Pelikan M215

[JeffTL]

The Pelikan M215, with a medium steel nib, I ordered from Gadgeteer in Omaha came in today, a bit sooner than expected; as an aside, I was very pleased with the service there. I also bought a bottle of Pelikan Brilliant Black, since I've been meaning to try some more inks beyond Quink.

 

Appearance

Since I special ordered and didn't specify, I didn't know whether the pen would be the blue or black M215; it turned out to be the black one with the horizontal platinum rings. All in all a very attractive pen -- it looks somewhat like my Esterbrook J, if a bit more upscale. The pelican beak clip goes well in a shirt pocket. 5/5

 

Filling

Now I see that the Germans are the masters of filling systems. The piston operates very easily -- and the ink window is a great touch, compared to having to unscrew the barrel to see a cartridge or simply guess at the state of the ink supply in a sac. 5/5

 

Feel

Again, it's about the shape and size of the vaunted Esterbrook J...but, having a metal barrel, is a bit heavier than the Estie or the M200. If heft is any harbinger of durability, I'm going to be using this pen for a long time. The cap comes off easily, but I don't think I have to worry about it coming off too easily. 5/5

 

Performance

The nib is a bit toothy, but the writing experience is pleasant overall. I'm glad I went with the medium, which is about comparable in width to an Esterbrook 2668 and somewhat more narrow than a Parker Reflex medium point. The pen seems to start without any trouble. 4.75/5

 

Overall score: 19.75/20. I'd suggest this pen to anyone looking for a quality writing instrument; it cost me $109 ($116.63 with Nebraska sales tax), but can be had for less online. It's a good value.

 

 

EDIT: spelling

Edited May 14, 2006 by JeffTL

[KCat]

Nice Review, Jeff. Thank you.

 

Yep - love the Pelikan piston system. I had trouble with MB's piston knob - the shape of it made it slippery for me. The Pelikan piston knob is so much easier for me to use.

 

We need to work on your ink supply issue.

[JeffTL]

You're welcome

 

The Pelikan black ink is nice; I'm going to try it in some of my other pens as well. I should probably get some of the blue at some point; I've seen others using it and it's a very attractive ink as well, but black is what I usually use.

 

What surprised me about the piston is that it's even easier to operate than a lever.

[charliecompany]

Thanks for the review. I have been thinking of getting the blue version of this lately. This just makes it harder/easier to get it, depending on your point of view.

[southpaw]

Very nice review - thanks, and enjoy your wonderful new Pel!

[BMWRT]

Nice write up.

I have both the blue and the black. I just ent the black to Chartpak to have an EF nib exchanged for a Fine. I love these two pens. The blue is my everyday pen, with Watermans Florida Blue ink.

You will enjoy this pen for a long time to come

[Bill]

This morning B.C. (before coffee), I knocked out a quick comparo shot for Old Griz re a pic request in the Photography forum about which M215 is classier. LATER, I see he asked the question in February.

 

So I'm putting it here. Now, where's that coffee?

 

BTW, the nib for the blue accidentally became a dog toy, replaced by a Binder 0.7mm cursive italic; the black is a fine.

 

Bill

[JeffTL]

Thanks for the picture, Bill.

 

I'm liking this pen more and more every day; I believe I've finally found the perfect medium-point pen for regular use, superseding my Parker Reflex and Esterbrook J for the most part (though those pens can always have other inks in them!). This is, in other words, a pen on the caliber of the Parker "51."

[RyanL27]

BTW, the nib for the blue accidentally became a dog toy, replaced by a Binder 0.7mm cursive italic; the black is a fine.

Bill - were you able to get an unplated cursive italic from Richard? This has been a question on my mind for a while, but I've never gotten around to asking him about it.

[Bill]

Bill - were you able to get an unplated cursive italic from Richard?

No. I bought the nib from him at the Ohio show. I have seen postings that nibmeisters can remove the plating for an extra fee.

 

Bill

[TMann]

This past week, I ordered an unplated polished steel stub nib from Richard Binder for my m215. He informed me that Pelikan doesn't make their polished steel nibs, nor their two-tone gold nibs available to him for modification. However, he was able to remove the plating from one of his modified gold-plated steel nibs (for only a few dollars extra,) so that the nib would match my black m215. (I posted a bunch of m215 photos at this thread here.

 

Pelikan m215 with Binder 0.6 mm stub:

 

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b143/TRM2005/Pelikan_m215_nib.jpg

[KCat]

This morning B.C. (before coffee), I knocked out a quick comparo shot for Old Griz re a pic request in the Photography forum about which M215 is classier. LATER, I see he asked the question in February.

i haven't been terribly impressed with the looks of either of these pens...

 

until now. Bill, this pic of them side-by-side has me rethinking them. Unfortunately, that means I have to buy both of them!

 

dang it - i don't need anymore Pelikans!!!!!!!!!!

[RyanL27]

TMann - That's great news! Thanks for the info!

[sonia_simone]

I bought a rollerball version of the blue pinstriped pelikan for my sister as a graduation present. (She is not an FP sort of person at all.) I do not think she really gets it at all. Alas.

[JRodriguez]

I'm with KCat here. I don't need more pelikans, but those two look really great in that picture (do you all remember the class action talk - this message is being noted as evidence ). Nice review by the way.

[JeffTL]

Just an update -- the somewhat toothy nib has gotten worse and has taken to picking up paper fibers and stuff, so after I get back from my summer vacation later this month I'm going to be shipping the M215 in to Chartpak for nib repair or replacement; it's my opinion that since this pen cost as much as anywhere between four and a hundred Esterbrook J's, it should write at least as well as one. Since I hear Chartpak is good about stuff like this, I'm certain that it will in fact be far better than an Estie once they get done with it.

[meanwhile]

A toothy medium nib on an M215??? Either our definition of toothy is hugely different, or these nibs vary wildly...

 

You're absolutely right to send it back - but couldn't you unscrew the nib and just send that? If it's a steel nib I'd think they'd replace rather than repair it.

Edited July 4, 2006 by meanwhile

[churl]

I bought a 215 last month, fine nib, and it writes fine for me, but I was expecting to be impressed; I wasn't. My Lamy Safari actually writes better.

 

Not to say that the 215 isn't an amazing pen, but my fine nib is just sort of ho hum. Still, the 215 is an everyday pen for me.

[JeffTL]

My 215 is doing a lot better now that I have had the nib replaced ... it's nothing exciting, of course, but a very nice pen that holds a lot of ink

[The Legend]

Take a look at www.fuellhalter.de

 

Very good german online pen-shop with lots of Pelikans.

Very good service.

 

Regards, The Legend