Why Pelikan?

[SlowMovingTarget]

I hope you'll forgive the open ended question, but I thought this might be the right place to ask. Why Pelikan? Why these pens over, say Pilot Custom 845 or Custom Urushi pens? Over Sailor? Visconti?

 

I ask for two reasons. First, I've never had occasion to try a Pelikan. After flirting with fountain pens, so to speak, for 20 years, I finally took a dive off the deep end in late 2019.  I bought my first bottle of ink, learned how to use the converter in that Waterman I'd had in the closet, and was off. I toyed with TWSBIs and was so looking forward to the Commonwealth Pen Show... in 2020... So I've not gotten to try one. Over the course of the year I've added a Lamy 2000 (EF) and a Pilot Custom 74 (F) to my set. I've been reading and listening and browsing. Wondering if that m800 Blue Dunes would be worth it. What's it like? Should I save for an m1000 instead? I have no way of trying it out in the near term. If I can get vaccinated, and if the show is held this year... perhaps...

 

The second reason is that Pelikans keep coming up in other places. Neil deGrasse Tyson, for example, mentions that they're his favorite pens. I've read nib meisters comments on how wonderful they are to work with for cursive italics or obliques. How their gold nibs are special, how they tend to be wet (good!) and a bit more springy than other pens. I love piston fillers. I also tend to prefer fine nibs, which seems like the the opposite direction from something like a Pelikan CI.

 

What am I getting with a Pelikan that I'm not getting with a Sailor, or Visconti, or higher-end Pilot? Or even Nakaya or Namiki pens? (I don't have those, and haven't tried them either, mind, I just was interested in reading what the people here thought).

 

I'm not going to ask you to justify spending my money. That's totally unfair. But for those of you that love them, I'd love to hear why.

[MHBru]

To me it's easy... they are supremely reliable, workhorse fountain pens.  Oh and they are beautiful, too.  I have three M800s and an M205 and they all perform better than almost anything else in my desk.

[N1003U]

In some ways, asking someone why they like to use a certain pen (or indeed almost any product) is a bit like asking someone why they like to eat a particular food. I can I suppose come up with lots of reasons (even arguably objective reasons, such as nutrition value, quality, etc. or simply subjective reasons (flavor, color, texture, etc.), but for most cases, it comes down to what I like. Things I think are important or like, others don’t care about or like something totally different, and that’s OK.

 

The other pens mentioned above are also fine pens, but their particular features are somewhat different from Pelikans.

 

So, in that spirit, and noting that I have and enjoy several of the other pens mentioned above, here are my reasons for Pelikan (No particular order):

 

What I like:

• Piston filling
• Easily removable/interchangeable nib/feed assembly
• Distinctive styling (it’s rare to confuse a Pelikan for something else)
• Reasonable selection of standard sizes/colors
• Occasional interesting/fun special editions
• Consistent quality and excellent durability
• Good product support (global dealer network, availability of repair parts and service, warranty)
• overall, a great combination of design, manufacturing, accessories, sales, and post-sale support. For me, Pelikans rarely excel, but are extremely competent—they also rarely disappoint.

(Fanboi fair disclosure: more than 50% of the pens in my regular rotation are Pelikans)

if you are really torn between an M800 and an M1000, I would say this:

• the M1000 is bigger, the nib is soft, and the ink flow is huge.
• the M800 is a more typical “large” pen size, and the nib is stiffer.

Compared to their smaller siblings (M2xx/4xx/6xx), both pens are quite a bit heavier (30+ grams, vs. under 20 for the smaller models—mostly due to upgrade of piston drives from plastic to metal), and the balance is slightly rearward (some might find pleasantly so). Both pens are to my taste well-balanced especially unposted. I find the smaller models very well balanced posted.

[SlowMovingTarget]

7 hours ago, N1003U said:

if you are really torn between an M800 and an M1000, I would say this:

• the M1000 is bigger, the nib is soft, and the ink flow is huge.
• the M800 is a more typical “large” pen size, and the nib is stiffer.

