Pelikan M200 Vs. M205

[Goldenfiredrake]

Which pen is better, whats the difference and where's the best place to buy them?

 

Currently I'm leaning towards getting the M205. I have looked online and I like the design of the M205 better but they simply look way too similar to tell too much of a difference. The M200 is sold on many more sites than the M205 (which I could only find on jetpens (not including amazon or ebay)

[Sarah M]

The M200 and M205 are identical except for the colour of the metal trim. Pelikan uses the 05 designation for pens with silver coloured trim, and the 00 for gold coloured trim. I have two M200's and they are wonderful pens.

 

Sarah

[ian1964]

I have both M200 and M205. Personally I prefer the presentation of the solid bright red 205 but the nib appears rather bland compared to the Gold Plated nib of the 200. They are both fine pens but the 205 just edges for me purely it based on overall presentation. But then again I love red pens!

[Frank C]

You should look at Classic Fountain Pens: http://www.nibs.com/Pelikan-Tradition-fountain-pens.htm (I have no affiliation, other than being a satisfied customer!)

 

They have a bunch. You also get a tuned nib as part of the price. Not all Pelikans are great writers out of the box. You can also get them to substitute a 14K gold nib, if you so desire.

 

I have several Pelikans and they are among my favorite pens.

 

Edited to add: I just looked at the website; they appear to only offer pens with the 14K nibs. You could probably call them to get a gold-plated steel nib. If you can afford it, I would go with the 14K gold; it will be a little springier.

Edited March 24, 2015 by Frank C

[ian1964]

Wow Frank, that's a great web site and they have a Red 205 with the 14k two tone nib that looks amazing. I might have to source a 14k nib now or cannibalise my 405

[whych]

Both pens will feel and write the same. The difference between them is the cap trim so the choice is which trim do you prefer.

[sargetalon]

As has been stated, same line, different trim color. The M2xx is my favorite line and currently the Cafe Crème is my favorite M200 and the Toledo red is my favorite M205. The feel in the hand is identical between the two and the nibs will give you the same experience. It all comes down to which you prefer in the looks department.

[Goldenfiredrake]

Thanks for the clarification! I probably won't be getting a gold nib as it's just a bit too costly (I'll definitely invest in one later though).

[migla9]

Too bad the clear demonstrator version of the M205 is no longer in production and seems to be fairly scarce on ebay. My understanding is that it was made only for a few years for the Asian market. In general, I prefer the look of the M200 (probably 40 years of conditioning to gold-toned Pelikans), but for a clear demo, the silver tone would have been better.

[KBeezie]

And then there's the M250, older pen (80s/90s), and technically the only difference from the styling (aka 'old-style') is that it has a 14K Gold nib.

 

http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/M250/uncapped.jpg

 

(one could argue the only difference between presently the modern M200 and M400 is steel versus gold nib).

 

If you *want* the gold nib, you could probably get a used M250, M400 (old-style), or vintage 400/400n/400nn for about the price of a M400 new (which is about $200-210 from Japan, or M200 for about $100 from the same Rakuten shop).

 

Anywho the M250 is on the far left laying on the pen case, next to it is the Pelikan 400NN (1956) with a 14K EF Semi-Flex, Pelikan M400 (old style in Brown Tortoise) with a 14K M (just like the M250's), and a smaller Pelikan 140 (1950s) in black with a 14K springy Broad (that writes EF across).

 

http://i.imgur.com/xl5udid.jpg

 

But I don't know if they ever made something like the M250 in a Rhodium trim (never heard of a '255').

 

There's also a bunch of different solid colors for the 80s/90s M100 pens which are tad smaller than the M2xx, but can accept a nib from a M2xx/M4xx since it's just a unscrew-screw-in nib unit. the 1xx/2xx/4xx are interchangeable, and they can also fit into an M6xx, but an M6xx nib unit won't fit into a 1xx/2xx/4xx unless it's been seated deeply enough not to collide with the cap, my M640's nib is such so I can put it in any of the other pens shown.

 

One I wouldn't mind grabbing would be the older "Stormtrooper" M100 which is all white, with a black nib, black clip, and black ink window. Can find them on ebay around $80-100.

Edited March 25, 2015 by KBeezie

[sargetalon]

@migla9: The M205 clear demo is rather scarce. It took a while for me to source my example. I have only seen a handful come up for sale over the years but they have a great look to them. It would be nice to see Pelikan bring it back as the rhodium trim complements the clear demo styling nicely.

