Review: Pelikan M800 Demonstrator

[acesfulldc]

 

 

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i279/acesfulldc/M800%20Demo/IMG_0015.jpg

 

Overview/First Impressions

I have long lusted after a demonstrator but, until recently, had been unable to convince myself to pull the trigger. I had seen a few scattered postings about a rumored M800 Demonstrator on this forum, but did not think much of it until, late one Sunday night, as I was browsing the Swisher Pens website, I saw that they had the M800 Demonstrator listed as available. Next thing I knew, I had one (I believe it was the last one available) in my basket and was inputting my credit card information. It was, admittedly, an impulse purchase that I jumped on due to perceived scarcity. But, after seeing other opportunities slip through my fingers (like the Stipula Etruria Nuda that I let pass me by...sigh), I just couldn’t let this one go. Frankly, I half expected to get a message on Monday saying, sorry, the pen I ordered was not available.

 

Instead, on Monday morning I got a confirmation and on Wednesday the pen arrived. (Super fast shipping by the Swisher folks, even though I only paid for standard shipping!) Although it is not technically a limited edition pen, the M800 Demo is a one-time run and most vendors seem to have sold out very quickly. Someone told me that Chuck Swisher said he has never seen a pen sell out as fast as the M800 Demo. What this means, I have no idea.

 

This is my first 800-series Pelikan. I purchased the version with the labels, which I believe is the only one available right now. While I know that some people think the labels are silly, I actually like them. I think they are in keeping with the original purpose of demonstrator pens and I think they add a touch of nostalgia. Plus, they are only on one side of the pen and cannot be seen when writing with the pen, as you can see in this picture:

 

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i279/acesfulldc/M800%20Demo/IMG_0012.jpg

 

You have to turn the pen over to view the labels, which appear to be engraved in the barrel of the pen and then filled in with white paint, as shown in this picture:

 

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i279/acesfulldc/M800%20Demo/IMG_0024.jpg

 

I have now been using the pen fairly regularly for several weeks and have sufficient familiarity with it to provide a review. My impressions, for what they are worth, follow below.

 

Fit/Finish/Quality

 

This is a beautiful pen. All of the components fit together tightly and the finish is first-rate, as should be expected. I generally dislike gold (jewelry, pens, watch bands, etc.) and definitely would have purchased the “805” version of this pen had one been offered, but the gold hardware on this pen matches nicely with the brass piston mechanism and lends a warmth to the pen that I like much more than I originally thought I would. The only downside (in my eyes) is that the pen feels much more formal than my other pens with silver or steel hardware. I like to use my pens and, other than the occasional Montblanc, generally prefer those that do not stand out too much at a meeting or luncheon. This is not one of those pens. Perhaps it is the gold appointments. Perhaps it is the gigantic two-tone nib. Or perhaps it is the fact that the pen is see-through. Whatever the reason, this is not a subtle pen.

 

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i279/acesfulldc/M800%20Demo/IMG_0017.jpg

 

Perhaps the best litmus test is my wife, who knows virtually nothing about pens, but who, the first time she saw it, pulled it out of the pen case, looked at me with incredulous, accusing eyes and said, “What is this???” Knowing virtually nothing about pens, she knew instantly that this was a nice one and, therefore, must have cost a lot of money. She was not pleased. https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/st...ault/unsure.gif

 

My only concern with the overall durability of the pen is that the white paint used for the labels on the pen body could chip away or rub off over time.

 

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i279/acesfulldc/DSC_7451.jpg

 

Other than that, I have no doubt that this pen will be in fine condition to pass on to one of my children some day.

 

Some demonstrators “demonstrate” more than others. It appears to me that Pelikan put a great deal of thought into the construction of this pen in order to make as much of the inner workings visible as possible. Virtually the entire pen body is made of clear acrylic. A small portion of the brass housing is cut away so that you can see the spindle in action as you move the plunger up and down through the barrel. This is the type of small detail that, for me at least, makes the pen just as fun to look at as to write with.

 

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i279/acesfulldc/M800%20Demo/IMG_0022.jpg

 

Filling System

 

What can I say that hasn’t already been said? The Pelikan piston-filling system is legendary for its reliability, capacity, and ease of use. The piston-filling system on this particular pen lives up to that reputation. The piston turns smoothly and easily and holds plenty of ink. Informal and highly unscientific measurements (filling the reservoir with water and then emptying it into one of my daughter’s medicine syringes) show that the reservoir holds approximately 1.2 mL of ink. I haven’t done this on any of my other pens, so I don’t know if it compares favorably to, say, a Lamy 2000 or a 600-series Pelikan, but I have been able to get about a week out of a filling, which is just fine for me.

 

While not related directly to the filling system itself, the ability to see the piston, spindle, and other parts of the system heightens the appeal for me, as does the ability to have a full, unobstructed view of the ink in the reservoir. It is convenient to see exactly how much ink I have left at any given time, rather than having to rely on a tiny little window that only gives me a partial view of my ink situation.

