M800

[mulrich]

When I started the hobby I told myself I'd never buy multiple versions of the same pen. The M800 broke me of that. I enjoy many other pens but the M800 is the most common pen in my collection. 

Pros: 

Reliability and ease of use. Any pen can have problems but I've had far fewer, and far smaller, problems with M800s than other pens. They are exceptionally consistent. They're easy to clean which is a big plus since I rotate through a lot of pens. The size is great for my larger hands. 

 

Cons: 

There isn't a ton of variety in styles or nibs, at least compared to lower-numbered Pelikan models. There's usually 1-2 new editions per year, which is fine, but none have interested me the last few years (especially for the price premiums). The nibs can be a little stiff. I had one with a cap that would come loose if I carried it in a shirt pocket. But all of these are very minor. 

[davisgt]

I've really been enjoying the M600 I bought,  but now I want the M800 too. So many wonderful posts here have really fed into the "I should have both" perspective.  😁

[Bo Bo Olson]

I find the Large 800 to be a clunky pen....I have two. I also have 2 large 146's, which has a slight better balance....but is stately, instead of nimble. (Do have a '48-59 medium-large 146 with a better nib and is very well balanced. Similar in size as your and my 600.)

I do have an OBB 800 out, but that was because I was looking for a wide nib...A few weeks ago I had 30 pens inked, now just 18 on my way to 7.

 

I prefer my 600 to my 800's. I can see if you do like the 800, you selling your 600...it will be too light and nimble for you.

 I do suggest going to a pen shop and trying out the large 800 in person before shoveling out that kind of money....of course I'm so old fashioned, I don't think about ordering to return shopping.

 

[Cjtamu]

19 hours ago, davisgt said:

I've really been enjoying the M600 I bought,  but now I want the M800 too. So many wonderful posts here have really fed into the "I should have both" perspective.  😁

Excellent pen and one of my favorites. Far prefer it to either of our M600’s although the Glauco Cambon I bought my wife is gorgeous. All this talk of balance and things being clunky or nimble is subjective. Only way to know if it works for you is to try one. 

[Barry Gabay]

For me,  the Pelikan M800-M805 is a perfect size, weight, & balance. My hands are not large. Those I own always fill perfectly, write smoothly, and never leak.  Mine date from 1996 to current models, & my nibs cover a range of years, including older 14C nibs from the very first years of M800.  I can't say enough good things about this truly exceptional fountain pen. 

[singlechange]

I am new to Pelikan pens, but I really like the M800 Tortoiseshell Brown (original version when it was introduced after the Green color and Black color in 1987) and equally the Souveran M800 Special Edition Tortoiseshell Brown (reissued in 2013 for only 6-8 months and then discontinued). This color seems to have become a cult status. About 2020, they were rare in the wild and commanded hefty prices like $1,500 to $2,500. Now today, I see them used for $600 with uncommon nibs like BB and for $499 with common Fine nib and brand new, on eBay completed sales prices. It seems the demand for them have dropped and also the prices. I recently got one for $350 without box and in common Medium nib. 

[Beechwood]

I have heard it said by experts that the 800 is the best made pen that you can buy, I only have one right now, an older all black with a Broad nib that is a pleasure to use. It was old when I bought it, a gift at the London Pen Show, a polish and a flush and you would think it was made yesterday. 

 

 

[Bo Bo Olson]

Light and nimble the 800 is not..defiantly not posted...but many grew up in the Era of the Large pen, so think the 800/146/Townsend are normal....it is for them.

 

I grew up in B&W TV days, when standard sized pens were standard, and if they didn't balance posted, one committed heresy and bought another brand for the decade....well, being in school, mine were stolen every dammed year.

 

I got spoiled with the 400, finding Esterbrooks a bit too light.

What irritates me is folks saying the 400 or any standard sized pen is too small, and finding out for religious grounds, they refuse to post the pen (as it was designed to be)  and get the length and great balance.

....The 800 is much too long........posted.

After all, who said complaints have to make sense.

 

[Karmachanic]

6 minutes ago, Bo Bo Olson said:

defiantly

 

 

That's exactly how I use my 800 

[davisgt]

I've been enjoying my new Pelikan M600, but I may have made a mistake with the nib. This medium performs more like a broad. It is somewhat surprising.  I'm thinking I should have chosen the fine nib instead. As this is my first Pelikan, I guess I should have done more research.  I was blinded by the beauty.  

[Cjtamu]

8 hours ago, davisgt said:

I've been enjoying my new Pelikan M600, but I may have made a mistake with the nib. This medium performs more like a broad. It is somewhat surprising.  I'm thinking I should have chosen the fine nib instead. As this is my first Pelikan, I guess I should have done more research.  I was blinded by the beauty.  

What ink are you using? Kirk Speer worked on mine last weekend. Tines were misaligned and the slit was too wide. Writing very well now but still a little broad with Pelikan Edelstein for my tastes. I’m going to switch to a Pelikan 4001 or Wearingeul ink. Both are drier than Edelstein. Might try one of those if you haven’t already.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Modern Pelikans are because of the double ball tipping, is 1/2 a width wider than semi-vintage '82-97, or vintage '50-65.

I have a small W.Germany 600 OBB, and a 2002 800 OBB and that is so.

