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One of my initial reviews@fpn was of the FCD Ambition. I took this pen out today to give it a deeper look, after gaining relatively more experience with Faber Castell line of pens. Here is a link to my review on blogger: The Faber-Castell Design Ambition Review So here goes a detailed review. Long ago during school days, I had used some of the not so expensive Faber-Castell ballpoints, pencils, highlighters, rulers, mechanical pencils and geometry sets. They used to be a bit scarce in India then, as they came with a ‘Made in Germany’ tag. Though there was little or no price difference with other Indian brands like Camlin or Omega, these were not widely available as such. Years later one fine day, while randomly searching for pens made by Faber-Castell, I bumped across the Ambition/Ondoro/e-motion fountain pens which were placed in a premium segment with Graf-Von Faber Castell Anello/Intuition in luxury segment. In India, a few models were available in Shoppers Stop Online and some of the other known e-com sites, back then. I finally ordered an Ambition (then an Ondoro) from Pensavenue, as they were running a discount sale on all Faber-Castell products. I added a converter since it was clearly mentioned that a Faber-Castell Design (FCD) converter was not included with the gift package. A BIT OF FABER-CASTELL HISTORY Around 1660s Kaspar Faber was one of the pencil makers in Stein, Bavaria, Germany. Later Kaspar’s son Anton Wilhelm Faber took over the business and the initials A.W were added from his name in 1839. Later on in 1898, when Ottile Von Faber (sixth generation of Faber family) married Count Alexander zu Castell-Rüdenhausen, A.W Faber-Castell was born. Count Alexander modernised the company and introduced the jousting knights logo. Faber-Castell started manufacturing fountain pens in 1951, after acquiring the Osmia Company and produced fountain pens till 1975. They had carried the Osmia logo [diamond-within-a-circle] till the 1960s, given Osmia’s high brand recognition in the fountain pen industry. Later under Anton Wolfgang von Faber-Castell, Faber-Castell started expanding their factories & offices across the globe and also started manufacturing fountain pens under two banners of Design and Graf von Faber-Castell (introduced in 1993) from the 90s. These Ambition range comes with a fountain pen (with 4 different nib widths), a roller ball, a propelling pencil (0.7mm) and a ballpoint pen with various barrel designs constituting of resin, wood or brushed steel. PRESENTATION Within 3 days, the pen and a converter were delivered in a moss-green cardboard box. The colour reminds me of lush green cricket outfields and the Australian Baggy Green Caps. The box has a slider and the pen is secured with an elastic band on a felted bed, along with a warranty card. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-msdcMLZM5x8/VcX15lwx8aI/AAAAAAAAFCI/azlre_iK5vU/s1600/DSC_4963.jpg DESIGN - THE CYLINDRICAL MOTLEY OF RESIN & METAL (4/6) Held in hand, the pen will feel somewhat heavier towards the cap end, with a relatively lighter brushed barrel made of up black coloured resin (Like MB, Faber-Castell also calls it ‘precious resin’, I feel it has comparatively lower density). http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hih-SaIwMKU/VcX2CwS4I1I/AAAAAAAAFCQ/DXWLWXZ25Hw/s1600/DSC_4973.jpg http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SxktYdYHRiQ/VcX2Xh2uVkI/AAAAAAAAFCo/sz_dpqB7bMw/s1600/DSC_5010.jpg A convergence in its minimalistic design of the chrome plated accents is achieved with another piece of metallic finial at the end of the barrel, which also serves as the click-lock for posting the cap. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n4O_LTCsd-8/VcX2HuQbODI/AAAAAAAAFCg/iPvdisa5D18/s1600/DSC_5000.jpg And yes, the chrome accents are prone to fingerprints. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P96DZiiL9xI/VcX2EdtvRaI/AAAAAAAAFCY/8T7Awrn-FRk/s1600/DSC_4983.jpg The cap is substantially heavy with a snap-on locking mechanism. Once you pull it, it comes off with an audible click, and you can see a chromed metallic section attached to the non-differentiated grip, at the end of which rests the shiny nib. Absence of any taper in the singular cylindrical section, introduces a steep step for holding the pen. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4UFE2LGgsjE/VcX2mbCswxI/AAAAAAAAFDA/LKc5NSRPrUQ/s1600/DSC_5019.jpg A mirror finish on the chromed cap etched with the Faber-Castell logo of two jousting knights will immediately gleam with the slightest amount of light and it is also embossed with the traditional statement preserving antiquity of A.W Faber-Castell - Since 1761. The clip is spring loaded and is shaped like an arc with a concave end. To generate friction with fabric, there are multiple grooves on the insides of the clip’s concavity, where it touches the cap. There is also a plastic insert inside the cap which gives the snap-on friction. However, it seems to lose grip with time. