like that size*. As far as I know, the 200 and 400 pens are the same size; the M400s just have nicer trim/nibs and different body designs. My 200 is a bit too short to write unposted so I know I should physically pick up an M6xx and make sure it feels comfortable whether I post the cap or not. [Why don't I just post the cap on my M200 and write away all the time? Because excessive posting scratches the translucent plastic barrel something fierce].

 

We're not even going to get into what kind of nib I should get with said Cities pen [stock nib, italic, etc]!

 

*I live about 45 minutes away from a Paradise Pens store and a Crane's stationery store in a huge mall. PP claims to be cheaper than Crane's but they still sell pens full price. And you can't dip them. At all. You can hold them and "write" with them but no dipping. And sometimes the salespeople are nice and other times they act like they can't wait for you to leave the store. Besides, I feel kind of weird asking them to take a pen out of the case for me to try when I know I'm most likely going to purchase it online. Buying some bottles of ink to alleviate my guilt isn't much fun when you factor in the time, effort, and gas involved to drive to said PP store.

[playpen]

I bought the Pelikan Honey a year ago and love it. What a gorgeous little pen!

[maryannemoll]

QUOTE (Sonnet @ May 4 2006, 03:07 PM)

So what do you do when you're thinking it might be nice to own a Pelikan cities edition pen, but you can't decide between the Place de la Concorde, or the Piccadilly Circus edition?

Buy both!

[Sonnet]

QUOTE (maryannemoll @ Mar 31 2007, 09:00 PM)

QUOTE (Sonnet @ May 4 2006, 03:07 PM) So what do you do when you're thinking it might be nice to own a Pelikan cities edition pen, but you can't decide between the Place de la Concorde, or the Piccadilly Circus edition? Buy both! And eventually, I wound up doing that