Need Some Help About A Pelikan M800 I Just Bought

[electrfunch]

Hi to all,

 

I'm a bit new to the fountain pen "arena" and I just bought from an antique dealer a Pelikan M800 but I just noticed something in the pictures that concerned me.

 

I did this purchase remotely as I live on the other side of the Country but I have acquired things from him previously and was always happy with the service, so I risked and went forward with the purchase as I thought the price was quite attractive and he assured me the pen was in very good conditions.

 

My concern is that I just noticed something strange in one of the pictures of the pen (which are of very poor quality, sorry for that but as I have not received the pen yet I just have the mobile phone pictures he sent me). The pen has a golden disk in the top of the piston filler. And from the pictures I'm used to see from M800's I never seen such disk...

 

Is this a "real" Pelikan? Probably an old one? Should I be concerned? I paid 150€ for it...

 

I would appreciate your feedback to understand if I just got burned...

 

By the way, the ink bottle in the picture is also included in the purchase, do you think that is safe to use? It looks quite old...

 

Thanks a lot.

 

Best regards.

 

Here are the pictures:

 

[blackbug67]

Looks OK to me. Since you bought from the seller before without trouble, I would say not to worry.

[sargetalon]

No need to be alarmed and you certainly didn't get burned. It is a real Pelikan M800 indeed. The medallion models were present at launch until about 1999. They are well regarded and even sought after. If you snagged one in good shape for 150 euro, that's one heck of a deal. That bottle of ink looks like India ink which I would not personally use in a fountain pen due to risk of damage. I would pass on using that ink if it were my pen. Many safer formulations out there. Congrats on your purchase. I hope that you are happy with it when it arrives.

[jkingrph]

If that bottle of ink is India ink do not use in a fountain pen, any fountain pen. It most probably contains shellac which will clog the feed and nib and possibly cause permanent damage. India ink is meant to be used only in dip type pens.

 

The pen looks good to me but I have not seen a cap like that, My older ones are black plastic with engraved pelican gold filled, newer ones are solid gold in appearance, but I not that knowledgeable about the older models of the large pens.

[fly_us]

It is the medallion M800 at 150 Euro. What's a deal you got there.

[T4TEXAS]

You may want to check it out carefully when you get it to make sure someone else did not put India ink in it in the past.

[electrfunch]

Thank you all for the feedback!

 

I should get it tomorrow, once I get it I'll give it a try and post here the outcome

 

Regarding the ink I'll keep it far away from the fountain pens.

 

Best Regards.

[fplover01]

Thats Old Style M800 like the one I recently got too. 150 Euro is a very good price and this pen is sought after by many. I am in love with mine.

 

Modern Pelikan Fount India is safe for fountain pens, provided you clean the pen REGULARLY and the ink NEVER dries in the pen. Some people use it (it is very permanent), but it is a difficult ink due to the maintenance requirements. I personally wouldnt put it into an expensive vintage pen. The advantage is that it is quite cheap and easily available (in germany) and permanent, very resistant to water and light. I would buy a cheap used M200 pen (under 30 Euros) if i had a need to use this in a piston filling pen. A dip pen is safer but less practical (there u can also use Scribtoel, which is even more permanent, but NOT fountain pen adequate)

[electrfunch]

I will not bother using it, being such a difficult ink it's not worth it.

 

When I need permanent ink I tend to use Rohrer & Klingner Salix or Scabiosa which never cause me any problems.

 

Thanks for the advice.

 

Cheers

[electrfunch]

Hi again guys, need your help again!

 

It must be a week of Pelikans for me this one... I just got another purchase opportunity for a M800 and it looks like to also have the "golden disk" in the piston nob, but I'm not sure... I having that impression from one of the pictures but it from the side so I'm not sure.

 

And I do like the colors of this one better but he is asking for 240€ and I could not get him to decrease more the price.

 

Do you thing that it's worth it? He says it was just inked up two times then cleaned and stored.

 

Also the EF nib may be too fine for me... Your thoughts?

 

Here are the pictures:

 

 

 

 

[DrCodfish]

FIRST: Resolve the issue of the nib size. No matter the price, if it is a pen you won't use because the nib is wrong for you, it won't matter what price you paid, it will have been too much.

 

Second: Figure out if you can afford it. Again, bargain or otherwise, the puchase needs to fit within your budget (or your pen pudget). What if you buy this pen and the pen of your dreams comes along? Would you be able to buy that dream pen?

