Pelikan M200: Worth The Price?

[Mike_Dowling]

There isn't anything special about it; it is just a reliable piston filler that works well, writes well, has interchangeable nib/feed units, and is backed by a reputable company.

The frustrating thing is, there isn't another pen that ticks all those boxes. With all the cartridge/converter pens, there are actually very few piston fillers and for a long time the M200 was the cheapest of the bunch. Pelikan (the company) has been around a long time and will still service pens bought decades ago. You know what to expect from a Pelikan pen, they hold their value on the resale market,

 

 

Sounds like it's worth the $116 to me...

[pajaro]

I have seen the M200 for less than $84 on Amazon. Be good shoppers.

[max dog]

It's only after having tried a lot of really nice fountain pens like higher end pelikans. Montblancs etc you appreciate how nice the m2xx is. Yes its worth ever penny and much more.

[WaskiSquirrel]

Probably the wrong answer, but no pen is worth that much money.

 

That said, I do own a Pelikan 205 demonstrator and I like it. It's not my favorite pen, and I like my Noodler's and TWSBI's as well or better, but it is a nice pen. The writing is just fine, but I really like the way it looks.

[F_Rizzo]

I purchased an amber 200 demonstrator recently with a 14c nib and think it is a great pen. I love the flow and ease of cleaning and filling. It was a gateway to more Pelikan purchases. 100 bucks is nothing for a fountain pen that will last for years. Enjoy your peli.

Edited March 13, 2013 by F_Rizzo

[Gris Nuage]

Isagers

 

I might be running the risk of upsetting the flock of Pelikans I might be responsible for, but I'd suggest you opted for a Lamy Vista/Safari first. You could could buy a couple of alternative nibs and some ink and paper, and still have spare cash. Curent m200s aren't worth it.

[Mike_Dowling]

Isagers

 

I might be running the risk of upsetting the flock of Pelikans I might be responsible for, but I'd suggest you opted for a Lamy Vista/Safari first. You could could buy a couple of alternative nibs and some ink and paper, and still have spare cash. Curent m200s aren't worth it.

 

I have a Lamy Safari and it looks and feels like a toy imo, what pen in the $110 range do you consider worth it? To me all these pens are largely overpriced. Like I said people raved about the Bexley Corona which is more expensive than the Pelikan, but investigating the pen it seems very seriously flawed. Other than the fact that the m200 sold for $70 6 years ago what other pen at ~$100 offers better value? I ask seriously, I'm new to this. People seem to rave about the twsbi but to me it looks cheap, they don't even make their own nibs, they're a plastics company that orders someone else's nib and just pieces the pen together in a cheap looking plastic.

Edited March 13, 2013 by Mike_Dowling

[icevic]

There isn't anything special about it; it is just a reliable piston filler that works well, writes well, has interchangeable nib/feed units, and is backed by a reputable company.

The frustrating thing is, there isn't another pen that ticks all those boxes. With all the cartridge/converter pens, there are actually very few piston fillers and for a long time the M200 was the cheapest of the bunch. Pelikan (the company) has been around a long time and will still service pens bought decades ago. You know what to expect from a Pelikan pen, they hold their value on the resale market,

 

 

Sounds like it's worth the $116 to me...

 

Similar quality converter pens from companies like Waterman or Cross are half the price. The piston doesn't add $50 to the cost; it's just a built-in converter. But if you must have a piston then the Pelikan is "worth it" - more because you don't have many choices than any inherent value.

 

Bottom line, it's a good pen and I don't have anything bad to say about it except that I wish it were cheaper. It probably will be cheaper now that there is some competition.

[icevic]

Isagers

 

I might be running the risk of upsetting the flock of Pelikans I might be responsible for, but I'd suggest you opted for a Lamy Vista/Safari first. You could could buy a couple of alternative nibs and some ink and paper, and still have spare cash. Curent m200s aren't worth it.

 

I have a Lamy Safari and it looks and feels like a toy imo, what pen in the $110 range do you consider worth it? To me all these pens are largely overpriced. Like I said people raved about the Bexley Corona which is more expensive than the Pelikan, but investigating the pen it seems very seriously flawed. Other than the fact that the m200 sold for $70 6 years ago what other pen at ~$100 offers better value? I ask seriously, I'm new to this. People seem to rave about the twsbi but to me it looks cheap, they don't even make their own nibs, they're a plastics company that orders someone else's nib and just pieces the pen together in a cheap looking plastic.

