Adding To The Flock

[Pingu]

6 minutes ago, austinwft said:

 

My latest addition and first time inked up...

 

 

...and though I don't prefer fine nibs this is one I am really enjoying!

gorgeous pen... it radiates under the light... and admirable handwriting too! 🙂

[austinwft]

1 minute ago, Pingu said:

gorgeous pen... it radiates under the light... and admirable handwriting too! 🙂

 

Thank you! This is one of those pens that to me can look very different under different lighting, something I enjoy. 

[N1003U]

2 hours ago, austinwft said:

 

My latest addition and first time inked up...

 

 

...and though I don't prefer fine nibs this is one I am really enjoying!

Beautiful! Your photo also captures the coppery beauty of the binde very well. @sirgilbert357, are you seeing this!?

[sirgilbert357]

8 minutes ago, N1003U said:

Beautiful! You photo also captures the coppery beauty of the binde very well. @sirgilbert357, are you seeing this!?

 

I am. That's a gorgeous pic. It makes me even more excited to receive mine.

 

My other three Pelikans have Fine and Medium nibs, so I got a broad. Never had a Pelikan in a broad nib before. I messaged the seller and asked them if they would inspect the nib prior to shipping too, and they assured me they would. Hopefully it writes wonderfully. If not, I'll have it stubbed or ground to a cursive italic. They are shipping it out Monday!

[jmccarty3]

On 6/4/2021 at 8:01 AM, N1003U said:

 

Don't give up hope. Some good deals on M800s do emerge now and then, especially on regular production models. Patience and persistence can bring dividends. I even had a member here contact me with an X800 set he was looking to sell, and we agreed on a very fair price (not cheap, but given condition quite reasonable, from my view)

 

N1003U is right, don't give up hope! I picked up an M800 brown tortoise on the Bay last year from a seller who must have thought it was an M800 brown stripe (and priced it accordingly). His error was my good fortune. Mint condition, too!

[debraji]

On 6/4/2021 at 10:57 AM, sirgilbert357 said:

I'm now struggling with the idea of purchasing the recent M800 Brown Black. It's not the 2013 tortoise, by any stretch of the imagination, but I do love how it looks (brown pens are my weakness)...

 

I'm hoping someday for an M600 brown tortoise or brown-black. I, too, have a thing for brown pens. 😎

[sirgilbert357]

5 hours ago, jmccarty3 said:

 

N1003U is right, don't give up hope! I picked up an M800 brown tortoise on the Bay last year from a seller who must have thought it was an M800 brown stripe (and priced it accordingly). His error was my good fortune. Mint condition, too!

 

Jay, if you ever decide to sell it, hit me up first!!

 

I don't even search for tortoises anymore, so yeah, I've given up.

[N1003U]

After a PM conversation with a very nice (and generous) FPN member, I came to terms with him to purchase a classic green-striped M1000 with an EF nib. The EF nib seems to be exactly what was needed for my hand. It is still very wet, but the narrower line and bit of feedback it has changed the pen for me from a decent one to an excellent one.

 

I have had an M1005 Demonstrator with an M nib for years, and I always found it a nice, very wet, but somewhat boring writer. Since I like the Stresemann grey stripes, I picked up an M1005 in that color scheme when it was available a couple of years ago. I bought the Stresemann with a B nib, which is almost embarrassingly wet, and also so smooth that the pen pretty much skids around the page. As a left-hander, the smearing hazard with so much ink flowing onto the page was almost too much. Accordingly, the pen seems to spend more time in storage than in active rotation. As a Pelikan fanboi, I usually find the boring fat, blobby, and smooth Pelikan nibs to be a good match for my boring, fat, and blobby handwriting. However, the B nib on the M1000 was just a bit much.

