REVIEW: PELIKAN SOUVERAN M800 STONE GARDEN SPECIAL EDITION FOUNTAIN PEN

I'll admit that I'm a rather loyal collector of the Pelikan Souverän M8XX special editions. Yet, I've been able to restrain myself and hold off on quite a few recent editions like the Vibrant Blue and Ocean Swirl. I guess they weren't really my thing anyway, as I wasn't that big on the vibrant colorways of those releases.

And then they announced their latest release, the M800 Stone Garden, a few months ago... The same tried and true Souverän pen (that I reviewed multiple times before), but once again built up from a completely new combination of materials. The color combo is definitely unique, combining a dark blue resin for the cap, section and piston knob, and a beautiful brown-blue marbled material for the barrel. As I'm usually not a fan of blue pens, I wasn't immediately hooked. But the subdued color scheme ultimately pulled me over. My thanks to Appelboom for sending one over to take a look at in this review!

In person, this is an absolutely stunning pen. The material has a marble-like diagonal striation to it, and the blue and brown flecks create a shimmering light and dark contrast. Combined with the gold trim, this is an extremely classy pen. I love how the Souverän pens can appear classic -almost in a vintage way- or modern and sleek, depending on the materials they use (case in point: the Stone Garden vs. the M815 Metal Stripe!).

One thing I don't really like, is how the pattern is interrupted by a single seam along the length of the barrel. Pelikan creates the barrel by hot-forming sheets of resin into tubes (called the 'binde'), so you'll always have a seam somewhere, it's just not visible on most materials they use. It's not too obvious, as it took me a good while to even notice it, so it certainly isn't a deal-breaker for me.

The Souverän M800 is a fairly large pen, measuring 14.1 cm (5.57") capped, and 12.7 cm (5") uncapped. It posts securely, creating a pen that measures 16.6 cm (6.53"). The brass piston mechanism adds just the right amount of heft, giving a total weight of 30 g. I've raved about the M8XX on multiple occasions before, it's pretty much the perfect size for my hand (with the M6XX a close second, especially if you have smaller hands!). I forgot to take a size comparison photo of the Stone Garden, but you can find one in my review of last years Renaissance Brown special edition!

The nib on this Stone Garden is new to me, because it's actually the first time that I got to play with the EF on one of Pelikan's high-end models. I figured, since the latest price increase, that I shouldn't wait any longer to get one... God forbid they might go up in price again in the future (The current  55€ premium you pay for an EF nib is already quite absurd!)

In terms of performance, what can I say? It's an excellent nib. As you may know, I'm usually not drawn towards the finer end of the nib spectrum, but this one is hard to knock. It's a solid performer. Maybe a tad bit boring because of the inherent stiffness of the M800 nibs (when I do buy finer nibs, I like a bit of 'cushioning' in my writing), but the ink flow is consistent (surprisingly not overly wet) and it's ample smooth. When comparing this to a Japanese EF, the line it puts down is still about twice as wide, but nevertheless it should be perfectly usable even when you have small handwriting.

I like the new Stone Garden (Who'd have thunk it!). Even though blue pens don't tend to be my first choice, I think they did a fantastic job on the color combination here. It's a classy-looking pen, which is how I tend to like my Pelikans (The Burnt Orange, Tortoise brown, Renaissance,...). I think a professional and subdued color scheme works better with the Souverän design than a more vibrant material (like the new Vibrant Orange m600), but I guess that's just my personal preference.

In general -but especially with the special editions- Pelikan is slowly pulling up their prices. Where they once offered a competitive price compared to say, Montblanc, that price gap is now slowly fading away. The Pelikan Souverän M800 Stone Garden retails for 519€ (612$) here in Europe. But for the non-EU audience that buy from overseas (like from Appelboom, for example) the price drops down to 437€ (500$) without VAT. The price hike for EF nibs will add about 55€ (65$), which I feel is quite unfair for people that prefer a finer nib.