 

TWSBI pens are one of the few that are designed and engineered as a whole, including ink bottles that serve as integrated filling systems, which is unique, useful, and just plain neat. They don't make their own nibs, but at least they offer stubs. It is true that plastic is light and inexpensive, but the molds are very expensive so it is rare that a company will design their own from the ground up instead of ordering from the same old catalog that everyone uses. Light weight is a positive attribute in a pen, and doesn't automatically mean it is cheap.

 

The neat thing about TWSBI is that they combine design and engineering in an integrated way, which we just don't see in the fountain pen world. Heck, Pelikan has been making the same M200 for decades, with slight variances in trim and materials. Lot of companies make pretty pens with lots of gold and chrome trim, but very few try to do something different, like TWSBI did with those bottles and that $80 vac filler.

 

I would like to see them apply their engineering and design skills to nibs, but then they are moving from plastics to metals and from molding to stamping, so that might be outside their domain expertise.

 

There have been a lot of internet savvy small companies coming out of China (ROC and PROC) doing some cutting-edge manufacturing at rock-bottom prices. It's really refreshing and bodes well for the future of those economies.

 

 

Edit: I just checked the TWSBI web site and it says they have been manufacturing pens for 40 years for other manufacturers, and that they have a background in metals. So maybe they have the ability to build their own nibs?

Edited March 13, 2013 by icevic

[brunico]

Could I get just as good quality from, say, a Pilot Metropolitan, costing around $15?

 

The results on paper will be indistinguishable, and Pilot makes great nibs for the Metropolitan (and the other inexpensive pens). The $101 difference is about other stuff that may or may not matter to you.

 

 

I have a Lamy Safari and it looks and feels like a toy imo

 

So what made you get one, then?

 

 

what pen in the $110 range do you consider worth it?

 

Sailor Sapporo. You give up a piston but you get a gold nib, for what either of those considerations is worth. Can be got for $160, which may or may not be good value, or for $80 from eBay, which is a steal. And only a bottle of ink more expensive than a Twsbi.

 

Wanted a Pilot Prera for ages but thought the price in the UK was way too steep for what the pen was. Now, half the price on eBay and practically the same price as a Metropolitan? Bargain!

 

It's a pity this pricing difference doesn't hold for German or Italian pens - or for all Japanese ones, for that matter. This, along with price differences across countries, also messes up advice we all give from time to time, when a pen we think is less expensive is actually a lot dearer for the person we're giving advice to.

 

 

The piston doesn't add $50 to the cost; it's just a built-in converter.

 

Exactly so. But it does add a bit of 'prestige,' and the manufacturer charges accordingly.

[Mike_Dowling]

Isagers

 

I might be running the risk of upsetting the flock of Pelikans I might be responsible for, but I'd suggest you opted for a Lamy Vista/Safari first. You could could buy a couple of alternative nibs and some ink and paper, and still have spare cash. Curent m200s aren't worth it.

 

I have a Lamy Safari and it looks and feels like a toy imo, what pen in the $110 range do you consider worth it? To me all these pens are largely overpriced. Like I said people raved about the Bexley Corona which is more expensive than the Pelikan, but investigating the pen it seems very seriously flawed. Other than the fact that the m200 sold for $70 6 years ago what other pen at ~$100 offers better value? I ask seriously, I'm new to this. People seem to rave about the twsbi but to me it looks cheap, they don't even make their own nibs, they're a plastics company that orders someone else's nib and just pieces the pen together in a cheap looking plastic.

 

TWSBI pens are one of the few that are designed and engineered as a whole, including ink bottles that serve as integrated filling systems, which is unique, useful, and just plain neat. They don't make their own nibs, but at least they offer stubs. It is true that plastic is light and inexpensive, but the molds are very expensive so it is rare that a company will design their own from the ground up instead of ordering from the same old catalog that everyone uses. Light weight is a positive attribute in a pen, and doesn't automatically mean it is cheap.