 

Nib

 

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i279/acesfulldc/M800%20Demo/IMG_0018.jpg

 

My pen came with a medium nib, as I think all of the M800 demos did. It is the standard 18K two-tone 800-series nib that comes on all of the M8xx-series Pelikans. The nib is large, but perfectly proportioned with the rest of the pen (unlike the M6xx-series nibs, which to my eyes seem a bit small). This particular nib wrote beautifully right out of the box. It lays down a nice, wet, thoroughly medium line with the Waterman Blue-Black I have loaded into it. It starts right up every time, even after I have left it sitting for awhile, uncapped and only skips on particularly troublesome paper and, even them, seldomly. I love cursive italic and stub italic nibs. Perhaps the best testament to the quality of this nib is that, while I have debated sending the nib to Mr. Binder for customization or ordering a “replacement” from him, the more I use this nib, the more I think it may just be perfect the way it is.

 

Writing Experience/Usability

 

I normally post my pens. This is the first pen I have had where I prefer to use it un-posted. Posted, it feels back-heavy and a little unbalanced. It might be the size of my hands, which, when using the pen posted, places the junction on the pen between the cap and the pen body directly (and uncomfortably) on top of the spot where the pen rests on my hand. In contrast, when using the pen un-posted, it feels perfectly weighted and balanced and I can write and write without fatigue or discomfort.

 

I have already discussed the wonderful nib on this pen. That nib, combined with the weight and balance of the pen, as well as (to me, at least) the wonderful aesthetics of this pen, has quickly elevated this pen to “favorite” status. It is a joy to use and I do so as often as possible.

 

Value

 

I’m not a firm believer in trying to place a value on subjective experiences like writing instruments, watches, paper, and the like. For many, spending more than $10 on a pen would be ludicrous. Still others don’t give a second thought to dropping $1000 or more on a pen. For me, this pen was expensive, but not out of reach. Having spent a few quality weeks with it now, I can say that, for me, it was worth every penny. Those for whom demonstrators don’t hold the same appeal, or who may dislike the labels, or who simply wouldn’t spend more than $100 on a pen would obviously feel differently. If you are a Pelikan fan and happen to like demonstrators, I don’t think you would be disappointed with this pen.

 

Conclusion

 

I think many people (myself included) tend toward hyperbole when reviewing a significant purchase in order to “justify” the purchase to themselves or others. While I am just as guilty of that as anyone else, I have tried to give myself several weeks with this pen in order to be as honest in my subjective evaluations as possible. When I first unpackaged the pen and inked it, I was concerned that I had perhaps made an unwise impulse purchase. I wasn’t sure I like the gold hardware, I thought it might be too flashy to use in public, I didn’t like the way the pen felt when I wrote with it posted.

 

After several weeks, I can honestly say that I love this pen and do not regret buying it, whether I did so impulsively or not. This is a big, bold pen. It is not subtle and draws looks when people see it. This means that there may be some situations in which it is not the best choice for a writing instrument. But it is also beautiful and I never tire of looking at it. Most importantly, I never tire of writing with it and find myself looking for excuses to use it. For me, that says it all.

 

[lovemy51]

thanx for a well done and honest review!!

 

i don't have a demonstrator of anykind... this one looks interesting :hmm1: ... i like the fact the the whole mechanism is more visible, but i don't like the writing on the barrel. too much "demonstration" for me. other than that... great!!!

Edited September 23, 2008 by lovemy51

[HDoug]

When I heard Pelikan was going to introduce an M800 demonstrator with labels on it, I thought, hmmm... But now that I can see it (thanks to your photos), I really like it. The piston and brassworks are fascinating! Thanks much for you review and pics. Oh, and congratulations. May your pen and words be worthy companions.

 

Doug

[ArPharazon]

Great review. I'm jealous.

[tnmike1]

After reading this, did a little search and found this Demonstrator on a couple sites: World Lux, Colorado Pen and Pen City. Did NOT add these to any shopping cart, so can't report on availability, but at least their main websites did not state they were sold out.

[sph33r]

I've never seen a demonstrator with labels. I don't usually care for demonstrators but this one is educational!

 

Nice purchase.

[ajaxline]

Thank you for the thoughtful, well-written review!

 

Cheers,

A.J.

[acesfulldc]

Thanks, everyone, for the kind responses.

 

tnmike1, you're right. This pen is showing up on some other websites. It may not be as scarce as I thought it was going to be, but I'm still glad I got mine when I did.

[bphollin]

Thanks for the wonderful review and great pictures. I'm not sure I could get any work done with a demo of this calibre. I'd be too distracted looking at all that Waterman Blue-Black sloshing around and I'd want to empty and fill just to watch the piston go up and down...

[jmkeuning]

What can I say? I'd write with it!

