Pelikan regularly releases limited edition models based on the M10xx chassis, but these are usually Maki-e or Raden models made in ultra limited production runs with large price tags. The last standard M10xx release was the M1005 Stresemann in 2019. After a long wait, Pelikan has answered the pent up demand with the upcoming M1000 Renaissance Brown. If that name sounds familiar, that is because Pelikan first employed the finish on the M800 Renaissance Brown that was released in 2017. Pelikan’s advertisements declare, “Brace yourselves for the comeback of a classic!” The original M800 model has been well regarded over the years following its release. The M1000 Renaissance Brown is set to debut in May 2024. If that has your interest peaked, read on to find out all of the details.
The M1000 Renaissance Brown is a large pen measuring 5.79 inches (14.7 cm) and weighing 1.14 ounces (32.3 gm). It has a pearlescent finish with pearl-like ribbons of color in brown acrylic, reminiscent of the interplay between light and shadow that is characteristic of Renaissance paintings. Made in Germany, it will come as a limited, un-numbered production run. A special champagne colored gift box will accompany the release. Unlike previous models, it features a single ring construction, similar to the M800 Green Demonstrator from 2023. This is only the second time this construction has been employed on a release and the first time ever that it will be seen on an M10xx model. The new design, forged from a single piece of metal, maintains the classic Souverän look with a matte band sandwiched between two polished bands.
Pelikan’s sales literature states;
“The acrylic material is loved for its stunning pearly effects, combined with brown and crème-colored shades. It creates a unique impression for every pen. According to a great era of renaissance paintings, this fountan pen is an homage to the fascinating art works of masters during this time.”
The M1000 Renaissance Brown will be available with a nib in the width of EF, F, M and B. The M1000 nib is large and incredibly springy, which means it lays down a lot of ink. It’s one of the best nibs Pelikan offers amongst their modern line-up. That nib is supplied by an ink chamber with a 1.35mL capacity. There is no discrete ink view, but if this version is anything like its smaller cousin, the material will have some translucency, so you can see the remaining ink in the pen using strong lighting. Of note, there will not be an accompanying ballpoint like there was with the M800 release.
Pelikan’s latest M1000 will have a retail price of $856 in the US, compared to $740 five years ago for the M1005 Stresemann. It’s worth shopping around for special offers which can further improve the prospects for this one. Overseas, the retail price will be close to €584 (~$620.10) excluding VAT.
I think the new M1000 Renaissance Brown pen will be popular, especially for people who like big pens with juicy nibs. The Renaissance Brown should not suffer from a lack of sales. Combining one of Pelikan’s nicer past finishes with their flaghship model should be a recipe for success, especially when capitalizing on a lot of pent up demand. However, I feel a bit let down. I was excited to see what a new M1000 would look like, especially after some of their more creative recent releases. Instead, they once again resurrected an older design which feels like looking backwards instead of forwards. If they really wanted to visit a past motif, a Tortoiseshell pattern (Red, Black, or Brown) applied to the M10xx chassis would have been a much more inspiring/innovative choice. Alas, it’s not to be, at least for now. Also, I was fairly ambivalent to that single ring construction when Pelikan debuted it and it has not grown on me much since. I’m not angry with Pelikan for taking the easy route, just disappointed.
Looks good – but the problem of Pelikan has not been resolved yet – there is no real EF – not the pseudo EF which they have.
Hello,
I agree with your point re extra fine nibs on a Pelikan. I always buy any pen as extra fine when available. Pelikan version disappoints me. There is still difference in what say Platinum define as an extra fine, which I love. Compared to the USA and then finally Europe. Do you know the nib with of Pelikan definition of an extra fine.
I don’t think a Pelikan is going to be able to compete with the EF of a Platinum. Just two different standards. I’m not sure of the width off the top of my head but that is a bit tough too because it really depends on the nib. I’ve seen the widths vary some between different batches so it would be tough to get an exact picture from measuring one nib. Would need a good sample size to derive a reasonable average. I do find that their stainless steel EFs tend to be a bit narrower than their gold versions.
Is that only a problem with M1000s in your opinion?
I have many 400 / 600 / 700 & 800 series Pelikans and a few EF nibs for them. Essentially, that is only two basic nib sizes (400/800) as you’re probably aware. My experience with the EFs has been OK for mine. My nibs are older than ~5 years if that’s of any significance.
The M1000 is a challenging case and hard to hold against the others in the line. The large size and springiness of the nib impact things a bit. I think the EF statement made was likely more generalized and I have seen some significant variability from one EF to the next, depending on when the nib was manufactured.
