Pelikan M400 - Review

[goodguy]

It’s been a while since I wrote my last review.

I got my M400 from a good friend (thanks Jay).

The pen came without a nib and so I ordered it from England.

I didn’t have to think too much what nib to order, I was always a simple guy with my nib demands, fine nibs are all that I need and so in about a week I got my nib and I got to see how good the Pelikan M400 is.

 

http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u330/alfa170a/DSC04954.jpg

 

I need to say this is by far not my first Pelikan I owned or used and my thoughts about this company were always of the highest.

I can start by saying I was not disappointed!!!

The only concern I had was will this pen which is not overly large match my hands and I am glad to say it does.

I find lately I enjoy using smaller pens just as much as I enjoy using bigger, my hands simply can work with both sizes and that’s a trait I found I enjoy lately.

 

http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u330/alfa170a/DSC04983.jpg

 

 

I find the pen to be very comfy in the hand, very light weight and very maneuverable.

The quality of the pen is not disappointing, it’s very well made and it feels so both to the eye and to the touch.

 

http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u330/alfa170a/DSC04967.jpg

 

The piston filler is like all Pelikan pure joy, it’s smooth and takes a lot of ink, with this pen you will not run to your ink bottle too often.

The ink view window is large and will keep you informed how much ink you still have.

 

http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u330/alfa170a/DSC04965.jpg

 

Now to the nib…………….

From my past experience all the Pelikan nibs I encountered were all very smooth but sometimes could be a bit less responsive to my taste which means not exactly sending you the feel of what happened under it.

Well this nib is WONDERFULL!!!

This 14k nib is silky smooth but yet you feels what is happening there on the paper, it really is close to my ultimate writers nib my L2K.

 

http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u330/alfa170a/DSC04971.jpg

 

Conclusion

It’s simply pure joy using this pen, that was maybe not a surprise, you could say this pen prove what I always think of Pelikan and more.

The feel in the hand, piston and nib are all superb add to that the quality of this pen and you get yourself a pen that will not attract too much attention but will make you want to use it all day long.

 

http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u330/alfa170a/DSC04985.jpg

 

P.S-would you like me to compare it to the M200 ?

[Uncle Red]

Nice review, love the last photo.

[carlos.q]

Please do compare the m400 to the m200. I have the latter and I really like its springy steel F nib. Is the gold nib as responsive?

[jslallar]

Shootout M200 vs M400, here goes:

 

Same body length (barrel 4 in, capped 4.8 in and posted 5.8 in) and width (barrel .44 in and section .36 in). M400 is is a bit heavier (14.4 gm to 13.8 gm), and has a slightly greater ink capacity (1.8 ml to 1.5 ml) - figures from nibs.com. Both made of resin.

 

I have both in BB nibs. The M400 is a bit more stubbish and responsive than the M200 which is a bit stiffer in comaprison, although more responsive than my hard as nail Parker Duofold 18K gold and Cross Townsend Steel nibs, and have about the same 'give' as my Townsend Gold nibs.. Both are very smooth but were not so to start with and needed a bit of tweaking to bring them to my liking. Ink flow is excellent in both. The M200 is smoother of the two now, despite a lesser (but still appreciable) line variation, but that can of course be altered. I can't use either without posting (too small for me), but posted they have a respectable length. Pistons are smooth in both although in my case the M200 has a smoother piston than the M400. The ink window in my M200 gives a better assessment of ink remaining than the green striations of the M400 which have to be held against a light source to view the same.

 

I have an extra B nibs for my M200 which again is a smooth wet writer, although it sees much less use due to my preferences for BBs. That nib too is as stiff as the BB and the point is rounded with equal line width in horizontal and vertical strokes. Both my steel M200 nibs are gold coated. There are plain steel and black nibs too available for the M200. The plain steel I suspect would be the same as gold coated in behaviour, but the black ones may be stiffer nails, but that is pure conjecture based on my experience with Black Parker Frontier and Lamy Safari nibs, which truly may not be applicable here.

 

Based on my experience, I would not recommend a M400 for the gold nib alone, the steel M200 nib does the job fine, but if you like the design, sure go ahead and pay extra for it.

Edited November 7, 2012 by jslallar

[goodguy]

Nice review, love the last photo.

Tzutzik has been a FP fan for many years now and when signing his cheques he will use only a FP-really :meow:

[breaker]

nice review and pics!

thanks!

[pulsar150_dtsi]

HI THIS IS SUBHADIP FROM INDIA.I WILL BE VERY GRATEFUL IF YOU LET ME KNOW THAT ACCORDING TO YOU WHICH PELIKAN PEN IS BEST IS IT M400 OR M200.