 

Looks very cool. That's a good pen to have!

[cmeisenzahl]

Wow, very cool! I've never seen one labeled like that before.

[wykpenguin]

Great review and a good pen indeed.

 

Be careful about leaving ink in the barrel. My M205 got stained by the previous user, but then I am not complaining, I got it for free.

 

Personally, I like silver trim. The only colour that goes with gold for me is dark green (the colour of gold and the green and white of money ), which is not a problem because I love dark green as well.

Edited September 24, 2008 by wykpenguin

[andyk]

Hi,

 

Great review of a fabulous pen, but with one proviso, I don't really care for the engraving though (OK I know a true demonstrator is precisely that and naming the parts is an obvious/logical inclusion), is it available without the engraving.

 

Andy

[inkdesigner]

  andyk said:

Hi,

 

Great review of a fabulous pen, but with one proviso, I don't really care for the engraving though (OK I know a true demonstrator is precisely that and naming the parts is an obvious/logical inclusion), is it available without the engraving.

 

Andy

 

It is available without engraving. They are starting to show up in a few places. I have one on its way to me right now from Chuck.

 

Inkdesigner

 

[kodoc]

I was going to order an 800 - looks like I now have to consider the demonstrator.

 

Thank you for this thoughtful review.

 

Jerry

 

 

[acesfulldc]

  wykpenguin said:

Great review and a good pen indeed.

 

Be careful about leaving ink in the barrel. My M205 got stained by the previous user, but then I am not complaining, I got it for free.

 

Personally, I like silver trim. The only colour that goes with gold for me is dark green (the colour of gold and the green and white of money ), which is not a problem because I love dark green as well.

 

Thank you for the kind words. I have heard the warnings about certain inks staining demonstrators, so I've been fairly choosy about which inks to use in this pen. Before the pen arrived, I posted a request for recommendations/warnings regarding inks to use in a demonstrator. The overwhelming consensus was to avoid reds (and inks that have red in them, like purple and orange), and that the "standard" inks, like Waterman and Pelikan would be just fine, so long as I was not using a red or a red variant. Consensus was mixed on some of the more saturuated inks like Noodler's and PR.

 

So, when I first got the pen, I only used Waterman Blue-Black, which is one of my favorite inks and which most people agreed was safe, even for demonstrators. Since then, I've really come to like PR DC Supershow Blue and decided to try it in this pen. So far it seems fine. Just to be safe, though, I plan on emptying it and cleaning it out after a week, even if I haven't gone through the full reservoir yet. The Waterman cleaned out easily and quickly. If the PR is more difficult to clean out (i.e. the ink doesn't simply wash away with repeated fills of water, but rather clings or stains), I'll know that I probably need to stick wtih the "safe" inks for this pen. I'm avoiding reds, purples, and oranges altogether.

 

I also prefer silver trim. This one didn't come in an 805 model, though, so I was stuck with gold. After spending some quality time with this pen, I don't mind the gold furniture as much as I thought I would. To me, it works well with this pen. I still prefer silver, but gold is fine for this particular pen.

 

 

  andyk said:

Hi,

 

Great review of a fabulous pen, but with one proviso, I don't really care for the engraving though (OK I know a true demonstrator is precisely that and naming the parts is an obvious/logical inclusion), is it available without the engraving.

 

Andy

 

Thanks, Andy. I understand what you mean about the engraving, and I know you are not alone. It really is more unobtrusive than you might think and, as I mentioned, I kind of like it. I think it is unique and sets the design of this pen apart from other demonstrators. I think someone mentioned in one of the replies to this post that the non-labeled version is now available, or will be soon. If the labels are the only thing holding you back, I'd definitely recommend taking a look at the non-labeled version. You won't be disappointed.

[EstelleS]

Great review! I purchased one of these pens too, but haven't inked it yet. When I purchased mine from Art Brown I was told the same thing - they have rarely seen demand for a pen like there was for the M800 Demonstrator (the version with the labels), and their shipment was entirely pre-sold. They couldn't explain it, either. But sometimes there are impulse purchases that in hindsight you're really happy about, and this should be one of them - not only is this pen highly collectible, but you're really enjoying using it, too

 

Enjoy -

 

Estelle

[mathmarc]

Could some kindly comment on the differences in weight/balance between the 800 demonstrator

and the standard 800/805 pen? Also, how does the durability of the demonstrator compare

to a non-demonstrator?

 

As always, any and all info is appreciated.

 

m

[tnmike1]

For those of you wanting the Demonstrator without labelling, Colorado Pens offers both versions. Which will be the real "collector's item" remains to be seen

[georges zaslavsky]

I own a 1987 m800 and I can say that your review is right on about the so many qualities that the m800 possesses. The demonstrator version is unique showing the charms of m800. My next pen is the pel m1000, another extraordinary pen.

Thanks for the review.

Edited September 27, 2008 by georges zaslavsky