Pelikan M101N Grey-Blue

[ralfstc]

Hi folks,

 

This year for the holidaysI decided to treat myself to a tiny Pelikan! There was a seller on amazon offering the 101N for less than $300. I'd been fancying one for a while, but of course they are usually pretty spendy. At that price, though, game on!

 

The pen is not very large, being the same size as a vintage 100n. I like this size a lot, having a few 400s and other older pens. I have pretty big hands, but love the way the small pens balance and handle when they are posted. I also enjoy larger pens as well, such as my Scribo and M800. I can see the size would be an issue for people who like to write with a baseball bat, but I imagine most folks would enjoy the portability and elegance of one of these in the toolkit. It comes in a posh "I'm so fancy" sort of box:

 

 

 

 

I worked out the box is actually 130 times the volume of the pen, which seems like a lot. Especially when it doesn't hold very much:

 

 

 

Or, to put it another way:

 

 

 

 

Hmmmm. One of the things I admire about Germany is the progress they have made on environmental matters. Not so much here.

 

So, to the pen. Honestly, it's a beauty. Here it is sitting on its fancy box:

 

 

 

Super styley hang-tag!

 

 

 

Here are a couple of details. First the binde, which on mine is perhaps a slightly bluer blue-grey. A very pretty colour with a nice shimmery effect. I can't tell for sure if it's a binde or the body, by the way, but the construction looks really like a vintage Pelikan. If forced to guess, I'd say that it's a cellulose binde over a body made of the same stuff as the ink window. When you look "up" the body towards the piston it is really quite translucent and the binde has that slightly "draggy" feeling I associate with cellulose.

 

 

 

Here is the top of the cap. I LOVE the engraving here (sorry about the fluff in the picture. That was me, not Pelikan!):

 

 

 

Here are a couple of beauty shots!

 

 

 

 

 

So how about filling and writing? The piston action is simply superb, smooth and positive. I know people say this all the time, but the Pelikan piston really is the best in the game.

 

Here's a picture of the nib. It's a terrible picture, but I wanted to show the cool 1940s nib engraving! It looks like the nib is scratched in the picture, but it's not. Just needed a wipe!

 

 

 

 

 

The nib was terrific right out the box. Not a lot of line variation, but a nice spring, very smooth, no hesitation, skips or any other naughtiness. It's one of the nicest nibs I've tried in a long time. Here's a writing sample, with apologies for the scrawl:

 

 

 

So there you go. A very elegant, handy little pen, with rock solid construction and really impressive vintage references (and a "free" bottle of ink and a box your cat can live in after you take out the pen).

 

The cat in the room is, of course, the price. At $500 or €500, this is not a bargain. It's cute, it's fun, it has a lovely nib, but really! For $300 or €300 it's a solid deal, with character, reliability and not a little flair. I'd say that if you were thinking of one, at any price up to $400 or €400 you will feel you got your money's worth and a wee bit more!

 

Thanks for reading, and take care,

 

Ralf

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DrDebG]

Absolutely wonderful photography! It inspires me to look more closely at this lovely pen. I sincerely hope you enjoy your new M101N!

[hari317]

Lovely pen at a lovely price! Congratulations!

[Lam1]

Great review and stunning photography!

Thanks for sharing.

 

I never looked twice at the M101Ns, because I though they were too small. But I also got a great deal on the Grey last December ($170 brand new, shipped! ). So, I decided to give it a try. I absolutely love it.

[hari317]

But I also got a great deal on the Grey last December ($170 brand new, shipped! ).

wow, where are you people getting such good deals from?

[Lam1]

wow, where are you people getting such good deals from?

 

I was just lucky.

I was looking at eBay and the first pen that showed up, just launched, was this one.The seller announced it as a M205 and asked $170 or best offer. I bought it immediately.

[Tom Kellie]

~ ralfstc:

 

Thank you for posting this helpful review.

Although none of the images display on my computer screen, the text is enjoyable.

I hope that your new Pelikan will be a treasured writer for you.

Tom K.

[CeruleanToAzure]

Fantastic review, thank you! Can you please tell me if this pen has the same size of a M2XX/4XX series?

[ralfstc]

Hi C2A,

 

The pen is slightly shorter than a vintage 400 when closed, and much shorter than a 51. When open, the 101 and the 51 are about the same length and the 400 is shorter (as you can see from attached very quickly taken photos).

 

In terms of weight, the 101 is 15g, the 400 is 17g and the 51 is 19g (largely due to the metal cap, I suspect).

 

Section size on the 400 and the 101 are, as far as I can tell, identical.

 

Hope this helps!

 

Ralf

[CeruleanToAzure]

Hope this helps!

 

Ralf

 

Thank you Ralf, your images really help. I have a M215 that I only use posted (and love it), so in pratical terms, I will not be disapointed if I get one.

[Uncial]

This is quite a stunning pen. When it was announced I confess I thought it was a dull grey pen but seen in the flesh its a really nice mother of pearl type finish and has a very distinct deco vibe to it.

 

Caution advised for the next statement. Those of a nervous disposition might like to scroll on.

 

The engraved cap on these always makes my hand twitch for the china clay pencil.

[Tom Kellie]

The pen is slightly shorter than a vintage 400 when closed, and much shorter than a 51. When open, the 101 and the 51 are about the same length and the 400 is shorter (as you can see from attached very quickly taken photos).

 

In terms of weight, the 101 is 15g, the 400 is 17g and the 51 is 19g (largely due to the metal cap, I suspect).

 

Section size on the 400 and the 101 are, as far as I can tell, identical.

 

Hope this helps!

 

~ ralfstc:

 

Thank you for posting these two images.

They do display here.

Tom K.

[ralfstc]

 

The engraved cap on these always makes my hand twitch for the china clay pencil.

 

 

Ha! Me too! Just as well I don't have one . . .

[Lam1]

 

~ ralfstc:

 

Thank you for posting these two images.

They do display here.

Tom K.

 

Tom, I believe you would enjoy the M101N.

They are small and very lightweight.

Really a lovely pen!