MB146 OR Pelikan M800 ?

[goodguy]

Thanks Guys,

 

Your opinions are really useful..........it looks like the M800 has won this battle.

 

kavanagh

Yes most people chose the M800.

 

So are you gonna get the M800 ?

[Kimo]

I don't have a Pelikan 800, but I do have the Pelikan 450 which is a more expensive model - close to the 1000. I used to have a MB Meisterstuck. My recommendation is to go with the Pelikan. I have experienced very high quality and durability in Pelikans, and their higher end models are truly incredible. I no longer have my Meisterstuck because it was dropped on a wooden floor from desk height and the barrel literally shattered. Before that the pen was a good writer, but nothing that really grabbed me especially since I have gained much more experience with fine fountain pens and have a better idea of what I like. It was my first good expensive fountain and I originally chose it more for the advertising image.

[jmkeuning]

Yes, the nibs can be swapped out, but how often does anyone really do that?

 

I do not swap my nibs, but I do take the nib out the clean the pen and when changing inks.

 

It's an excellent feature.

[mr T.]

1) Quality and Durability....

4) Which would survive continous use and occasional rough usage.

 

The 146 doesn't meet these criteria, so the M800 is the only option here.

[goodguy]

1) Quality and Durability....

4) Which would survive continous use and occasional rough usage.

 

The 146 doesn't meet these criteria, so the M800 is the only option here.

Sorry but my 30 years old 149 and 30 years old 146 dissagree with you they are durable,very high quality and after 30 I think they do survive quite nicly.

 

But as I said before I do believe that the M800 have an small advantage in the survivel category.

[daveg]

Sorry but my 30 years old 149 and 30 years old 146 dissagree with you they are durable,very high quality and after 30 I think they do survive quite nicly.

 

Um, goodguy, you keep telling us that all of your pens sit in a cabinet except for an Omas that you use, and the previous owner might have done the same, so I don't think that's much of an endurance test.

[daveg]

On nib swapping, about half my Pelikans have nibs other than the ones that came with them at this moment. I have standardized not only on Pelikans but on the 600 size (which can also take 200/400/700 nibs) for the ease of obtaining and swapping customized nibs.

 

The nib/feed is what defines your writing results so this really is a great feature in my opinion.

[AndyHayes]

I have an 805 and it is stunning.

 

Don't buy it in the UK though. Buy one from Pam Braun in the US and save a small fortune.

 

The 805 was my first proper pen and is still arguably my best pen, but I made the mistake of getting it in the UK.

 

Think hard about the nib. They write quite broad. I ended up with an OB that writes a treat.

 

You wont be disappointed.

[Rufus]

The M800 is better than the MB in all respects. Moreover, it is classy without being pretentious unlike MBs. If you can you should get an old-style; I recently got one from Rick Propas, The PENquin, in near-mint condition. Rick selected it for me and it's a real beauty.

[Pen Nut]

Close match between them two.

 

Without going into what I do and have owned I would probably tip very slightly towards the 146.

 

Both very good and capable pens mate and neither will disapoint.

 

Post on your final choice.

[Romeo Dog]

I can only add that the M800 is a gem.

[goodguy]

I can only add that the M800 is a gem.

Yes the M800 is a gem.

 

I just HAVE to ask is this Romeo Dog or Alfa Romeo Dog ? :ltcapd:

 

Did I mention I love Alfa Romeo ?

[georges zaslavsky]

I own two 146 one 1966 MB 146 with a full flex medium oblique nib and a 1986 MB 146 with a semi flex extra fine nib and I also own a 1987 Pelikan M800 wit ha full flexible medium nib. The pelikan has one of the best nibs in the medium I have ever had. It depends of your tastes and which brand you prefer, wether a 146 or an m800 both are great choices.

[pmormack]

John Cullen: My Pelikans were all bought new. My first Pelikan was an M800, I then bought an M200 that was on sale at a local B&M shop because I like having the ink capacity of a piston pen but decided that the 800 was just a bit too heavy for long writing sessions. I then bought a M400 white tortoise that was on sale because I like how it looks. Finally I bought an Epoch with the leather-like barrel coating and gold tone trim. Lovely looking pen.

 

I did return the Epoch to Chartpak and they swapped out the first nib, which was truly atrocious and almost non-functional. The replacement was better in the sense that it didn't skip but again it gave me that heavy feeling like I was dragging the pen across the paper. That much resistance while writing was tiring.

 

I hate to give up on a brand on a whim or even two bad experiences, especially when so many people clearly love their Pelikans. Occasionally I take them out and ink them, but there's not much joy in that when I have other pens that write so much better. The strange thing is that my best writers are either my cheapest pens or my most expensive. Just about everything in between has some problem.

 

I truly think that either an M800 from Richard Binder or an MB146 (probably right from the factory) will fit the bill. I see it more as an aesthetic and ergonomic preference. I actually prefer the torpedo/round shape better and would be more careful with the 146 and enjoy it.

[John Cullen]

HI I know what you mean about the drag. I feel it terribly on the Pelikan 1000 nibs but it is because I hold the pen high. I ended up buying two new nibs from Richard Binder and then selling off the two fines I had, which were smooth but felt draggy. Whatever he did totally fixed the problem. I could have just sent him my nibs to fix, but I decided I also wanted to move from a fine to a medium with an adjusted flow.

 

Maybe you should consider sending one of your Pelikans to him with a writing sample and description and seeing what he can do. He really did the job for me and I have to say the Pelikan 1000 nibs I have from him really are a joy to write with.

 

For me the 800 has always been a good performer, but I think I do know the feeling you are getting from your nib and it does take the joy out of it.

 

I also feel that draggy feeling on Sailor nibs on the upstroke, and I think it has to do with my hand position. When I say this it drives Sailor fans nuts, because Sailor fans are very devoted to their pens, just like most of us are to the brands we like, and most people adore Sailor nibs out of the box.

 

Hope you get this worked out. You're sure are not the first person to wonder why the $24 Phileas in your case writes smoother than the 300 dollar pen you find draggy of unbalanced.

 

LIfe is too short to write with a pen you really do not like. Good luck. j

[Garageboy]

Handle them both and choose.

The MB stuff is not fragile as the reputation it has earned. My buddy has dropped his a few times, not even hairlines...

MB nibs also have a huge sweet spot IMHO