Note: Appelboom is a sponsor of this blog. I received a discount on the purchase of this product. I was in no way influenced in the making of this review, the opinions shared in this review are completely my own! This post contains affiliate links. When shopping through these links, you support my blog, additionally you can use the above discount code to enjoy 10% off your order.

REVIEW: PELIKAN CLASSIC M200 BROWN MARBLE FOUNTAIN PEN

I'm generally quite a big fan of Pelikan pens. Their design aesthetic and fantastically smooth nibs are right up my alley, and most -if not all- pens I've bought and used from them have consistently been able to get a smile on my face. 

If I had to pick my favourite, I'm fairly certain it would be the Souverän M800. They are large but not too large, and the brass piston mechanism adds some heft. The M800 has also been Pelikan's base model for special editions in the last few years, which brings a wide variety of material and color options to choose from. 

But these are not cheap pens at all! I can see how a first step into Pelikan pens can be a bit daunting, shelling out a couple Benjamin Franklin's for a Souverän (or any pen in that price range, for that matter!) might seem ridiculous.

...That's where the Pelikan Classic M200 comes into play. These are basically identical to their more expensive counterparts in terms of design (the same iconic flattop shape and pelican bill clip), but smaller and with steel nibs instead of gold. The ideal gateway drug into Pelikan pens, if you will...

Ok to be fair, the premium you pay for Souverän pens does get you extra bling, where the M200 is a more sober, trimmed-down version. Those few extra trims do make a noticeable difference in appearance, and give the Souverän a more luxurious look and feel all around. If you look past that though, the M200 is hard to tell apart from more expensive pens. Especially this new brown marble finish is exceptionally well-done, and makes you forget this is about less than half the price of its direct Souverän counterpart (the Souverän M400).

The brown marble material has pearlescent brown-beige (almost orange in some areas) streaks that contrast strongly with the dark brown base material. The brown marble resin is offset by very dark brown (almost black) opaque resin parts for the cap, section and blind cap (same as with the Souverän M800 Tortoise, Burnt Orange and Renaissance special editions).

For the most part, I don't have negative things to say about this pen. Build quality is good, everything fits together nicely and Pelikan outfits their cheaper offerings with the same excellent piston-filling mechanism as seen on the Souverän. BUT... It's unforgivable that after all this time, Pelikan still isn't able to properly polish away the seams that remain visible from injection moulding the grip section! I made this remark a long time ago when I reviewed the M205 (HERE), and they really should do something about it because it's not something you should see on a 100$+ pen! 

Another -minor- complaint would be the plastic finial. Some versions of the M200/M205 already come with a partially metal finial, which makes a huge difference in 'premium' appearance. I'd love to see them implement this on all their Classic pens consistently.

The M200 is a fairly small pen, measuring just 12.6 cm (5") closed and 12.1 cm (4.8") uncapped. For me, it balances on the edge of being too small to be used comfortably unposted (I have medium-sized hands, I guess?). It's a narrower pen, going down to 9 mm (0.4") around the section. Being all-resin, it weighs in at a mere 14g total, especially uncapped that makes for an extremely light pen. I prefer a bit more substance, so I use it posted to both get some extra length (14.9 cm/ 5.9") and weight.

Pelikan's steel nibs I have long ignored, which was unfair of me. Designwise they may be a touch bland (especially compared to their Souverän counterparts which are amazing!). But truth be told, these are excellent nibs: fairly rigid but not rock-hard, smooth with just the right amount of feedback and most importantly very consistent! I filled it up with this year's Edelstein Ink Of The Year: Olivine. The flow is definitely on the wetter side, which is something I personally like. This is the second fine steel nib I tried from Pelikan, and I quite dig it. In true Pelikan fashion, it is not particularly narrow for a fine, but it's definitely not to be confused with a medium. As I said it does give some feedback, but the pleasant kind, it's by no means scratchy.