Compared to their smaller siblings (M2xx/4xx/6xx), both pens are quite a bit heavier (30+ grams, vs. under 20 for the smaller models—mostly due to upgrade of piston drives from plastic to metal), and the balance is slightly rearward (some might find pleasantly so). Both pens are to my taste well-balanced especially unposted. I find the smaller models very well balanced posted.

First, thank you for the detail. I'm interested in both subjective and objective. For the subjective reasons, when you express why, I'm free to judge for myself whether those things line up with my tastes or not. So all feed back is good.

 

I find that there are some pens I have, that when paired with the right ink, and using a light touch (which I prefer to heavy pressure), it feels almost as though I'm brushing the words onto the page. This happens whether the nib is stiff or not, but ink does seem to make a fair bit of difference. That soft nib in an M1000 sounds interesting.

 

Your other points are the kinds of things I tend to insist on if I'm spending the kind of money a Pelikan costs. Reliable, consistent quality, maintainable (this includes sourcing replacement parts from the company). Thank you.

[SlowMovingTarget]

12 hours ago, MHBru said:

To me it's easy... they are supremely reliable, workhorse fountain pens.  Oh and they are beautiful, too.  I have three M800s and an M205 and they all perform better than almost anything else in my desk.

Almost   Which pens beat them? For beauty? For flow and feel? For it-just-works-and-I-forget-I'm-using-a-pen?

 

Thank you for the response.

[mana]

Few earlier threads on this topic:

 

 

...and also this:

 

https://thepelikansperch.com/2018/01/07/why-pelikan/

[sgphototn]

I have an M1000. Had a broad nib ground to a 1.1 stub. I like the Pelikan, but not at the typical prices in the US. 

 

Since you mention you have a light touch, the Pelikan may be right for you. Mine seems to write better with the softest touch I can use to put the nib to paper. When picking up the Pelikan compared to most other pens, I have to remember to use less pressure.

 

I've never tried 200/400/600 series as I like larger pens. You may find an 800 suits you better than the 1000.

 

Do a lot of checking before purchasing as prices in the US are at least a third higher and more than what the M1000 can be bought in Europe.

 

When I bought my M1000 the US price was 700 or more. I paid less than $450 including DHL from Cult Pens.

 

 

[sansenri]

I'm with MHBru, I think reliability sums it up.

I'd probably add extreme reliability. Many other pens are reliable, but Pelikan is special at it.

You've actually mentioned some of the other aspects, how the nibs tend to be wet and a bit more springy than other pens.

And then the piston, Pelikan's piston is possibly the best (and I tend to think it plays a role in the fact that flow feels so unrestrained on Pelikans).

The main obstacle I see here is that you tend to prefer fine nibs. If that is a critical point then Pelikan may not be your best choice (probably best to stay with Japanese nibs for that).

If you want to take the jump, I'd also avoid starting from an M1000, it's a very big pen. The M800 is a more standard size.

(and the Blue Dunes is beautiful, btw)

[lionelc]

i like pelikan as a pen company with some continuity over the past 100 years or so.  I appreciate that a 400NN nib made more than 70 years ago swaps out into a m400 should the vintage pen's barrel become unusable.  There are other threads on FPN regarding their vintage nibs - many of them are magnificent to write with.  Furthermore - the M1000 has a modern nib that will likely be looked back on as a classic in a few decades.  It is worthwhile to get someone at the store to check the modern nibs though, a lot less heartache on the long run.

[SlowMovingTarget]

4 hours ago, mana said:

Few earlier threads on this topic:

...

Excellent, thank you.

[inkstainedruth]

Basically, what a lot of other people have already said.

While my favorite pens are vintage Parkers, my *expensive* pens are all Pelikans.  My first one was a 1990s era M400 Brown Tortoise, bought off of eBay for a special occasion.  It's an attractive pen, I like piston fillers, and if I decide for some reason that I don't like the springy F nib on it, I could swap out the nib unit for any nib that fits either an M400 or an M200.  It's sedate enough looking to be good in any business setting but still "pretty".

