News about one of Pelikan’s most anticipated 2020 models broke today. With its release pushed back slightly due to the coronavirus pandemic, today’s newcomer makes a compelling case for the wait being wholly worthwhile. For the last several years, we have seen quite a few white pens grace the M600 line starting with 2012’s Tortoiseshell-White. Another tortoise joins the family today, bringing with it a bold and bright look. The M600 Tortoiseshell-Red puts a fresh coat of paint on an old theme which does wonders for the aesthetics. Of course, this model will quickly conjure recollections of 2014’s M1o1N Tortoiseshell-Red which employed a similar color scheme though with an overall different style. Pelikan’s supporting literature states; “This colorful series gives the classic Souverän a bright and warm appearance. The extraordinary color variation is reminiscent of a beautiful sunset and encourages us to stroll down memory lane.” The M600 Tortoiseshell-Red will be available in December and vendors are taking pre-orders now.
This newest M600’s most obvious feature is the bold yet warm color scheme. The cap, piston knob, and section are made from a vibrant red resin. The cellulose acetate barrel is striated with hues of browns, oranges, and reds giving the tortoise motif a modern appearance. The choices made with the M600’s palette definitely imparts an appealing warmth to the look of the pen. While this model lacks a discrete ink window seated behind the section, the barrel will have a familiar translucence between the stripes which should allow for visualization of the remaining ink in the pen without breaking up the design. The gold plated furniture is classic Souverän and includes two cap bands, two trim rings at the piston knob, and a single trim ring on the section. The cap features the company’s iconic beak clip and the nib is made of 14C-585 gold with a two-tone appearance thanks to the addition of rhodium plating. No surprises about the available widths, unfortunately, which include the standard sizes of EF, F, M, and B. Fitting the bill as a mid-sized pen, the M600 has a capped length of 5.28 inches, a diameter of 0.49 inches, and a weight of 0.56 ounces. This one will have an accompanying ballpoint in a matching finish available for purchase separately. All of the pens will come in a folding gift box and the pre-release sales literature suggest pairing this one with Edelstein’s Mandarin ink.
M600 Fountain Pen
K600 Ballpoint Pen
The Tortoiseshell-Red should be a big hit for Pelikan. The M600 size will appeal to a broad base, particularly amongst those who find the M800 too large for comfort. Prices over the last few years have trended steadily upwards. 2018’s Turquoise-White had a US MSRP of $500 with a retail price of $400. 2019’s Violet-White had a US MSRP of $550 with a retail price of $440. That progression continues as the Tortoiseshell-Red has a US MSRP of $600 with a retail price of $480. Shopping with overseas vendors will likely result in better prices though shipping times have been significantly impacted by the pandemic which could be a factor for those eager to quickly get their hands on this one. A quick search shows German vendors asking €320 (including VAT) which means a retail price for non-EU citizens of around $322 when the VAT is excluded. Overall, I anticipate that this may be one of the most exciting releases we’ve seen in the past several years. The warm tones and fresh take on an old standard look to make for an instant classic. I can easily see this one being at the top of many Christmas wish lists this year. It will be a special edition with a limited production run therefore I wouldn’t plan to drag your feet on this one if you can afford not to. What do you think of the upcoming M600 Tortoiseshell-Red and will one be joining your flock? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.
No ink window! Why?
It will be perfect.
I had been waiting for a new M600 to use it with my Make a Wish Nib. But I will pass until I see if ink can be really seen.
It will have an ink view, like what we’ve seen on other modern striated tortoises. It just won’t have a discrete window that sits behind the section. I rather prefer the implementation of the ink view being facilitated by translucency between the stripes because it doesn’t disturb the barrel’s gorgeous design/colors. From what I can tell, this is not one you should avoid for lack of an ink view as that should be a non-issue.
This may be a pre-Christmas treat. It does tick a lot of my boxes. Very tempting. Thanks for the post!
Tempting indeed. You’re welcome!
nice but i wish there were more offerings in the 800 range.
I think historically, Pelikan has favored the M8xx lines with many of their special editions. It has certainly felt as if the M4xx and M6xx lines received less of the popular finishes so I don’t mind seeing something like this come to the M600 series. I do anticipate one more release this year, likely due to be announced next month and that should be an M800 if that gives you any solace.