The only issue I keep running into with Pelikan's gold-plated steel nibs is that the plating doesn't seem very consistent. I don't know why this is so apparent on Pelikan pens, but obviously it's an issue that shouldn't even be remotely visible on a pen in this price range. 

I only talked about the fountain pen up until now, but to make a nice set you can also get the matching brown marble K200 ballpoint. It's similar in size to the fountain pen, and features a classic knock mechanism instead of a twist mechanism like that found on the larger K800 (I reviewed the K805 Stresemann HERE). It's resin on the outside, but has a brass sleeve inside that adds some weight, yet it remains rather light and comfortable in the hand. 

The profile of the K200 gets quite narrow towards the front, which gets a bit uncomfortable after a while, at least for me. The K200 comes with a black medium Pelikan refill (Parker G2-style refill). It lays down a crisp, rather fine line and is plenty smooth. I just would've preferred a slightly darker line, but that's a general critique on ballpoint pens.

To summarize, the Classic M200/K200 isn't flawless, and holding it next to a Souverän will inevitably always make it feel like a 'cheaper alternative'. That being said, the M200 brown marble is a fine pen to have a first go at Pelikan's luxury offerings. 

Can the M200 Brown Marble replace the magnificent Tortoise brown material?

It's not super-cheap (115€/ 135$ for the fountain pen, 100€/ 130$ for the ballpoint), but at half the price of the cheapest Souverän it's definitely a more tolerable option. You still get the same classic design that the Souveräns are known for -be it in a slightly less elaborate packaging. This particular brown marble colorway in particular is a clear winner in my book, and it surprises me that it got very little attention since its release. It's not too dissimilar to the iconic tortoise brown material, so the brown marble might be a valid surrogate if you missed out on that one?

This product was provided on loan by Pelikan, so I could write this review. I was in no way influenced in the making of this review, the opinions shared in this review are completely my own! This post does not contain affiliate links.

WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT: 5TH ANNIVERSARY GIVEAWAY #3

Boosh! That's a wrap on 5th Anniversary giveaway #3! Once again, thanks to everyone who participated, and big thanks to the kind folks over at Appelboom, who sponsored this giveaway. Let's go straight to the announcement of the winner of the beautiful Pelikan M120 Iconic Blue fountain pen!

The winner, as chosen by the Random number generator: 

Daniel Berecz
(@danimad on Instagram)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks again for all the support, and thanks for entering the giveaway! Didn't win this time, or missed out? Don't worry, expect to see two more 5th Anniversary giveaways in the next days! Always stay up-to-date on current giveaways by following The Pencilcase Blog on INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, GOOGLE+, or subscribe to the NEWSLETTER!

INKTASTIC: PELIKAN EDELSTEIN SMOKEY QUARTZ INK REVIEW

This is an ink I've been looking forward to for quite a while. Each year, Pelikan succeeds at putting out a good looking ink year after year in their Ink Of The Year collection. Each year, the color of the next Ink Of The Year release is determined by a competition in which you can mix your own ink. This year's (or rather, last year's) competition resulted in Smokey Quartz, a muted brown ink. My thanks to Joost from Appelboom for providing this ink for review! 

I had actually been anticipating a brown ink for this year, so I'm quite happy with this one. There seems to be a trend of slightly more muted colors for the last three releases, which is right up my alley.

Smokey Quartz is -unlike the gemstone it's based on- not really a grey-brown, but more of a coffee/chocolate brown. Despite it not entirely matching the name, it's still a very nice dark brown ink. The lighter cappuccino cofee brown base is covered with a layer of dark chocolate brown shading. Depending on the nib you use, the base color can be a bit darker, so shading isn't always as pronounced, but it's definitely there.

Edelstein inks are generally well-behaved, and this one follows the trend. It's a smooth, relatively wet ink, flow was good in all pens I tried it with. It behaves perfect on decent paper (Rhodia), no bleedthrough or feathering at all. Dry times were average, maybe slightly on the longer side because it's a relatively wet ink. It's not a waterproof or iron-gall ink, but it's surprisingly water-resistant. 

