For those of you that keep up with Pelikan’s usual cycle of releases, you know that by the end of March in most years, we’ve already had news of two and sometimes up to three new fountain pens. Sadly, this year, like the one before it, is not like most years. That unfortunate fact, made evident by the dearth of new releases out of Hannover, is almost certainly attributable to the chaos that the coronavirus pandemic has wrought upon supply chains across the globe. The drought may be coming to an end however as Atlas Stationers out of Chicago, IL broke news of Pelikan’s next release via their website this evening. The next pen to market will hail from the company’s Classic line and carry the moniker of M205 Petrol-Marbled. Petrol is a color scheme that Pelikan has employed with pens from some of their other lines including the Pura, Jazz, and Twist. Pelikan’s new marbled finish will combine blues and greens in a way that, to me, is reminiscent of the M805 Ocean Swirl from 2017. Rather than a standard addition to the line-up, this one looks to be a special edition release, intended only as a limited run. The Petrol-Marbled is reportedly targeted for a mid to late April 2021 ship date. I would expect most vendors to start taking pre-orders soon.
Pelikan has this to say about its new marbled marvel;
“Each and every pen has its own fascination. It is an unexpected and free flowing genesis of the colorful marbled material. Flowing one into the other: pearly-shining elements together with bright color pigments create this eye-catching pen. The petrol-color combines blue and green to enhance a beautiful harmony. All decoration elements of this series as rings and clip are highly polished and shiny-silver-colored.“
The Petrol-Marbled will sport an un-plated stainless steel nib in the standard widths of EF, F, M, and B. The trim that accompanies the marbled barrel is chromium-plated giving it a silver appearance and consists of a single trim ring at the piston knob and a single cap band. The crown nut surrounding the cap top will be accented with chromium as well. The cap top itself will depict the company’s single chick logo done in silver against a black background. Rounding out the pen’s looks will be a cap, section, and piston knob done in black resin with a blue-green ink window sitting just behind the section. The M205 measures 4.92 inches long when capped, 5.71 inches when posted, and has a diameter of 0.46 inches. These won’t tip any scales, weighing in at only 0.49 ounces with a quoted ink capacity of around 1.20mL. A matching K205 ballpoint pen also looks to accompany this release.
M205 Petrol-Marbled
K205 Petrol-Marbled
Today’s news is just breaking therefore the scope of the anticipated pricing is not yet entirely clear. Provided their web page is accurate, Atlas Stationers indicates a US MSRP of $260 with a retail price of $208. You might chalk that up to pandemic pricing given the increase from prior releases. For instance, the M205 Moonstone (2020) retailed in the US at $192 and the M205 Star Ruby (2019) went for $168. That pricing will certainly put the Petrol-Marbled out of reach for some and might be harder for others to justify when you account for the fact that it only sports a stainless steel nib. While pricing from the European Union is not yet known, it has historically been a source of better deals for those on more of a budget, particularly for those of us exempt from the VAT. Obviously, you will have to draw your own conclusions as to the pen’s value. For those who like the look of blue marble but can’t stomach the Petrol’s pricing, the M205 Blue Marbled released in 2016 can still be had for around $132-152.
I think that the blue and green hues of this M205 work well together and are complimented nicely by the chromium plated furniture. Of course, I will reserve final judgement until I actually some real world images since Pelikan’s pre-release photos are notorious for not doing justice to their products. Personally, I can’t wait to see this one up close. You likely know that I have a soft spot for the Classic line therefore this M205 will certainly be joining my flock. How about you? Does the Petrol-Marbled check all the boxes or does it leave you wanting something more? A larger sized model perhaps or a more competitive price? Whatever your thoughts, please feel free to share in the comments section below.
The Pelikan's Perch 
Given my love of these colors, I will need to add this one. Sort of regretting getting the Moonstone now. Maybe I will liberate a few birds if I get this one.
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This one has serious potential and I certainly think it stands out a bit more than the Moonstone but it is all a matter of personal preference. I do enjoy the variety.
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Atlas Stationers is a great brick and mortar store, as well as online seller. I’ve shopped in person when visiting, and online. I wholeheartedly recommend shopping there.
This might barely touch on your topic, but might help others find this very good seller.
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It is always nice to hear of a reliable retailer. Thanks for the heads up. I’ll have to look them up if I’m ever in Chicago.
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I hope that there will be a petrol ink as well.
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Now that would be cool but I doubt it. I think they are pushing Aquamarine with this one from their Edelstein line.
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It’s enough different from my Ocean Swirl that I would get this as an 805 but the 200s are a bit too small for my tastes so I will pass… It sure looks beautiful tho.
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I think that it definitely distinguishes itself from the M805 well enough. I don’t mind the M2xx size at all but I can definitely see how it would be too small for some.
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Welp, I guess I’ll have to pick up my first 205.
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You could do a whole lot worse than adding a looker like this to the rotation.
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I don’t need another Pelikan. I am a fan of the M2xx Classic line as it’s a size that fits me well. They write excellently too. But I’ll probably get this one if it looks as good in person as we imagine. And I’ve been wanting a ballpoint as well, so the set may come my way.
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No one “needs” another Pelikan but these birds really don’t follow any logic. If you like the looks and have the funds, well, life is short.
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It’s nice, and I’m glad that Pelikan is going beyond their recent gray and white colors. But I’m limiting myself these days to only buying pens that really WOW me, like the Tortoiseshell Red. My wallet will be much happier.
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I admire your restraint and would do well to learn a lesson from you. That Tortoiseshell Red was definitely worth it. Enjoy!
