Pelikan M800 Vs M1000

[The-Thinker]

If you had the chance, which pen would you get so that you enjoy writing and call it a "keeper"

[carlos.q]

That's easy: vintage M800 with a 14c or a PF 18c nib.

[Uncial]

M1000. I like the 800 but they really are very different pens.

[Ron Z]

M1000. I like the 800 but they really are very different pens.

Sort of....

 

The piston mechanism, except for the brass bushing and grip knob, is the same. The piston drive, piston, and piston seal are the same, so inside diameter is the same. Length nearly fairly close, so the ink capacity is very close. The difference in outside diameter is because of the barrel wall thickness. Basic pen design and assembly is the same, just bigger.

 

I haven't "lived" with a 1000, but have repaired a fair number of them, and have three or four 800 barrels that I repaired and have used over the last 10 years or so to test the durability of the section repair that I do. I find it to be very comfortable.

[macaddicted]

I sold my M1000. To big to no purpose. I’ll stick to my M800s.

[zaddick]

The nib experience is very different. M800 nibs are stiff and the flow is reasonable, but not wet. On average the M1000 nib is much softer (sometimes I say mushy) and quite wet. Certainly the pens are different dimensions but the nib is the real difference.

[hari317]

If you had the chance, which pen would you get so that you enjoy writing and call it a "keeper"

I have both and between the two I would say m800. I feel pelikan hit the optimum with the 800 design. But you never know your experience may differ. I now have only the early m800s with en 18c nibs and 14c nibs. I am not fond of current m800 and m1000 nibs which is again a personal opinion. HTH.

[N1003U]

I am an M600 person for EDC, and I have been using the M1000 for desk duty for a few years. I just bought my first M800 a few months ago.

 

I find the M1000 is for me just a bit too large to carry around a lot, and the M600 is a bit too light sometimes. In these senses, the M800 is for me very nice middle size. Convenient enough to carry, yet substantial enough for serious writing sessions. The only real problem I have with the M800 (if you can call it a problem) is that with my hand size, I can never decide whether or not to post it, I think the M800 is slightly better for me un-posted, and the M1000 I use definitely un-posted.

 

As others have pointed out, the nib experience between the two pens is totally different. The M1000 nib is a bit "springy-er" (some call that mushy, some call that character, some call that fun). I find the M1000 noticeably thicker, but not overly "girthy".

 

I am sitting here just now with both, and the weight seems to my hand not a huge difference (probably as stated by Ron Z, the difference in the wall thickness). To me it comes down to the size and the nib properties. As big fan of the M1000 and the M600, I could say the M800 is a great size in-between those two pens, or I could say the M800 is neither one of the other two, but I like all three.

 

To answer the OP more directly, I guess it comes down to trying both and deciding which one strikes your fancy more. If you like this general size/weight of pen, odds are you will find both to be fine pens. If it comes to budget, yes the M800 is a bit less expensive, but in this range I suspect price sensitively is less important the the features of the pens themselves.

 

It does seem to be a personal thing, and let me say as a newcomer to these fountain pen fora, this is a place in many enthusiast groups where religious wars would break out over which pen is better and why, but this seems to be a extremely friendly and civiliz(s)ed group who understand that both pens exist for a reason and have their fanbase...either pen would be a fine addition to any collection.

 

The only other comments I would make is that the M800 is available in a lot more choices of color/styling and material finishes, which might be an indication that it is somewhat more popular, but still both choices are there, and if you decide on an M1000, order one nib width (and maybe two nib widths) smaller than you think you want. The bouncy nib tines are not really flexible in the classic sense, but they do spread just a bit, even with a very light touch, and the flow is typically quite generous compared even to the M800.

Edited January 17, 2020 by N1003U

[N1003U]

The nib experience is very different. M800 nibs are stiff and the flow is reasonable, but not wet. On average the M1000 nib is much softer (sometimes I say mushy) and quite wet. Certainly the pens are different dimensions but the nib is the real difference.

 

 

Subject to the 250-or-so qualifying words above, I agree with this assessment.

[jchch1950]

The M800 has more color options including the Toledo outer barrel.

[Bo Bo Olson]

A 600,posted a very, very well balanced medium-large light &nimble well girthed pen in many models, that will take a semi-flex '50-65 nib....will also take a '82-97 springy regular flex nib.....and the steel or gold plated springy narrow as vintage steel nib is an upgrade on the fat and blooby modern 600 nib.

I have a small W.Germany 600 and a modern 605.

My 605 with a '50-65 vintage factory semi-flex stub B is The 600 will fit a better nib....like a 400 will do. Better nibs IMO are the nice and springy semi-vintage '82-97 nibs and the '50-65 vintage nibs (these give you flair and line variation with out you having to do anything at all!!!!) They are not calligraphy letter drawing nibs) .

