Can you identify this Pelikan Fountain Pen?.

[kavanagh]

Dear FPN Colleagues,

 

I managed to obtain this Pelikan Fountain Pen for £52 pounds sterling (about $60) with a fine nib ( money that was supposed to go towards a TWSBI Eco Fountain Pen 😄).

But I'm not sure if this is the old style Pelikan or new style (modern) Pelikan and which specific model this is ?. ( pictures below). Also does the rear cap on the body itself, unscrew out as to gain access to the piston? ( the picture makes it look as though the rear cap is loose ).

 

Thank you.

 

[joss]

The Pelikan's Perch documented all these models, your pen can be found and seen here:

https://thepelikansperch.com/database/fountain-pens/m2xx/m215/

[Bo Bo Olson]

215 Rings....there is also  rectangle, rhomb; and Lozenge which I have.

The body is metal covered in lacquer. Cap is regular plastic.

 

They have a nice springy 200's regular flex nib.. one of the better nibs to have.

It is a bit heavier and more back weighted than the regular 200.

 

It was the first of my 200's. A short decade ago, as middling noobie, I was a bit a gold snob....or just a snob, having a couple 400's saw no reason to buy a steel nibbed 200.

 

A passed Pal in England had me trans-mail nibs to him from Germany in there were and are Germans who only trust German Post Office, so won't mail out of country. So I tried the 200 nibs I mailed to him, finding them exactly = to the 14 K nib of my '90's 400.

So my English pal found me a 215..........a grand nib can make one lose one's snobbishness, be it gold or too economical.

Not that I was buying gasp....new....I was buying cheap old pens....vintage. Between the 200 and Osmia/OFC steel nibs, I stopped being a fool gold snob.

 

A good steel nib can be as good as a good gold nib.....accent on good.

[Bo Bo Olson]

A good repair man can get the piston knob tight again for a small basic price.....................one would better practice taking apart cheap dead piston pens, than risk a good pen.

Get the pen.

Looks tight in one picture.

Could ask why it's not in the other.

[kavanagh]

2 hours ago, Bo Bo Olson said:

215 Rings....there is also  rectangle, rhomb; and Lozenge which I have.

The body is metal covered in lacquer. Cap is regular plastic.

 

They have a nice springy 200's regular flex nib.. one of the better nibs to have.

It is a bit heavier and more back weighted than the regular 200.

 

It was the first of my 200's. A short decade ago, as middling noobie, I was a bit a gold snob....or just a snob, having a couple 400's saw no reason to buy a steel nibbed 200.

 

A passed Pal in England had me trans-mail nibs to him from Germany in there were and are Germans who only trust German Post Office, so won't mail out of country. So I tried the 200 nibs I mailed to him, finding them exactly = to the 14 K nib of my '90's 400.

So my English pal found me a 215..........a grand nib can make one lose one's snobbishness, be it gold or too economical.

Not that I was buying gasp....new....I was buying cheap old pens....vintage. Between the 200 and Osmia/OFC steel nibs, I stopped being a fool gold snob.

 

A good steel nib can be as good as a good gold nib.....accent on good.

Thanks Bo Bo Olson. Is this the old style steel nib ? or the new version steel nib you find on the modern M200’s ?. 
Do you think $70 bucks is a good price?.

 

3 hours ago, joss said:

The Pelikan's Perch documented all these models, your pen can be found and seen here:

https://thepelikansperch.com/database/fountain-pens/m2xx/m215/

 

Thank you joss - very useful

 

[Bo Bo Olson]

Yes, $70 is a good price even if you have to send the pen off to get the piston adjusted; it is a life time pen. Got a little spiff to it.

 

And the new 200's nibs are still good; they didn't screw them up like the did the 400/600/800.

And I don't know if the old '90's nibs are better, but my 215 is a very good steel nib....not of course W.Germany tad more springy, but I'm quite happy with my Germany 200's.

I have a W.Germany OM. Only the '50-65 semi-flex nibs are worth buying in oblique. The '82-97 regular flex oblique nibs have only a slight hint of line variation, but it is a nice springy ride with a clean line.

