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I had bought the m200 cognac with its stock Italic nib to replace my old rotring ArtPen. I have to simultaneously admit that the only reason for going with an Italic and somewhat flexible nib was to try it out and learn something new. Below is a link to the review on my blog: Pelikan M200 Cognac Review So here it goes. The cognac was launched last year as a special edition and the dazzling golden hues allured me. These were quite vibrant compared to the earlier tones of a lighter Amber demo. DESIGN - LET’S DRINK TO THAT (5/6) The m200 cognac shimmers in honey gold and its golden loops dazzle in absolute harmony. Lack of ambient light makes it adorn darker hues of brown. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fT6xC9gIP44/VfV5UPDBKJI/AAAAAAAAFfw/MTOzjk7U__w/s1600/DSC_6208.jpg The cognac colours are remarkably darker and more vibrant than the amber hues of a Pilot Custom 823. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BZHCuW_rPjg/VfV5RC0HpHI/AAAAAAAAFfg/EMhA4isRrXw/s1600/DSC_6212.jpg The radiance is matched throughout the pen starting with a golden gleam from the finial area and the pelican beak through the cap band before finally converging with the piston ring. When its an m400 the loops multiply into two. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WMd7Hh4uVv8/VfV5TlaxUlI/AAAAAAAAFfs/3WY9Hr6GIRk/s1600/DSC_6210.jpg The cap is light and unscrews with less than a complete turn which I like very much, revealing a slightly dullish golden nib. The gold plated steel nibs somewhat lack the lustrous enchantment of a 14k souverän nib, but again a 14k nib comes at a premium. The grip is simple and reveals interior threads of a screw fit nib. The section ends with a slight bump which is usually adorned by a loop in the souverän series. The transparency reveals the plastic piston mechanism. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hn4Qm-fS0PE/VfV5iUnlHXI/AAAAAAAAFgI/DYqFasSQ_3Q/s1600/DSC_6216.jpg A gleaming tassie decorated with a protruding plastic jewel painted with a golden pelikan logo adorns the cap with its signature pelican beak-shaped clip. The single cap band succinctly carries an imprint of PELIKAN GERMANY, which is common across the classic series. The logo on the finial is the one embraced by Pelikan post 2003, that of a mother pelican and its chick, in golden paint. You can also see the distinctive lines of the cap insert. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fuZfgsxpI-o/VfV5rsgnsvI/AAAAAAAAFgg/MsD9QP16Ef8/s1600/cap200.jpg FILLING SYSTEM (6/6) A piston filler with a smooth & sturdy knob is embellished with a golden loop. Apart from its looks, it's an utterly efficient mechanism. The piston end unscrews with three to four rotations and it draws ink quite quickly once the piston is screwed back on. The best part being you observe the thing in action probably through honey gold lenses. A plastic spindle connector in the M2XX limits its overall weight. A M2XX fills upto 1.5 mL of ink. However, given the wet & wide flow especially of the Italic nib, it may not last for a long time. I have found the 14k nibs of the same width running wetter & wider than the steel ones. Keep in mind that these piston mechanisms for M2XX/M4XX/M6XX are not supposed to be dismantled as they are friction fit under heat. In case of problems other than lubricating the piston seal, it’s better to send the pen to Pelikan Germany/Country Authorized Service Center. Pelikan does have an excellent customer service. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-121ww9XRbLk/VfV5jQpkNtI/AAAAAAAAFgU/2ZSht0LqzfQ/s1600/DSC_6220.jpg NIB - ALL THAT MATTERS (5/6) The steel nib comes in a classic m200 gold plated look across five stock widths - EF, F, M, B & I (1.1). Like all the pens in the classic series, the nib has standard pelikan logo with the usual convenience of a screw-fit section. With standard m2xx/4xx feed, the nib-section is easy to take out for swapping or cleaning. And this golden finish is meant to converge with the cognac glimmer of the pen as well as its gold-plated trims, although its shine is rather towards the dullish side of the golden spectrum. Below the circular breather hole it carries its brandname of Pelikan as well as an encircled logo of mother pelican with a chick. The nib started flexing its tines after some use and it was quite stiff at first. The nib is tipped. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lNgrygwghe4/VfV5a8Z73MI/AAAAAAAAFf4/z_r7-0mCIbk/s1600/DSC_6254.jpg A standard black plastic feed ensures a good ink buffer for the promised wetness and prevents hard starts. No skipping or hard starts in past few months, even if it is lying unused for weeks. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LI0MMDLB0DM/VfV5f6OYxlI/AAAAAAAAFgA/IIVEUYsvUH0/s1600/DSC_6274.jpg While cleaning the section area, I found some of silicone grease and water trapped between inner and outer walls. Initially I was scared at the thought of a crack, but thankfully the suspect crack-line seemed to move. There is a FPN thread on this. PHYSICS OF IT (5/6) – RELATIVELY SPEAKING It’s comfortable posted with a bit of heft and length, since the cap contributes more than a third of its weight. The capped length is around 12.5 cm. The pen does get some heft from ink inside the barrel. Incidentally, it weighs a gram less even when it shares all its dimensions closely with a m400. Uncapped Length ~ 12 cmPosted Length ~ 15 cmNib Leverage ~ 2 cmOverall Weight ~ 14 g (without ink) ECONOMIC VALUE (5/6) The m200 Cognac retails at around USD 170 with the stock gold plated steel nibs. It is also available with 14k nibs from the m400 series. As with all pelikans, the pen is dependable and could be an everyday writer. OVERALL (5.2/6) The tipped & gold plated steel nib is smooth and it’s graced with a wet flow. The Italic nib was quite stiff in the beginning, but within a month of ‘light’ use, it started flexing its tines like wings of a bird, even under light pressure. Very springy of course, the horizontal lines run thinner for the Italic nib. There is a lot of ink laid by the italic nib, which take more than 1.5 minutes to dry a wet Diamine Majestic Blue ink on MD Paper. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wSs7dk_LFqE/VfV5s9K6FnI/AAAAAAAAFgo/qdNLrzcdw48/s1600/DSC_6275.jpg In case you are wondering about the quote, it's by Swami Vivekananda. REFERENCES Pelikan M4XX Patent Piston mechanisms Ink Capacities Thank you for going through the review. You can find some more pen and paraphernalia reviews here.