 

I had my modern round blobby semi-nail BB stubbed to 0.8/B that improved it a world....Still a giant step away from a semi-flex B.

(When brand new, I had swapped in a M for a BB nib, in I always knew it would be stubbed or made CI and I wanted enough nib width to chose how wide or narrow I wanted.)

 

The 800 nor 1000 will not take smaller nibs (nor each others)....so that leave out getting better nibs from other eras.

 

A 800 is not a well balanced pen, nor nimble. The W.Germany springy regular flex nib is a very good one, a tad more springy that the Germany '90-97 one. It is a classic tear drop nibbed pen, with a clean line.

Had it's very own thinner than regular '82-97 400/600 nib width..

...the 200/& semi-vintage 400 and small 400 sized 600 have vintage width....about 1/2 a width narrower than modern....and write with a clean line.

 

Oddly in it is longer, I find the 1000 to lay better in my hand up-posted of course, than the shorter 800.

 

The post '97 pens 400/600's semi-nail. 800 nail and 1000 regular flex all have double balls top and bottom with a thick tip of fatness so the ball point writer don't have to learn how to hold a fountain pen.

Those are butter smooth, and characterless. They do not write with a clean line.

The 200 is still a great nib and IMO the best one Pelikan now makes. Writes with a clean line.

 

There are Bock made 1000 nibs that are semi-flex how one tells that, I don't know. I went to my B&M ages and ages ago to check if the 1000 was semi-flex or springy regular flex as folks argued. That one in the B&M then was a Bock in it was a semi-flex nib. I had taken a good semi-flex nibbed pen with me to compare.

My 1005 is a fat and blobby springy regular flex Pelikan nib. Suspect the Bock 1000 to be fat and blobby too, in it was made to Pelikan specs. Didn't check, didn't know how fat and blobby modern Pelikans actually were back then, when I was still half to 3/4ths a noobie.

Edited January 17, 2020 by Bo Bo Olson

[mulrich]

I have a handful of M800s with one almost always inked. I have one M1000 that I'm always on the verge of selling. As others said, the real difference to me is the nib. The M800 is stiff but I still prefer it to the M1000.

[BillH]

I still prefer the M800.

[PAKMAN]

I have one 1000 and 8 800's. The 1000 is nice but too big for using often. The soft nibs produce too wide of line for me.

[DilettanteG]

I have and really like both, but the M600 is my Cinderella pen. I’m highly tempted to try the M640 as it looks even more ergonomic, but I worry that it might feel too heavy. It’s such a personal thing, like asking which shoes are the best. I’m glad there are lots of size options.

[N1003U]

I have and really like both, but the M600 is my Cinderella pen. I’m highly tempted to try the M640 as it looks even more ergonomic, but I worry that it might feel too heavy. It’s such a personal thing, like asking which shoes are best. I’m glad there are lots of size options.

 

 

Well put, but then, I am also an M6xx fan. I like the M10xx very much, and I _think_ I like the M8xx, too, but the jury is still out, I need to use the pen more to decide.

[offbase]

I wish they'd put an M1000 nib on an 800. Perfection!

[Lam1]

I enjoy both and consider both keepers.

 

The M1000 is hard to carry around in a shirt pocket, while the M800 can be carried that way.

 

I find both very comfortable to use and the main difference besides the size is, as already mentioned, the nib.

While the M1000 nib is very soft and very wet, the M800 is stiff and, as Zaddick mentioned, has a regular flow (none of my M800s are wet writers). While I prefer the nib of the M1000 in general, for situations in which I need to write fast the M800 is preferable (again, to me).

 

So, it really comes down to preferences and the kind of use you have in mind.

[hh1990]

I've a got both and find it hard to choose between the two because as others have mentioned, they offer distinctly different writing experiences. But the broad M1000 nib one of my absolute favorite nibs. Just awesome.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Whee if the springy regular flex 1000 nib is too soft...............mushy.

What then of the springy regular flex 200, & semi-vintage springy regular flex '82-97 nibs.

If the 1000 regular flex nib is too soft....then stay far away from vintage semi-flex.

 

I don't find my 1005 to be mushy...ah hummm...my 1005 is supposed to write with a wider line....OBB....

 

The 1000 writing with too wide a line, could well come from a nail user's heavy hand...a regular flex ...which when well mashed goes 3X a light down stroke, could easily write at 1 1/2 a light down stroke, or if heavier handed 2X....when a nail user's use to 1X at the same pressure.

Nails are a very forgiving nib in heavy hands.