M200 VS m205

[Asteris]

 The only key differences between these two models is that the one has a gold plated nib and trims and the second one has rhodium plated nib and trims. To the people who have used both: Is there a differences in the way those nibs feel?

 

And question regardless of the topic. I have found a special edition m205 petrol in my local retailer for 107 euros, while on ebay is 140+ and I'm thinking od getting it. Have you ever regretted using a special edition pen for daily writing?

[brokenclay]

34 minutes ago, Asteris said:

 The only key differences between these two models is that the one has a gold plated nib and trims and the second one has rhodium plated nib and trims. To the people who have used both: Is there a differences in the way those nibs feel?

 

 

Not that I've noticed, but that's out of a sample size of about 4, so probably not very useful.

 

34 minutes ago, Asteris said:

And question regardless of the topic. I have found a special edition m205 petrol in my local retailer for 107 euros, while on ebay is 140+ and I'm thinking od getting it. Have you ever regretted using a special edition pen for daily writing?

 

 

No. But I don't buy special editions to collect. I buy them if I like the way they look and it's a pen I want to write with (at a price I'm willing to pay), exactly the same criteria I use for non-special edition pens.

[A Smug Dill]

2 hours ago, Asteris said:

To the people who have used both: Is there a differences in the way those nibs feel?

 

Sorry, but I don't think the question is meaningful. What if I said yes? It's not going to tell you which one would work (out) better for you in return for your (prospective) spend.

 

Anyway, at least with Pelikan, I think you should be more concerned about consistency from one nib unit to the next, even if they're of the same type, size, and width grade.

 

2 hours ago, Asteris said:

Have you ever regretted using a special edition pen for daily writing?

 

No. Unless it's a pen you end up wishing to part with, either by selling or gifting to someone as a new (and expensive or exclusive) item, why would I regret it? The ones that I wanted to keep for that purpose, I keep for that purpose; there was one 50th anniversary limited edition pen I held onto for eight years, never inked it, and ended up gifting it to a friend last year for his 50th birthday.

 

If you're not expecting to like a (special edition) pen but don't want the purchase to be a total write-off without recouping some of your cost of acquisition, then don't use it. And, if upon having inked the pen, you find you sufficiently dislike how the pen feels in hand or performs when serving its purpose as a writing instrument, you won't be using it for daily writing anyway.

 

[Bo Bo Olson]

2 hours ago, brokenclay said:

rhodium plated nib and trims

I always thought my steel (non-Gold plated nibs to be just steel.)

Up into @ 2017 the 200/205 had tear drop tipping, giving a cleaner line.

I've @ 8 200/205's and a 215.

As far as I can tell all my 200/205 7 a 215 have nice springy regular flex.

 

Unfortunately I swap nibs around in my 4 modern 200/205's.

My Petrol M has a pure round double ball.

My amethyst B has a fatter tear dropped double ball nib than my later Ruby Star with a thinner B, tear drop and not a heavy ball, but more than older nibs.

My Marbled Brown EF, I had asked Fritz for the narrowest one in his shop, and it not a heavy double ball nib on top, but the traditional tear drop nib. However there appears to be a bit more of a ball on top than semi-vintage and vintage.

 

'Modern last 5 or so years of the 200/205 are  rather uneven in tipping, and ball tipping on top. and not as good as older ones and semi-vintage.

 

Personally I suggest getting older 200/205's from 5-6 years ago, or longer. Those from the '90's are a good nib. W.Germany pens are harder to find.

My two W.Germany and my '90's 200, have nibs that are 1/2 a width narrower than modern 400/600 semi-nails.

I would stay away from the 1 chick nib.

Read my signature.

 

IMO there is no difference in the springy regular flex of steel and gold plated.

 

It is the change to the double ball that upsets me.

It is normally 1/2 a width wider (as the other gold Pelikan nibs)  and doesn't write with the nice clean line of older 200's and the semi-vintage era tear drop gold nibs.

Chase the 2015/6 and before era 200/205's....get the pen cheaper with a better nib. IMO.

 

I've many vintage and semi-vintage Pelikans so a 6-10-15 year old 200/2005 is just about brand new...compared to my early '50's Pelikans.

 

[Asteris]

4 hours ago, A Smug Dill said:

 

Sorry, but I don't think the question is meaningful. What if I said yes? It's not going to tell you which one would work (out) better for you in return for your (prospective) spend.

 

Anyway, at least with Pelikan, I think you should be more concerned about consistency from one nib unit to the next, even if they're of the same type, size, and width grade.

 

 

No. Unless it's a pen you end up wishing to part with, either by selling or gifting to someone as a new (and expensive or exclusive) item, why would I regret it? The ones that I wanted to keep for that purpose, I keep for that purpose; there was one 50th anniversary limited edition pen I held onto for eight years, never inked it, and ended up gifting it to a friend last year for his 50th birthday.

