Pelikan M620 Stockholm

[Renzhe]

This is a review of a Pelikan M620 Stockholm. I sniped it from eBay a while ago for about $200 US. (That's crazy expensive for a pen, in my opinion.) This is one of their cities and places series (all with the model number "M620") which includes as of this writing Berlin, Madrid, Athens, San Francisco, Chicago, Shanghai, New York City, Piazza Navona, Place de la Concorde, Picadilly Circus, Grand Place, and Niagara Falls. All images in this review were made with my scanner.

 

 

Function

This pen, as with most modern M6XX series, is 13.4cm in length, with a diameter of 12.4mm, weighing 16.4g (Source). It's a piston-filler, which means it has relatively high ink capacity, and also that filling the pen is quick and simple. One operates the piston by turning the black knob and the back end. Counter-clockwise to push the piston, clockwise to pull. The barrel of this particular pen is translucent, so one can easily see the ink level if one holds it up to the light. Unlike the M600's which have 14c gold nibs, all M620's have 18c gold nibs. This one has a fine point. Pelikan's nibs are among the best...most of the time.

 

Pelikan has been a little sketchy on quality control lately. Either that or more people have been reporting problems with Pelikan nibs. For example, this pen wrote well (well enough for most people) out of the box. I still felt it was too toothy. I examined it, and found that the tines were slightly misaligned. The feed, also, was out of alignment with the nib. I sent the pen to Chartpak (cheers!) and it came back much better. The nib now writes as smooth as my Waterman Phileas, moderately wet, and slightly soft.

 

Something very nice about the Souverän series is that All modern M2XX, M4XX, and M6XX nibs are interchangeable. If one desired, one could have many nibs and many barrels of different dimensions, and mix and match them as one sees fit.

 

Here is a writing sample using a mixture (I don't know what ratio) of Private Reserve American Blue and Private Reserve Tanzanite:

 

http://i7.tinypic.com/47tr38m.png

 

 

Form

Like I said before, Pelikan has been a bit blah on quality control. Even though it doesn't affect writing performance, some might be bothered that the engraving on some of the nibs are off-center. See pic below. (The purple stuff is residual ink.)

 

(Click on thumbnail to enlarge.)

http://www.freeimagehost.eu/thumbs/2e88c2169331.gif

 

The rest of the pen, though, seems flawless. The barrel and cap are of a translucent celluloid of mostly blue, and black, with some white, and gold parts. There are some iridescence some places and some shimmering bits in other places. There is no way I can reproduce the pen faithfully without video or something, but here's an image of the pen below. Still, I suggest that you see the pen in person to get an accurate idea of its beauty.

 

(Click thumbnail to enlarge. 56k warning.)

http://www.freeimagehost.eu/thumbs/361577169330.gif

I guess I should have paid more attention to dust.

Edited April 4, 2007 by Renzhe

[caliken]

Thanks for the clear & useful information.

 

Ken

[fjf]

I have one of those and it is a beautiful and very usable pen.

 

 

 

 

[OldPott]

Thanks for this.

 

I've always wanted one of the "Cities" M620's...

 

I missed out, oh, a year or more ago, on an Athens on eBay; couldn't justifiy the cost, even though, looking back, it was a good price, so I'm really annoyed with myself.

 

Currently I like the Grand Place (also gone, gone, gone) and the Piazza Navona (alhthough I'd like to have seen it in the flesh - looks a bit too transluscent?) or the

Place De La Concorde (still around but I still can't afford one...)

 

Glad you are enjoying it!

 

[HDoug]

Very nice! I notice it's kind of translucent (I can see the threads and dimly, the piston mechanism). The Cities don't have ink view windows, but is your Stockholm translucent enough for you to see the ink level? Just wondering.

 

Again thanks for the big close-ups.

 

Doug

[saintsimon]

Most Cites are partially translucent, so sometimes you can look inside. But the ink viewing is not too precise.

 

The translucent Cities look best empty! Filling with ink darkens the barrels and the colours loose their translucent shimmer. That's my impression with my Madrid.

Edited April 3, 2007 by saintsimon

[Zarble44]

My Grand Place is completely opaque. I do miss the ink viewing window.

OTOH, the brown and blue swirls are gorgeous and sort of shimmer in the light, giving the impression that one can see into the material itself. It's by far the nicest looking pen I own, and my favorite.

[maryannemoll]

I looked closely at my Grand Place nib, and the engravings are indeed off-center! *gasp* Thankfully, it's really too small to notice. Thanks for bringing it to our attention.

[Renzhe]

Thanks for the comments!

QUOTE

is your Stockholm translucent enough for you to see the ink level?

If I hold it up so that a light is behind it, I can easily see the ink level.

Edited April 4, 2007 by Renzhe

[lisa]

QUOTE (Renzhe @ Apr 1 2007, 02:57 AM)

This pen, as with most modern M6XX series, is 13.4cm in length, with a diameter of 12.4cm, weighing 16.4g (Source).

Are you sure? that's the size of a toilet paper roll.

 

Thanks for the review. The Pelikan city pen are so beautiful.

[kpfeifle]

Great review, thanks very much. I have been thinking about the new Niagra Falls pen!

[Renzhe]

QUOTE

Are you sure?

WHOOPS!!

 

Edited.

[Keng]

Am considering one of these Cities pens myself. Thanks for sharing.

[rroossinck]

Renzhe, good to see you still travelling in these parts of the web! Nice review, and good Lord, what a great closeup! The first thing I noticed was the translucency.

 

Hope you enjoy that Pelikan. Sheaffer still working out for you?

[daveg]

I'm a recent Pelikan convert who went crazy buying city pens over the last few weeks. I really like a view of the ink though so I've bought a Shanghai, Stockholm, Chicago, and a Madrid. You can easily check the ink level on any of these.

 

I'm not addicted, I can stop any time I want. I'm almost sure of it.

 

How easy is it to tell the ink level on the Piazza Navona? Please tell me it's hard.

 

[Renzhe]

From the pictures I've seen, I think it would be pretty easy.

 

And that Sheaffer - I use it at school, or wherever I don't dare take the Pelikan.

Edited April 5, 2007 by Renzhe

[Kalessin]

Nice writing sample. Someone set up you the bomb!

 

 

[Sonnet]

QUOTE (Kalessin @ Apr 9 2007, 04:19 PM)

Nice writing sample. Someone set up you the bomb!

Beware the sick ones.

[Renzhe]

I can't edit the first post. Is this a new thing? Anyway, I've got some pictures of this pen. Take a look!

 

Uncapped:

http://i27.tinypic.com/2cmkapf.png

 

Pen closeup:

http://i28.tinypic.com/zxp8d2.png

 

Cap closeup:

http://i26.tinypic.com/2nqbqtt.png

 

Pen in front of a window:

http://i29.tinypic.com/ekgdhj.png

 

Cap in front of a window:

http://i30.tinypic.com/2urscrd.png

 

See ya!

Edited February 19, 2008 by Renzhe

[lmederos]

I must say I really like some of these Cities pens (Stockholm is one of my favorites).

 

I am sad to say that I started buying FPs after this series came out. They are not easy to find now.