I've a '90's , and three modern LE's and a marbled brown.

 

Perhaps I've not looked very hard at my modern 200's but they seem quite good to me. They do not have the fat and blobby nib of the 400/600 semi-nail or the nail 800.

Right now I have out two W.Germany OM's a 800 and a 200. Which has nothing to do with your question.

 

The 215 has a good regular flex (soft) nib. A good ride.

Vintage Semi-flex = soft ++

Vintage Maxi-semi-flex = soft +++

[mizgeorge]

If it needs any work at all, just return it.  Though I doubt it does, if those are seller pictures, they're probably simply to show where the piston knob is. 

 

However, if it's not perfect, Amazon UK has these brand new for under £80 right now, so you wouldn't really have gained anything if you have to have it worked on.

 

At £50, it's not a bad deal, and Cult pens have the nib units for about a tenner if you want to try another width.  Make sure you look for an M205 unit (plain steel) rather than the M200, which will be gold plated.

 

The M215's quite an interesting pen. Those five metal rings make a surprising amount of difference to the feel compared to the regular M200/205 making it a really good option for anyone who finds those a bit lightweight.

[Bo Bo Olson]

The body is brass covered with lacquer, which gives it it's heft; posts well though. 

I think what Amazon is offering has to be NOS; in I'd not heard Pelikan was making the 215's again.

[kavanagh]

8 hours ago, mizgeorge said:

If it needs any work at all, just return it.  Though I doubt it does, if those are seller pictures, they're probably simply to show where the piston knob is. 

 

However, if it's not perfect, Amazon UK has these brand new for under £80 right now, so you wouldn't really have gained anything if you have to have it worked on.

 

At £50, it's not a bad deal, and Cult pens have the nib units for about a tenner if you want to try another width.  Make sure you look for an M205 unit (plain steel) rather than the M200, which will be gold plated.

 

The M215's quite an interesting pen. Those five metal rings make a surprising amount of difference to the feel compared to the regular M200/205 making it a really good option for anyone who finds those a bit lightweight.

Amazon have these for £78 pounds.

So £26 pound saving for a second user - enough to get two steel nibs in EF and M for £18 from cult-pens.  
I have a Richard Binder F Pelikan nib in gold which I bought about 4 years ago. So I might give that a try. 

[kavanagh]

9 minutes ago, Bo Bo Olson said:

The body is brass covered with lacquer, which gives it it's heft; posts well though. 

I think what Amazon is offering has to be NOS; in I'd not heard Pelikan was making the 215's again.

Yes, I had a look on Amazon - NOS M215’s. 

Bo Bo Olson - are any of those M2xx models from the 80’s made in West Germany ?. 

[mizgeorge]

According to Pelikan-Collectibles, the rings version (but not any of the other variants) has been in continuous production since 2006.

 

Amazon UK have most of the 200 series at very good prices right now. No fancy packaging, but who needs it anyway.

[Bo Bo Olson]

10 hours ago, kavanagh said:

are any of those M2xx models from the 80’s made in West Germany

All from '82 to 91 were W.Germany.  The first 200's was made in 1985.

The difference in the nibs is there but it is slight, you need both to feel the difference.

"87 for the first 800's, mine is a '88-89, as I found out from links on the threads I'd been reading. That does make me feel better.

I'm not sure if they were already changing the nibs to the tad less springy nibs in '90 or 91. Or 92 as some date the W. Germany Change.

Can't quite date my W.Germany marbled gray 200, outside it's W.Germany. 1988-1997 for both the marbled blue and marbled Gray, so between '88-91/2 for W.Germany.

 

If they take paypal, and ship out of Germany (some don;t), the best place is still German Ebay.

It's still much cheaper there than in the States. I can get a semi-vintage or vintage 400 for E100 or a tad, those timid of German, in the States will pay $285.....and the German Cartel of Used Pen Sellers know that.

So they offer a pen for an auction bid of $275 and right next to it is the very same pen a Buy Now Idiot for $285.....as a bargain.

