Complaints About Pelikan M250

[rochester21]

Hello, everyone. After reading a lot of good things about pelikan fountain pens here, on FPN, i purchased a NOS pelikan M250, made in west germany, brand new in his box, 14K gold nib. To be honest, i had high expectations from this fountain pen, considering the praise pelikan pens receive. And, indeed, there are aspects about the M250 that cannot be denied: it`s elegant, lite, fits perfectly in a medium-size hand(i prefer smaller pens), and the nib is very responsive, and wet. Still, in the end, i don`t like it, and here`s why: i`m a student, and most of the time i have to write very fast, having an awful handwriting, so i need a pen with a very "tolerant" nib. The M250 nib seems flimsy, a bit scratchy- toothy, and this bothers me a lot. It`s not misaligned or anything, so that`s not the issue. I know a lot of people will hate me for saying this, but i like the fine nib on my parker vector more than the one on the pelikan.

The plastic body on the pelikan does`t impress me either- the shiny plastic is a fingerprint magnet, and doesn`t have the solid feel that metal gives you. as for the filling mechanism, i can say i prefer cartridges instead- the`re more versatile and less messy.

In the end, i decided to sell the pelikan, and try something else....again.

Edited June 18, 2011 by rochester21

[nm4]

It really sounds to me like there was something wrong with your F nib. Mine is very smooth and has only the slightest hint of tooth.

 

Your other complaints about the M200 are legit - fingerprints are a pain and the pen is light and does not feel substantial. Not every pen is for everyone.

 

Those of us that like Pelikans appreciate that the nibs are easy to swap, the easy availability of custom nibs, and the large quantity of ink held by the piston-filler mechanism.

 

Hope you find a pen that suits your needs better - I'd look into the Japanese pens - how about a Pilot Knight or Vanishing Point?

 

Cheers,

NM

Edited June 18, 2011 by nm4

[jar]

Sounds like you made the right decision. If the pen is not one you like, use something else.

[kernando]

Check your keyboard. Is your shift key working properly?

[alvarez57]

It really sounds to me like there was something wrong with your F nib. Mine is very smooth and has only the slightest hint of tooth.

 

Your other complaints about the M200 are legit - fingerprints are a pain and the pen is light and does not feel substantial. Not every pen is for everyone.

 

Those of us that like Pelikans appreciate that the nibs are easy to swap, the easy availability of custom nibs, and the large quantity of ink held by the piston-filler mechanism.

 

Hope you find a pen that suits your needs better - I'd look into the Japanese pens - how about a Pilot Knight or Vanishing Point?

 

Cheers,

NM

 

+1

And it would be really silly to hate someone for disliking a pen.

Me, on the contrary dislike heavy pens. That's why I don't care for metal pens.

I am a Pelikan user for many years and, besides some caps having crack issues,

I still love these pens.

Unfortunately if you don't have a store that sells FP's that you can try, this will happen to you as has happened to a lot of us.

Edited June 18, 2011 by alvarez57

[Julio]

Maybe you should use a Pelikan Technix.

[rochester21]

Thank you for your replies. Indeed, there are several conclusions to be taken here: 1. if lots of people like a certain brand or certain model, it doesn`t necessarily mean you`re going to like it too. 2.it`s best to try the pen before buying it, whenever possible. I am currently in the difficult process of acquiring a nos parker 45, a lady sheaffer and an imperial IV- with a bit of luck, they should arrive in a few weeks. I`ve also considered Japanese pens, but i can`t find them in my country and i don`t even have paypal, so...that`s one more challenge for the future

Edited June 18, 2011 by rochester21

[fabrimedeiros]

What about a Parker Jotter Stainless Steel? It's c/c that you prefer and all stainless steel, except the section, which is made of plastic. Around US$12,oo on eBay.

http://www.fountainp...-review-update/ There is a photo of a S/S Jotter in the midlle of the thread.

Edited June 18, 2011 by fabrimedeiros

[Sandy1]

Hi,

 

So sad to read about your experience with the pPelikan. Indeed it is widely considered a go-to brand and the M250 is a great model.

 

So ...

 

The nib issue: If you want a writer that has a smooth 'tolerant' nib I suggest going for a robust rigid 'nail'. Something carved from a submarine pressure hull perhaps.

 

Pen size and weight: Seems like you're wanting a metal barrel at least, and the cap too if you prefer to post.

 

And be affordable.

 

I have three suggestions in addition to the Pelikan Technix aka P99. LINK.

 

(Thumbnails below are not to scale or scaled. My bad.)

 

Parker 25:

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/Pen_Scans/th_PEN724.jpg

Apparently was designed to be a school pen. Short wrap-around nib; metal barrel designed to accept the cap posted. (That moves the COG back so that if the pen falls, it should auger-in tail first, sparing the nib. So ugly its cute!

 

Sheaffer Imperial 330/440/444:

330:

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/Pen_Scans/th_PEN399.jpg

444:

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/Pen_Scans/th_PEN343.jpg

Depending on your need for mass, the 330 is plastic barrel & cap; 440 is plastic barrel & metal cap; and the 444 is metal barrel & cap. The upswept 'Waverly' shape of the inlaid nib makes these exceptionally smooth in the narrow widths. The section has a nice swelling of girth to allow comfortable ergonomic grip. A must for most enthusiasts.

 

 

Esterbrook J:

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/Pen_Scans/th_PEN713.jpg

Some nibs designed for high pressure - 'Manifold' nibs - for ye olde style carbon paper. About the same mass as the Pelikan M200. Lever filler. Nibs can be inexpensive, and swapped-out on the fly.