I understand the desire to a true EF but I can’t say that Pelikan is that much worse than most other modern nibs from the west. I’ve always suspected the issue lies in the fact that a casual user might encounter issues with a true EF that the company simply does not wish to deal with. Just my own supposition of course.
I think it’s mainly due to Pelikan expecting most of their customers to write in cursive and true EF nibs aren’t really all that suitable for that.
I don’t know about that. Cursive is becoming a lost art that is barely being taught in US schools. I’m not sure how much they anticipate a particularly style of writing (cursive vs print) when formulating their nib widths.
Per the Pelikan Passion Instagram page, the cap has slight translucence but the barrel does not. My pre-order is already in. I think the single band design works very well with this material, though it woudn’t be my preference on the standard black cap.
The barrel is not intended to be translucent, no. That said, the material is not entirely opaque either as it will let light through. Holding the ink chamber up to strong lighting does allow one to get a sense of the volume of ink remaining in the pen. I have a feeling this single band design may be the new Souveran standard.
I really like the M1000. It’s a truly great pen if you have a large hand. I just wish they would produce it in a blue stripe, my single favourite colour of all the Souverän line. But after a long wait this is a beautiful addition to the line.
Now that would be something. While I’d love to see a line of M1000 tortoises as I stated, I could get behind a blue stripe. For me it’s an M1000 tortoiseshell red that would steal my heart.
Dear Josh, I saw that Instagram release from Pelikan, and noticed the lack of an ink window, but at least – we’ve now finally got something in the M10xx chassis! I’ll add this one to my flock, and like you, I’m looking forward to an M10xx with a tortoiseshell finish – the brown would be great ! And who knows, the Ocean Swirl. That would be a cracking one in the flagship size.
The ink window is a thing of the past for most Souverans unfortunately though I do hope to see it make a comeback in the future. It’s been too long since we’ve had a right proper M1000 release. I would love to see a Tortoiseshell Red M1000 or any tortoise for that matter. I’m not sure how I would feel about an Ocean Swirl though I don’t hate the idea.
I have a dozen M800 and M600 Pelikans and have procrastinated on purchasing an M1000. I think I will pass on this version and buy the M1000 Green Stripe.
The M1000 is a desk pen to me, just by virtue of its large size. That said, it has one of the most satisfying nibs in Pelikan’s modern line-up and is well worth having at least one.
Just to be picky about the terminology, Joshua, Pelikan’s Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) is $1,070. The typical street discount of 20% is the $856 you mentioned.
Yes, Tom, that is 100% accurate. I left out the MSRP on this one as most people will be paying the street price less any pre-order discounts or specials that might take an extra 5-10% off the price.
Im really really happy with this release, why?
1. all the older and wonderful m800 models like ocean swirl, vibrant blue and so on are sold out and way too expensive second hand.
2. there was any affordable m1000 special edition in years. as a normal person its impossible to buy the raden/maki e stuff.
3. the renaissance brown is my fave colour they ever worked with so: Take my money 😅
It is true, these beautiful M800 finishes have gotten scarce and therefore expensive. I’m glad this one hits the spot for you and it is a beautiful pen. I guess after 5 years, I was looking for something a bit more daring. Hopefully with the positive sales for this one, and I suspect they will be, that Pelikan will breathe some new life into the M1000 line with more standard releases for the masses.
I was delighted when this broke. The Renaissance looks (I’ve never seen one in the flesh) beautiful and classy: a pen to be taken seriously for its functionality but also a work of art, whether or not you think it conjures up Renaissance paintings. I missed out on the 800 incarnation of this and I baulk at the $880 price tag Goldspot have slapped on it. (How did they come to acquire, exclusively it would seem, the secret stash of everyone’s favorite 800s?). Plus, I have, in recent years, become intrigued by the M1000. Again, I’ve never seen one, but that soft nib is certainly a lure.
Then, though, I thought about the inevitably high price and realized that I will probably never acquire one. Here in the UK, even with competitive online stores like Cult Pens, it seems to be going to sell for £795. Given the current conversion rate, that’s significantly more expensive than in the US! I would more happily buy it from Appelboom at today’s price of £584.41, but then I would have to pay crippling import duties. It’s a grail pen, I have to admit, but the mark up seems pretty outrageous, at least with some vendors. However, it’s still, I realise, cheap when compared to Montblanc, especially to their hundredth-anniversary offerings.
