Pelikan’s schedule of new releases has been unavoidably altered for 2020 due to the global issues affecting us all today. One of the most highly anticipated models expected this year has been a fountain pen inspired by the Edelstein Ink of the Year, Moonstone. I’m happy to report that the wait is now over as Bookbinders, a stationary shop out of Australia, has given us our first glimpse of the M205 Moonstone Special Edition Demonstrator. The latest special edition to join the Classic series continues the tradition that began with the M205 Amethyst (2015) and now marks the sixth release to be based on their Edelstein line of inks. The M205 Moonstone joins ranks with the M205 Star Ruby (2019), M205 Olivine (2018), M200 Smoky Quartz (2017), M205 Aquamarine (2016), and the M205 Amethyst (2015). Last year’s Star Ruby broke the mold by employing a material with a sparkly, shimmering character. The Moonstone looks to continue this trend by utilizing the same sparkling material encased within a dark gray translucent medium. Pre-orders should be available from most vendors by September 1st with this one expected to hit store shelves sometime in early October.
The M205 Moonstone demonstrator takes its design queues from this year’s Edelstein Ink of the Year which is a silver-gray shade. The actual gemstone displays a blue to white adularescence, a phenomenon where light appears to billow across the surface giving the stone a moonlight-like sheen. Pelikan’s Moonstone pen will incorporate a shimmering effect in the proper lighting, likely with the intent of giving some sense of that moonlight like sheen. To my knowledge, this is only the second time that Pelikan has used a material of this type. When I reviewed the Star Ruby, I felt that the effect was overall well done noting that, “The sparkles never feel intrusive or scream ‘look at me.'” Of course, we’ll have a better sense of this once there are some real world photos and videos available for viewing. Official statements from the company indicate that the gray will have varying shades, harkening back to the changing green of the Olivine.
“The magic grey color reminds of moonlight rays and is sparkling as soon as the writing instrument comes in touch with the daylight. A special material combination realizes this unique effect and creates more than one shade of grey.”
The Moonstone will feature Pelikan’s standard trim package for the M205 series which includes chromium plated furniture with a silver color. The cap top will sport a printed one chick logo with a plated crown, a single cap band, and a beak clip. The only other furniture to adorn the pen is a single trim ring at the piston knob. The M205 comes with an unplated stainless steel nib which will be available in the standard widths of EF, F, M, and B. As this is a demonstrator type release, the material of the barrel and cap is transparent, allowing for visualization of the pen’s inner workings.
M205 Moonstone
Like those that have come before, the M205 Moonstone will be a limited production run. Pelikan has confirmed that there will indeed be a matching K205 ballpoint available for purchase as well. In keeping with past releases, Pelikan will again be bundling the fountain pen with a bottle of Moonstone ink for purchase as a special combination. The actual pricing has not yet been revealed and it is unclear how the pandemic will affect the cost compared with years prior. For your reference, the Star Ruby had a US MSRP of $210 and a retail of around $139 with sets selling for approximately $152. Prices were somewhat cheaper from overseas vendors but not dramatically so.
M205 Moonstone gift set with fountain pen and ink
Personally, I was not expecting the Moonstone to incorporate the same shimmering effect as the Star Ruby. Given how well the Star Ruby turned out, I’m cautiously optimistic about the appearance of the Moonstone. With so many people anticipating this one, I’m very curious about the community’s reaction now that the wrapping is off. How do these pre-release photos grab you? Is this everything you were hoping for from the M205 Moonstone or does it fall a bit short of expectations? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.
UPDATE 8/28/20: Post updated to reflect information about the color of the material used as well as the existence of the K205 Moonstone ballpoint.
I haven’t gone for these M205s matching the Ink of the Year as I’m not keen on collecting demonstrator pens. And I always worry about staining a “see through” pen. I love my good old M200 Cafe Creme. And with gray inks being my least favorite ink, well it’s easy for me to pass on this one.
But the photo looks nice; the bling doesn’t look overdone at all.
Hi, once I know for sure, I’ll try to report back. There are inks known as cleaning inks. Sailor Doyou is one. I got it in hopes it would clear the ink window in a Visconti Wall Street stained by J Herbin Rouge Hematite.
Noodler’s Eel ink Red Rattler is another cleaning ink. A person posted on Fountain Pen Network to show that ink cleaned a blue stained clear demonstrator.
Here is a link:
http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/297645-whats-your-cleaner-ink/
Noodler’s Rattler Red Eel and Sailor’s Jentle Doyou are the only two that I’ve heard of which are reliably reported to have this property though neither are sold as such. I have no personal experience with them but have seen real world before and after pics that are pretty impressive. In a pinch, I’d give either a try if the need arose. I’d probably favor Jentle Doyou over Red Eel but that’s just personal preference.
The Café Creme is a great pen and one of the smartest color schemes out of Hannover in a while. Demos are a rather polarizing lot. I have had good luck with staining. I think the trick is good pen hygiene and a careful selection of inks but your concerns are very valid.
I am so glad I finally got a Cafe Creme pen when I did. It is very attractive. I wonder if there are other color schemes that could be done in a similar design.
Plenty of schemes possible but despite some recent steps in the right direction, they remain overall very conservative with their pen designs. I don’t think that we’ll see any more M2xx pens this year.
