M800

[davisgt]

I've appreciated the aesthetic of the M800 for a while now. For those of you who own one, what are your likes and dislikes?

[usk15]

I like the size, weight, colors, design, filling system.

I don't like the price...

[torstar]

Great pen, it's just not in my collection's top 5 .

 

[Lam1]

As someone who owns 21 of them (or is it 22?), and that is after selling 2 or 3 because the collection was becoming a bit too large, I may be a wee bit biased 😂. But here is what I like:

 

- perfect size, weight and balance. Note that the piston is brass, so it is a bit back heavy and the fact that it is perfectly balanced for my grip doesn't mean it will be for you.

- design: I like flat tops and the variety of colors offered (you can always get old SE/LEs on the bay of evil).

- best piston in the market, IMO.

- easily interchangeable nibs.

- easy to clean and maintain: contrary to other brands, if the piston gets a little stiff, it is very easy to remove the nib and apply a little silicone grease. Also, I usually remove the nib to clean and it makes the process super quick.

- I think that compared to pens of the same quality/size/category (Aurora Optima/88, MB 146, etc.) it is fairly priced.

 

 

[Penguincollector]

  I’m a longtime user of an M800, and I have to say that while it’s a bit larger than my average pen size, it’s so well balanced, that I prefer the weight of the metal piston to the plastic one in my M400. Mine has a lovely semi flex 14c nib and has stood the test of time, being jostled unprotected in pencil cases and purses from junior high school through college, traveling up and down as well as across the US several times in the last 30 years. I recently had the nib ground to a needlepoint and fell right back in love with it like when I saw it in 1991. If it’s a pen you really want, I can heartily recommend it. 

[Mercian]

15 hours ago, davisgt said:

I've appreciated the aesthetic of the M800 for a while now. For those of you who own one, what are your likes and dislikes?

I have a 2020 M805, and a 1990/91 M800.

I like:

• its ink capacity;
• its very ‘solid’ build-quality;
• the smoothness of its piston;
• the fact that its nib/feed units are interchangeable with those of any M80x pen from any era of production;
• how easy it is to service the pen (e.g. to re-lubricate its piston);
• the appearance of its bi-colour gold nib;
• the smoothness of the nib on paper;
• it is a very reliable pen that doesn’t dry-out rapidly, and ‘just works’.

 

My own M800 is from 1990/91, so it has the additional benefits of:

• a nib-grind that is a more-interesting shape than those on the post-Sep-1997 pens;
• a nib that is very slightly ‘bouncy’ (unlike the post-Sep-1997 nibs, which are very firm);
• a barrel that is transparent between its beautiful chatoyant stripes, which makes it a discreet, but superlative, ink-window, and what had been a ‘unique selling-point’ of Pelikan since at least the 1950s.

 

The barrel transparency between the coloured stripes was discontinued by the previous owners as recently as 2022. I am one of the people who is 🤞 that the new owners (Hamelin Group) will restore it.

 

What do I not like about the M80x?

• their price (I’m a tightwad 😉);
• especially the price of the 2013 LE in ‘Brown Tortoiseshell 😭;
• the lack of barrel transparency of post-2022 pens - this constitutes a pronounced reduction in practicality/‘utility’/‘value-offer’ to the end-user.

 

I would add the ‘neutral information’ remarks that:

• I have seen several reports on here that the pens with the blue stripes are more likely to suffer from their barrels becoming detached from the grip-section than those of the pens in the other colours;
• the grinds of the pre-Sep-1997 nibs are slightly narrower than those of the post-Sep-1997 nibs;
• the pre-Sep-1997 nibs have visible stamps on them that say either ‘EN’ or ‘PF’.
• the pre-Sep-1997 nibs are not as flexible as are Pelikan nibs from the 1950s-1960s;
• some people find the M80x pens to feel ‘back-heavy’ because of their brass piston-mechanisms;
• some people find the M80x pens to be ‘too long’ or ‘unwieldly’ when the cap is ‘posted’ on the back of the pen;
• some people find the modern nibs too fat, too round, too stiff, or ‘boring’;
• the M80x pens are certainly more ‘stately’ than are the more-‘nimble’ smaller Pelikans.

 

I hope that’s all useful for you 

Slàinte,
M.

 

[Mercian]

5 hours ago, Lam1 said:

- I think that compared to pens of the same quality/size/category (Aurora Optima/88, MB 146, etc.) it is fairly priced.

I totally agree with this!
I dislike the price of the M80x, but that price is not-unreasonable when compared to the prices of its peers.

 

And I ought to have said so in my own long list 🤦‍♂️

[putteringpenman]

I like its appearance, filling system, and capping mechanism. 

 

I don't like the price, quality control, or balance (it feels back heavy to me). For quality control, the nib tines were misaligned on mine. It caused a scratchy writing experience going left to right. The nibmeister who fixed my M800 said the left tine was lower than the right.

 

Overall, it's a lovely pen in my collection. But I'm always a little upset that it needed work out of the box.