[lurker]

lol, love the cat pic.

[nm4]

Great review. The M200/400 get a lot of flack for being "small pens" but they seem larger than most cheap rollerball/ballpoint pens people use. The relatively large barrel diameter makes them comfortable.

 

I've found there's a lot of variety in Pelikan's steel nibs. Some are quite rigid while others (esp the Italic steel nib) seem to have a little flex.

 

Cheers,

NM

[Sasha Royale]

It’s been a while since I wrote my last review.

I got my M400 from a good friend (thanks Jay).

The pen came without a nib and so I ordered it from England.

I didn’t have to think too much what nib to order, I was always a simple guy with my nib demands, fine nibs are all that I need and so in about a week I got my nib and I got to see how good the Pelikan M400 is.

 

http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u330/alfa170a/DSC04954.jpg

 

I need to say this is by far not my first Pelikan I owned or used and my thoughts about this company were always of the highest.

I can start by saying I was not disappointed!!!

The only concern I had was will this pen which is not overly large match my hands and I am glad to say it does.

I find lately I enjoy using smaller pens just as much as I enjoy using bigger, my hands simply can work with both sizes and that’s a trait I found I enjoy lately.

 

http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u330/alfa170a/DSC04983.jpg

 

 

I find the pen to be very comfy in the hand, very light weight and very maneuverable.

The quality of the pen is not disappointing, it’s very well made and it feels so both to the eye and to the touch.

 

http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u330/alfa170a/DSC04967.jpg

 

The piston filler is like all Pelikan pure joy, it’s smooth and takes a lot of ink, with this pen you will not run to your ink bottle too often.

The ink view window is large and will keep you informed how much ink you still have.

 

http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u330/alfa170a/DSC04965.jpg

 

Now to the nib…………….

From my past experience all the Pelikan nibs I encountered were all very smooth but sometimes could be a bit less responsive to my taste which means not exactly sending you the feel of what happened under it.

Well this nib is WONDERFULL!!!

This 14k nib is silky smooth but yet you feels what is happening there on the paper, it really is close to my ultimate writers nib my L2K.

 

http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u330/alfa170a/DSC04971.jpg

 

Conclusion

It’s simply pure joy using this pen, that was maybe not a surprise, you could say this pen prove what I always think of Pelikan and more.

The feel in the hand, piston and nib are all superb add to that the quality of this pen and you get yourself a pen that will not attract too much attention but will make you want to use it all day long.

 

http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u330/alfa170a/DSC04985.jpg

 

P.S-would you like me to compare it to the M200 ?

Thanks. I have one. 4-7/8 inches capped; 4-3/4 inches uncapped. Cap diameter

at the band is 1/2". Is mine an M200 or M400 ?

[carlos.q]

Thanks. I have one. 4-7/8 inches capped; 4-3/4 inches uncapped. Cap diameter

at the band is 1/2". Is mine an M200 or M400 ?

The M200 and the M400 are the same size, and the weight difference between them is negligible. The M400 has a 14K gold nib as well as a gold plated crown, two gold rings around the base of the cap and a gold ring where the section meets the nib. The M200 has a gold plated steel nib and only one gold ring on the cap.

Both are very nice...

[goodguy]

HI THIS IS SUBHADIP FROM INDIA.I WILL BE VERY GRATEFUL IF YOU LET ME KNOW THAT ACCORDING TO YOU WHICH PELIKAN PEN IS BEST IS IT M400 OR M200.

I have wrote a comparison between the M200 vs M400, I hope this review will help you

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/233179-pelikan-m200-vs-pelikan-m400/

[pavoni]

Not sure how I missed this November review but I have always enjoyed your reviews Goodguy, in particular because your passion for the pens is always evident. Great review. :clap1:

 

Pavoni.

[notVirtuThe3rd]

Looks cool! ...and cute cat!!

 

Thanks for the sharing.

[goodguy]

Not sure how I missed this November review but I have always enjoyed your reviews Goodguy, in particular because your passion for the pens is always evident. Great review. :clap1:

 

Pavoni.

Thank you, much appreciated :embarrassed_smile:

[GardenCity-NY]

Nice review and comparison! Thanks...

[montblanc700]

Very nice review, yes , please compare the m200 to this pen

[ele]

Very nice review, yes , please compare the m200 to this pen

Look through the review index and you will find this.

[runguy]

Great review. I agree with you on the joy of using the smaller Pelikans.

[archie001]

now that i am contemplating on having my first pelikan M800 or M1000, this review gives me an overview and motivation. thanks goodguy!