 

The neat thing about TWSBI is that they combine design and engineering in an integrated way, which we just don't see in the fountain pen world. Heck, Pelikan has been making the same M200 for decades, with slight variances in trim and materials. Lot of companies make pretty pens with lots of gold and chrome trim, but very few try to do something different, like TWSBI did with those bottles and that $80 vac filler.

 

I would like to see them apply their engineering and design skills to nibs, but then they are moving from plastics to metals and from molding to stamping, so that might be outside their domain expertise.

 

There have been a lot of internet savvy small companies coming out of China (ROC and PROC) doing some cutting-edge manufacturing at rock-bottom prices. It's really refreshing and bodes well for the future of those economies.

 

 

It seems like a a lot of marketing to me, particularly the ink bottle filling system which seems rather pointless if you don't sell the ink. I've read a lot about issues with quality with these pens as I have with the Bexley's. I'm not a pen snob I buy on a budget, but other than cult appeal and certain popular sellers pushing a particular brand, I couldn't find any advantage to these pens over the Pelikan. To me if you don't make your nibs how can you be a pen maker? Coupled with the cheap plastic and no doubt slight variance of other companies piston fillers the pen seems not a good value at all. But I'm always weary of the "flavor of the month" when it comes to frivolous hobbies like fountain pens.

Edited March 13, 2013 by Mike_Dowling

[nana_kathy]

I've got 3 pelikan m200s and 2 m400s. I absolutely love them. Had I tried an m200 early on in my accumulating I would have saved myself quite a few headaches. Like someone mentioned earlier, experiences are subjective. With that being said, i wouldnt hesitate to recommend the m200. Enjoy your new pen!

 

+1 to AndyLa's comments. I love my M200, it zoomed to the top of my rotation the first time it was inked, and has stayed there... I wish I had bought it much earlier, would have saved lots of money on nice, but cheaper pens, that may wear out in a few years. If cared for, Pelikans will last for decades! Hope you enjoy your pen every day.

[Mike_Dowling]

 

So what made you get one, then?

 

I listened to people on this forum, I was largely underwhelmed with it, I gave it to my son, he's 11 and thinks it's cool. Oddly enough the majority told me how the Pelikan isn't a good value and I was really pleased.

 

Sailor Sapporo. You give up a piston but you get a gold nib, for what either of those considerations is worth. Can be got for $160, which may or may not be good value, or for $80 from eBay, which is a steal. And only a bottle of ink more expensive than a Twsbi.

 

Well let's be fair and not move the goal posts, that pen you reference is $50 more, a full 50% more than the Pelikan m200, plus it's a CC, hard pass... referencing "deals" on eBay can work for anything, heck if you're in the right place at the right time you can probably get an m200 for $40 "lightly used".

 

The piston doesn't add $50 to the cost; it's just a built-in converter.

 

Exactly so. But it does add a bit of 'prestige,' and the manufacturer charges accordingly.

 

 

So what does add the $50 in your opinion? I'm just curious how you justify one pen costing X and another pen costing Y. In my short tenure here it seems to be weight (add a little brass to the base of the pen), and cult following/flavor of the month, put your pen in a neat hip package, anti-classic pen if you will.

Edited March 13, 2013 by Mike_Dowling

[brunico]

To me if you don't make your nibs how can you be a pen maker?

 

Ask Montegrappa, Stipula and countless others. Even Pelikan didn't make nibs at one time...!

 

Well let's be fair and not move the goal posts, that pen you reference is $50 more, a full 50% more than the Pelikan m200, plus it's a CC, hard pass... referencing "deals" on eBay can work for anything, heck if you're in the right place at the right time you can probably get an m200 for $40 "lightly used".

 

Sorry the eBay reference misled you. No, this is actually a pretty regular price for a new Sapporo, making it cheaper than buying a new Pelikan M200 in the UK (or even on eBay). And that was my point, that prices vary so much across different markets that it makes it impossible to state definitively that you get more for your money buying pen X over pen Y.

 

In the UK, a Lamy Safari is a third or a quarter the price of a Pilot Prera, so I think the Safari is good value and the Prera poor value. Where the prices come close to each other, my opinion changes.