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f282/jdanley/M205-Clear-Demo1_zpsef69c596.jpg

 

 

@KBeezie: The difference between the M400 and M200 is slightly more than just a difference in the nib. The Souveran line gets some extra attention paid to the finish and you don't get the mold lines that you see with the Classic series. A small difference but meaningful to some. No rhodium trim 250's were ever made but it's a neat idea, especially with todays all rhodinated nibs. The M100's did come in several solid colors but the black and white ones are the only ones that are able to be practically sourced. The green, red, and dark blue variants are quite scarce and only very rarely come up for sale.

[KBeezie]

The green, red, and dark blue variants are quite scarce and only very rarely come up for sale.

So when a month ago some guy was selling several red, and blue NOS ones on pentrace for less than $100... I should have snagged one...

[Frank C]

So when a month ago some guy was selling several red, and blue NOS ones on pentrace for less than $100... I should have snagged one...

 

Who knows, they might have been fakes.

[Robert Alan]

Hello!

 

Since U-Books in Seattle no longer sells Pelikans and, sadly, World Lux has closed its doors, online mail order is the only route for many folks in western Washington state (are you in eastern WA?). I recommend Fahrney's, the Fountain Pen Hospital, Bertram's Inkwell, or JetPens. Although it appears that the M205 series may no longer be marketed in North America, each of the sites listed still have some M205 steel-nibbed fountain pens in stock. If they are not shown online, I suggest calling Bertram's, Fahrney's, or FPH (JetPens has no phone sales).

 

Regards, Robert

[Goldenfiredrake]

As I am fairly new to the FP world (I've only really looked into them for about 3/4 of year) I was looking forward to going to World Lux but so much for that now. I go to the University Bookstore on occasion and I'm disappointed to hear they no longer sell Pelikans. I live in western Washington and I do not go over to Eastern Washington much. Turns out Fountain Pen Hospital's store is located in NY and I'll be visiting NY very soon so I'll be sure to stop by there when and if I get the chance. Thanks for the suggestions!

[sargetalon]

So when a month ago some guy was selling several red, and blue NOS ones on pentrace for less than $100... I should have snagged one...

Great price if they were truly M100s. You don't see them often. I'm not familiar with Pentrace. Something I should be aware of?

[migla9]

@migla9: The M205 clear demo is rather scarce. It took a while for me to source my example. I have only seen a handful come up for sale over the years but they have a great look to them. It would be nice to see Pelikan bring it back as the rhodium trim complements the clear demo styling nicely.

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f282/jdanley/M205-Clear-Demo1_zpsef69c596.jpg

 

 

Well, one more addition to my small flock - I just picked up a new M200 clear demo EF at martiniauctions for 63 EUR. With shipping, that came to about US$80. While I would have preferred the silver trim, I do like that the piston mechanism on the M200 is a subtler silver than the more massive black on the M205. At least that's how it looks in the photo.

 

http://zilgma.com/download/m200-demo.jpg

[sargetalon]

 

 

Well, one more addition to my small flock - I just picked up a new M200 clear demo EF at martiniauctions for 63 EUR. With shipping, that came to about US$80. While I would have preferred the silver trim, I do like that the piston mechanism on the M200 is a subtler silver than the more massive black on the M205. At least that's how it looks in the photo.

 

 

The M205 and the M200/201 clear demos from the early 2000s had a black piston assembly. The 2012 reissue clear demo has a clear plastic piston assembly which does help to distinguish it, along the with gold trimmed cap top.

[Robert Alan]

As I am fairly new to the FP world (I've only really looked into them for about 3/4 of year) I was looking forward to going to World Lux but so much for that now. I go to the University Bookstore on occasion and I'm disappointed to hear they no longer sell Pelikans. I live in western Washington and I do not go over to Eastern Washington much. Turns out Fountain Pen Hospital's store is located in NY and I'll be visiting NY very soon so I'll be sure to stop by there when and if I get the chance. Thanks for the suggestions!

If you will be going to NYC, you definitely should visit the Fountain Pen Hospital (downtown, near City Hall). The store is quite amazing--with a huge display and vast selection of all kinds of pens--and it can be overwhelming, at first. The staff is terrific and very helpful. Take your time and enjoy the experience.

 

BTW, there is an 'ad' here on FPN from the Pen Chalet for the Pelikan M205. I also found the black and red M205 available from Avalon Jewelry & Pens in Indiana for $94:

http://www.avalonpens.com/collections/pelikan-fountain-pens. I've purchased pens from them and they have been reliable.

 

Good luck!

/Robert

Edited March 29, 2015 by Robert Alan