[Ron Z]

The funny thing is that there isn't a huge difference in ink capacity.  All of the pens from the 200 to the 1000 use the same piston seal and spindle.  The piston length may vary by a little bit, maybe 1/4" at the most, but the internal diameter is the same.  Really.  You can swap most everything around except for the thread/connector bushing and grip knob.  The difference in diameter of the pens comes in the thickness of the barrel wall. 

 

I find that I like the 600 better.  More comfortable in my hand, with the 800 being a bit on the large side.

 

re. always writing - absolutely true.  I can pick up my 600 after sitting for weeks, and it'll write.

[Karmachanic]

+1 for all the above positive stuff.   As for price, I'm partial to black pens with white furniture. The M805 can be found at bargain prices if one is patient.  I'm happy with the price I paid.

[dhanks]

I bought one new in 1994 from Fahrney's Pens (but it appears to have been made in 1990 or so because of "W. Germany" on the cap ring) and still have it.  It's the all black model.  I love it.  Mine has a very springy nib with the E/N stamp on it, one of my favorite nibs.  I'll keep it 'til I die and pass it on to my kids.  Great pen.  Oh, and at the time it sold for $199.95.  It's been well worth it since.

 

Rumpole

[davisgt]

Wow. So many great responses.  Such a wealth of knowledge here. Thank you so much!

[kestrel]

My blue stripe M800 has been in daily use continuously since I bought it in the spring of 2000 except for a too long hiatus when it went out for repairs following an encounter with one of our cats.  The nib is a Richard Binder Italifine.  I like the weight, balance, dimensions, ink capacity, appearance and that amazing 0.9 CI Binder nib.  The nib is just a little bit soft and cushiony.  The construction is superb.

 

The endorphins flow when I put nib to paper.

 

 

[Doubleyoukay]

I bought a M805 "Stresemann" (with gray -still partially transparent- striped barrel and a rhodium-plated 18k fine nib) in 2022 when it was on sale by Amazon Europe (NOT the dreaded Amazon "Marketplace"). It had been my "grail pen out of reach" for quite a long time, since I'm rarely willing to spend that much money on fountain pens. It still is my most expensive fountain pen as of today.
But I can honestly say that I don't regret it at all. While it's price is undeniably pretty steep, it is well worth it, especially compared to similar pens in that price range.
The pen was perfect right out of the box, including the nib, which leans a bit to medium line width, but I was counting on that when choosing the F-Nib. (It seems to be kind of widespread knowledge in the fountain pen community that Pelikan gold nibs tend to be a bit wider and wetter than their counterparts by other brands - especially Japanese fountain pens). Anyway I'm very pleased with the writing experience, it is easily my most favorite fountain pen. It fits my hand even better than my M605 (Solid blue special "Kaufhof" edition with chrome trim) and the added weight suits me quite fine, too.

 

Likes:

• The overall classy and business-compatible design/appearance
• Decent understatement compared to "show-off brands"
• Superior build quality
• Smooth writing experience (I like rigid nibs)
• High ink capacity
• Ease of maintenance
• Easily interchangeable nibs (though at a steep price point for replacement nibs)
• High reliability - always writes instantly and like a dream, even after weeks of inactivity
• Size and weight just right for my hand and grip

Dislikes:

• The price (it maybe fair considering the competition, but still darn high for a fountain pen)
• The relatively low transparency of the barrel of my pen, which makes an external light source necessary

 

Overall I am very satisfied with my M805 and I would buy it again.

 

[Bo Bo Olson]

200/400 = 125ml.

600=135.

800 might be the same...

The 1000 1.45 if I remember correctly.

A MB 146 has about as much as a 1000 and a MB 149 has 1.60....as much as a big Sheaffer cartridge. There use to be flame wars on that, of how much more a piston pen held until someone brought up that Sheaffer cartridge. Immediate end of war.

The '50-400-to 65 ending 400nn, had 1.90-1.95 or so.

(A Visconti had 2.something and the Conid close to 3ml or more.

 

First I am not a fan of the 800's even if I have two. I grew up back in B&W TV days and think the 800 is ungalinly, ill balanced posted or not. The Large 146 of which I have two, is more stately, a tad more nimble, is imo not quite balanced. My '48-59 Medium-Large 146 has real good balance....and a much better nib.

 

What I disliked about the 800...I couldn't tell how the fat nail nib era was marked. I knew Pelikan ruined it's pens (outside the 200&1000) in 1998...but couldn't tell the difference between the '91-97 and '98, the fat and blobby nail nibs.

 

So it took a good decade before I got my for sure good nib, W.Germany 800...a tad more springy than the 91-97 regular flex nibs.

The 805 was a good buy at a live auction....I got it for €190....and I only went that high because I thought it was the small 600....which I got tor €135. I wanted that 600 come hell or high water. Got confused to which came first...in they came back to back.

[inkstainedruth]

@Doubleyoukay -- I remember when the M805 Stresemann came out.  And thought it was just classy looking.  But I have "girly" hands and knew that the M800 size is just too big and heavy for me (I had held an M600 Pink & White at a pen show table and even that was a little heavy for me).  

