Differences between M150 and M200?

[Arts11]

So in my quest for a new, more professional-looking pen, I've narrowed my choices down to a select few, including the M150 and M200. The M200 seems to be a pretty popular choice around here, while I just found out about the M150 recently. That being said, I know very little about either pen and how exactly they are different. I originally set a budget of about $50 give or take, but I'm willing to spend a little more if it's worth it.

 

Mainly, I want to know how the M150 and M200 differ in terms of nibs, body material, writing smoothness, etc. and whether the M200 is worth the extra money. I also wouldn't mind hearing about why you like those models either. Secondly, I'm curious to know how wide of a line Pelikan nibs can put down (as a baseline, I'm used to Japanese F nibs). Finally, I'd like to know where you all would recommend buying a Pelikan M150 or M200 from? Since this would far and away be my most expensive pen purchase to date, I'm concerned about nib smoothness, so any store that does pre-mailing tuning/adjusting would be a plus.

 

Thanks for the help guys!

[dandelion]

I'd say that the fundamental difference is that the size of the M150 is slightly smaller. One great advantage with the M200 is that you can switch nibs with a M400 (gold and a broader range of nib sizes). I've tried both and liked both very much. Pelikan's steel nibs are great.

[Arts11]

I'd say that the fundamental difference is that the size of the M150 is slightly smaller. One great advantage with the M200 is that you can switch nibs with a M400 (gold and a broader range of nib sizes). I've tried both and liked both very much. Pelikan's steel nibs are great.

I see. Thanks for the input. Are either pen generally smooth writers? I've read posters here throw around the term "buttery smooth" (which I assume to be a positive) when describing other nibs, and I'm wondering if that also applies to these models. Generally speaking, is the base nib for the M200 "better" than that of the M150, and if so, in what way exactly?

 

[Namo]

I'd say that the fundamental difference is that the size of the M150 is slightly smaller. One great advantage with the M200 is that you can switch nibs with a M400 (gold and a broader range of nib sizes). I've tried both and liked both very much. Pelikan's steel nibs are great.

I see. Thanks for the input. Are either pen generally smooth writers? I've read posters here throw around the term "buttery smooth" (which I assume to be a positive) when describing other nibs, and I'm wondering if that also applies to these models. Generally speaking, is the base nib for the M200 "better" than that of the M150, and if so, in what way exactly?

 

 

I had a 150, I have now a 200 and an old 400. The 200 and 400 are the same size. The old 14k gold nib of the 400 is incredible (I don't know for modern 400s), but the steel nib of the 200 is excellent, very smooth with a nice line variation (both are Fine size). The 150 was very, very, very smooth, but it was a Medium nib. Last thing, the 150 is a really small pen, almost a pocket pen, and the difference with the 200 is not negligible. Actually, I sold my beloved 150 so I could buy a 200 because I wasn't able to use it as often as I would have like to.

 

Hope it helps.

 

 

[Arts11]

I'd say that the fundamental difference is that the size of the M150 is slightly smaller. One great advantage with the M200 is that you can switch nibs with a M400 (gold and a broader range of nib sizes). I've tried both and liked both very much. Pelikan's steel nibs are great.

I see. Thanks for the input. Are either pen generally smooth writers? I've read posters here throw around the term "buttery smooth" (which I assume to be a positive) when describing other nibs, and I'm wondering if that also applies to these models. Generally speaking, is the base nib for the M200 "better" than that of the M150, and if so, in what way exactly?

 

 

I had a 150, I have now a 200 and an old 400. The 200 and 400 are the same size. The old 14k gold nib of the 400 is incredible (I don't know for modern 400s), but the steel nib of the 200 is excellent, very smooth with a nice line variation (both are Fine size). The 150 was very, very, very smooth, but it was a Medium nib. Last thing, the 150 is a really small pen, almost a pocket pen, and the difference with the 200 is not negligible. Actually, I sold my beloved 150 so I could buy a 200 because I wasn't able to use it as often as I would have like to.

 

Hope it helps.

Thanks for the help! I'm really glad to hear Pelikans are very smooth. Now if I only I could get extra confirmation on the smoothness of a Fine nine for the M150. It's still gonna he hard to decide between going for the cheaper M150 or going for the M200 because they both seem like great pens. Size aside though, does the M200 have any big advantages up on the M150?

 

[printhardcopy]

M200 you can change to gold nib from m400 and silver nib from m215. That is another advantage.