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Well, restraint only lasts so long….I just purchased up a little burgundy & black M150 from a fellow FPN member. (Love that color combination!) I appreciate being able to learn more about the pen from your archives. Thanks for all you do, Josh!
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I really like the black/burgundy color scheme as well. Congrats on the new addition to the flock!
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It looks attractive, though I wonder whether there may be darker patches where the pattern is not distributed evenly, as on the Ocean Swirl. Also, does this mean that a 400 or larger will now match the new ink?
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I agree that we will have to see this one in person but I expect a more even distribution based on the process for creating the marbled effect. I still think the matching pen coming out with the new ink will be M2xx sized which is the same size as the M400, just with a gold plated nib and less embellishment.
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If these official photos are anything to go by, the colour looks very appealing. I agree that it is reminiscent of the Ocean Swirl M800 (which passed me by but was notoriously inconsistent in the balance of colours).
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The inconsistentency of the M805 was definitely off putting a bit but still a great pen. I have a feeling this one will be more uniform.
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This looks like a beautiful color combination. It would go nicely alongside my Ocean Swirl!
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Sounds like your Ocean Swirl needs a companion.
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Instant classic like the Ocean Swirl, but seems more green-leaning. The OS is decidedly blue biased. Pelikan has a poor track record with heavily photoshopped colors that differ significantly from the real goods, so will have to wait and see. But looks great in these pics.
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As you point out, you really have to withhold judgement on the colors until seen in person. The pre-release photos can really skew the impression. Usually these things look much better in person.
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thank you, Joshua,
this looks reaaly nice. I haven’t been buying any M200s lately and the blue marbled M205 is still a favourite. Given the preview I believe I cannot miss this one.
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You’re welcome. I agree, this is one not to miss. I think this one will be popular with the writing community.
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I really like it! I have recently bought my first pelikan pen, the golden marbled. So this would be a nice pairing with it, i am already dreaming about which inks i could use with them.. I hope the petrol marbled has that nice shimmering effect as the golden marbled!
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Congrats on the Golden Marbled! That’s a great first Pelikan. These birds like to flock so the Petrol Marbled would make a nice counterpoint. I think there will be some pearlessence here but maybe not as shimmery as the Golden Marbled.
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Hi Joshua,
Thanks for the scoop. In the EU, this one looks to be, price-wise, in line with other M2xx models, perhaps a bit more than the expensive . My favorite dealer in Germany has the fountain pen listed for 107€.
I like the look.
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Indeed. They are running about $100 cheaper in the EU when compared with the US once the VAT is excluded. A much better price indeed.
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Hey, Joshua – great review of this beautiful new bird. I am also a fan of the M2XX line; the size suits my hand perfectly, and I love the beautifully colored demonstrators and marbleds. I was writing with several of my Pelikans just last night(!) and was wishing for an exciting new color. Can’t believe my wish was granted – in one of my favorite shades of blue! This will be a gorgeous addition to my flock.
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Thanks. Glad to hear you enjoyed the post. I think the variety of the M2xx line is one of the things that has drawn me to it the most. This should be a gorgeous addition indeed though I am curious as to how the pattern will look in real life. I’m hopeful that the coloration will be carried throughout but am worried that may not be the case. Only time will tell.
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I pre-ordered this one. What a beautiful pen. The question I have is: How do we order special Nibs? I just bought a Pelikan M205 Aquamarine with an Italic nib and love it. I could like to buy more M205 Italic nibs. Thanks in advance!
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Special nibs are sometimes offered from the factory and sometimes offered by specific vendors as after sales modifications. Fritz-Schimpf for instance sells an italic that they grind themselves prior to shipping that is quite nice and worth looking into. An italic nib is not specifically available for this one but you might be lucky enough to find a vendor that is offering such from some old stock. I’m not aware of any off of the top of my head unfortunately.
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There is a video that just came out on Instagram from Pelikan Passion. It shows a really beautiful color. Hopefully the color pattern will be more consistent with this one than it was with the Ocean Swirl which had quiet a few that were basically black with just a small ribbon of blue. The other thing noticed in the Initial release photos is the crown being much wider like the older crowns on the Souveran line but the Instagram video shows a much different cap which is the basic M200/205 design with a solid black cap derby with out the wide ring with only the thin clip ring.
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I am concerned that there will be an inconsistency to the marbling but only time will tell. I did ask my vendor to look over the pen closely prior to shipping. The photo in this post has me concerned. We’ll soon know more as these start making their way into consumer’s hands. The cap ring issues was declared by Pelikan today. You can find updates in my post about it here.
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Hey Joshua, I don’t know if you notice a design change to this pen. Recently I was communicating with pelikan_passion on Instagram and they posted an announcement today that the M205 Petrol Marbled will adopt a satined black ring on the cap instead of the chrome-plated one as being used everywhere. I pre-ordered mine when it was firstly announced, this last-minute design change is quite unexpected.
Does this type of design inconsistency happen very often to Pelikan?
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Hello. I noticed it myself and posted about it today which you can find here. I think this was an error, plain and simple, by the marketing team. Someone made an oversight that missed final proofing is what I suspect. While it is unexpected and unfortunate, it is also an uncommon occurrence.
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somewhat disappoint though, most M205s if I recall have the metal ring. Why change? I think it reduces the pen appeal vs for example the blue marble. I’m sure it will still be a nice pen, but why? this will cause some disappointment.
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I agree with your sentiments. As to the why, Pelikan isn’t really talking.
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