 

This new (to me), well-tuned EF nib on the M1000 was exactly what the pen needed, and I am enjoying it very much. It was always puzzling to me that despite similar weight, balance, and key dimensions, my experience with the M1000 has never quite measured up to that with the MB 149. I shouldn’t have, and I wonder no more. It’s all about the nib. MB seems to simply maybe tune their nibs better in the factory. This pen, with a well-tuned nib, is now every bit as enjoyable as my 149.

 

One can quibble endlessly (and here on FPN folks often do) whether the (very roughly) 30-ish percent up-charge for a MB vs. a comparable Pelikan is worth it. That argument may never be resolved. However, what I can say from my own experiences with both companies is that the details matter. In this specific case of my new M1000, the details were well tended to, and the pen is every bit as enjoyable as any other pen I own or have used in the same size and weight class.

*******

 

As a footnote, I want to relate the actual purchase experience, which was this time fairly typical of when I buy from FPN members, an enjoyable experience, and as a result, I got to know a fellow member a bit better, which is usually a joy. I have been an FPN member now for over 2 years, and I have purchased several pens, rather more informally via PM where I have reached out to another member, or a member has reached out directly to me, based on comments in the forum, and rather few directly from the classifieds.

 

I have experienced though, that one needs to be careful when approaching such an informal sale with a person who is known to you only as an Internet-forum persona. I find some people love to bargain, and others find it excruciating, and all they want is to settle quickly on a “fair” price (whatever that means to them), and move on. As a result, when dealing with people for the first time, my tendency is to be more generous with offered prices, and more accepting of asking prices. While I am not made of money, at the end of the day, on a forum like this, the development of friendly relationships is far more important than a few dollars, euros, yuan, francs, etc., and spread out over a lifetime, the price differences are negligible anyway. I also find one I have done business with people a coulple of times, it is much easier to haggle in a friendly and positive way.

 

This particular transaction for the M1000 was particularly humorous and in the end satisfying, in that, after making an offer to the seller, he countered with a lower price. We of course settled quickly... 😃

[candlejack]

On 6/6/2021 at 12:47 AM, debraji said:

 

I'm hoping someday for an M600 brown tortoise or brown-black. I, too, have a thing for brown pens. 😎

 

That would be my dream Pelikan and perhaps even my dream pen altogether. The only problem is I probably wouldn't use it for fear of scratching, cracking, dropping, etc. 

 

On 6/6/2021 at 1:42 AM, sirgilbert357 said:

 

Jay, if you ever decide to sell it, hit me up first!!

 

I don't even search for tortoises anymore, so yeah, I've given up.

 

I don't mean to tease, but I was contemplating selling my M800 Brown Tortoise (size is a bit too big). However, my pen has special sentimental value and a bit of a service history which likely hurts its resale value, making it not worth it. 

In terms of aesthetics, it is the best pen in my collection, so I guess my message to you is to not give up. 🙂

[candlejack]

3 hours ago, N1003U said:

After a PM conversation with a very nice (and generous) FPN member, I came to terms with him to purchase a classic green-striped M1000 with an EF nib. The EF nib seems to be exactly what was needed for my hand. It is still very wet, but the narrower line and bit of feedback it has changed the pen for me from a decent one to an excellent one.

 

I have had an M1005 Demonstrator with an M nib for years, and I always found it a nice, very wet, but somewhat boring writer. Since I like the Stresemann grey stripes, I picked up an M1005 in that color scheme when it was available a couple of years ago. I bought the Stresemann with a B nib, which is almost embarrassingly wet, and also so smooth that the pen pretty much skids around the page. As a left-hander, the smearing hazard with so much ink flowing onto the page was almost too much. Accordingly, the pen seems to spend more time in storage than in active rotation. As a Pelikan fanboi, I usually find the boring fat, blobby, and smooth Pelikan nibs to be a good match for my boring, fat, and blobby handwriting. However, the B nib on the M1000 was just a bit much.