Seeing it in the flesh is even better than the photos. They all vary some due to the nature of the material but they are quite beautiful. If you haven’t tried an M1000, it is well worth it. The flagship model will have the highest price tag unfortunately. Hopefully the situation changes and an opportunity to pick one of these up will present itself for you.
The brown tortoiseshell was lovely …a 400 I believe….looked for a long while and finally had to give up….priced out….
Sorry to hear that. Deals can be had from time to time on the auction sites. Sometimes a sleeper comes through and sells at a great price. Pays to keep an eye out.
Hi Joshua, whilst I am a Pelikan fan through and through having just purchased an M1000 I am at a loss to see why yet another M1000 in another colour is supposed to make me excited. Car manufacturers are noted for doing this by adding a few gismos just before the model goes out of production. Are Pelikan frightened of deviating and creating something new and exciting or are development costs becoming prohibitive.
Pelikan has long had a formula and have overall been very conservative by nature. Some of their most exciting releases have been for export markets. We still see glimmer of innovation from time to time but they tend to play it safe. That said, I’m sure that they have reams of expensive market research and sales data that inform their decision making, all of which we aren’t privy to.
US MSRP is $1,070 and offerings elsewhere seem to show roughly 800 euro or about $875 USD So your pricing details seem rapidly out of date. Were you using estimates?
Hello Bill. US pricing is indeed fairly fixed. The US MSRP is $1,070 as you and Tom pointed out which gives US consumers an expected retail of $856 when you account for the 20% reduction that we typically see. Some domestic vendors are offering additional discounts so prices will vary some, taking perhaps an additional 5-10% off of the retail price. Overseas vendors have more variability in pricing in my experience. I will offer a few examples that are relevant to this model. Fritz-Schimp out of Germany is asking €695 which is €584 when the VAT is excluded. Appelboom in the Netherlands is asking €677.69 when the VAT is excluded. Novelli in Italy is asking €604.92. This is just a sampling of European vendors but taken together, domestic consumers are able to purchase this pen abroad somewhere between $623.16 and $723.13 plus shipping fees not including any discounts or promotions which those vendors may also be offering. Of course, I would encourage those in the USA to utilize domestic vendors for their purchase whenever possible. Inclusion of overseas pricing is for completeness and to cater to the multinational audience of this site. I hope that helps to clear things up.
Why would the cap be semi-transparent, but not the barrel? This makes no sense. The M1000 is the only Pelikan size I don’t own, and I think I will pass on this. Actually, I’m considering purchasing a plain black M1000, which is the only regular version that still has an ink window and, in my opinion, looks very nice in such a large body.
That is a fine pen if you can find it. The dedicated ink view on that one is nice. Why the transparency discrepancy? I think it goes to how thick the material is for the barrel vs the cap.
I agree with you Josh and would have loved to see a Black Tortoise, or Brown Tortoise M1000. I own an M600 Red Tortoise. I own this in the M800 version and already had a dealer set one aside for me in a fine nib. I don’t own an M1000 yet, missed the Stresemann sadly. Very Excited. I didn’t care for the look of Pelikans when I first got into the hobby 4 or 5 years back, but when I saw the Red and Brown Tortoise and laid eyes on the Renaissance Brown I had to have them haha
I think every Pelikan fan needs to at least try out an M1000, regardless of your size preference. That huge nib is just a lot of fun.
I am actually happy this is the release for the M1000. I have the M800 version and I love it. As such, I see no reason for me to buy this pen. So I, and my wallet, are happy now. For how long though, who knows?
I respect your restraint. That is a virtue I struggle to manifest, especially when it comes to Pelikan.
Looks like a wonderful pen and I really like my current M800 and M1000 pens. But my Glauco Cambon is my one special edition for this year. It is good to see more attention to the larger pens
I do hope that we might see more standard releases in the M10xx chassis in the future. Maybe even 1 a year would be better than 1 every 5 years.
I have a few m800s and a m600 tortoiseshell red (600s a little small for my tastes). I have wanted a m1000 for the last few years but refuse to buy one because they now are no longer translucent. This may scratch the itch for me since translucent sections were not a feature of this to begin with and I am not paying for the extreme high end m1000s. I do agree with you about the ring, I would rather it be the old double version but might be willing to overlook that.
Hello Joshua, if Pelikan released the Renaissance model of the m800 upon popular demand, we may also have the Ocean Swirl and Grand Place models released upon greater demand 🙂
Pelikan almost forgot about the m800 models. In the last five years, it has released only the green demo model. However, the m200 and m1000 models are very fast. Do you think there is an expected m800 model?