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UQI4QeeQLeA/VcbJiYDaMgI/AAAAAAAAFD0/gT_mkgHU35c/s1600/Cap.jpg FILLING SYSTEM (5/6) The small metallic section at the end of the barrel unscrews from the resin barrel with less than three turns and it disengages the section containing the nib and CC filling system. The nib has a screw fit, and inserts into a metallic sleeve like most of the Faber-Castell fountain pens which I have seen. The nib sleeve has threads which synchronize with threads on the insides of the resin barrel. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RK7DWlaZ-AU/VcX2asJWGLI/AAAAAAAAFCw/E6G25MRITCo/s1600/DSC_5048.jpg The converter says SCHMIDT on its piston along with a brand imprint of FABER-CASTELL Germany on the metallic sleeve. It has a reasonably high capacity of 0.8 – 0.9 mL, and the ink does last for quite a while! I am usually biased towards piston fillers, but I like the capacity offered by Faber-Castell or Schmidt converters. In case of GvFC Converters there is no mention of Schmidt on the converters themselves. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Dha1qS8xnX0/VcX20pkwu2I/AAAAAAAAFDQ/kMbn4yPpB0Q/s1600/DSC_5072.jpg NIB - ALL THAT MATTERS (6/6) The nib is made of stainless steel alloy with an iridium tip. The initially available nib sizes featured F, M and B nibs, though an EF was made available later. I went with an M sized nib. Right out of the box, this was a butter-smooth nib. The nib has a perforated imprint of dots which cover a third of its surface area. Had these been real perforations there would have been an opulence of breather holes. And in fact there is not even a single breather hole. The nib-size is embossed above the traditional Faber-Castell Design logo of two jousting knights near the tail. Nib section is screw-fit and thus easily removable from the steel sleeve for cleaning or replacement. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-56jH49qkE40/VcX2mZWV-lI/AAAAAAAAFC8/AkLF0kvG-Ec/s1600/DSC_5083.jpg The feed is standard grey plastic, with a big filler hole for ink suction, which is incidentally also used across the GvFC Intuition Series. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wJHOQThFG3Q/VcX200DcZCI/AAAAAAAAFDY/yqDYXJWC2QI/s1600/DSC_5103.jpg Faber-Castell Design (steel) nibs are sourced from JoWo whereas the GvFC nibs are known to be sourced from Bock. PHYSICS OF IT (3/6) – RELATIVELY SPEAKING Without the cap, the pen measures around 12 cm, which might not be comfortable for people with medium or large hands. Posting the cap is easy and it seems to be secured with a click-lock at the finial section. Although the posted pen exceeds a 15 cm scale, the steel cap makes it pretty top-heavy. In addition to weight, the cap freely rotates once it’s click-posted. While writing posted, the beautifully arched clip later becomes the pen’s arch-nemesis for top weight imbalance, with free rotation around the metal section. A girth less than 1 cm might be inadequate for the shorter uncapped length. Uncapped Length ~ 12.2 cm Capped Length ~ 14 cm Posted Length ~ 15.8 cm Nib Leverage ~ 1.9 cm Overall Weight ~ 28 g (Cap Weight ~ 15 g) Capped and uncapped and posted with a GvFC Intuition, Pelikan m400/2XX and a bigger MB146 run below for your reference. The Intuition has a wider grip than the Ambition. (Reusing some older pics here) http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-raOQ2a8hfmg/VaneoU3hiRI/AAAAAAAAE04/MbwYl1DQCNw/s1600/GvFC%2B017.jpghttp://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3IfUp77HFXU/VaneucQwuSI/AAAAAAAAE1Q/ywtzuSmqxKQ/s1600/GvFC%2B018.jpghttp://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lEIIXA9iDXQ/VaneqEEmoVI/AAAAAAAAE1A/_cJ3dzaaoo0/s1600/GvFC%2B019.jpg ECONOMIC VALUE (5/6) It retails at around USD 70 and I got a converter included at the same price because of the aforementioned discount. I believe it’s a good value for money pen given you too end up with such a nib, which defeats many of the gold ones. OVERALL (4.6/6) This nib is wet, runs wide and smooth like butter, without giving even a hint of feedback. I purposely used a less wet ink, but the pen did quite well against a drier pelikan 4001 ink. There is a bit of line variation with relatively thicker verticals. The nib has some spring and a touch of softness. In fact it lays a wetter and wider line with a little pressure. If you hold it from the metal section, the pen might feel slippery after some time and it might even rotate a little between your fingers. I instinctively hold the pen just above the metal section. Being a wet writer out of the box, the Medium nib puts a line which takes more than 20 seconds to dry on MD Paper with a relatively dry Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black ink. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w-SffYYQWEk/VcX3A22t3SI/AAAAAAAAFDg/aai7dhvEl5Y/s1600/DSC_5185.jpg REFERENCES Faber Castell History Bock Clientele Thank you for going through the review. You can find some more pen and paraphernalia reviews here.

