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What Is The Difference Between M405 And M205 With A Gold Nib?


4lex

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I Like the size and weight of Pelikan M405. I already have a Pelikan M400 but I decided to get M405 as well. I am undecided should I get M405 or M205 upgraded with a gold nib.

I heard that the only difference between M205 and M405 is the gold nib. If that is the case I can get M205 with a gold nib for £130. M405 will cost me £180. Are there any other difference apart from the nib, to justify the extra £50?

Edited by vonManstein

Inked: Sailor King Pro Gear, Sailor Nagasawa Proske, Sailor 1911 Standard, Parker Sonnet Chiselled Carbon, Parker 51, Pilot Custom Heritage 92, Platinum Preppy

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Obviously the two will be available in different finishes. Same size and weight. The M205 will have a slightly less polished appearance. The overall writing experience will be the same and they both have Pelikan's great piston mechanism. They are both durable pens. If the savings is important to you and you like the M205 finish, go for it. No wrong answer here. Either route puts a nice pen in your hand. Good luck with your decision.

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Even though I have never owned a M400/M405, my understanding is other than the Souveran name on it, a gold nib it comes down to "fit and finish". Such as better buffing out of the mold seams. Have had several M2xx pens - both 200 and 205's. I think the M4xx pens are slightly longer - say 2 mm.

Brad

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05 =silvery trim.

Why not get a good..clean lined, slightly narrower 'true' regular flex, with a bit of nice spring to it stainless steel nibbed 205....in that is a better nib than the modern fat blobby semi-nail clunkers in gold.

Some folks feel the gold plating costs spring in the 200's nibs, others swear it don't....either way it's better than a modern Pelikan gold nib.

 

Because the new gold nib is made with double kugal/double ball, so the Ball Point Barbarian can continue to write like a ball point the tipping is fatter all around....in Ball Point Barbarians are very Ham Fisted the nib has to be made stiffer so it don't bend easy....= semi-nail.

 

If you hold your fountain pen like a ball point and try to carve wood under the sheet of paper...a modern nib was made just for you. ...But actually you need a D nib from the '50-60's era....a nails nail...good for opening up Tanks. Even stiffer than the 800's nib.

 

If you want to put a 80s-mid 90's gold nib on it....fine that is as good as a modern stainless steel 200's nib.... So get the 205 with a stainless steel nib....that I rave about as a real nice 'true' regular flex nib in an age of semi-nail.

 

The semi-flex and maxi-semi-flex gold nibs of the '50-65 era are of course the best....but why not buy a 400-400n-400nn that can be had with great luck for a bit more than the price of a new 200 and much less than the price of a new M400.

 

Chase the nib. There are some 45 widths and flexes of nibs...if you alternate stub with CI. Which nib width and or flex do you not have. Chase them first.

In reference to P. T. Barnum; to advise for free is foolish, ........busybodies are ill liked by both factions.

 

 

The cheapest lessons are from those who learned expensive lessons. Ignorance is best for learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

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As Bo Bo says, the best value are the green striped 400/400NN pens from the 50's and 60's. Tortoise will cost you more and 400N will cost a lot more. Green-striped 400NN's in near mint condition can be found below $200 or even sometimes below $150. The only down-side with the 400NN's are the possibility of getting one with a "cracky" polystyrene nib collar (replacement collars are now available from a second source). My chances of getting a polystyrene collar have been 50/50. The big advantage of these pens is that you can get traditional oblique nibs (semi-flex with line variation) unlike anything Pelikan produced in recent years.

Edited by MarkTrain
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Oh, yes!

The oblique nibs of any of the pens of that era with semi/maxi-semi-flex in Oblique are :drool: :puddle: ...

MB, Sonnecken, Osmia (steel or gold are= great), Pelikan, Geha, Kaweco.

 

Pelikan nibs might be a bit fuller with the tipping, making them a nice stub nib. Then when one adds the semi-/maxi-semi-flex to it, you get great line variation.

 

A wise poster said, a stubbed nail, is like max line variation always. Ones with that tad of flex are Line Variation On Demand.

 

I had a nail OB on a Lamy Persona...early '90's...no dot on the clip to keep it from rolling, it was a waste of money....In I am not left eyed dominant and cant the nib as a normal part of my writing. There was no noticeable line variation.

In I trans-mail pens and nibs to a pal in England, I had the chance to check out a 'true' regular flex in a 200 in Oblique. Don't remember if it was OM or OB....but it was a great disappointment. Again there was no line variation.

 

I have some 12-13 Obliques in a mix of semi-flex and maxi-semi-flex from various pen companies of that era. Through pure dumb luck I have in OBB, OB, OM, and OF both @ 15 & 30 degree grinds in those flexes.

Nobody selling says it's a 15 degree grind or a 30 degree grind. They don't know to look.