I do have to be a little careful about what inks go in mine, because they do run wetter than some pens (my original plan of putting Irsoshizuku Yama-guri in the Brown Tortoise and use the pen for drawing was somewhat dashed by the wet nib/wet ink combination.  But that same wet nib saved Noodler's Walnut (which is a bit on the dry side).   

Pelikans are well-made, classy looking pens for the most part.  While they don't have the range of nibs that they used to (except I think for the M1000s, which are way too large and heavy for me) you can often find nib units on eBay.  I'd love to someday have the money for a vintage 100, and for a couple of the M620 "Great Cities" line.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

[OMASsimo]

I appreciate the great quality of Pelikans but my newest one is from the 1990s. So, I can’t say much about the current offerings. But from what I see and hear, they still are what they used to be, a company that’s determined to provide robust, reliable quality writing instruments. In recent years, apparently they went more for the appearances. I don’t think that they are that special in their league of todays top tier producers. In their earlier years, though, they were distinguished by their excellent nibs.

[nm4]

I have more Pelikans than any other pen (I think I am up to 5).  One thing I like about the brand is that even the more basic pens like an M200 have a great writing experience.  In fact they are so good that sometimes the more expensive models seem overpriced.

 

On a personal note I love Pelikans because they are not well known to the general public.  Nobody asks you “is that a Pelikan?” - most unlike the Montblanc/Rolex experience where one is sadly judged on a material item rather than his/her character.  And I say that as an owner of all these brands. 

 

NM

[dhanks]

My Pelikans have been utterly reliable and enjoyable pens.  My first "good" pen was a Pelikan M400 that I bought new in 1985 from Fahrney's pens.  It has a brilliant semi-flexy EF nib that is a joy to use.  I next bought a Pelikan M800 in 1994, again from Fahrney's.  It has a wonderful, springy M nib.  Those two have been workhorses for me ever since.  I later bought 2 Pelikan 400NNs in Tortoise from Rick Propas, one with an EF nib and the other an OB, both semi-flexy.  They too have been used regularly and have never failed.  I like other pens, Parker, Aurora, but when push comes to shove, I'd have to go with my Pelikans.

 

Rumpole

[inkstainedruth]

Just now, nm4 said:

I have more Pelikans than any other pen (I think I am up to 5).  One thing I like about the brand is that even the more basic pens like an M200 have a great writing experience.  In fact they are so good that sometimes the more expensive models seem overpriced.

 

On a personal note I love Pelikans because they are not well known to the general public.  Nobody asks you “is that a Pelikan?” - most unlike the Montblanc/Rolex experience where one is sadly judged on a material item rather than his/her character.  And I say that as an owner of all these brands. 

 

NM

Ironically, one of the few times I got asked "is that a [brandname] pen was with my Vibrant Pink Safari.  You really don't expect -- in the middle of an argument about shopping carts in a parking lot and potential damage to cars, for a third person come on to the scene and say, "Is that... a... LAMY?" while exchanging insurance information....  

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[A Smug Dill]

19 hours ago, SlowMovingTarget said:

Why Pelikan? Why these pens over, say Pilot Custom 845 or Custom Urushi pens? Over Sailor? Visconti?

 

Pelikan is a brand that was a relatively late addition to my pen collection (or hoarding). Between my wife and I, we have maybe ten Pelikan piston-fillers; but I've just about lost count of how many Sailor (three new ones arrived just in the past seven days), Platinum and Pilot pens we have, but definitely over two dozen in each of the Japanese ‘Big Three’ brands. To me, it's not a matter of choosing one brand over another, as if it was strictly either-or.