 

The 200 was tear drop tipped until five years ago...in I have only EF in 200's since then, I didn't have any EF from before so can't test that.

 

Pelikan always made a wet nib, to balance it made the driest of inks. So, part of your problem may be using a wet ink with a wet nib.

Try Pelikan BB as one of the driest inks to see if that makes your nib write narrower.

Paper makes a great difference....Clairefontaine Triomphe 90g, or Rhoda 80g, are slick papers and inks tend to write 1/2 a width narrower on them.

Normal 80g copy paper tends to write 1/2 a width wider than with better paper.

 

A dry ink, a slick paper can make a whole width of line difference between a wet ink on regular copy paper.

[davisgt]

I'm using Pelikan 4001 Dark Green on Rhodia paper. I almost filled it with Iroshizuku shin-ryoku. Kinda glad I didn't at this point.  😅 

[PAKMAN]

The M800 is my favorite pen, I have about a dozen of them. Love the look, feel, size and writing experience. 

[Driften]

13 hours ago, davisgt said:

I've been enjoying my new Pelikan M600, but I may have made a mistake with the nib. This medium performs more like a broad. It is somewhat surprising.  I'm thinking I should have chosen the fine nib instead. As this is my first Pelikan, I guess I should have done more research.  I was blinded by the beauty.  

 

It's funny... back in 2017 when I bought my blue stripe M805 I wanted a broad nib and was disappointed my M wasn't as broad as I had wanted. Actually its 0.65mm line width became one of my favorite line widths for a long time. Then I got into Nakaya pens and the broad nibs started feeling too wide  

 

If you stay in this hobby long enough your preferences will change over time. When I first got serious about fountain pens was 2008 and at that point I liked fine and medium and my first pen was the Pelikan m200 with a M nib. As time went on I liked B nibs and sold off many of my finer pens. Now I wish I hadn't. 

 

Paper and ink choices make a big difference in how your pen writes. If your M600 writes too wide use a dry ink and it will tighten up some. Like someone said try a Pelikan 4001 ink. Also with a wet nib stay away from cheep paper that will feather and make your line wider. FYI My M605 Dark Blue M nib puts down a 0.55mm line. 

 

You can buy a replacement nib in F or XF for your m600. They seem to be going for around $130 right now. I thought about buying a F for my m805 but instead just ordered a m805 Blue Dunes in F.  FYI Nibs for m800 are around $230 right now, so a lot cheaper to have more than one nib for your current pen then to later have more for the m800. Well the cheapest are the m200 nibs that go for around $35  I'm happy I went that way with my m200s instead of selling the pens and was able to change back when my mood changed.

 

Back to your original question, I like thicker heavier pens so the m805 fits me well. But I really like my m605 and find nothing wrong with my m200/m215/m120/m101n.

[Bo Bo Olson]

A 200's nib will fit your 600....and be springy, instead of a modern semi-nail, like it and a modern 400.

And cost lost less than a semi-nail gold nib be that a modern 400 or 600. All three fit.

[inkstainedruth]

7 hours ago, davisgt said:

I'm using Pelikan 4001 Dark Green on Rhodia paper. I almost filled it with Iroshizuku shin-ryoku. Kinda glad I didn't at this point.  😅 

My first Pelikan (a 1990s era M400 Brown Tortoise I got on eBay) did NOT do well with Iroshizuku Yama-guri.  The ink was WAY too wet for the F nib (which wrote more like an M).  But Noodler's Walnut (a super dry ink) was much better behaved; as was Edelstein Smokey Quartz, which is a really close match on the page to Yama-guri.

The M800 pens are just too big and heavy for me (I have "girly" hands).  I also found that the M600 Pink and White LE was bit too big a pen for me (although I didn't have any trouble with the weight on the M600 Violet and White LE,when those came out a few years later).  

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Driften]

5 hours ago, Bo Bo Olson said:

A 200's nib will fit your 600....and be springy, instead of a modern semi-nail, like it and a modern 400.

And cost lost less than a semi-nail gold nib be that a modern 400 or 600. All three fit.

 

Thanks for bringing that up! The current slightly longer m600 nib might not fit under the cap of a m200/m400 but the other way around will work and does give him lots of options! 

[Bo Bo Olson]

19 minutes ago, Driften said:

The current slightly longer m600 nib might not fit under the cap of a m200/m400

That part I'd not thought of....., in I'd not had any reason to put a 'substandard' nib on a smaller pen.

I am not prejudiced....I have used the medium-large 600 and the large 2002 805 double ball nib pens, and, I like the stubbed semi-flex vintage and springy '82-97 semi-vintage and the pre 2019 200's nibs much more.

 

The problem is the medium-large 600 is the largest pen that can have good nibs  from older smaller pens, outside the 1000; Bock semi-flex @2010 and later Pelikan springy regular flex...similar to the old 200 and semi-vintage 400/small 600.

 

Everyone chases what they like, so folks that grew up in the Large pen as standard, will like pens I don't care for and ignore the nib...or be satisfied with just butter smooth.

My other 800 is a W.Germany one, with that slight tad more springy than 91-97 nib.

[metalhead]

2 hours ago, Driften said:

The current slightly longer m600 nib might not fit under the cap of a m200/m400

it fits for me. I use an M205 (white) with a M605 nib regularly, no issues.