[Arts11]

M200 you can change to gold nib from m400 and silver nib from m215. That is another advantage.

Interesting. I will have to keep that in mind when deciding whether it'll be worth paying extra for that ability. Thanks!

 

Does anyone have any writing samples with a F and/or M nib? I want to see how they compare and whether a Fine nib puts down a line with enough "volume" for my tastes.

 

[printhardcopy]

No problem !! however, m150 is a cute pen too.

 

 

[Arts11]

After searching through some photos of Pelikans, I noticed the Reform 1745 bared a striking resemblance to some of them (green barrel, black cap, gold bands, piston fill). Is there a reason for this, or is it coincidence (or direct mimicry)? Does the Reform 1745 write anything like a Pelikan M150/200, or is the Pelikan far superior?

Edited June 11, 2009 by Arts11

[Readymade]

Errr... Isn't it the other way round?

 

Think Pelikan had the black and green colour scheme first and Reform imitated them.

[Arts11]

Errr... Isn't it the other way round?

 

Think Pelikan had the black and green colour scheme first and Reform imitated them.

Haha, that's what I was trying to say in the first place. I edited my post right before you posted b/c I realized my original wording was confusing. Anyway, I'm still wondering what's up with that little quirk.

 

[dandelion]

I had an M150 with a F nib and it is still (after trying a LOT of pens) one of the smoothest and best F nibs I've come by.

Whether the size difference is neglectable or not is a matter of taste - I don't find the difference big. I think the M150 is very underestimated, by the way. It is a real good pistonfiller with an excellent nib for a very low price.

Here are the sizes:

M150 4 3/4" length; 5 3/8" cap posted; 7/16" diameter

M200: 5" length; 5 7/8" cap posted; 1/2" diameter

Thanks for the help! I'm really glad to hear Pelikans are very smooth. Now if I only I could get extra confirmation on the smoothness of a Fine nine for the M150. It's still gonna he hard to decide between going for the cheaper M150 or going for the M200 because they both seem like great pens. Size aside though, does the M200 have any big advantages up on the M150?

Edited June 11, 2009 by dandelion

[Arts11]

I had an M150 with a F nib and it is still (after trying a LOT of pens) one of the smoothest and best F nibs I've come by.

Whether the size difference is neglectable or not is a matter of taste - I don't find the difference big. I think the M150 is very underestimated, by the way. It is a real good pistonfiller with an excellent nib for a very low price.

Here are the sizes:

M150 4 3/4" length; 5 3/8" cap posted; 7/16" diameter

M200: 5" length; 5 7/8" cap posted; 1/2" diameter

Thanks for the help! I'm really glad to hear Pelikans are very smooth. Now if I only I could get extra confirmation on the smoothness of a Fine nine for the M150. It's still gonna he hard to decide between going for the cheaper M150 or going for the M200 because they both seem like great pens. Size aside though, does the M200 have any big advantages up on the M150?

Thanks for the info! It's good to hear of the smoothness. Now, all I need to really make a decision is to see how wide of a line a EF vs F vs M nib makes. I tend to write small so I like thinner lines, but at the same time, I don't want anything too thin in case I want to write a bit bigger.

 

[OnTheBayou]

I have two of the M200/5 demos and nine Pilot 78Gs. The Pilots fines are a lot finer in IMO and the Pilots are also much smoother than the Pelikans IMO. YMMV.

 

That said, I nonetheless just bought the M200 days ago (I've had the M205 for about 1^1/2 years), after using the Pilots for a few months, so the difference wasn't enough to deter me.

 

Edited to add last sentence.

Edited June 13, 2009 by Penguine

[Arts11]

I have two of the M200/5 demos and nine Pilot 78Gs. The Pilots fines are a lot finer in IMO and the Pilots are also much smoother than the Pelikans IMO. YMMV.

 

That said, I nonetheless just bought the M200 days ago (I've had the M205 for about 1^1/2 years), after using the Pilots for a few months, so the difference wasn't enough to deter me.

 

Edited to add last sentence.

Interesting. Thank you for sharing your experience! I have a couple of 78Gs too, but they sorta vary in terms of smoothness. One of them is very good and just glides, while the others have various amounts of tooth (ranging from ignore-able to "i'm probably not gonna use this one regularly"). Did you get your Pelikan M200s Binderized? Because I figure if I'm gonna get something already that expensive (compared to my current pens), I might as well have it tuned beforehand, but not if it doesn't help much. Would you be able to tell me where you got your M200?