 

If you're not expecting to like a (special edition) pen but don't want the purchase to be a total write-off without recouping some of your cost of acquisition, then don't use it. And, if upon having inked the pen, you find you sufficiently dislike how the pen feels in hand or performs when serving its purpose as a writing instrument, you won't be using it for daily writing anyway.

 

Thanks for your answer as always. My first question was out of curiosity and regarding the second one, I NEVER purchase anything that I dont like and I just wanted to hear your thoughts. I chose this particular model as a candinate because I like the the color and it's in a discount I can't find anywhere else. Regarding the nib problem (yes it is a problem), I have a pen as a standard when I'm going to try out nibs.

[A Smug Dill]

1 hour ago, Asteris said:

I NEVER purchase anything that I dont like

 

I purchased many things I don't like, from fountains pens and inks, to ice-cream flavours and running shoes. I don't think it's possible to ascertain whether I like that until I've used and/or consumed something with full ownership rights (and probably voiding all claims for returning the product for full refund from change-of-mind in my ‘testing’). I don't actually think I'd like the Pelikan M200's steel F nib, but I decided to give it a try anyway; and the first I got was great (and I like it better than the special edition pen body onto which it was factory-fitted). Pity not all of the other Pelikan M20x steel F nibs I've since bought were as good.

 

[Asteris]

4 hours ago, A Smug Dill said:

 

I purchased many things I don't like, from fountains pens and inks, to ice-cream flavours and running shoes. I don't think it's possible to ascertain whether I like that until I've used and/or consumed something with full ownership rights (and probably voiding all claims for returning the product for full refund from change-of-mind in my ‘testing’). I don't actually think I'd like the Pelikan M200's steel F nib, but I decided to give it a try anyway; and the first I got was great (and I like it better than the special edition pen body onto which it was factory-fitted). Pity not all of the other Pelikan M20x steel F nibs I've since bought were I

You dissapointment is understandable. I would like to rephrase what I said. I never get influenced by others into buying things without doing proper research and deciding whether or not is worth the try. Anyways, I'll keep your advice in mind.

[Asteris]

15 hours ago, A Smug Dill said:

 

Sorry, but I don't think the question is meaningful. What if I said yes? It's not going to tell you which one would work (out) better for you in return for your (prospective) spend.

 

Anyway, at least with Pelikan, I think you should be more concerned about consistency from one nib unit to the next, even if they're of the same type, size, and width grade.

 

 

No. Unless it's a pen you end up wishing to part with, either by selling or gifting to someone as a new (and expensive or exclusive) item, why would I regret it? The ones that I wanted to keep for that purpose, I keep for that purpose; there was one 50th anniversary limited edition pen I held onto for eight years, never inked it, and ended up gifting it to a friend last year for his 50th birthday.

 

If you're not expecting to like a (special edition) pen but don't want the purchase to be a total write-off without recouping some of your cost of acquisition, then don't use it. And, if upon having inked the pen, you find you sufficiently dislike how the pen feels in hand or performs when serving its purpose as a writing instrument, you won't be using it for daily writing anyway.

 

Question: Since I want a line width of a tear-drop f nib, if only the new nibs are available should I aim for an extra-fine one? I heard the new ball tipping gives a thicker line than the old ones.

[A Smug Dill]

3 hours ago, Asteris said:

Question: Since I want a line width of a tear-drop f nib, if only the new nibs are available should I aim for an extra-fine one? I heard the new ball tipping gives a thicker line than the old ones.

 

If that's the finest you could get in out-of-the-box performance, then yes.

 

I picked up a M205 Moonstone on special many moons ago, but never inked it up until earlier this week. Its EF nib put down way too broad a line, and I've filled it with a grey ink, which sorta calls for a broader line for legibility than if I were using an intense black ink.

 

So, I've now amateurishly and ham-fistedly reground the tipping. But, if you're expecting to have to regrind the nib (yourself, and using a professional nib customisation service), then whether you start off with F or EF doesn't matter so much; which pen/option is available and more heavily discounted matters more. Or, you may even prefer a (Double) Broad nib with a bigger glob of tipping material as the starting point.

 

[Bo Bo Olson]

5 hours ago, A Smug Dill said:

M205 Moonstone

Moonstone is a relatively new pen...some 2 years ago, so would be blobbier than older by 4 or 5 years nibs. (6 or 7 year old pens).

 

I am not sure exactly when the 200 went over to blobbier nibs. I wasn't buying every year. Then I did change nibs(I have gotten to like M so might have changed a B nib out), before someone with eyes told em I wasn't seeing  the new blobby 200's nib.

They weere such a grand springy regular flex nib, that laid a clean line and were true to size. 'Cubed!!'