 

Mostly I buy (more) Pelikan pens because I like certain materials and colourways not offered by the other three; I don't recall seeing any Japanese fountain pen that looks anything like the M400 Tortoiseshell-White or the M200 Gold-Marbled (which is almost a perfect match colour-wise for Platinum Classic Ink Citrus Black, which is a fun ink). Pelikan's piston-filling mechanism is very good for what it is, although I can't compare it against a Sailor Realo (because I have never inked up the one I have) or a Pilot Custom Heritage 92 (which I never bought and will probably never buy), and piston-filling is not something I see more favourably over converter-filling. Pelikan's stock M20x steel EF and F nibs are usually pretty good out of the box — although I can't say the same about Pelikan Souverän gold nibs — and the M20x nibs are easily and cheaply replaceable, so I think they're great for me to play with practising my custom nib grinding, in a way I wouldn't dream of doing to a Sailor or Pilot nib. Between a M200 (say, Brown-Marbled or Green-Marbled) or M205 (say, Blue-Marbled although I already have one of those, or plain white) and, say, some version of Sailor Procolor (e.g. Shikiori Hisakata) with a steel nib, for the same price I'd probably choose the Pelikan for the reasons above. However, once it gets to the price point of around US$100, for which I could get either a steel-nibbed M205 Moonstone special edition, or a gold-nibbed Sailor Professional Gear Slim in so many different colourways, I'd spend the money on the Sailor.

 

I have a M600 Vibrant Orange I love, originally for the pen body material (which I haven't seen in any Japanese pen, although I think the Chinese-made Hong Dian introduced a model recently that was obviously ‘inspired by’ that Pelikan), but now mostly for the nib Dan Smith customised for me when I ordered the pen from him. It my favourite ‘Western’ nib, but then arguably it doesn't have anything specifically to do with it being Pelikan.

 

I also have a M815 Metal-Striped, which frankly I don't like much and it spends months on end in the dark, uninked and unused.

 

Now, with the specific pens you mentioned as the competition:

• I don't fancy the Pilot Custom 845 or Custom Urushi at all, and never intend to buy one. I would have been happy to buy a Custom Ichii but my order was cancelled on account of it being (then newly) discontinued and the seller couldn't source any, and I'm not as interested in the Custom Enju. My most prized fountain pen is a (modern) Pilot Hannya Shingyo; you made no mention of that model or the like, but I thought I'd mention it anyway, and one of the reasons I like it is its 18K gold #10 nib; large nibs for the sake of being large do nothing for me.
• Visconti's reputation for poor QC precedes its actual products, so for the asking prices of its gold-nibbed pens, I simply won't take a punt, buy one and give it the off-chance to wow me. If I want to buy an Italian pen, I'd buy Aurora pens (of which I have many, and am open to buying more) or something from Santini Italia.
• Sailor makes the best nibs in my opinion, but I'm getting tired of and bored with its never-ending stream of limited and special editions that use the same basic single-hued (translucent or opaque) PMMA resins for colour-blocking, and throwing shimmer into the material isn't all that much better. How about some swirls, or cracked ice or mosaic patterns, for the limited/special editions starting from the smallest (Pro Gear Slim or Profit Standard) to the largest models? Perhaps kanazawa gold-leaf (cf. Platinum #3776) or guilloche (cf. Pilot Justus 95 and Capless Vanishing Point) finishes, Sailor?

[gyasko]

The soft feel and line variation i get from my 1950s Peilikan BB nib is unmatched by anything made by Pilot, Sailor or Visconti.  (or for that matter, modern Pelikan).  On top of that, the 400NN it came on is a relatively robust pen that is neither too big nor too small and has that forget-that-it's-in-your-hand quality.   If i'm going to use other pens, it's going to be a 51, an old Waterman or a 1950s Montblanc or something.                                                                                                                   

[Bo Bo Olson]

The modern 200 still has the classic semi-vintage springy regular flex of the 400/600 '82-97 era.....the 200 came out @ '87 +-.

The '82-97 400/600's gold nibs are as good as the 200's gold plated or steel nibs, which actually is praise.