Having spent much of my adulthood in gray cubicle farms, I’m baffled by the widespread adoption of gray as a fashionable color. I find it depressing.
It’s a minority opinion, I know. Pelikan has surely done market research that says people will buy gray pens.
I’m not big on the sparkles, either. So my wallet will stay closed, unless they wow me with an M600/5 release…something without a white cap?
BTW, I have five M200/5 demonstrator pens. They all get used; none of them is stained (yet).
I’m sure the trend will come and go like most everything else. Hopefully your M6xx desires will be fulfilled in Q4 when we get a look at some of those delayed releases from earlier in the year.
I’m actually more enamored with the unusual color of the Edelstein bottle cap than the pen. That said, sparkles are not something of which I’m particularly fond but to each their own. There’s always room for another Pelikan in the pen world.
That there is though our wallets may disagree. The gray is supposed to change shades depending on how you look at it which might be an interesting effect. The sparkles make sense to me in the context to taking inspiration from a gemstone and I wonder how far they will take the concept in the future.
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Just wanted to ask: why aren’t the Toledo editions not as easily available in India?
That is an answer that I cannot give you. It is not an issue that I had heard about previously. I’m not sure what the market is like in India for very high priced pens. Have you directed an inquiry to the distributor in India or Pelikan themselves? That’s where I would start to seek answers.
Thanks for the update, Joshua.
When the Star Ruby pictures first came out, I thought it was going to be to glittery/kitschy/sparkly, but when I saw it in person, it was clear the glittery particles are quite fine and add more of a shimmer than a sparkle. The overall effect was to my eye quite nice. I will wait to look at this one in person (I am fortunate to have multiple brick and mortar Pelikan dealers nearby), but I am optimistic it will complement the shading of the Moonstone ink quite nicely. To answer your question: I was very much anticipating the arrival of this pen. My hopes were high, but I did my best to keep my expectations low. This pen looks like it landed nicely in between: it fell (a little) short of my high hopes (for something like a grey/silver version of the gold marbled), but it exceeded my expectations (which were for a simpler demonstrator in “ink window grey”).
I think this one is very likely to enter my flock.
You’re welcome. I’m very jealous of your proximity to brick and mortar dealers. My nearest is a 2.5 hour drive. I agree, while sparkles seemed like a bad call, the overall effect comes off quite well. I’m optimistic that the same will hold true for the Moonstone. I can say that my expectation was squarely for an ink window gray but am pleasantly surprised that is not the case.
There’s nothing like seeing a pen in person. All I can say is it had me at Moonstone, or really at Moon.
I’m glad that it has held up to your expectations.
I checked the link to Bookbinders, and it shows an October shipping timeframe. I had hoped to have this as the only birthday gift. But it will miss mine in late September.
I guess I’ll have to buy this for myself.
The October time frame seems pretty firm. It will make a good belated present to yourself.
Thanks for the update. Your website and contributions are always both very tastefully edited and most informative, a pleasure to read and look at!
A nice pen to complement the M200/205-Ink-of-the-Year series. We usually only buy one pen of a specific series to keep the collection manageable, and our Star Ruby has been the lucky choice, because the warm red is a good counterbalance to the cool chrome trimming of the 205 series.
This grey M205, although not for us, looks like a good choice for those who are in to a grey pen that still looks special – a wise decision of Pelikan to use the shimmering/sparkling effect they also gave to the Star Ruby.
I appreciate your kind words about my work. I’m very careful with how each post gets created and spend a lot of time on each one, probably too much so. The Star Ruby is a great choice and if I was faced with choosing between the M205 Star Ruby and the Moonstone, I’d probably go with the Star Ruby as well.
I think this pen is beautiful. I love all of the other colors in this series. It’s one of my favorite pens. I love the color of this one and can’t wait to see it in person! I’ve pre-ordered one!
Early congrats on your new pen. I hope that you enjoy it!
Looks more like Moondust than Moonstone! Unusual, I think the material works well and I may get this one after resisting the most recent few.
Looks like a good time to jump in.
I AM SO EXCITED!!! I’ve been checking since… Well, most of the year. I love my Smoky Quartz ink & pen and I’m really looking forward to acquiring the Moonstone! Hoping to one day get my hands on an Olivine… Suggestions?
The Olivine remains pretty available still. Several vendors on eBay have it listed at not unreasonable prices. Great looking pen. Glad that the Moonstone strikes such a cord with you. Enjoy your new bird.
Olivine is still available in Europe, for example in Poland (for ca. 150$)
https://www.twojepioro.pl/pioro-wieczne-pelikan-m205-demonstrator-olivine-pen-of-the-2018-
If You need some help for translating the site please write me
Pelikan could have been a lot more imaginative in launching this pen eg. buying a couple of lunar meteorites, grinding them up and adding to the resin mix. Then it could truly earn its Moonstone name! Wake up Pelikan Marketing Team!!!
Sounds reasonable to me but then the price of the pen would likely be on par with that of a nice luxury automobile.
Hi Joshua,
Lunar meteorites cost ~$200/gram. Ground up and added to resin at 1mg per pen would cost 20 cents – but the publicity would be priceless!
Andrew
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