 

This new (to me), well-tuned EF nib on the M1000 was exactly what the pen needed, and I am enjoying it very much. It was always puzzling to me that despite similar weight, balance, and key dimensions, my experience with the M1000 has never quite measured up to that with the MB 149. I shouldn’t have, and I wonder no more. It’s all about the nib. MB seems to simply maybe tune their nibs better in the factory. This pen, with a well-tuned nib, is now every bit as enjoyable as my 149.

 

One can quibble endlessly (and here on FPN folks often do) whether the (very roughly) 30-ish percent up-charge for a MB vs. a comparable Pelikan is worth it. That argument may never be resolved. However, what I can say from my own experiences with both companies is that the details matter. In this specific case of my new M1000, the details were well tended to, and the pen is every bit as enjoyable as any other pen I own or have used in the same size and weight class.

*******

 

As a footnote, I want to relate the actual purchase experience, which was this time fairly typical of when I buy from FPN members, an enjoyable experience, and as a result, I got to know a fellow member a bit better, which is usually a joy. I have been an FPN member now for over 2 years, and I have purchased several pens, rather more informally via PM where I have reached out to another member, or a member has reached out directly to me, based on comments in the forum, and rather few directly from the classifieds.

 

I have experienced though, that one needs to be careful when approaching such an informal sale with a person who is known to you only as an Internet-forum persona. I find some people love to bargain, and others find it excruciating, and all they want is to settle quickly on a “fair” price (whatever that means to them), and move on. As a result, when dealing with people for the first time, my tendency is to be more generous with offered prices, and more accepting of asking prices. While I am not made of money, at the end of the day, on a forum like this, the development of friendly relationships is far more important than a few dollars, euros, yuan, francs, etc., and spread out over a lifetime, the price differences are negligible anyway. I also find one I have done business with people a coulple of times, it is much easier to haggle in a friendly and positive way.

 

This particular transaction for the M1000 was particularly humorous and in the end satisfying, in that, after making an offer to the seller, he countered with a lower price. We of course settled quickly... 😃

 

It was a pleasure to meet you, K, and I'm truly delighted that you are enjoying your new M1000. I'm looking forward to your M600 RT "adding to the flock" post!

[N1003U]

18 minutes ago, candlejack said:

It was a pleasure to meet you, K, and I'm truly delighted that you are enjoying your new M1000. I'm looking forward to your M600 RT "adding to the flock" post!

 

Thanks, candlejack, and though I am going to be quite busy again starting in a couple of weeks, I hope I can find to time to stay abreast of the goings-on here at FPN...

[N1003U]

On 6/6/2021 at 12:47 AM, debraji said:

 

I'm hoping someday for an M600 brown tortoise or brown-black. I, too, have a thing for brown pens. 😎

Me too; a thing which I have discovered only recently.

 

28 minutes ago, candlejack said:

That would be my dream Pelikan and perhaps even my dream pen altogether. The only problem is I probably wouldn't use it for fear of scratching, cracking, dropping, etc. 

 

I don't believe I have ever seen a Brown-Tortoise live, and maybe that is a good thing, especially in the context of one being for sale. The M800 Brown-Black appeared on the market concurrently with a short but intensive phase of flock breeding, which resulted in one joining my nest (in the interest of increased genetic diversity of course). I am surprised how much I like it. In fact, I like the Brown-Black (and carry it) so much that (along with the enabling photos and praises of DilettanteG) I also bought the matching ballpoint.

 

As the M600 is my preferred Pelikan model, the theoretical purchase of a Brown-Black M600 would be for me a no-brainer.

 

On the other hand, I am not going to hold my breath. Honestly, I am hoping for fewer or no new M60x introductions for at least while. My pen budget can't handle it. I am now struggling mightily to justify the just-introduced Green-White, as my budget for the Green-White pen went unexpectedly toward an M1000 that was graciously passed on to me via the spirit of FPN. At least I can wait a few months on the new M600 and eat a lot of rice and beans in the meantime.

[sirgilbert357]

4 hours ago, candlejack said:

 

That would be my dream Pelikan and perhaps even my dream pen altogether. The only problem is I probably wouldn't use it for fear of scratching, cracking, dropping, etc. 