That has driven the prices up quite a bit............but The Hunt is Part of the Fun......................gives you something to do, while you stubbornly save money. You don't need the pen this week or this month....six weeks is not all that long to wait to buy a pen at it's real worth.

Check past sold items, for real prices that are still available if You Hunt!

 

Do use a snipe program in your time zone is so different, you can't sit there getting an adrenaline rush, as you make your first and only bid with 15 seconds left on the clock.

 

Marbled Gray W.Germany 200, NOS with sticker and box on German Ebay....

eBay item number:

192888203158..........................$250 ...an Idiot price.....in a used pen is lots less (just as good ) and you will use it, so why pay much more than new for driving it out the store room?

 

I just bought a NOS 250 for E90, and a full set marbled Blue W.German 200 (FP&BP&MP) NOS (no box, but sticker price and sticker size on the barrels) for a bit too much E175 when a good price would have been E150.....but my wife was looking for Easter and Birthday presents. Over paying for pens I can't use...NOS, in case I want to sell them. ???? What a weird thought.....been hanging around the com too much.

 

Used I never have that dumb problem....clean and use.

The other two NOS pens I bought I used....in I didn't have duplicates like I did for the 200 NOS.

 

Suggest you buy a new 215, for less........does explain why I've seen so many 215 Rings offered. And none to few of the other three.

 

 

 

[kavanagh]

52 minutes ago, Bo Bo Olson said:

All from '82 to 91 were W.Germany.  The first 200's was made in 1985.

The difference in the nibs is there but it is slight, you need both to feel the difference.

"87 for the first 800's, mine is a '88-89, as I found out from links on the threads I'd been reading. That does make me feel better.

I'm not sure if they were already changing the nibs to the tad less springy nibs in '90 or 91. Or 92 as some date the W. Germany Change.

Can't quite date my W.Germany marbled gray 200, outside it's W.Germany. 1988-1997 for both the marbled blue and marbled Gray, so between '88-91/2 for W.Germany.

 

If they take paypal, and ship out of Germany (some don;t), the best place is still German Ebay.

It's still much cheaper there than in the States. I can get a semi-vintage or vintage 400 for E100 or a tad, those timid of German, in the States will pay $285.....and the German Cartel of Used Pen Sellers know that.

So they offer a pen for an auction bid of $275 and right next to it is the very same pen a Buy Now Idiot for $285.....as a bargain.

That has driven the prices up quite a bit............but The Hunt is Part of the Fun......................gives you something to do, while you stubbornly save money. You don't need the pen this week or this month....six weeks is not all that long to wait to buy a pen at it's real worth.

Check past sold items, for real prices that are still available if You Hunt!

 

Do use a snipe program in your time zone is so different, you can't sit there getting an adrenaline rush, as you make your first and only bid with 15 seconds left on the clock.

 

Marbled Gray W.Germany 200, NOS with sticker and box on German Ebay....

eBay item number:

192888203158..........................$250 ...an Idiot price.....in a used pen is lots less (just as good ) and you will use it, so why pay much more than new for driving it out the store room?

 

I just bought a NOS 250 for E90, and a full set marbled Blue W.German 200 (FP&BP&MP) NOS 

Thank you Bo Bo Olson, very useful.

 

Whats confusing me is that the old style 80 - 90’s M200’s have double gold bands at the bottom of the cap, but some M200’s I have seen on eBay have a double band at the bottom of the cap, but with the inscription ‘Made in Germany’ not made in ‘West Germany’.  Does this mean that double band M200’s made in ‘Germany’ have the newer more modern nibs ?. 

[Bo Bo Olson]

Yes, but remember the newer more modern post '91/92-97 200 nibs are very good nibs, and you can not tell the difference unless you have both to compare. The difference is very slight.

 

The modern  post '97 new of which I have 3 LE in M 200's and a Marble Brown in EF nibs  are just as good as the '91-97...Pelikan retained it's quality in the 200's nibs.

 

I'd put a W.Germany nib on your if and when, more than got to have. Any of the '91-97 nibs are quite good, easier to find and a bit cheaper.

