Pelikan M805 Review

[aget19]

Pelikan M805 Review: (also typed it up for those who can’t read my doctor’s handwriting)

 

Paper: Verge de France G.Lalo (Champagne)

Nib: 18K Two-tone Medium Nib

Inked with: Noodler’s Heart of Darkness

 

This is a Blue Striated Pelikan M805 with silver trim that I purchased from DeScribe here on FPN. It took around a week to arrive (here in Australia) from Singapore. The pen has been my daily writer for my university studies since. I have been using it for writing everything for around 3 weeks now, some areas I will be comparing to my Green Pelikan M600 with gold trim.

 

Appearance and Design (10)

The Pen shows off that timeless classic Pelikan Design we have all come to know and love. It is one of my favourite designs for pens and this is one of the main reasons that I purchased the pen to begin with.

 

Construction and Quality (9)

Nothing wrong with the pen at all, it can be a fancy, signature pen or a daily workhorse (I would love it to be both) and the build quality is excellent. The pen is built solidly and the piston filler mechanism twists perfectly without any threading etc.

 

Weight and Dimensions (8.5)

The pen is fairly heavy when it is filled, (I write with the cap unposted on this beauty!) but not heavy enough to be a chore when writing, it is a weight that when felt, reminds you that the pen isn’t some cheap plastic Pilot 78G. The length of the pen is good, it feels comfortable to write with the cap either posted or unposted (cf. my M600 which feels terrible unposted by fantastic posted) but I prefer unposted because it feels like I am putting in less effort to write.

 

Nib and Performance (9.5)

The only reason this isn’t a 10 is because the nib was scratchy when I first received the pen, it has since smoothed out considerably. The performance of this pen is faultless, as long as there is ink, the pen will never skip and start first time, everytime. The two tone 18K gold nib is a work of art and sometimes distracts me with its beauty when I am writing.

 

Filling System and Maintenance (9)

Classic Piston Filler, again there is one reason this isn’t given a 10, is that the blue model (cf. my Green M600) requires a bit more time to find the ink level, as the barrel doesn’t seem to be as transparent. This (in my opinion) looks better than the green, but is less functional.

 

Cost & Value (10)

I paid less for this than for my M600 for a better pen. About $180 to be exact. Hence the 10/10 score. As for value, I can see myself using this pen every day for the rest of my life. What more value do you want from a pen?

 

Conclusion (9.33)

I can see this pen being my daily writer for the rest of my life. What could possibly be a better endorsement?

P.S. Excuse the craptastic photos, the only camera I had with me at the time was my iPhone.

[Brian]

Its funny but as much as we see the M800s being reviewed here it never gets boring. I like the M800s in every color and combination. It is a great pen and I am happy that you are enjoying yours.

[Ed Ronax]

Great review, thanks.

[MCosta77777]

I guess we have another M800 Fan.

Can say that I'm up their with you. I've got 4 of these babys in diferent colors and nibs.

Love them all...

 

Excelente review - very direct and precise - to the point

Edited January 26, 2010 by MCosta77777

[Bronze]

- Thank you for the review

 

 

I got the exact same pen a few weeks ago, (M805, blue/black, medium nib), and it's a great pen. I'm using it for university studies as well.

 

It's just about the perfect workhorse, reliable, comfortable and it isn't picky about ink. Looks great too.

And it has the ability to make even the most tedious writing enjoyable.

 

 

I agree about the ink "window" though, it isn't very practical. You need a pretty bright light to be able to tell how much is left.

[significantpass]

I'm glad to see that you're happy with your pen. Thanks for the review.

[timbrown]

I bought one with an OB nib from someone on the board, discovered that I could not write well with it, took it to the Phila show, where Mike Musayama (sp?) reground it to a medium for $30; Amazing difference. I also bought a new medium M800 there on a closeout, and since i had it in my bag, he played with it for 5 minutes and really smoothed it out. He said that Pelikan is a good base for him to start with, and he can make a great improvement on the nib. Proved it to me.

[Inka]

I've noticed the same thing about the Blue striated Pelikans, that the ink view is a bit harder to see than on the green ones.