 

 

I don't mean to tease, but I was contemplating selling my M800 Brown Tortoise (size is a bit too big). However, my pen has special sentimental value and a bit of a service history which likely hurts its resale value, making it not worth it. 

In terms of aesthetics, it is the best pen in my collection, so I guess my message to you is to not give up. 🙂

 

Service history? Care to expand on that? As long as it is in good writing condition and isn't visibly damaged or scratched up, I think you'd have no problem finding a buyer...at almost any reasonable price.

 

I can't help you on the sentimental side of the decision to sell, though. I am very rarely sentimental about material possessions. If I'm not using it, I usually sell it, LOL. I have a small house and space is at a premium.

 

And I appreciate the encouragement, but I just feel like I'm beating my head against a brick wall searching for one. I never see them until the sale is completed or someone is posting pics of their new arrival in a thread here, LOL. So, really...why bother? I usually don't have the money for a 1300 pen either. Under 1k, I could make something happen, but I've never seen one that low...not in a long time.

[candlejack]

2 hours ago, sirgilbert357 said:

 

Service history? Care to expand on that? As long as it is in good writing condition and isn't visibly damaged or scratched up, I think you'd have no problem finding a buyer...at almost any reasonable price.

 

I can't help you on the sentimental side of the decision to sell, though. I am very rarely sentimental about material possessions. If I'm not using it, I usually sell it, LOL. I have a small house and space is at a premium.

 

And I appreciate the encouragement, but I just feel like I'm beating my head against a brick wall searching for one. I never see them until the sale is completed or someone is posting pics of their new arrival in a thread here, LOL. So, really...why bother? I usually don't have the money for a 1300 pen either. Under 1k, I could make something happen, but I've never seen one that low...not in a long time.

 

Now hold on, that must be a typo. $1300?!

 

Of course I expected the M800 in Brown Tortoise to be popular, but that popular? I may need to reconsider my sentimentalism. If someone wants it so bad that they are willing to pay twice the original MRSP, then maybe it's a sin to have it sit in my display case just because it feels a little too big in the hand. 

 

I think I need to bring it back in the rotation for a week or so and then decide. But hey, thanks a lot for bringing this to my attention. If I do decide to list it, I'll give you a heads-up before it goes live. Unless, of course, you've already decided this is too much to spend on a pen and knowing one's available would cause a nuisance. FOMO is an ugly illusion that I've struggled with myself, so I certainly wouldn't want to do that to anybody.

 

[DilettanteG]

55 minutes ago, candlejack said:

 

Now hold on, that must be a typo. $1300?!

 

Of course I expected the M800 in Brown Tortoise to be popular, but that popular? I may need to reconsider my sentimentalism. If someone wants it so bad that they are willing to pay twice the original MRSP, then maybe it's a sin to have it sit in my display case just because it feels a little too big in the hand. 

 

I think I need to bring it back in the rotation for a week or so and then decide. But hey, thanks a lot for bringing this to my attention. If I do decide to list it, I'll give you a heads-up before it goes live. Unless, of course, you've already decided this is too much to spend on a pen and knowing one's available would cause a nuisance. FOMO is an ugly illusion that I've struggled with myself, so I certainly wouldn't want to do that to anybody.

 

The M800 brown Tortoise has been on my wish list for years.  I’ve never spent more than $700 on a pen though, so it looks like that wish is going to go unfulfilled. I’m interested to see how much this ones goes for. 
 

I’m in a pen buying moratorium, so I’ll have to live vicariously thru all of you. 

[sirgilbert357]

2 hours ago, candlejack said:

 

Now hold on, that must be a typo. $1300?!

 

Of course I expected the M800 in Brown Tortoise to be popular, but that popular? I may need to reconsider my sentimentalism. If someone wants it so bad that they are willing to pay twice the original MRSP, then maybe it's a sin to have it sit in my display case just because it feels a little too big in the hand. 