Dear members of the forum, today I went into a bookstore (!) to order a book and at the checkout, behind the counter hidden away in a dark corner, I saw this little box. I think I have been to this store a hundred times but had never seen it before: http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/gg565/Serlo78/Mobile%20Uploads/E432945C-B1A4-4225-ABE0-BF05700891C4_zpsquftkf6q.jpg Of course, I had to have a look at this because I know that some of you are Pelikan aficionados and I have only read good things about Pelikan so far; I think my first school fountain pen actually was a Pelikan, alas, I lost it. So the lady hand the box over to me and I had a look at the back of the box and knew immediately that this, indeed, is a very old pen. The price is still in DM and the postal code has only got four digits (I think that this was changed in the 90s, although I am not sure when exactly). The price for this pen was 188 DM (about 125 if converted into today's currency so it was far from being a cheap pen even back then) and it says that the box is modeled after the original presentation box from 1897. It also says that it contains a M400 schildpatt brown - I had never seen this combination before - with an M nib and a bottle of ink "1897". http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/gg565/Serlo78/Mobile%20Uploads/B89CAB33-765C-400F-88AD-88D5D88A0C7A_zpsbww1trvi.jpg I was very close to buying an M805 Stresemann a couple of weeks ago, but didn't pull the trigger and decided to go for the Montblanc WE Balzac instead. Well, I am still waiting for this pen to arrive. Of course, I had to ask how much it was. "Oh, this is a very old pen, indeed. We used to sell pens, but we stopped selling them about 20 years ago. Nowadays you can get cheaper pens from big chains like Müller, and this is the only one left. I ordered it for a doctor, but he went for a green pen and I kept this brown one. Actually I thought about keeping it myself as no one buys pens and stationary here anymore." "Can I have a look at it?" "Of course you can!" So I opened the box and this is what I saw: What a beautiful pen it is and I like the brown translucent body; I don't have to explain that it was love at first sight! http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/gg565/Serlo78/Mobile%20Uploads/9599351A-649E-4220-B589-4EC388448C75_zpsgu6knyhr.jpg http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/gg565/Serlo78/Mobile%20Uploads/6C76A61D-EF0D-41DF-9BC4-5AB362A8DE75_zpsjohuqlau.jpg http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/gg565/Serlo78/Mobile%20Uploads/8014D86E-4D5A-45EE-8926-57FFBEFD0A3E_zpscqfadx4s.jpg I also had a look at the nib. This 14C gold nib is not like the bicolour nibs that Pelikan uses today, but it looks very nice, indeed. http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/gg565/Serlo78/Mobile%20Uploads/810AD9E4-E4F4-4CA2-9AF1-F079FEB18FB1_zpsspilaa6m.jpg http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/gg565/Serlo78/Mobile%20Uploads/3FA898C4-0080-4449-9718-050FE3ACF2EC_zpssevzfwvl.jpg And now, what did I pay? She gave it to me for less than the price I would have had to pay when it was produced (and much less than I would have to pay for a new pen), so I guess that this is a bargain that none of you could have resisted. And apparently the pen has never been inked before. I don't want to try it today as I am still at work (without a bottle of ink and I don't want to open the bottle that came with the pen; do you think that this ink still can be used? Probably not...). I can't wait for tomorrow when the pen is going to write for the very first time after at least 25 years. Can someone tell me more about the pen I bought? I wonder when it was manufactured and how old it really is. Is it enough to flush the pen before inking it? Or would you leave the pen untouched as it is (I don't think that I can do that as I am not a collector but a user). I hope that I can take more pictures tomorrow (with writing samples). The nib feels as if it was rather flexible - I had to "write" with it, even if it wasn't inked - and it also feels quite smooth. Thank you for bearing with me and I hope that you enjoy the pictures.

