Online Pen Shopping - Pelikan

[Manalto]

I'd like to get a Pelikan M800 because of the metal fill mechanism and because the size seems right from the descriptions, but I'm reluctant to shell out that much money for a guess. I've seen M400s in the color and design I'm hoping to get and I wonder if I'd find the size and weight comfortable. The price is certainly more reasonable. I'm fine with a range of sizes between a Parker 51 and a Sheaffer No Nonsense, but find skinny pens and oversize, heavy pens awkward. I know this is an unreasonable question for someone without psychic powers, but any thoughts might be helpful: Will I be happy with the M400? (Is the 400N the same size?) It's frustrating not to have a B&M pen shop to try them out. Any advice, encouragement, ridicule, or warnings are appreciated!

 

ETA: Oops, I probably should have put this in the Pelikan forum.

[InkyProf]

If you don't have a B&M shop, I'd advise trying to find a reputable dealer to buy from online with a generous return policy. If weight and feel in the hand are the key issues for you, you can get some sense of that without inking the pen. You might wind up paying shipping in both directions if you return the pen, but that might be worth it. I can think of such retailers in the US (I don't know where you are) who offer M800s at the usual 20% off MSRP.

 

(The M400 is not exactly the same size as the 400, 400N, or 400NN, but they're all within millimeters of each other in length, and fractions of a millimeter in diameter, I believe; and they feel comparable to me. You can find good data on current and historic Pelikan models here: https://www.pelikan-collectibles.com.)

 

For what it's worth -- and it's not worth much, because everyone's hands, and preferences, are their own -- I use a lot of pens that are the size of the M400 and its vintage cousins, but I don't find the M800 oversized or heavy, as long as I'm not posting the cap. (It's 21g inked and unposted, and I think I measured an inked and posted M400 at 19g, though the weight is distributed differently.) It's a different beast, but to me, these feel like the small and large ends of "regular." I do not covet an M1000, but neither have I handled one.

[Manalto]

41 minutes ago, InkyProf said:

For what it's worth -- and it's not worth much...

 

Oh, yes it is. Thanks for your suggestions and observations. I'll explore the online shop option. Paying return shipping is a small price for the convenience. 

 

I meant to mention that the Platinum 3776 was my everyday carry for years. The size and weight suited my habits, and the dependability kept it nearby. I tried switching to a metal Targa (with a gorgeous gold nib) but its weight made it awkward, and I found I was fishing it out of the bottom of jacket pockets a little too often.

 

You've been helpful, especially by categorizing the 400s within the range of "regular."

[Penguincollector]

   It might take me a couple of hours, as it approaches the dinner hour, but I can take a photo of the M400 and the M800 with a 51 and a No Nonsense for you. I will say that as a person who normally prefers smaller, slimmer pens- I actually find the M800 quite comfortable, and prefer the weight of the brass piston. It’s been in regular rotation sonce 1991. 

[Manalto]

Very kind of you!

Your endorsement of the M800 means a lot. I'm not too worried about it being too heavy. After all, it's just a piston, not an entire metal barrel.

More exploring is necessary!

 

[Penguincollector]

Here are three Pelikan Souveran sizes with other pens for comparison’s sake:

Capped L to R: MB 146, M800, Parker 51 aero, M600, Sheaffer No Nonsense, M400

 

 

Here they are , longest to shortest posted, which makes the M800 longer:

 

[MarcoA63]

I have a few vintage Pelikans and a few recent ones. Both the M400 and M600 are, IMO, a good fit in the hand. The M800 I sent back as well as the M1000 as the latter is excessive while the M800 doesn't add much to the M600

Yes the M800 has a metal piston but the M600's plastic works just as well. I will also say that if you need an F nib with Pelikan, get an EF

[Manalto]

2 hours ago, Penguincollector said:

Here are three Pelikan Souveran sizes with other pens for comparison’s sake:

Capped L to R: MB 146, M800, Parker 51 aero, M600, Sheaffer No Nonsense, M400

 

 

 

This is a huge help and reminds me that, while I'm pretty adaptable to a range of pen sizes, the ones I repeatedly gravitate to are the girthiest of those shown here. (The lengths are all within reason, with no deal-breakers, although the M800 might be a bit much posted.)

It's quite a jump in size from the 400 to the 800, isn't it? More than I had expected

 

1 hour ago, MarcoA63 said:

Yes the M800 has a metal piston but the M600's plastic works just as well. I will also say that if you need an F nib with Pelikan, get an EF

I wondered if the brass piston might contribute a bit of pleasant heft.

 

Thanks for the tip about F/EF nibs. It reminded me that Pelikans are known to be a little broader, which had slipped my mind. I like the ability to write on a range of papers, for which the F (Pelikan EF) is the most versatile.

 

To state the obvious, trying to do this process virtually is SO much trickier than being physically present to learn in a moment or two what it takes much speculation to figure out at a distance. I greatly appreciate the input!

 

[InkyProf]

1 hour ago, Manalto said:

I wondered if the brass piston might contribute a bit of pleasant heft.

 

From my perspective, the brass piston is the reason the M800 is comfortable for me to use unposted. I had settled on 130mm as my rule of thumb for a minimum unposted length, but the M800 (127mm) made me realize that weight is also a factor, and that a slightly shorter but also slightly heavier pen will have the kind of presence in the hand that I want.

[Manalto]

1 hour ago, InkyProf said:

I had settled on 130mm as my rule of thumb for a minimum unposted length, but the M800 (127mm) made me realize that weight is also a factor...

 

 

I think of myself as adaptable, especially when I deliberately try to get used to something, but realize that I often unconsciously return to old favorites. You're wise to determine the specifications of the "suits me" object and refine them as necessary. I believe that's what they call "the path of least resistance."

[InkyProf]

9 minutes ago, Manalto said:

I believe that's what they call "the path of least resistance."

 

That sounds like me -- everybody always tells me I'm going downhill. 😜

 

Seriously, though, I like your formulation -- it's good to combine the path of least resistance with "deliberately trying to get used to something," as you do. It's sensible to know what you prefer, but it's also fascinating to see how first impressions of a pen can change as you learn how it wants to be used, and also how plastic our preferences can be. I think a lot of the fun of this hobby is navigating the pull of the familiar and the lure of the unknown.

[tetto]

I sold my last M800 a few years ago due to its weight, not for the total weight but how it is distributed. The M400 was where my pen journey began and got an M800 two years later. There's a clear difference between the two if you’re writing for a long stretch. The M800 is a bit rear-heavy because of the brass piston, nothing extreme but lightweight M400 has really shaped my hand... The M800 isn’t much longer, but the jump in diameter is definitely noticeable, the M600 is more balanced if you don't mind the plastic piston. 

 

Just my personal thoughts, of course. I don’t post the cap, so the extra weight of the M800 does make a difference.

 

With all that being said, I bought another M800 a few weeks ago. If you’re hesitating between the two, you’ll very likely end up getting both sooner or later🤫

[InkyProf]

13 hours ago, tetto said:

If you’re hesitating between the two, you’ll very likely end up getting both sooner or later

Wiser words never were spoken. 🙂

[Karmachanic]

M200/400 essentially the same pen with different dresses. Both have interchangeable nails for nibs.  Gold nails do not necessarily write better than steel nails.  Save yourself some monetary units and purchase both a M200 and a M800. 

From one who has M205/805/1005, and happily writes with all three.  Unposted.