It's just like no one selling knows the difference between a semi-flex and a maxi-semi-flex.

 

In Geha was bought up by Pelikan 9n 1990 and shut down... Even if it was only a Pelikan for a few hours, It's a Pelikan. Two respectable posters claimed that Geha nib was a tad better than the Pelikan. After checking 6-8 of each from that era....Yep, the Geha be it steel or gold is a slight tad more flexible ..or flexes a bit better than most of the Pelikan nibs I have from then.

 

So don't forget a 760 or 790 when looking for semi-flex or semi-flex Obliques. They can be had for 1/3 less than Pelikan.

 

The 'new' 780 has just appeared ...a full color...normally stripped cap and barrel and are rare and expensive...

I didn't know about it until a few months ago...but should be Grail pen'ed.

 

Most but not all of the Geha school pens are 'true' regular flex like the 120....Of course I ended up with a school pen body from a pal in England, that my Geha school pen nib did not fit. I shipped the nib to my pal in England and got one back that fit that school pen....and it was maxi-semi-flex. :yikes:

I would expect a Geha school pen of the '50-60's to be only regular flex....and do not recommend gambling it is better. Be aware there are two school pens with different threading. Neither of the two school pen nib's fit my three 790's. Got four now...one is a gray stripped body, black cap (OB 30 degrees).

I like the 790's they have a three ring cap...there are others 5something and a 705 with two rings made to match the Pelikan 140....the school pens have no rings.

 

The Goldswing 725 with an inlaid nib is one of the classiest pens ever mande...semi-flex. Come is a rolled gold cap-735 and the Goldswing regular nib 712...the latter two I've not yet got. The 725 with rolled gold trim was made to beat MB and did.

 

 

I don't know about the Geha School pens after the '60's...in I chased classic nibbed pens in semi-flex, and no spade nibs.

I have found out some spade nibs have semi-flex...but I was retired and wouldn't risk finding out they were not....the same goes for the Pelikan school pens of the '70-80's.

In reference to P. T. Barnum; to advise for free is foolish, ........busybodies are ill liked by both factions.

 

 

The cheapest lessons are from those who learned expensive lessons. Ignorance is best for learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

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I have M400 Brown Tortoise. Don't know when it was made but some time after 1997. The nib is soft but it is not semi-flex.

 

Do I understand correctly that M205 nib has more flex than M405?

Inked: Sailor King Pro Gear, Sailor Nagasawa Proske, Sailor 1911 Standard, Parker Sonnet Chiselled Carbon, Parker 51, Pilot Custom Heritage 92, Platinum Preppy

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A Stainless Steel 200's nib be that a 200 or a 205 should be more springy, having a cleaner line than a modern gold semi-nail 400/405, because the modern 400/600 are fat blobby semi-nails.

As I have read, not all 200's nibs are what they once were either. A 80'early 90's 400 nib was then a 'true' regular flex...as good as the 200 or the nibs on the Celebry pens.(gold = steel and both very good)

 

Having a lot of 400's didn't 'need' a 200 so bought a 215 with a SS nib, that was 'true' regular flex and good.

Edited by Bo Bo Olson

In reference to P. T. Barnum; to advise for free is foolish, ........busybodies are ill liked by both factions.

 

 

The cheapest lessons are from those who learned expensive lessons. Ignorance is best for learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

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A Stainless Steel 200's nib be that a 200 or a 205 should be more springy, having a cleaner line than a modern gold semi-nail 400/405, because the modern 400/600 are fat blobby semi-nails.

As I have read, not all 200's nibs are what they once were either. A 80'early 90's 400 nib was then a 'true' regular flex...as good as the 200 or the nibs on the Celebry pens.(gold = steel and both very good)

 

Having a lot of 400's didn't 'need' a 200 so bought a 215 with a SS nib, that was 'true' regular flex and good.

 

I have 70s Pelikan MK20 with a fine 14K nib, I find it very pleasant to use, quite flexible with a nice feedback.

Inked: Sailor King Pro Gear, Sailor Nagasawa Proske, Sailor 1911 Standard, Parker Sonnet Chiselled Carbon, Parker 51, Pilot Custom Heritage 92, Platinum Preppy

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M400 with a ring is after 1997...and you are lucky to have such a great nib...more than likely a left over 'true' regular flex.

I have a post '90 Germany M400 tortoise with a nice regular flex nib. They stopped making the no ring Tortoise in '96, one year before the model change.

 

Once I was very snobbish with semi-flex....then learned to like 'true' regular flex...and often that is a better shading ink nib than semi-flex, in semi-flex is wetter. It of course depends on the ink and paper.

In reference to P. T. Barnum; to advise for free is foolish, ........busybodies are ill liked by both factions.

 

 

The cheapest lessons are from those who learned expensive lessons. Ignorance is best for learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

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