Is anyone picking up one of these? If I didn't already have the M600, I would definitely grab one

I have a Pelikan Demonstrator which came with the M200 Fine nib. This nib is steel with gold plate. I decided to see what the M400 nib would be like and ordered an Extra Fine nib knowing that gold nibs write slightly broader. I have been extremely disappointed to say the least. The 14c M400 EF nib writes like a broad nib. The lines are wide and it is annoying since it is suppose to be an EF nib. I contacted Chartpak and did a nib exchange and the replacement seems to be as broad. (which makes me sceptical if it was actually replaced). My question is, has anyone else had similar experiences and is the M400 EF 14c nib naturally a very broad EF? Pelikan nib writing comparison 2014.11.20.pdf

Maybe it's because i've never tried an M300, but I think I don't really get why M300s seem to be more expensive than M400s. Is there a special reason or is it just an accident of the retail chain?

Hello my fellow fountain pen enthusiast. This is my first pictoral review review on this board. I just managed to buy a mint Pelikan M400 W -Germany. I quess the pen might be made in 1982 because it has a single tone golden 14c friction fitted nib. The nib is OB and at first it was a little strange but when i get used to it it is actually quite nice. I bought it in eBay from dealer reima-jr (not affiliated). Price was 90 euros and item was as described. Kari

http://i966.photobucket.com/albums/ae149/thefancyman/027dc5a5-680d-4d35-abdb-c831786df228_zps8d6b4c5f.jpg http://i966.photobucket.com/albums/ae149/thefancyman/8a5e9841-297e-4197-b159-5ed73e751804_zps1b300add.jpg http://i966.photobucket.com/albums/ae149/thefancyman/87d4afc7-4765-4e30-a381-3482bc4c4863_zpsb17feb33.jpg http://i966.photobucket.com/albums/ae149/thefancyman/8990b6d2-4068-4b2d-b3de-fd97cf059911_zps2cf3c107.jpg The nib can go from a fine to about a BB with minimal pressure. I don't normally write this way, but it is quite pretty when you take the time to do it. A 2013 m400 next to the earlier (1982-1990) m400. http://i966.photobucket.com/albums/ae149/thefancyman/DSCF0936_zpsed3ce440.jpg Older cap logo vs. modern. http://i966.photobucket.com/albums/ae149/thefancyman/DSCF0949_zps0978f0dc.jpg The pen on its own. http://i966.photobucket.com/albums/ae149/thefancyman/DSCF0956_zpsc63bef6a.jpg My flock of Pelikan nibs: Modern m400 B, vintage 140 OBB, m100 1.0 calligraphy and vintage m400 F. http://i966.photobucket.com/albums/ae149/thefancyman/DSCF0927_zps6a65d8c5.jpg

Hello people, I am now chasing nibs (since I'm too poor to afford another pen). I have a Pelikan M200 which writes smoothly, never skips or hard starting (albeit underlining stuffs is the equivalent of asking someone to jump off a bridge, can't do it without major skippings but I /don't really/ mind for now). A man in the shop in which I bought this pen recommended me the Pelikan M600, if one day I would like to upgrade to something more classy, it has the right size and all... BUT, that would also mean that I'd have to spend ~$400 for one! So since I know that Pelikan's Souverän series pens have interchangeable nibs, like Lamy Safaris, I wonder if investing in a M400 14 carats gold nib is worth it (so I can upgrade the nib only, not the entire pen), that would only cost me the price of the nib, ~$135 (My M200 costs less than that lol but who cares it's a gold nib). So people who owns Pelikan M400, what's your opinion on that nib? Is it worth getting one? Or should I just go straight up for a M600? ($400 vs $135 mmm) Thanks!

Hello there everyone! I am by no means new to the world of fountain pens; however, this will not only be my most expensive purchase so far, but also my first Pelikan fountain pen. As a graduation gift to myself, I originally planned on getting a M400 blue stripe with a fine nib to last me, at the very least, through undergrad if not longer. One website that I stumbled upon was ISellPens.com. Though I have never bought from the site, many people claim that Todd is a very trustworthy and friendly distributor. The only reason that I am hesitant is that their prices for Pelikan pens are much lower than MSRP and competitors (Goulet Pens, Richard Binder, Nibs.com...). Another point that I noticed is that Todd sells the M400 currently for $266, while the upscale M600 at only $279. My question is: has there been a mistake in the pricing, or should I take advantage of the seemingly good deal (especially after the recent price increase). Also, a $13 difference in price is really tempting, so is it worth it? Thank you in advance.

