Building off the popularity of the M200 italic nib that was released last year and promptly sold out across American pen stores, Pelikan re-issued the Black Tradition Series 200 with medium italic nib earlier this year. Try one today from Goldspot Pens.
This special production has the exact same body and piston-filling mechanism as the standard Tradition Series 200 fountain pens. One minor difference between the stock image and the actual product is that the translucent ink window is actually tinted green as opposed to the black-tint you see in the above picture. I personally think the dark green adds Pelikan's personality and identity to the design. Check out all of our Tradition 200 series pens here.
One question that seems to be coming up from our customers interested in this model is, "how does the italic compare with the standard medium and fine steel nibs?" I went to task and produced a sample writing sheet that shows the capability of the italic nib.
I'll be the first to admit that I'm no calligrapher. If anyone has the M200 and wants to show off the true potential of an experienced hand with this pen, please post a pic of your writing and we'll feature it on our site. Don't fret, non-calligraphers! There is a small booklet included with the pen that gives you two basic lettering styles to copy and learn from.
The italic takes some getting used to, especially if you've never used a fountain pen before. You need to be more deliberate and apply a slight degree of increased pressure to ensure all of the strokes are well-represented on paper. It forces you to slow down and contemplate the ART of each letter. The line variation is ample and the down-stroke almost appears as thick as a broad-tip stroke.
As far as the overall design of the pen, the M200 is made of resin with no metal inner barrel, which makes for a fairly lightweight pen. The balance with the cap posted is extremely comfortable. Filling and cleaning the Pelikan piston-filler is easier than using a converter, and it holds a ton more ink.
Summary:
Writing Quality : gold-plated, stainless steel italic nib is a pleasure to use and offers a decent amount of line variation with good smoothness. (grade A)
Aesthetic Quality : Classic Pelikan style black w/ gold-plated trim. Sophistication without the frills. (grade A-)
Utility : Cap posts securely on the back-end and writes well posted. Lightweight resin body and cap balances well in the hand. Good for long writing sessions. However, more time and care has to be taken with each stroke, which slows down your writing speed. Not ideal for taking notes in a meeting or in class. (grade B)
Price : At $125 retail (on sale for $99.95 at Goldspot.com), this is certainly a great deal for a pen of this quality. The only reason I do not give it a higher grade is because you can purchase a normal M200 nib for $20 less. Most companies that offer an italic nib don't charge that much of a difference. (grade A-)
Final Grade : A-
Pelikan sure knows how to please their avid customers and collectors. This is a true "writer's pen" that requires more time and a fine appreciation for penmanship. With that said, they accomplished their task at building a product to satisfy the lack of high-quality, specialty nibs that are sold in the contemporary pen market.
I have the M200 (several bodies/nibs) italic and i think for the money one of the better ones on the market. You may want to have the flow adjusted and take especial care with mutiple strokes per letter (style dependent). Pelikan has a strange overall nib in regualr width's as all of mine seem to be semi-flex and dont adhere to the chart on line widths, I.E. compared to the vintage western european/north american pens witch were 0.5mm(fine), 0.7mm(med) or 0.9-1.0(broad) with rigid nibs like the parker 51 or 45 the pelikan has a thicker down stroke than side stroke and runs a little broader than the old widths. richard bender grinds nibs to any spec you want and pelikans have interchangeable nibs so you can get the italic (pen and nib) and order any other size you want for $25.00 a peice on the average or $50-80 for a custom from richard. so in closing: light comfy pen and one that could do double or triple duty on a budget!!
What a great pen. Hopefully one day I can add it to my collection. At this point it is double what I normally pay for a fountain pen but an M200 is definitely on my wish list. I just love the writing sample.
What a great pen. Hopefully one day I can add it to my collection. At this point it is double what I normally pay for a fountain pen but an M200 is definitely on my wish list. I just love the writing sample.
This special production has the exact same body and piston-filling mechanism as the standard Tradition Series 200 fountain pens. One minor difference between the stock image and the actual product is that the translucent ink window is actually tinted green as opposed to the black-tint you see in the above picture. I personally think the dark green adds Pelikan's personality and identity to the design. Check out all of our Tradition 200 series pens here.
One question that seems to be coming up from our customers interested in this model is, "how does the italic compare with the standard medium and fine steel nibs?" I went to task and produced a sample writing sheet that shows the capability of the italic nib.
I'll be the first to admit that I'm no calligrapher. If anyone has the M200 and wants to show off the true potential of an experienced hand with this pen, please post a pic of your writing and we'll feature it on our site. Don't fret, non-calligraphers! There is a small booklet included with the pen that gives you two basic lettering styles to copy and learn from.
The italic takes some getting used to, especially if you've never used a fountain pen before. You need to be more deliberate and apply a slight degree of increased pressure to ensure all of the strokes are well-represented on paper. It forces you to slow down and contemplate the ART of each letter. The line variation is ample and the down-stroke almost appears as thick as a broad-tip stroke.
As far as the overall design of the pen, the M200 is made of resin with no metal inner barrel, which makes for a fairly lightweight pen. The balance with the cap posted is extremely comfortable. Filling and cleaning the Pelikan piston-filler is easier than using a converter, and it holds a ton more ink.
Summary:
I have the M200 (several bodies/nibs) italic and i think for the money one of the better ones on the market. You may want to have the flow adjusted and take especial care with mutiple strokes per letter (style dependent). Pelikan has a strange overall nib in regualr width's as all of mine seem to be semi-flex and dont adhere to the chart on line widths, I.E. compared to the vintage western european/north american pens witch were 0.5mm(fine), 0.7mm(med) or 0.9-1.0(broad) with rigid nibs like the parker 51 or 45 the pelikan has a thicker down stroke than side stroke and runs a little broader than the old widths. richard bender grinds nibs to any spec you want and pelikans have interchangeable nibs so you can get the italic (pen and nib) and order any other size you want for $25.00 a peice on the average or $50-80 for a custom from richard. so in closing: light comfy pen and one that could do double or triple duty on a budget!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great pen. Hopefully one day I can add it to my collection. At this point it is double what I normally pay for a fountain pen but an M200 is definitely on my wish list. I just love the writing sample.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great pen. Hopefully one day I can add it to my collection. At this point it is double what I normally pay for a fountain pen but an M200 is definitely on my wish list. I just love the writing sample.
ReplyDelete