I was ecstatic when Pelikan came out with the M405 Stresemann because it was the ONE time in my life I had a big discretionary budget.  Found one on Rolf Thiel's eBay store and saved a little  money as well because I didn't have to pay the US distributor markup price, and he didn't have to charge VAT since I'm in the US.  And then I looked to see what else he had listed at the time, and ended up ALSO buying an M405 Blue-Black (slightly more expensive than the "standard" M400, but there was just something about the rhodium plated trim on that color .  Got one with a B nib and one with an EF nib and they're both great pens.

Of course, an hour after I hit the "buy" button I got a phone call from PayPal, going, "Did you know that a charge of X dollars was just sent to a vendor in Europe?"  And after assuring them that I did, I got off the phone, looked at my husband, and said, "OMG -- I really DID just spend that much money on only TWO pens.... "

They're still the two most expensive pens I own....  Even seven years later....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Doubleyoukay]

On 8/10/2024 at 2:42 AM, inkstainedruth said:

I was ecstatic when Pelikan came out with the M405 Stresemann...

@inkstainedruth -- What a nice story! I think, it's one of the advantages of the Pelikan Sovereign product lines, that if you like a design/color option, most times you will find it in a size that fits you well. After all, you would want a pricey fountain pen to be as good for your hands as it gets. I have several Pelikan M2xx and can write with them just fine - despite having at least medium sized hands (The M2XXs are just about long enough unposted). The M215 "Rings" is my favorite among the smaller Pelikans - I love the slick design and appreciate it's brass barrel for the added weight. But from the moment I got my first larger Pelikan(~2017) - a second hand M605 Kaufhof/Levenger version in solid blue with silver trim (which looks very similar to your M405 blue-black) - I recognized that a larger and heavier fountain pen was more comfortable for my hands, when writing for longer durations. Then I started preferably looking for larger, heavier pens which led - among others -to the acquisition of a silver Rotring 600, a Karas Kustoms Ink (olive green), several Namisu fountain pens (made of aluminum and titanium) and later my first Conklin All American ("Southwest Turquoise"). I also acquired a few cheap and heavy Chinese fountain pens, but aside from a Jinhao X450, which had a surprisingly smooth medium nib, the others were quite suboptimal (politely phrased) around that time and needed quite an effort in fine-tuning. Chinese fountain pens have surely come a long way since then.

 

Soon my longhand writing became sufficient and nice again. Then I diversified more and aquired fountain pens all over the size range. The smallest "regular fountain pens" were a "Pelikan M100 White a.k.a The Stormtrooper" and a "Pilot Prera" (in Dark Slate Gray). Both I can only use posted, otherwise they are just too small. (Though the difference between the M2XX and the M100 is only 3 mm, that is just the difference which makes the M2XX fountain pens usable unposted for me.) But I like the small ones nevertheless, the Prera can easily be modified with nibs from Pilot Plumix (Calligraphy Nibs!), Pilot Penmanship, Kakuno and Metropolitan. And "The Stormtrooper" looks totally cool anyway! (Yes, I was a Star Wars fan, before Disney ruined it.)

 

But I digress, so back to the topic. After I had tried the M8XX at my first Pelikan Hub, I knew it fitted my hands perfectly and I liked it's weight. So I put the M805 at the top of my wish list - I'm not very fond of gold trim and prefer rhodium, too. It was a tough decision between the M805 Stresemann, the M805 Blue-striped and the M805 Ocean Swirl, since they all look(ed) fabulous to me. I would decide based on a good opportunity to grab any of them on sale. (Of course the Ocean Swirl never went on sale.) And when that sale happened, I couldn't resist. But I had serious doubt if I was in a sane state of mind, when I realized I had just spent over 400€ on a fountain pen. Therefore I really understand your reaction to the PayPal call all too well.

 

Congratulations on your acquisitions, I am sure they will serve you well for a long time. And they may already be collectors items. Who knows what will happen to the Pelikan brand now that Hamelin controls it's fate...

 

[stric75]

@Karmachanic I second that. My M805 in black is by far one of the nicest writers I’ve ever had. It looks very classy too with silver colored trim. 

[Jeffrey Newman]

I like how the weight of the 800 reminds you that you have a pen in your hand, but is so well balanced that I never tire writing with it.

[Bo Bo Olson]

If one grew up with Large pens that may be true.

 

But to me who grew up in the era of B&W TV, standard pens had to balance in it was the era of One Man, One Pen, bought once in a decade.....and standard pens posted had great balance.  Or it didn't sell. As did the medium-large 51.

When the first clunky Large pen came in Shaffer's PFM, pen for men....I never saw one in real life and it didn't sell well.

 

*** Will admit to being shocked when the Snorkel what I thought was a medium-long pen, was actually Large, because it was the same length as a Safari.

It seemed smaller in it was a thin pen. It too has great balance.

 

I find the 600 has great balance.

The large 46 has better balance than an 800; stately rather than nimble.

The 800 (have 2) is a clunkier pen than the large 146 (have 2).

Which lacks the great balance of the '49-59 medium large 146.