Dear fountain pen experts and amateurs alike, I was hoping someone might be able to help me figure out why my new pen skips and perhaps even find a cure for it. A few days ago, my brand new Pelikan M400 White Tortoise arrived in the mail. It looked gorgeous, and I was excited to fill it up with some Waterman Intense Black. I did so, and unfortunately, the pen skipped quite a bit. I thought the problem might be that the ink that I used came from a bottle that I opened a long time ago (about a year and a half ago), and so I emptied out the pen and inked it up again with the the same type of ink (Waterman Intense Black), but from a newer bottle (opened only about three months ago). The pen skipped less, but still enough to bother me. So yesterday evening, I emptied the pen again, meticulously flushed it three times (first with clean water, then with soapy water, then again with clean water), and inked it up again (still with Waterman Intense Black). Performance drastically improved, there was hardly any skipping. It still worked beautifully this morning, and then again this afternoon. But then an hour ago, it started skipping again! There's plenty of ink left (it's more than half-full, as can be seen through the translucent barrel), so it's not that. I also know that skipping can sometimes be due to a baby bottom. Unfortunately, I don't have a loupe (I ordered one, but it hasn't arrived yet), so I can't check. However, I used the pen fairly extensively for 24 hours with no trouble, which makes me think it's unlikely that the problem is caused by a baby bottom. Essentially, I have no idea why my pen might perform beautifully for 24 hours, and then suddenly go back to its old ways. Is it bothered by the full moon or something?? Any and all ideas are welcome.

Oh dear! I should not have done it but I did. Walked into a well-sorted B&M store and tried out multiple Pelikan pens of the M200/400/600/800 range. The M800 was too heavy for me, the M200 and M400 too small. Only the M600 pens they had fit my hand perfectly and were of ideal weight and balance. So I have decided to get me a M600. But which one? There are so many around. In the shop they had a green marbled one that looked very good and a light blue one with silver trims that seemed to be some kind of limited edition and also looked cool. I can`t have both pens, so I must decide between these two. If you had the choice, which pen would you take and why?

Hi, I've received my M800 Tortoise today! It is my 10th pen right now, and one of my grail pens. I'm very happy with it, and glad that I've decided to spend more than what I usually do! http://www.kepfeltoltes.hu/131118/P1170317_www.kepfeltoltes.hu_.jpg http://www.kepfeltoltes.hu/131118/P1170309_www.kepfeltoltes.hu_.jpg http://www.kepfeltoltes.hu/131118/P1170299_2_www.kepfeltoltes.hu_.jpg M800 & M400 http://www.kepfeltoltes.hu/131118/P1170329_www.kepfeltoltes.hu_.jpg http://www.kepfeltoltes.hu/131118/P1170336_www.kepfeltoltes.hu_.jpg M400-M600-M800 http://www.kepfeltoltes.hu/131118/P1170255_2_www.kepfeltoltes.hu_.jpg http://www.kepfeltoltes.hu/131118/P1170258_www.kepfeltoltes.hu_.jpg Thank you for watching!

Hi all, I've been lurking around here for a long time but finally get to post a question. For Christmas, I'm convincing my wife to get me a FP nicer than what I have (Lamy Vista & Waterman Kultur). I'm debating whether the Visconti Rembrandt (~ $150) that I hear writes wonderfully smooth (even though it comes with a steel nib) however, I've read that it has some rusting issues where the cap magnet touches the pen. On the other side of the ring, I'm considering spending twice as much for a Pelikan M400 (~ $300) which has great reviews and history, has a 14k gold nib, but from what I've heard, even though it is a 14k gold nib, it is pretty stiff. I like extra fine nibs, very smooth (not scratchy), and somewhat soft. My ink of choice is Noodler's Baystate Blue (I know, a "love it" or "hate it" ink), I just love the intensity of the color blue, the somewhat fast drying and water resistance properties. Thanks for your input.

How (easy) does the M400 disassemble please? the filler is sticking quite badly and needs a touch of silicon grease to ease it.

After springing for an italic nib for my 80s M400, because the semi-flex gold nib was not appealing to me (not a flex lover) I'm actually considering offloading it. I love my M800 but thought it would be nice to have something smaller for journaling, and though that is true, after several weeks, I find that the M400 is just a bit too small and light to be truly comfortable during long writing sessions. My thought is that the M600 (it is bigger, right) might have been a better choice for journaling- and my italic nib would actually fit it, which is nice- but now I'm torn because I do so love this tortoise. Talk about #firstworldproblems, I can't decide whether I want a slightly bigger fountain that's plain but comfortable, or my slightly too small fountain pen, which is gorgeous.