 

I think I need to bring it back in the rotation for a week or so and then decide. But hey, thanks a lot for bringing this to my attention. If I do decide to list it, I'll give you a heads-up before it goes live. Unless, of course, you've already decided this is too much to spend on a pen and knowing one's available would cause a nuisance. FOMO is an ugly illusion that I've struggled with myself, so I certainly wouldn't want to do that to anybody.

 

 

Yes, I've seen rough condition pens go without box and papers for 1000. With box and papers, in excellent condition is 1100 and up. That's USD, just so we are on the same page. Right now there is one brand new in the box on eBay for $2,000. Yes, TWO THOUSAND dollars.

 

Will it sell for that? who knows. There's a fountain pen and rollerball set for $2,400.00 too.

 

Just sayin...

[DilettanteG]

26 minutes ago, sirgilbert357 said:

 

Yes, I've seen rough condition pens go without box and papers for 1000. With box and papers, in excellent condition is 1100 and up. That's USD, just so we are on the same page. Right now there is one brand new in the box on eBay for $2,000. Yes, TWO THOUSAND dollars.

 

Will it sell for that? who knows. There's a fountain pen and rollerball set for $2,400.00 too.

 

Just sayin...

Yikes! $2K for a plastic pen?

 

Honestly, after jumping thru hoops to get my M600 Violet and White with the  faulty cap replaced, the new one is starting to have trouble posting, too. I'm demoralized and taking a break from buying for awhile. Honestly, ever since I completed my grail pen M600 cities and places collection, I think I've satisfied the itch for a few more years. (Fingers crossed.)

[sirgilbert357]

51 minutes ago, DilettanteG said:

Yikes! $2K for a plastic pen?

 

Honestly, after jumping thru hoops to get my M600 Violet and White with the  faulty cap replaced, the new one is starting to have trouble posting, too. I'm demoralized and taking a break from buying for awhile. Honestly, ever since I completed my grail pen M600 cities and places collection, I think I've satisfied the itch for a few more years. (Fingers crossed.)

 

It's the exclusivity you're paying for. They are sought after and in short supply.

 

I don't want it because it's rare. I couldn't care less about that. I just LOVE the binde on it and want it because it's gorgeous and I love brown pens. I wonder how many more Pelikan could have sold if they'd just added it to the regular lineup. You can still make them in small batches, but do it annually -- instead of once and then never again.

 

But what do I know? I don't work at Pelikan.

[DilettanteG]

9 minutes ago, sirgilbert357 said:

 

It's the exclusivity you're paying for. They are sought after and in short supply.

 

I don't want it because it's rare. I couldn't care less about that. I just LOVE the binde on it and want it because it's gorgeous and I love brown pens. I wonder how many more Pelikan could have sold if they'd just added it to the regular lineup. You can still make them in small batches, but do it annually -- instead of once and then never again.

 

But what do I know? I don't work at Pelikan.

So true, I guess I'll just have to make do with my M800 Brown and Black. The only way I can justify more pens at this point is if I sell off some of the ones that I'm not using. Even then, the Montblanc Flex Calligraphy is also on my wish list. Unfortunately home remodelling and some traveling are probably going to eat my cash first. A shame, as I've been wanting a M800 Brown Tortoise for literally years. You'll have to enjoy it for the both of us!

[sirgilbert357]

10 minutes ago, DilettanteG said:

So true, I guess I'll just have to make do with my M800 Brown and Black. The only way I can justify more pens at this point is if I sell off some of the ones that I'm not using. Even then, the Montblanc Flex Calligraphy is also on my wish list. Unfortunately home remodelling and some traveling are probably going to eat my cash first. A shame, as I've been wanting a M800 Brown Tortoise for literally years. You'll have to enjoy it for the both of us!

 

I wish. I won't be getting one. I simply can't justify the prices I'm seeing. I have plenty of other brown pens -- including the M800 Brown Black -- so I'll just have to manage with what I've got.