Lamy Safari, F nib

Lamy Safari, B nib

Lamy Safari, 1.5mm stub 'calligraphy' nib

Smokey quartz is a nice ink in a row of excellent special edition releases. Pelikan does a great job with their Ink Of The Year collection, and I can't wait to see what will come next! Edelstein inks come in cartridges (long international), or really good-looking 50ml bottles. The bottles run for 15 EUR/ 25 USD. 25 USD is steep, maybe a bit too steep, but it's definitely worth 15 euros! Given that enormous price difference depending on where you get it, I think getting them from an EU retailer such as Appelboom is your best bet.

Note: Appelboom is a sponsor of this blog. This product was provided, free of charge, so I could write this review. I was in no way influenced in the making of this review, the opinions shared in this review are completely my own! This post does not contain affilate links.

PELIKAN SOUVERAN M800 RENAISSANCE SPECIAL EDITION FOUNTAIN PEN REVIEW

A new year, a new special edition Pelikan Souverän M800. What did you expect? We've come to find something fresh from Pelikan each year, and this time they really outdid themselves! In contrast to last year's Vibrant Blue, which IMHO wasn't that great, I think the Renaissance turned out amazing, it has the potential to live up to the iconic tortoise (that I continue to search for). 

Before we move on, let me just point out that this will be a photo-heavy post, rather than an in-depth review. If you want to read more about the Pelikan Souverän M800 in general, take a look at the Pelikan reviews page.

The Vibrant Blue was a bit too... vibrant for my eyes, the Renaissance is the exact opposite, just the way I like my pens: subtle yet unique. The dark brown acrylic is inspired by the chiaroscuro (light-dark) painting style of the Renaissance. It's semi-translucent, but this only shows through where the material is at its thinnest, which is the cap in this case. What really makes it special, are the pearlescent white/beige flecks scattered throughout the material. It gives the material depth and visual interest. 

L to R: Pelikan Souverän M400, M1000, M800, Lamy safari, Lamy 2000

One more thing I'd like to talk about is the nib. It's only the second time I've used one of Pelikan's 18k fine nibs, but I'm enjoying it a lot. As usual, the fine nib on a Pelikan is more like a solid medium, but that's actually what I like about it. For normal everyday writing, Pelikan's medium nibs are a bit too wide to be really versatile. 

Pelikan did a pretty outstanding job on the Renaissance, what more can I say? The regular Pelikan Souveran M800 models retail for around 440 EUR (610 USD), where the Renaissance goes for a slight premium at 490 EUR (640 USD). The Renaissance has been extremely popular ever since the announcement, so you definitely shouldn't wait around for too long if you're interested.

Note: La Couronne Du Comte is a sponsor of this blog. I received a discount on the purchase of this product.  I was in no way influenced in the making of this review, the opinions shared in this review are completely my own! This post does not contain affilate links.

PELIKAN SOUVERÄN M400 TORTOISE BROWN FOUNTAIN PEN REVIEW

Pelikan has made quite a few beautiful and interesting special edition pens over the last couple years. But one of them stands out from the rest: the Pelikan Souverän M800 Tortoise brown (2013 special edition). It was by far the most popular release, which shows in the ridiculous price they currently fetch on the second-hand market (upwards of 1000$!).

It just so happens to be that I bought my first Pelikan (an all black M805) at the exact moment that the M800 tortoise was sold. Yet for some stupid reason I decided to get the boring black pen. Worst decision ever now that I look back on it. And so I -along with many other pelikan enthousiasts- have been begging for a re-release ever since.

Sometime early August, Pelikan -out of the blue- announced the M400 Tortoise brown. It took me approximately 5 minutes to contact a pen store to pre-order one. Needless to say, I wouldn't miss out on it again!