Then there is the vintage semi & occasional maxi-semi-flex nibs of the '50-65 era that fit the 400/600 & 200. The German semi-flex nibs of that era are grand. They are flair nibs, giving your Hand that old fashioned fountain pen flair with out doing anything at all.

 

 

Once you have a basic set of vintage, and semi-vintage and or 200's; you can buy ever so many pretty pens. The 200/400/600 has great balance posted; and should be posted in there lays the balance.

With out really, really trying one can acquire over 20 Pelikans in a decade..........I living in Germany and falling in love with semi-flex had a better shot at getting them from Ebay......and before the Used Pen Cartel took control of German Ebay, they use to be affordable. E100 for a vintage 400, up to 120 for a 400nn.

Now the Used Pen Cartel offers the same pen for for US prices in they know there enough Idiots in the US who will pay more than it's worth, for $270 right under the very same pen offered in the Buy Now Idiot section. So why not spend $10 more and get it with out wasting one's time bidding.....after all it's a good deal, look at the high price of the bid pen....right...

 

When looking in the sold item section, the prices are much lower. There are still folks that put the pen in for regular auction or have a much lower than the Cartel's start bids.

 

You can still get them for a reasonable price, if you Hunt.....and that is fun, as strange as that seems to the Instant Gratification Generation.

It is odd to set your limit, based on real past sales, and staying with it, so you can continue the Hunt, if the pen becomes too expensive.

Guys who buy a lot of overly expensive pens, have few, the wise Hunt and have many.

[tacitus]

On 2/28/2021 at 2:56 PM, SlowMovingTarget said:

...I love piston fillers. I also tend to prefer fine nibs, which seems like the the opposite direction from something like a Pelikan CI...

 

My daily writers are Pelikan M800 and Pilot Custom 723, and Platinum #3776 Century.

As you mentioned, If you prefer fine nibs, I would recommend Pilot Custom 845 or Custom Urushi pens, or Briar (Celluloid, Urushi) #3776 Century pens. They offers EF and UEF😲 nibs. If you love piston fillers, go for Pelikans without hesitation. The filling system is one of what you are getting with Pelikans that you are not getting with Japanese brands.

 

I also completely agree with N1003U. I prefer Pelikans to Japanese pens in terms of distinctive styling.

 

On 2/28/2021 at 8:02 PM, N1003U said:

What I like:

• Piston filling
• ...
• Distinctive styling (it’s rare to confuse a Pelikan for something else)...

 

[carola]

Apart from simply having grown up with Pelikan pens since I was a little girl (and growing quite attached to them), Pelikan pens are stylish, elegant, with colours suiting every taste (from simple, subdued black to candy colours), high quality pens with - as someone else mentioned - probably the best piston filling system to be had. They are reliable workhorses and robust (I don´t hesitate a second when it comes to carrying them around with me) and you get good customer service. Also they are sporting very good gold and steel nibs.

And then there is the fact that you get vintage pens with wonderful nibs, some of them still at sensible prices, and if you are lucky you´ll find a 70 years old pen in the wild, flush out old dried ink, fill it up and that pen will come back to life like it was manufactured yesterday.

 

The modern Pelikans have some absolutely beautiful colours, a nice variety of sizes and I like them a lot, but my heart is with the vintage 60 to 90 years old specimens.

 

As for the sizes, the 200 and 400 lines are very suitable for small hands (like mine). I don´t have any 600s, so I can´t talk about those. The 800s are rather big for me but I am still able to handle them without a problem. The 1000 on the other hand is a really big chunk of a pen. A few months ago, I got to test one and while it wrote a superbly smooth line (with me finally understanding what people mean by describing the difference between the 1000 nib and all the other modern Pelikan gold nibs) and is a very handsome and impressive pen and really nice for a bold signature, I wouldn´t want to write it for a longer stretch of time as it is too big and too heavy for me to use it comfortably. If you don´t have any experience with pens of that size, I would strongly recommend having a look at it in person beforehand.