It's almost as if the blue die used in the resins bleeds into the clear when cast, more than happens with the green.

The blue & gold offer a more striking look IMO than does the traditional green, despite it being a bit more work to see the ink level through the stripes, they are real beauties!

You're the first one I've seen ever point this out, a good point to see in a review.

Enjoy!

[jorgerp1]

Very nice reiew, Pelikan a classic

[tarheel1]

Love the M805 blue and silver looks. I just need to get my hands on one and see if I like how it writes.

[aget19]

I've noticed the same thing about the Blue striated Pelikans, that the ink view is a bit harder to see than on the green ones.

It's almost as if the blue die used in the resins bleeds into the clear when cast, more than happens with the green.

The blue & gold offer a more striking look IMO than does the traditional green, despite it being a bit more work to see the ink level through the stripes, they are real beauties!

You're the first one I've seen ever point this out, a good point to see in a review.

Enjoy!

 

yeah i only noticed it because i have a look pretty regularly with my green one.. when i went to do it for the first time with my blue it took much more effort.. but i thought this could just be that im using HoD ink.. but it does the same thing with MB Blue-Black and Waterman Florida Blue so...

 

and mine is a blue with silver trim.. the other one i have (M600) is a green with gold trim (because im Australian.. no not really) and i like the look of both of them equally.. but it would be silly to get the same one..

 

the next pelikan i want to get is the brown tortoiseshell M800.. or the one with a white (ivory) and gold trim.. but i have read these are very hard to come by

[aget19]

Love the M805 blue and silver looks. I just need to get my hands on one and see if I like how it writes.

 

i did the smart thing and tried it out at my local pen shop before i bought it.. then i bought it from here on FPN because the price was MUCH MUCH LESS

[djh]

Thanks for the review- good to hear that you are loving your new Pelikan. I have an M605 and would dearly love to buy an M1000 in blue with silver hardware (ie a larger version of your very pen) if such a thing existed!

[penaddict]

Thanks for the review. My M805 was nowhere near the top of my "pens to get list" when I purchased it. As a result in languished in my drawer for quite awhile. However, now that my pen collection has evened out (re: I pretty much have all the pens I want, at least for now), it has become the pen I reach for most.

[shrinknib]

Thanks for the review.

I have been enjoying my green and gold M800 for some time now...maybe for same reason as you.

I originally bought it because it came with a rare 21ct nib...but it was probably a rare nib as it never fed properly, even after I took it back to the retail store, sent it to Germany etc and came back the same. About three months later...

 

Then changed the nib over to OB and now am enjoying it a huge amount. I'm a doc as well, and it is great to know you can fill up at the start of the day and never worry it will empty out.

The blue/ silver is nice, and I generally don't go for yellow gold much now anyway (he says, having recently bought a gold Romanica) so may well look at one with BB nib

cheers mate

[buffalowings]

say, where did you find it for $180?

[Phaedrus]

I love my m805. It was a disappointment when it arrived but after a trip to Professor Binder for a magic makeover from F to a Stub, it is a new and wonderful creature.

[breaker]

nice review and I think this one is the next on my hit list

[elzevir]

What a nice review the one posted by Aget 19. I was struck by your observation that, as you say, "the nib was scratchy when I first received the pen, it has since smoothed out considerably." Infact, have a question about this. Is there any reason why the nib should change and improve its performance over time? After all, it is made of metal.

 

Thanks for any illuminating answer.

[tanalasta]

Nice review. Many thanks. Perhaps I should put the m800 back on my to acquire list? Is it still scratchy? If the tines are aligned, a but of very gentle micromesh may do wonders. I suspect that's what was done to my binderised m600 when I bought it!

 

I wonder whether wearing in a pen that is a bit scratchy Involves aligning the nib more closely? I do not think polishing a pen on regular paper would smoothen pen to the point of being smoother, as I do not think it would have that much effect on the tipping (my well used aurora is still as delightfully toothy as the day I got it and hadn't smoothened The tines are aligned and adjusted, purchased from John at nibs.com)

 

However a time alignment from experience turns a scratchy pen instantly to a better one.

Edited February 13, 2011 by tanalasta