 

For writing samples, I've done a couple of Ink Reviews, in which I list the pens used. So samples from those pens are searchable - if not by the FPN search engine, then by Google.

 

Others to consider are the Sheaffer Prelude, a Cross ATX, and Waterman Carene.

 

Bye,

S1

Edited June 19, 2011 by Sandy1

[jb500]

Sorry to hear that you had a bad experience with the M250. While I have always liked the pen, I found that I liked it a lot better when I switched to Pelikan ink--it wrote a tiny bit drier and allowed for some shading. I would second the recommendation for a Vanishing Point--a great pen for taking notes quickly if you don't mind the grip. Hope you are able to tell us that you have found the right pen soon!

 

 

jb

[desertsquid]

I have six Pelikan pens (M200s and M205s). Every one of them has a nib that has been adjusted by a nib expert (five are F, one is EF). In my experience, Pelikan nibs are not that great as shipped from the factory (unadjusted, I've experienced skipping problems, and some toothiness). But, when adjusted correctly, they are superb, and very smooth. I use mine for note taking and I find that I can write very quickly with them.

 

As to the finish, and the filling system, I like them very much. And the light weight of Pelikans is perfect for me. But all that's just a question of personal preference.

 

Good luck with finding your perfect pen!

[zquilts]

I tried every size of Pelikan until I found the one that works best for me ( a honey 400) - pens are, I believe, a journey. I just liked to have fun along the way to finding the pens that bring me pleasure to use. You'll ll find your perfect writer - and I also agree that it sounds like the nib could use an adjustment.

Enjoy your pen journey!

[max dog]

The M250 nib is a great nib in my opinion, but if you find the feedback as being scratchy to your taste, you might consider replacing it with an M400 nib. It has less feedback and I think is one of the smoothest nibs out there. Given you said you dont like the built in piston filler, and prefer a cartridge converter and metal body, then a Cross Townsend is a good alternative being a cartridge/converter and metal bodied pen and has effectively the same nib as the 14Kt M400 nib except in 18Kt, made by Bock (Germany).

Edited June 19, 2011 by max dog

[argonavis]

+1 on the Townsend 18k nibs. Absolutely fabulous, and generally out of the box

well adjusted, which is not always the Pelikan case, I love my Pelikan 250 and 400s

(basically the same), my day to day pen is a 400, but the Townsend is a classier act...

[fabrimedeiros]

Some say that Pelikan nibs aren't well aligned out of the box, but I have many modern Pelikan nibs and none of them needed any little adjustment. Furthermore, Pelikan has a good customer service and can fix the problem, if necessary.

Edited June 19, 2011 by fabrimedeiros

[KarloT]

Maybe you can get in touch with Pelikan Customer Service to get your nib sorted out. You never know how a new nib might create a different feel on the same pen.

 

I've tried Pelis. I've owned a 215 which I sold to a friend (she's very happy with it incidentally,) and a 205 Blue Demonstrator which is in Germany for warranty work. They are good pens but my preferences have changed a bit.

 

Hope you find something that works for you.

[Deirdre]

The Pelikan steel nib in the M2xx series is one of the nicer nibs I've used and the nicest steel nib. It's not stiff as a nail; it has some give and is a delight to use. In practice, my M2xx is one of the pens that always stays inked. FWIW, I bought mine from Richard Binder.

Edited June 20, 2011 by Deirdre

[Readymade]

Sounds like a steel nib for the Pelikan M250 would suit you better.

[pajaro]

Hello, everyone. After reading a lot of good things about pelikan fountain pens here, on FPN, i purchased a NOS pelikan M250, made in west germany, brand new in his box, 14K gold nib. To be honest, i had high expectations from this fountain pen, considering the praise pelikan pens receive. And, indeed, there are aspects about the M250 that cannot be denied: it`s elegant, lite, fits perfectly in a medium-size hand(i prefer smaller pens), and the nib is very responsive, and wet. Still, in the end, i don`t like it, and here`s why: i`m a student, and most of the time i have to write very fast, having an awful handwriting, so i need a pen with a very "tolerant" nib. The M250 nib seems flimsy, a bit scratchy- toothy, and this bothers me a lot. It`s not misaligned or anything, so that`s not the issue. I know a lot of people will hate me for saying this, but i like the fine nib on my parker vector more than the one on the pelikan.

The plastic body on the pelikan does`t impress me either- the shiny plastic is a fingerprint magnet, and doesn`t have the solid feel that metal gives you. as for the filling mechanism, i can say i prefer cartridges instead- the`re more versatile and less messy.

In the end, i decided to sell the pelikan, and try something else....again.

 

Why don't you just use a rollerball, gel pen or ballpoint? When I was in college I wouldn't have thought of using a fountain pen outside the house. Used a Jotter or Cross ballpoint. Didn't want to risk damaging even a Sheaffer cartridge pen.

[rochester21]

Why don't you just use a rollerball, gel pen or ballpoint? When I was in college I wouldn't have thought of using a fountain pen outside the house. Used a Jotter or Cross ballpoint. Didn't want to risk damaging even a Sheaffer cartridge pen.

 

I have been writing with a fountain pen since the first day of school, and i never damaged one during use. when i can`t use a fountain pen, i replace it with a ballpoint, but that usually happens only when i run out of ink. Besides, if i can`t use a fountain pen when i`m at school, then when ??