 

it's a CC, hard pass...

 

Well, the Pelikan's 'only' a steel nib, hard pass...

 

So what does add the $50 in your opinion? I'm just curious how you justify one pen costing X and another pen costing Y. In my short tenure here it seems to be weight (add a little brass to the base of the pen, and cult following/flavor of the month, put your pen in a neat hip package, anti-classic pen if you will.

 

Some of the extra cost of the Pelikan is, I'm sure, down to Pelikan milking its brand, as well as positioning the price so it doesn't make the M400s and so on look like daylight robbery. Maybe this is also the reason Lamy doesn't sell the Safari for $10, who knows? Some of the extra cost will be in fit and finish, including making the piston, and a final splash of gold plate.

 

How much goes where isn't something I'd know. I'm not that interested in the M200 as Pelikan doesn't do an italic nib for it, so I'd have to pay nearly the price of an M200 again to get a custom grind to give me a pen I'd actually want to use. The fact it has a piston is neither here nor there if the nib itself gives me no reason to write with it. Out of the box, the cheap, ugly, plasticky Pelikan Script is a better pen for me than an M200 - or even than an F/M/B limited edition M800 - because it has a nib I value more.

 

The M200 is a perfectly nice pen - I've seriously considered it and the M2xx series - but it's not nice enough for me to pay 50%-100% more to correct its glaring deficiency. In other words, if I'm going to pay extra, I might as well hang for a sheep as for a lamb, and buy something a bit more upmarket or with a bigger piston or the option of rhodium trim or something that has a more interesting nib even before customisation.

 

Not sure where brass comes into it. Me, I prefer a lightweight pen that has a good nib and doesn't look naff. That's pretty much it. And I throw the box away...

Edited March 13, 2013 by brunico

[Pennata Penna]

Piston filler and gold nib ~110? LAMY 2000 is currently $120 + 15 shipping from Pengallery.

 

The main appeal of M200 is the availability of (ready made) specialty nibs, and standard loose nibs are cheap enough for DIY.

 

Tony

 

NB: Do not get too bogged down on specs, that is a third world solution to a first world problem. You will be missing out a lot.

Edited March 13, 2013 by Pennata Penna

[Mike_Dowling]

 

Well, the Pelikan's 'only' a steel nib, hard pass...

 

 

The difference being of course a piston actually has a functional use, the gold nib really has no advantage over the steel nib other than the bragging rights and paying for frivolities you seem to be against.

 

To me I wouldn't sink my money into a CC from a company whose claim to fame is ripping off the Montblanc. And to me a pen company that doesn't make their nibs are assemblers not fabricators or pen makers. But like I said I'm new to all this and just go with my gut, with any hobby there's always differing opinions, popular flavors of the month everyone just has to have (which is typically very clever marketing by a companies participation on the message board).

 

I guess to me the filling mechanism isn't just an afterthought, neither is how it posts, or even aesthetics.

Edited March 13, 2013 by Mike_Dowling

[rochester21]

In my opinion, the M200 isn`t worth 100 usd. Maybe 70-80, if you really want a piston filler.

Edited March 13, 2013 by rochester21

[brunico]

The difference being of course a piston actually has a functional use, the gold nib really has no advantage over the steel nib other than the bragging rights and paying for frivolities you seem to be against.

 

A piston converter has a functional use, too. It may hold less ink, but it's easier to clean. It's not necessarily inferior to a glued-on piston. Neither's a steel nib necessarily inferior. Which is why I put only in quotation marks. No bragging rights for me, thanks. I have about twenty steel nibs, plus my dip pens, and I'm not about to throw them away. I enjoy them just as much as the one gold nib I have, though I like the gold nib a lot because it's prettier and shinier. It's like using a silver fork: it makes dinner a bit more special... but it all goes down the same hole.

 

To me I wouldn't sink my money into a CC from a company whose claim to fame is ripping off the Montblanc.