 

Also, how much wider of a line would you say the Pelikan Fine puts down compared to the 78G Fine? Is it as thick as a 78G M nib line or thinner?

Edited June 13, 2009 by Arts11

[OnTheBayou]

I have two of the M200/5 demos and nine Pilot 78Gs. The Pilots fines are a lot finer in IMO and the Pilots are also much smoother than the Pelikans IMO. YMMV.

 

That said, I nonetheless just bought the M200 days ago (I've had the M205 for about 1^1/2 years), after using the Pilots for a few months, so the difference wasn't enough to deter me.

 

Edited to add last sentence.

Interesting. Thank you for sharing your experience! I have a couple of 78Gs too, but they sorta vary in terms of smoothness. One of them is very good and just glides, while the others have various amounts of tooth (ranging from ignore-able to "i'm probably not gonna use this one regularly"). Did you get your Pelikan M200s Binderized? Because I figure if I'm gonna get something already that expensive (compared to my current pens), I might as well have it tuned beforehand, but not if it doesn't help much. Would you be able to tell me where you got your M200?

 

Also, how much wider of a line would you say the Pelikan Fine puts down compared to the 78G Fine? Is it as thick as a 78G M nib line or thinner?

 

I guess I lucked out because the only two 78Gs out of nine I don't like are the B stubs (because they skip a bit).

I've actually had three M200/205s. The newest one, which I bought through a WTB ad here on FPN, is a replacement for the one I bought years ago. I don't remember where I bought the first one. The M205 I bought from Swisher Pens.

 

Using the 78G M, I wrote next to a old entry written with the Pelikan M205. I then traced on top of a few letters. To my eye the Pilot M wrote an insignificant smidge finer than the Pelikan F. I think Mssrs. Binder and Mottishaw have stats on their websites that you can double-check.

 

If I bought another new Pelikan I would definitely buy from Mr. Binder. I sent the nib of the first one I bought back to Fountain Pen Hospital (that's where I got it!) because it was rough IMO. So many people talk about how smooth the Pelikans are so I guess they must be. I bought the Pelikan after the Pilot because the blue demo is a gorgeous pen, and it writes well enough for me.

 

Edited for punctuation.

Edited June 13, 2009 by Penguine

[Arts11]

I have two of the M200/5 demos and nine Pilot 78Gs. The Pilots fines are a lot finer in IMO and the Pilots are also much smoother than the Pelikans IMO. YMMV.

 

That said, I nonetheless just bought the M200 days ago (I've had the M205 for about 1^1/2 years), after using the Pilots for a few months, so the difference wasn't enough to deter me.

 

Edited to add last sentence.

Interesting. Thank you for sharing your experience! I have a couple of 78Gs too, but they sorta vary in terms of smoothness. One of them is very good and just glides, while the others have various amounts of tooth (ranging from ignore-able to "i'm probably not gonna use this one regularly"). Did you get your Pelikan M200s Binderized? Because I figure if I'm gonna get something already that expensive (compared to my current pens), I might as well have it tuned beforehand, but not if it doesn't help much. Would you be able to tell me where you got your M200?

 

Also, how much wider of a line would you say the Pelikan Fine puts down compared to the 78G Fine? Is it as thick as a 78G M nib line or thinner?

 

I guess I lucked out because the only two 78Gs out of nine I don't like are the B stubs (because they skip a bit).

I've actually had three M200/205s. The newest one, which I bought through a WTB ad here on FPN, is a replacement for the one I bought years ago. I don't remember where I bought the first one. The M205 I bought from Swisher Pens.

 

Using the 78G M, I wrote next to a old entry written with the Pelikan M205. I then traced on top of a few letters. To my eye the Pilot M wrote an insignificant smidge finer than the Pelikan F. I think Mssrs. Binder and Mottishaw have stats on their websites that you can double-check.

 

If I bought another new Pelikan I would definitely buy from Mr. Binder. I sent the nib of the first one I bought back to Fountain Pen Hospital (that's where I got it!) because it was rough IMO. So many people talk about how smooth the Pelikans are so I guess they must be. I bought the Pelikan after the Pilot because the blue demo is a gorgeous pen, and it writes well enough for me.

 

Edited for punctuation.