[Nyanzilla]

The only notable difference is in the nibs. The gold plating of the M200 nib is very thin and will eventually go off by time. The M205 has a polished steel nib. So it will always look the same.

[oregano]

This is purely anecdotal, but I have had better luck with the gold plated m200 nibs than the silver ones. I don’t know if it has to do with the coating. I can’t imagine it does, but I have started to wonder if they are tuned more carefully, or it is due to some other difference. The gold plated EF nibs were smoother.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Smoothness comes from the tipping. Not if bare steel or gold plated nib, in the tipping is not plated.

 

Still being irate about the ruining of a great nib; the 200's.

 

The fat and blobby modern double ball Pelikan gold nibs are well known for being butter smooth....and being prone to baby bottom because of it.

 

I don't know when you bought your steel nibbed pen or the gold plated one. If you bought the gold plated one with in the last 4 or so years your nib could be a double ball, therefore polished to butter smooth.

Your steel one could be a tear drop tipping. Is it?

 

If so would have a cleaner line than the blobby round tipping.

 

I've always found the level just under butter smooth....what I call good and smooth; what I remember for new nib smoothness as expected from back in the day of B&W TV, to be quite good.

A nib smoothness one could use on CT or Rhoda slick papers with out sliding around like with butter smooth nibs.

 

Comparing classic clear line  tear drop tipping to a round ball butter smooth is like comparing oranges and tangerines.

 

I am old fashioned, liking the clean line** of the classic tear drop and it's more than adequate smoothness, more than fuzzy lined butter smooth round ball nibs.

 

**I am OCD on clean lines, even have my own 'system' of woolly lines.........and the use of a Honking Big Magnifying Glass, 1 1/2 inch/7cm by 4 inch/12 cm, is not cheating. It is a tool for clean line of ink and nib. How odd, some folks don't bring the paper up to their nose and stare at it cross eyed to see the 'truth'.

I've seen so many pictures that are somewhat magnified in ink reviews and the reviewers don't even notice it has a woolly line. Could be they are use to it. (Too many new pens.)

[Bo Bo Olson]

A copy of a previous post of mine.

""

First thing to do against a woolly line or feathering is up grade your paper.

 

There are some inks that feather....or have a woolly line.

Pelikan Edelstein's Aventurine for me, writes with a woolly line.

The other Edelsteins I have, some 12-15 don't.

Go ask in Inky Thoughts what ink colors you like, that don't feather or have a woolly line.

 

Many of the posters doing ink reviews never mention the woolly line that shows in their reviews....perhaps they think it is normal.

Yet some of the paper used is fairly good....therefore perhaps they are using a round nib.

 

I get very OCD over a woolly line, much less feathering.

I even have a system of how bad it is.

 

The way I grade inks.....on good to better paper....90g or better, preferably laser only, in laser &ink jet is a compromise; it must absorb ink jet ink quickly.

 

Ink Jet paper is the Feather Champ of papers.

 

xxxx

BEF...bare eyed woolly line or feathering from a sitting position.....don't buy again.

 

NEF, near your eye feathering...woolly line. An OK ink....there are better inks...will do.

 

MagF.....using a honking big magnifying glass (1 1/2" or 7 cm thick**), then and only then woolly line or feathering. A Very Good Ink, buy more. On good paper.

 

NoMagF... under magnification, no woolly line, much less feathering.......perfect ink. Buy Stock in the company.....or hoard supplies of the ink And the paper.

 

** can't use a 10X or Chinese 40X or all look a bit woolly.

 

Writing is 1/3 nib width/flex, 1/3 paper and 1/3 ink and in that order.

Paper is so very important.

[Runnin_Ute]

I have several M200/205 pens - Cognac (F), Brown Marbled (M), Gold Marbled (B), Blue Marbled (old style/W. Germany) OB, DUO (green) BB. The oldest production are the Blue Marbled (OB) and the Cognac (F).

 

If I liked a Special Edition (such as the Cognac and Gold Marbled) I would buy it. I have never had an issue with any of the nibs on mine. The Cognac is a bit finer than I expected, but that's ok.

[A Smug Dill]

On 2/20/2022 at 7:24 AM, Nyanzilla said:

The gold plating of the M200 nib is very thin and will eventually go off by time.

 

Yep. I just cleaned out three of my Pelikan pens fitted with gold-plated M200 nibs. They'd all been inked nine to ten months ago, and none of them had dried out in the meantime — Pelikan (at least the Mxxx piston-filler models) pens are good like that — but the gold plating has become tarnished on either side of the nib slit on two of the three. The inks that were in the pens are pretty harmless dyestuff inks, namely Robert Oster Bronze and Herbin Cacao du Brésil, and not harsh iron-gall inks.