You will need one anyway to compare them.

 

The post '91-97 nibs be they 400 or 200's are good &=. I only have a single '91/2-96  regular flex 400 14 K tortoise ('97 for green stripped ones), I do have a 14 K 381 and both a steel and gold nibbed Celberies; which is from that era, and the steel is as good as the gold; and all are regular flex.

 

I'm not sure when the 600 became a medium-large pens, but would expect the '91-97 600 to have the same good nib; though in 18 K in it was the upscale Pelikan until the 800 came in, and there was post, where the 800 originally had a 14 K nib until '91 or so,  outside the French/Swiss or special order ones like mine in 18K. 

 

My W.Germany (small) standard sized 18K 600  is OBB and I can compare it to the modern 1005 (2006 LE) in OBB to it. The older pens pre'97 are @ 1/2 a width narrower than post '97 (outside the 200 whole nib seem to have stayed the same width as Vintage and Semi-vintage nibs.)

I've not used it enough, I should, however comparing W.Germany OM to OBB is a bit difficult.

 

My other 400/400nns are vintage '50-65 semi-flex or maxi-semi-flex a different ball game.

 

[Paul-in-SF]

I'm posting to say that, based on this thread and looking at photos of the M215 models, I ordered an M215 Rings from Endless Pens, and I love it! I once had an M205 in translucent blue, and it was fine but it did nothing for me, so I sold it on. This pen has such an elegant yet distinctive look, nothing flashy but definitely arresting. And it feels so right in my hand, although I can't really tell that it's any heavier than the M205 (which I don't have to compare to any more). I got a Broad nib this time, and I was afraid that it would be like a paintbrush, but it's very well behaved and no more broad than it should be. 

 

So, just another thanks to FPN and the folks here for bringing this pen to my attention. Cheers.

[Bo Bo Olson]

A 200's B, is like the vintage and semi-vintage ones, a writing nib, not the fat and blobby signature nib of modern time.

A 200's nib is 1/2 a size narrower than modern 400/600/800/1000's nibs.

[kavanagh]

On 4/10/2021 at 10:25 AM, Bo Bo Olson said:

A 200's B, is like the vintage and semi-vintage ones, a writing nib, not the fat and blobby signature nib of modern time.

A 200's nib is 1/2 a size narrower than modern 400/600/800/1000's nibs.

I managed to find an old style M200 (pre-1997 ‘West Germany’) with the letters ‘FF’ stamped in the nib - does this mean the nib is ‘extra fine’ in width?. 

[carola]

7 minutes ago, kavanagh said:

I managed to find an old style M200 (pre-1997 ‘West Germany’) with the letters ‘FF’ stamped in the nib - does this mean the nib is ‘extra fine’ in width?. 

 

Are you sure it says "FF", not "EF"? 🤔

[Bo Bo Olson]

That would be a '85-'91/2, if it says W. Germany.

More than likely as mentioned EF.....in FF I've never heard of.

 

All W.Germany nibs are a slight tad more springy than the '91/2-97 nibs. One does have to have both to feel the difference.

 

It took me quite a while to lay hands on any. 3+  years ago a small 600 18K OBB, a year and a half at max, a 200 OM, and finally a couple months ago, a 800 18 K  OM.

 

A decade ago, I'd thought to chase a W. Germany 400, (E120 instead of E80-90 for a normal used 400) but the passed poster Piembi told me not too, in I was spoiled by having some semi-flex nibs.

So I took her very good word; in she was then our Pelikan expert; and stumbled into them instead of chasing.

I rate them as a bit better than the 120 which is @ a  Germany 200's regular flex.

[kavanagh]

15 hours ago, Bo Bo Olson said:

That would be a '85-'91/2, if it says W. Germany.

More than likely as mentioned EF.....in FF I've never heard of.

 

Bo Bo Olson, I emailed the seller, and asked him to confirm whether EF or FF?. He confirmed it says ‘FF‘
I’ve never come across this before - unless it’s a rare factory error by Pelikan where the machine was supposed to imprint EF but stamped FF instead ?. Unless there is some other explanation