 

FINALLY: It should be a simple task to determine if this is a reasonable price for this pen. Just search EBay for past sales of similar pens.

 

It looks like a very nice pen, but then again,I am not much for the M800 series so it would have to be a super bargian for me to purchase, ..... because I would just re-sell it.

[electrfunch]

I did that check on eBay but the prices range quite a bit.

 

But your first point really is the deal breaker, you are right the nib is wrong for me so I would end up not using it but I do like the colors!

 

I'm going to pass it.

 

Thanks, cheers.

[JulioPB]

Try to swap the nib with another PNer.

 

Congratulations for your new pens.

 

Julio MX

[Ron Z]

If that bottle of ink is India ink do not use in a fountain pen, any fountain pen. It most probably contains shellac which will clog the feed and nib and possibly cause permanent damage. India ink is meant to be used only in dip type pens.

 

The pen looks good to me but I have not seen a cap like that, My older ones are black plastic with engraved pelican gold filled, newer ones are solid gold in appearance, but I not that knowledgeable about the older models of the large pens.

 

Pelikan Font India is not like Higgins India ink. It is a water/dye based, not pigment/shellac based, and was designed for use in calligraphy pens, not Speedball dip pens. Though Pelikan did/does not intend it to be used as a regular writing ink in fountain pens, I have without harm. <opinion mode> It certainly is no worse than some of the modern "boutique" inks, most likely safer.

[fplover01]

I would buy the second pen too, if I had the money. Since the pen has been inked though, about 200 euros or a bit more depending on condition might be more reasonable than 240. The pen might always have dried ink in it, need cleaning or whatever.

 

If you dont like the nib you can sell it or exchange it for one you like. But the pen wont be getting cheaper in the future...

 

Of course it must be within your budget and you should also like the pen. I like the M800 because it fits my hand very nicely. Some people think it is too big.

Edited July 22, 2015 by fplover01

[jkingrph]

 

Pelikan Font India is not like Higgins India ink. It is a water/dye based, not pigment/shellac based, and was designed for use in calligraphy pens, not Speedball dip pens. Though Pelikan did/does not intend it to be used as a regular writing ink in fountain pens, I have without harm. <opinion mode> It certainly is no worse than some of the modern "boutique" inks, most likely safer.

 

I wll gladly stand corrected, having no experience with this ink. I do recall running an Esterbrook a little over 50 years ago, not knowing what I was doing.

 

Nowdays I try to stay away from pigment based inks, (those containing suspended solids) and stick with dye based inks ( color is actually dissolved and in solution)

[Ron Z]

You're wise to do so! India ink in a fountain pen makes for some very difficult repair and cleaning!

[electrfunch]

Hi to all,

 

I just received the pen, flush-it with distilled water (everything was clear so it must have been very well cleaned) and ink it up... uuuauuu it writes great!

 

The Nib is a 14C F and it is very soft and springy, very different from the other pens I have. I was a bit surprised with the nib being a 14C gold instead of the 18C gold I was expecting in a M800 (is this normal? I'll do some web research on this...).

 

In the cap trim it says "W. Germany" instead of "Germany" that appears in my M404. I guess it's because it's an older pen (again I need to research...).

 

The condition of the pen is amazingly pristine, it looks like a brand new pen, it has Zero scratches or signs of use I'm quite happy!

 

I'll take some pictures soon and post here.

 

Cheers.

[Bo Bo Olson]

You have a great springy regular flex nib....the '82/3-89 W.Germany nib in the 400 is great. That 800 is a '87?-89....and folks pay lots extra for that. (That is the only 800 I'd even think of buying....OK if pressed would take a '90-97.....and be forever a bit bitter I didn't get yours.)

 

The '90-97 400/800 are just a tad less springy in regular flex....also real good....but not quite as good as the nib you have.

 

The 18 K you are use to are nails. Those started in @ 1998.....a nails a nail, be it steel or gold.

Your nib is one of the great ones. At that price, You Somegi, you!!!

Edited July 22, 2015 by Bo Bo Olson

[fplover01]

This the first batch of M800s. Before German reunification so W.Germany, 14k nib. All this is normal.

 

A very sought after pen and at the condition you describe, well the price is just very low. I have followed one on the bay, seller wanted more than 350 Euros for it... Congratulations, enjoy it!