Help Identifying Vintage M-Series Pen

[ViajeroOmega]

I would like to request this Pelikan forum's help identifying the model of my newly inherited (but vintage) Pelikan fountain pen.  My uncle, the original owner, told me that it was a Souveran M600, but I noticed that it is about the same size as my own modern M800 (140mm in length), yet it has a 14kt bi-color gold and rhodium nib like the M600s do.   The cap ring has the inscription: "PELIKAN   W.-GERMANY" so I guess the pen was manufactured prior to October 3, 1990.  Any information would be much appreciated!

[joss]

Hi,

14.0 mm is indeed the correct length for an M800, not for a M600. And the M800 initially came with a 14K nib (1987-89), from 1990 onwards it would have a 18K nib. 1987-89 also matches with the W-Germany imprint on the cap band. So what you have is an early M800.

 

Lots of info on this is can be found on the Pelikan-Colectibles website:

https://www.pelikan-collectibles.com/en/Pelikan/Models/Souveraen-Series/M800-Basis/index.html

[ViajeroOmega]

8 hours ago, joss said:

Hi,

14.0 mm is indeed the correct length for an M800, not for a M600. And the M800 initially came with a 14K nib (1987-89), from 1990 onwards it would have a 18K nib. 1987-89 also matches with the W-Germany imprint on the cap band. So what you have is an early M800.

 

Lots of info on this is can be found on the Pelikan-Colectibles website:

https://www.pelikan-collectibles.com/en/Pelikan/Models/Souveraen-Series/M800-Basis/index.html

 

Thank you very much Joss!   I suspected it was an M800, but the 14K nib did not fit the current M800 spec, so I did not know for sure..  Now I do thanks to you.

[Bo Bo Olson]

The W.Germany nibs are  very slightly more springy than the 91-97 nibs.

But one has to have both the '80-nibs and some 90's nibs to see the very slight difference.

 

I have lost somehere in my computer a pre Japanese nib era, nib chart. The 800 had it's very own and a narrower nib than the 400 nib.

Mine is a OM.

I do have a '91-97 400 in M....but doubt if I'll ever test both nibs, so will take other's word for it.

.....................

I do have a W.Germany small 600 tear drop  OBB, which is half a width narrower than my early 2000's 800 double ball OBB. So more than likely when the 800 went over to double ball, it was no longer made thinner than the 400/600.

[stric75]

If it's a W. German or an early M800, it should have a golden colored medallion on the back of it's piston knob. Difficult to tell from the pics. But, yes, the older/early M800s did indeed have a very nice 14 carat nibs.