I Need Another One. What Color?

[LisaN]

I teach college chemistry, so there is a lot of grading to be done.

There are many pens at home, including a big vintage sheaffer collection, but those are not in rotation.

 

In the flock are:

A marble green m200 with M and an extra R. Binder cursive italic nib (rarely used).

A blue-o-blue m800 with an IB nib, filled with blue pelikan ink (the sign official stuff pen).

A red m800 with a F and an extra EF nib, filled with brown pelikan ink for general writing and grading. (a nice ink, BTW)

A red d800 pencil for all things pencillish, including filling in bubble sheet keys, crosswords and kenken puzzles.

I love the m800's because they are the perfect weight for my hand. The pencil is sublime.

The blue-o-blue, the red pen, and pencil live in a leather case in my purse all the time.

 

I somewhat prefer to color code my pens to the ink.

I am getting meaner as I get older, and am considering shifting to bloody screaming red ink in the red pen for grading.

 

This leads me to needing another pelikan m800- one for general writing.

Of course I might also eventually need a new matching pencil, since the general writing pencil must match the general writing pen.

 

Choices are, of course:

 

Green : Love the green stripes. They scream Pelikan. Problem is that I would eventually be tempted to fill it with green ink. And only crazy people write letters in green ink. I do not know whether I am more concerned about the perception, or the danger of falling into madness from the green ink.

 

Black : So elegant, but looks like every high class black pen out there. So, "Erm, no, it's not a Mont Blanc"

or

Blue. Darling, but I already have a blue pelikan.

 

I could buy it a nibless pen body from RB, since I have a spare nib.

 

Weigh in, my friends!

 

[PAKMAN]

All great choices, but don't forget the M800 Tortoise, it would fit wonderfully into your pen scheme and filled with brown ink, perfect!

[ShallowJam]

I would say tortoise, but if we're talking standard colours, Green.

 

You already have a blue, so thats out, and the black, while classic, is BORING. I always wonder how someone could pick a black m800 when there are the beautiful striped options. That leaves the classic green.

 

While you're at it, better get two and send me one.

[serpent]

Wouldn't you only post failing grade in red? For that I would use Diamine Red Dragon.

I miss those Gold Stars.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Have you ever tired a 600?

That and a good semi-flex nib from the 50's is a nice match.

 

Liking just the nail 800's...that might not be what you are use too, a nib with a life.

[sargetalon]

How about a clear demonstrator to allow you to see the choosen ink? It would go with any ink and give you unlimited choice if you must match ink to pen. Seems like a versatile solution. The M200 and the M1000 are available in clear demo right now and M800 examples are out there too.

Edited June 19, 2014 by sargetalon

[LisaN]

Ahhh, Bo Bo, I do have all manner of flex pens...

That I do not often use.

A particularly sweeeee Waterman 52 1/2 ringtop is the flexiest...

 

I have found that I am very lazy, and flex writing is too much work.

The wetness of those 800 nails and their smoothness lets them just glide over the paper. In my sleep.

 

Serpent:

All marks shall be in one color, which must contrast with the student ink.

Students are forbidden to use red here, as red has been traditionally used for marking, and we instructors are issued free red bic biros (lucky us!).

 

Many educational theorists believe that students are traumatized by red ink, and suggest that instructors should mark in less alarming colors.

I have decided that a bit of trauma might be a good thing, because these pre-med students do not seem to be alarmed by a 62% written in rich warm brown!

[DrCodfish]

The M805 in solid blue is something quite apart from the traditional blue stripe. And if color matching is your thing, then Levenger Cobalt Blue is a near perfect match.

[Gilberto Castaneda]

How about poetry written in green ink?

From Mexican Nobel prize Octavio Paz:

 

Written in green ink

Octavio Paz

Green ink makes garden, forest, fields,

trees full of leaves where letters sing,

words that are trees,

phrases appearing as green constellations.

Permit my words' descent cover your whiteness

like a rain of leaves on a field of snow,

like ivy on the statue,

ink on this page.

Arms, waist, neck, breasts,

forehead pure as the sea,

a neck of forests in the fall,

teeth biting a blade of grass.

Your body is constellated in green images

like a tree's body, covered with green shoots.

Never mind the scar, little and luminous:

look up at the sky and its green tattoo of stars

[The Good Captain]

M101N tortoiseshell if you can still get a new one. Just inked up one of mine with 4001 Blue-Black and loving every second of it. Again.

[Calabria]

Mean chemistry teacher, huh? You're not breaking bad, I hope?

 

The M200 comes in all kinds of colors, and since it was my first ever decent pen, I would stick with that. There is an incredible light green vintage demo (also in M800, I think), that would be my choice. There are so many Pelikans out there that to not hunt down a special one at a show, online, or in a dusty old shop somewhere is just poor sportsmanship in my opinion.

 

Good luck, Madame Curie!

[LisaN]

Haha. Breaking bad. Never even remotely tempting. By the way it wouldn't be blue.

 

I have lots of special pens, but I'm not buying special pens right now. Just another commuter pen.

In fact, I will probably sell off some of the vintages soon.

[serpent]

Blood red ink in a TWSBI white and rose gold would make a nice pocketable everyday pen.

[Guy007]

Mmm let's see

 

M800 Red - Done and lovin it
M800 Black - Not sure, but Remember there is Gold or Silver Trim versions - it's 'old skool', classy and timeless
M800 Blue - Don ish, but Remember there is Gold or Silver Trim versions
M800 Tortoise - No comment, but a winner and very different...
M800 Demo - Pricey...

For you it's a shame there's no M800 Ruby Red, as it stopped at an M600.

 

The best thing really is to get another M800 Red - if you can, as I think they have been discontinued - and have a differt nib on it (or fit your spare nib). Are all your other M800's with the same nib ?

 

One thing does seem to have happened though, the prices have gone up, I'm sure Nibs use to do the M800 for $520, now it's $572, so don't leave it too long.

 

As an asside, my wife's a teacher and here in Alberta red ink is a no-no for marking.... so enjoy the red ink. :-)

Edited June 23, 2014 by Guy007

[LisaN]

It's looking like a green stresemann and a pencil to boot.

[Touchstone68]

It's looking like a green stresemann and a pencil to boot.

 

 

I'd be quick about a pencil as I believe they've been discontinued in D800 size.

 

Kind regards,

 

Tim

[LisaN]

yep.

[LisaN]

So...

I ordered the green pencil and the green m800.

Even though I have enough nibs to go around, well, I got a full pen, not just a body.

Anyone can see how this is going to go badly again sometime soon.

I got the broad nib to round out the collection.

Actually planning to put the spare EF on the pen and keep the broad as the new spare.

Time to sell off some vintage pens, I guess.

[Gilberto Castaneda]

My M-800 bought about 12 years ago has only been filled with Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Green. I do not see a change in ink.

Nib is ItaliFine by Richard Binder ground from a B. Lovely combination.

[LisaN]

Remember I do have a cursuve italic binder nib on a green m200. That pen gets green ink when filled.

It is currently sitting empty, flushed.