I am definitely in for this one. It is good looking, and my flock is light on red.
I feel the same. Pelikan’s red and yellow pens are some of my favorites. I love that palette so much better than the blues and browns. Can’t wait to see this on in person.
I will be passing, but only because it is a budget buster for me. The M400 White Tortoise was a stretch.
I’m sorry the budget won’t allow. You’ll get one one day if its meant to be. The M400 white torty is a great pen though. Hope you enjoy it.
When I saw your headline, I winced, remembering the yellow, cartoonish tortoiseshell of the M101N. But the pictures of the new M600 show a more subtle gradient of colors in the barrel, warmer and less harsh. I’m very interested.
Personally, I like the M101N but agree that the barrel comes off as a bit much. I think the M600 went in a different direction and really nails the balance nicely. Can’t wait to see it in person.
Just pre-ordered mine today. And that’s it for fountain pens for 2020! The coffers are empty. At least they went out with a bang.
Congrats! Should make a nice addition to the flock. Now its time to start saving for 2021, lol.
My pen arrived yesterday (in the storm!) and it does not disappoint. Absolutely gorgeous.
I’m glad to hear that you are most satisfied. I didn’t really expect any other outcome from how beautiful the pre-release pics looked. I only expected it to look even better in person.
I’ve pre-ordered mine from my usual seller. Cant’ wait!
Congrats! I’m not usually into ballpoints but I might go for the combo on this one since they make a good looking pair.
The joy of „sets“…😛
I think the pair will make a distinctive set that will look especially good in the pocket of dark formalwear. I don’t often use my pens as fashion accessories (they are more likely to be in my hand or stored in a pouch), but I think in this case the red resin/tortoise with gold furniture will be an exception.
I also don’t think of them as fashion accessories but I can certainly see what you’re saying.
hey Josh: can we assume this will be the same red resin used in the m101n tortoiseshell red?
In person the red resin of the m101n seemed a bit more pink/cherry and plasticky than the early Pelikan publicity photos.
The binde here seems different from the m101n tortoisehell red (more red, less yellow) but perhaps that’s just because of the striped-separation of the cellulose acetate. I understand the striped binde of the m450 tortoise used the same cellulose acetate of the m101n brown tortoiseshell–but that resin looks quite different in its striped iteration.
You know what they say about assumptions. That said, I think that is the most likely outcome and that is what I’m expecting it to most closely resemble. The pre-release photos seldom do the pens justice in conveying their appearance, particularly in variable lighting conditions. I guess we’ll just have to wait to know for sure.
I think this definitely will be added to my collection of M600s. I can’t wait to see what the new M800 will look like but am delighted to see Pelikan being adventurous as 2020 comes to a close!
Exactly! I think whether you love or hate the look of the new M600 tortoise, the good thing for everyone is that Pelikan is being a bit adventurous which I’m sure will bring good things for all pen fans.
I think it looks great. And nice to see something more bold and distinctive from Pelikan. If it was an M800 I would definitely buy it and I think it would be a strong pair with the M800 Stone Garden. I’m not an M600 guy, though.
I think this would be an absolute killer as an M800 and wouldn’t write this finish off as coming to that line one day. I appreciate that Pelikan isn’t just favoring the larger models with some of these more unique finishes.
Hi! Just a quick note, I think the euro price you quoted is already excluding vat, so it is a bit higher. Beautiful pen though.
I must beg to differ. Fritz Schimpf is offering the fountain pen for €320 (with VAT). German VAT is currently 16% due to the pandemic. That would give non-EU customers a retail price of €275.86 (320/1.16). Based on the current conversion rate, that is about $323.20.
Well that’s good news for non EU residents! I checked Appelboom and la couronne du comte (sp?) and both seem to be about 300+ euro excluding vat. I guess the price in NL is different? How reputable is this German company?
Incredibly reputable. Very highly regarded and I could not recommend more highly. I have purchased over two dozen pens from them and have been satisfied with each purchase.
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Thank you for posting, you are always the first one to notice these premières! This seems like a beautiful pen, the tortoiseshell’s are very special anyway and this one looks stunning indeed. It’s on our Santaclaus list …
I like to keep my finger on the Pelikan pulse. Not too hard if you know where to look. I hope Santa Claus is good to you this year.
