Pelikan M200 Review

[writewright]

Excellent review; convinced me to buy one. I've been wanting a Pelikan pen, and I am confident I will not be disappointed.

[tinkerteacher]

Thank you for this excellent review.

 

I have a M215 and don't find the overall size to be an issue, rather it is the smallness of the front section, the spot for fingers to rest, both in lack of length and girth, that I find too small. Granted I do have overly long fingers.

 

Like most Pelikan's mine's also a gusher and great for inks that shade and sheen, like Autumn Oak or Alt-Goldgrun. Wounderful, freakishly flexible EF steel nib too.

 

The Pelikan steel nibs (still sourced from Bock as I understand?) do vary greatly in size, no matter what is stamped on 'em, and feel so your mileage may vary.

[Mr.Rene]

Pelikan makes its own nibs I understand...

[kitojmanny]

Very nice and thorough review. Thank you.

[tinkerteacher]

Pelikan makes its own nibs I understand...

Granted, my information is a few years out of date, and was word of mouth, but as I understand it the steels and the M1000 nibs are made by Bock, while the M400 thro M800 nibs are made in-house. The profit margins are just not there to go to the effort of in-house R&D and manufacturing 'em.

 

Originally of course all Pelikan nibs were made in-house till in an ill conceived cost cutting move Pelikan outsourced all of their nibs to Bock in the mid-late 90s. That didn't work out so well, so they moved the high margin stuff back in-house a few years ago. (and boosted their prices to pay for it) That much is open, freely available knowledge. Exactly how much nib manufacturing Pelikan has moved back in-house is of course closely guarded proprietary knowledge. But, given the economics involved, I have my doubts that Pelikan moved the manufacturing of the steels back-house. 'Course I could be wrong.

[tinkerteacher]

With the speed Pelikan is moving up-market towards Montblanc and Visconti territory, I have a feeling that the days of the M200 (as we know it), its steel nib, and its under USD 150 price tag are numbered.

Edited March 22, 2015 by tinkerteacher