 

Look, I'm not attacking you for cherishing your M200 and I'm not claiming Sailor's better, simply pointing out that there are other pens with features that come at a much lower price than their competitors and that individual preferences and market differences mean there's no consensus, anyway. For some people, the Lamy 2000 hits that spot. For others, it's the Twsbi. Which is why I wouldn't buy a Prera at the UK retail price but why others would. The M200 is probably good value for its feature set, and certainly good value when compared with the Souverän series - just as the Sapporo is good value for its feature set when compared with the more expensive Sailors - but it's not the only game in town.

 

The Sailor design isn't exactly original, I'll grant you. I'm not convinced the Montblanc is, either, though it's undoubtedly an iconic design. That said, if you think Sailor's claim to fame is copying MB, you haven't yet appreciated why Sailor fans like Sailors. Not that I think you can't appreciate stuff - just saying that we can't tell what makes Sailors special (or not) just by looking at them.

 

But like I said I'm new to all this and just go with my gut, with any hobby there's always differing opinions

 

Well, I've been writing with fountain pens ever since I was in short trousers, so I take a jaundiced view of claims to brand and model superiority. If it's an expensive pen, it needs to have a quality that makes me feel good about it (shiny nib, lots of ink, whatever it is).

 

Anyway, I hope you enjoy FPN, but be warned! You clearly know your own mind, but you'll start off like I did, scratching your head at all these clueless idiots paying several hundred dollars for some pretty Italian pen that doesn't even have a piston or a gold nib to justify the cost, and you'll say to yourself "I'll never buy one of those when my Pelikan/Lamy/Twsbi is as good," and then months later you'll find yourself late at night researching the differences between the old and the new Visconti Van Goghs, then wondering whether you should save up for an Omas Extra, then agonising because you have a sneaking feeling urushi might be better than celluloid... it's all downhill, I tell you! :ltcapd:

[79spitfire]

I have a M200, I paid around $100 or so for it from Richard Binder, who tuned the nib before sending it to me. I enjoy the pen, it's price does seem a bit steep for what it is, the plastic is injection molded, but nicely done, the nib is steel with a quality plating and writes well, with just a bit of spring.

 

Value is ultimately a personal decision, is the pen worth the money? It is if you enjoy it. I find that I don't use this pen as much as I likely should.

 

I have many of the other pens mentioned in this thread, it's interesting that the comparison was made to the Pilot Metropolitan, I can't think of a more extreme comparison, except perhaps a Hero 616! I think the Metropolitan is an undervalued pen, and likely won't be around at $15 for much longer, Pilot will have to raise their prices at some point.

 

The Pelikan M200 is likely priced correctly for a product that reportedly has final assembly done by hand, the human touch simply costs more.

 

I'd suggest that if you are going to be collecting fountain pens you will likely want to try other manufacture's products at some point, go ahead and get the Pilot too...

 

Can someone please explain why every thread about piston filling pens has a poster bashing TWSBI?? What did they do to you? Lots of pens (including others in this thread) don't make their own nibs. TWSBI does (at this point) make their own feeds, Bexley (A very fine pen) does not, neither does most other European or American manufactures.

[icevic]

I have a M200, I paid around $100 or so for it from Richard Binder, who tuned the nib before sending it to me.

 

Richard Binder tuned Pelikan nibs is reason enough to buy a M200.

 

Also, M200s have functional ink windows, which is incredibly practical and useful. A simple thing, but most pens don't have it.

 

True they have steel nibs, but after they break in you'll find they have a nice touch to them, smooth with a bit of spring, unlike the standard German "kit" nibs which are generally nails. They are generously tipped as well, so you can customize your nib if you like.

 

I wish they were cheaper, but I have to say they are good pens and if you don't mind spending $100 on a simple pen they will never disappoint you. It just burns me to know that Pelikan could be selling them for so much less, which would benefit fountain pen users everywhere (although maybe not benefit Pelikan as much!).

 

Comparisons to TWSBI are unfair because that company is still establishing itself and its product. We need to give TWSBI ten years before they can be compared to Pelikan.

 

As for mentions of plastic being "cheap": there is cheap plastic, but there is expensive plastic. Tooling, coating, polishing, durability, and quality control can all to the cost of plastic. Plastic isn't all cheap, just the same way wood isn't all cheap. There are different qualities of plastics, and overall I consider it the best material for a pen body because of its durability, light weight, formability, colours, and smooth comfort in the hand.