No question-preordered already M nib converted to stub from nibs.com. Since I love tortoise pens may even get another. I am still kicking myself for not getting two M800s at the time when I was at Fountain Pen Hospital.
Congrats on the pre-order! I tried the buy 2 thing but it never really worked out for me the way I though it would so I gave up the endeavor. Happy to just have one to enjoy. That said, two M800s would have been a nice investment. One never really knows how things will take off though.
Exactly-one never knows 🙂
Edelstein Mandarin is certainly a good match. Another would be the Edelstein Garnet we think.
What’s your choice?
I’m not much of a red ink guy since I cannot use it day to day so my experience with reds is limited. Diamine Poppy might be a good fit for this one…
Really like the overall design and color scheme but just wish that they would switch to the older style celluloid binde materials with smoother transitions between the colors (like they mostly had in vintage Pelikans).
Those sharp transitions between the light and dark parts stand out and not in a good way… and yes, I have the same issue with the M101N Tortoiseshell Red, the effect being even more pronounced in those because the binde is not cut to stripes. It makes it look artificial/plasticky.
Anyhow… will have to wait to see it in person or in real life photos. It is quite tempting, definitely one of the best looking pens Pelikan has come up with in a while.
I totally agree about the artificial and plasticky appearance of the M101N but I still enjoy it. I think seeing it in person will be telling. Hopefully we won’t have to wait too long.
Why is it referred to as the Tortoiseshell?
Pelikan has released many tortoise models going back to their early days in fountain pen manufacturing. If you looks at the colors/patterns on the barrels of their tortoise models, its reminiscent of an actual tortoise shell. Hence the name.
oh, wow! Joshua, this one is a beauty!
I can’t wait to see just how much of a beauty in person.
Do you know whether Fritz Schimpf offers their B with italic grind on this pen? or do they do that on the m800 only?
You’ll have to confirm with the company directly to be sure but I do believe that the Fritz Schimpf italic grind will be available for this one. I do not believe that the grind is exclusive to the M800.
Thanks, do you have an idea what Fritz Schimpf charges for the CI? I recall you got the brown M800 with their grind…
I think Pelikan listened to the people saying they liked their “non-straight striped” binde of the past 🙂
I’m afraid that I do not know what the charge would be for the grind. The business is very responsive so I recommend that you contact them directly to inquire at service@fritz-schimpf.de.
I always said that I’d retire from pen buying if Pelikan released an M600 Tortoise Brown again. This is a red one, but….good enough. It’s gorgeous. I’m getting one, and I do believe that’s it for me. I have everything I could possibly want in terms of pens….and this will be it. And I do like that, unlike the M101N tortoise red of a few years ago, the beautiful pattern on the barrel is NOT broken up with an ink window below the section.
I admire your restraint and ability to be satisfied. I do not have that within me and am envious. This would be a great one to go out on and quit the pen accumulation business.
Thanks for the article! I couldn’t resist this one. After looking at it for the last 3 weeks, I gave in, though I already have enough 600’s and enough tortoises. I got it for 270 euros ($320) today (with the Black Friday code) from La Couronne du Compte.
Yes, I can see how this one would be hard to pass up. I also think that one can never have enough tortoises. You got a very competitive price. Congrats on the new addition to the flock.
Great News, Joshua!
I usually do not buy M600’s, which are my least liked birds.
But I have two weaknesses… one is tortoise, the other red birds 🙂 . So, my wife and I have 2 on pre-order!
I just wish the next M800 will be this gorgeous!
Even if it isn’t your usual style, I can see this one failing to please. Have yet to see one in person but I am very excited. It is the only finish that I’ve seen to date which compelled me to buy the matching ballpoint. The only other that came close was the Burnt Orange.
Our M600 arrived today. It is gorgeous, stunning! A most beautiful color scheme.
Tip: Pelikan Edelstein Garnet is a perfect ink color match for this pen.
Thanks for the tip. Enjoy the new pen! I’ll be writing about this one again soon.
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My bird was a couple of years behind but so very grateful it found its home:) Stunning Pen as it’s become one of my favorites!
Definitely one of the better releases of the last couple of years. Enjoy it!