I've reviewed a bunch of Pelikan products here over the past couple years, but the only Souverän model I hadn't tried out yet is the M400 size. Because all the Souverän pens are generally quite comparable, I'll try to stick to the differences between other models in this post. If you want to read more about Pelikan pens, go check out my other Pelikan Reviews.

Let's begin with the absolutely gorgeous Tortoise Brown material, the star of the show. Just like the green/red/blue striped colorways, the tortoise consists of a striped resin barrel. What makes it so special is the color variation and chatoyance this material offers. The brown-orange-silver-black streaks are mesmerizing to look at, and it has a warm orange glow when the light hits it just right. The color of the barrel is accentuated by gold-plated hardware, and a dark brown resin, that appears almost black, for the cap, section and piston knob (same as on the M800 Burnt Orange).

The Souverän series uses a pretty clever (yet sometimes confusing) number system to indicate the different models and finishes. It starts with the M300, the smallest fountain pen, and it goes up to the M1000, the 'flagship' oversized version of that same fountain pen. One up from the M300, which is a true pocket pen, you'll find the M400. The fact that it's only slightly bigger made me wonder if it's big enough to be comfortable in use. After all, we're not talking about a cheap pen, so it should be comfortable to use.

But in practice there isn't much to complain about sizewise. The M400 is a considerable step up from the M300. It's still a smaller than average pen when closed, but uncapped it measures in at 12.2cm, only a few mm shorter than the lamy 2000 for example. I can easily get away with it unposted (and if necessary, the cap can be posted securely).

For me personally, the width of the M400 poses a more noticeable difference than the length. Around the section, it measures in at just over 9mm, which is comparable to a kaweco sport grip section. It's comfortable to hold, and it's by no means a narrow pen, but I do prefer the more beefy M800 grip section as I'm more used to slightly larger pens in general.

In terms of comfort, I can't really complain though, the size is just a matter of preference. Pelikan does a great job with their grip sections. There is no step, only the threads that can possibly get in your way, but even those are in general quite shallow and not very sharp. The section is short, so I automatically hold it a little closer to the nib, which in terms makes the shorter barrel less noticeable. Because every Souverän pen under the M800 size is made with a plastic piston mechanism, it's also noticeably lighter than the bigger models, almost unsubstantial, but in return you get a fatigue-free writing experience.

The other difference with the larger M800 and M1000 -apart from the piston mechanism- is the nib. It sports the same two tone design with the pelikan logo, but it's made from 14k gold instead of 18k. Does that make it any different? In my experience not really. I found it to be a bit softer than the M800 nibs, but any nib apart from the M800 size generally is a bit softer, the M800 is the odd bird in the flock (#pelikanpun)

A special treat for the tortoise brown is that you can get one with the quite-hard-to-find Italic Broad nib, so I obviously went for that one. To my biggest surprise, it was perfectly tuned out of the box (seems like Pelikan upped their QC game in the last couple years?), it's a crisp stub with good line variation. The crispness comes at a price of having a very small sweetspot, meaning you can't rotate the pen or it'll skip and scratch. It may take some practice to hold correctly, but t's a joy to use when you get the hang of it. The flow is on the wet side, as we're used to from Pelikan, but paired with their slightly drier edelstein inks it makes for a balanced match.

Sometimes it's hard to conclude a review, but in this case my recommendation is quite simple: If you're sold on the absolutely stunning Toroise Brown material, you should act fast and get one of these, once they are gone, they are gone (and trust me, these won't stick around long!). Chances are Pelikan will release other models in this finish, but god knows how long that will take (They should really make this part of the permanent Souverän collection!)

Retail price, because this is a smaller model, is actually quite reasonable. In the US they go for 380 USD, here in Europe they retail for 325 EUR (that's still with VAT!), and of course you can get an additional 10% off with the discount codes provided by the blog's sponsors!

Note: Penworld Supports this blog. I received a discount on this purchase, so I could write this review. I was in no way influenced in the making of this review, the opinions shared here are completely my own. This review does not contain any affilate links.