Thanks again for your help Penguine! Now I'm debating whether I should go even finer and get an EF nib for the Pelikan. I think my ideal nib line size would be between a Pilot F & M nib or close to the nib line made by a Reform 1745 (which I'm told is between a Western F & M nib, yet mine writes finer than a Lamy F). I've checked Mr Binder's site but I can't really get a good feel for just how wide their writing samples are since they're all stand alone (though it seems like his nib chart does say a standard Western F should be between a Japanese F & M, but I dont know if Pelikan is included as "standard"). I guess I might have to give Mr Mottishaw's site a shot.

 

[OnTheBayou]

I have two of the M200/5 demos and nine Pilot 78Gs. The Pilots fines are a lot finer in IMO and the Pilots are also much smoother than the Pelikans IMO. YMMV.

 

That said, I nonetheless just bought the M200 days ago (I've had the M205 for about 1^1/2 years), after using the Pilots for a few months, so the difference wasn't enough to deter me.

 

Edited to add last sentence.

Interesting. Thank you for sharing your experience! I have a couple of 78Gs too, but they sorta vary in terms of smoothness. One of them is very good and just glides, while the others have various amounts of tooth (ranging from ignore-able to "i'm probably not gonna use this one regularly"). Did you get your Pelikan M200s Binderized? Because I figure if I'm gonna get something already that expensive (compared to my current pens), I might as well have it tuned beforehand, but not if it doesn't help much. Would you be able to tell me where you got your M200?

 

Also, how much wider of a line would you say the Pelikan Fine puts down compared to the 78G Fine? Is it as thick as a 78G M nib line or thinner?

 

I guess I lucked out because the only two 78Gs out of nine I don't like are the B stubs (because they skip a bit).

I've actually had three M200/205s. The newest one, which I bought through a WTB ad here on FPN, is a replacement for the one I bought years ago. I don't remember where I bought the first one. The M205 I bought from Swisher Pens.

 

Using the 78G M, I wrote next to a old entry written with the Pelikan M205. I then traced on top of a few letters. To my eye the Pilot M wrote an insignificant smidge finer than the Pelikan F. I think Mssrs. Binder and Mottishaw have stats on their websites that you can double-check.

 

If I bought another new Pelikan I would definitely buy from Mr. Binder. I sent the nib of the first one I bought back to Fountain Pen Hospital (that's where I got it!) because it was rough IMO. So many people talk about how smooth the Pelikans are so I guess they must be. I bought the Pelikan after the Pilot because the blue demo is a gorgeous pen, and it writes well enough for me.

 

Edited for punctuation.

Thanks again for your help Penguine! Now I'm debating whether I should go even finer and get an EF nib for the Pelikan. I think my ideal nib line size would be between a Pilot F & M nib or close to the nib line made by a Reform 1745 (which I'm told is between a Western F & M nib, yet mine writes finer than a Lamy F). I've checked Mr Binder's site but I can't really get a good feel for just how wide their writing samples are since they're all stand alone (though it seems like his nib chart does say a standard Western F should be between a Japanese F & M, but I dont know if Pelikan is included as "standard"). I guess I might have to give Mr Mottishaw's site a shot.

 

I'm thinking about ordering EFs myself. My writing with the F was a tad bit large.

[Arts11]

Using the 78G M, I wrote next to a old entry written with the Pelikan M205. I then traced on top of a few letters. To my eye the Pilot M wrote an insignificant smidge finer than the Pelikan F. I think Mssrs. Binder and Mottishaw have stats on their websites that you can double-check.

 

I'm thinking about ordering EFs myself. My writing with the F was a tad bit large.

After checking over your reply again, I just realized you wrote the Pilot M was slightly finer than the Pelikan F. Initially I misread that and thought it said the Pilot F was just a bit finer than the Pelikan F. Hmmm, knowing that I think I might get the EF for the Pelikan then, though I'll keep searching for an actual writing sample first before making a final decision. Thanks again!

 

[OnTheBayou]

Using the 78G M, I wrote next to a old entry written with the Pelikan M205. I then traced on top of a few letters. To my eye the Pilot M wrote an insignificant smidge finer than the Pelikan F. I think Mssrs. Binder and Mottishaw have stats on their websites that you can double-check.

 

I'm thinking about ordering EFs myself. My writing with the F was a tad bit large.

After checking over your reply again, I just realized you wrote the Pilot M was slightly finer than the Pelikan F. Initially I misread that and thought it said the Pilot F was just a bit finer than the Pelikan F. Hmmm, knowing that I think I might get the EF for the Pelikan then, though I'll keep searching for an actual writing sample first before making a final decision. Thanks again!

 

I'm not handy with my camera but if you wish to, PM me and I'll be happy to snail mail you a comparison to your address.