While a good portion of the country is grappling with below freezing temperatures, Pelikan brings the heat with the first official fountain pen announcement of 2024. Prior to today, the only forthcoming release publicly announced was the M200 Copper Rose Gold Special Edition, a model whose Fall 2023 release was delayed until the Spring of 2024. We now have yet another pen being added to the Classic line, the M200 Orange Delight Special Edition tentatively launching in Febuary. This is a model that breaks the typical Pelikan mold and I’m here for it. First off, you can literally count on one hand how many orange pens have been released by the company in the last several years. Off the top of my head, I can recall the M320 Orange Marbled (2004), M600 Vibrant Orange (2018), M640 Indian Summer (2009), and M800 Burnt Orange (2015). That makes the Orange Delight the newest member of a rather exclusive club. Pelikan is nothing if not a creature of habit. Time and again, we’ve seen the well-worn trope of “same pen, different color.” By creating what appears to be a hybrid type of demonstrator, the company expands their horizons and the result is certainly an attractive new bird. Vendors are taking pre-orders now. Continue reading below to learn all that we know about Pelikan’s newest Classic series fountain pen.
Pelikan has reinvigorated the Classic line in recent years with a slew of releases. The M200 belongs to their lower tier of stainless steel nibbed pens offered as an alternative to the higher end Souverän models. These pens share the same dimensions as an M400 which makes them a smaller, lighter model. In fact, these measure just 4.92 inches when capped and weigh a paltry 0.49 ounces. Still, the piston filling M200 balances like a dream and takes on a wonderful size when posted and the 1.20mL ink capacity guarantees some quality writing time. The M200 Orange Delight marries opaque components made from orange resin with a translucent orange barrel. The barrel is a demonstrator at heart meaning you get an unobstructed view of the piston mechanism which is done in black and provides a nice contrast against the orange. The translucency allows for easy viewing of the ink remaining in the pen making it less likely that you’ll inadvertently run dry. The opaque section, piston knob, and cap provide the backdrop that makes for a beautiful total package. This new model marks the first time that that I can recall Pelikan venturing into such a design motif. The cap top is an area where Pelikan can struggle with design cohesion but the orange resin utilized here, broken up by the crown clip nut, looks sharp. The M200’s trim includes a gold plated beak clip, a single cap band, a crown clip nut, and a single ring at the piston knob. Pre-release product photography suggest that the pen exudes a warm glow, just the thing to brighten up these cold, bleak winter days.
The pen will come with a gold-plated stainless-steel nib, available in the standard widths of EF, F, M, and B. Pelikan will not be producing a ballpoint to match, something the company has been getting away from with recent releases. Domestic pricing for those of us in the USA looks to include an MSRP of $260 with a likely retail of $208. When shopping overseas, you can expect pricing in the neighborhood of €121 (~$131.65) when the VAT is excluded. I would certainly encourage you to shop locally and support your brick and mortar pen shop wherever possible. The M200 Orange Delight is a special edition which means that it will only be available while supplies last.
Pelikan’s accompanying sales literature promotes the pen thusly;
“This new Pelikan fountain pen does not reveal its innermost being but shows a part of it. All the highly polished parts such as the cap, the grip section and the filling knob are a captivating orange, but the transparency of the barrel allows you to see the inner parts and the remaining ink level. The orange background of the golden Pelican logo on top of the cap rounds off the impression of this intense color. The gold-plated rings and the Pelikan beak clip underline the showy orange fountain pen”
Pelikan has been stepping out of their comfort zone with their last several models and the result is a feeling of freshness and renewed creativity that we haven’t felt in a while. First, the M600 Glauco Cambon took a novel source of inspiration and combined it with a whole new method of design with absolutely stunning results. The M200 Copper Rose Gold will bring rose gold elements to a main stream release, something that we have not seen from Pelikan before. Now, the M200 Orange Delight brings forth a hybrid demonstrator design which really pops. It seem like the company is finally getting over the post-COVID doldrums. This newest model checks all of the boxes for me and I expect this to sell well for the company. I would love to see Pelikan continue to refresh old designs with new ideas and I’m very excited to see what the future has in store for us. I do think Pelikan has been more focused on smaller pens over the last few years which seems to have alienated those that gravitate toward the larger models so a new and innovative M800 or M1000 could be just what the doctor ordered. I’m very keen to know what you think of this one. Are you a fan of this hybrid design? Will you be adding one to your flock or are you waiting for something better to come along? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
I like it at first glance, but would like to see a “in the wild” type photo.
Agreed. Definitely been burned before with these pre-release photos. Still, I’m optimistic for this one if the orange is as vibrant and rich as it looks.
I love it. Without doubt an eye catcher.
Very “electric”
I will get one.
Electric is a good descriptor.
I’m in! It’s fabulous.
Pelikan has figured out that the market for beautiful pens in endless. As long as they keep up these eye-candy pens, I will be compelled to buy new ones.
I’m hoping that we’ll continue to see the creative juices flowing out of Hannover.
Too TWSBI 🙁
Funny enough, that was my first thought this morning when I got my first glimpse of it. I decided to let this one sit and breathe. After taking several glances throughout the day, the look has grown on me.
I agree 😁
But TWSBI seems to sell. Pelikan is responding to marketplace incentives.Count me a fan. I like the looks better than the Vibrant Orange M600 or Orange M320, though I’d like to see whether the orange cap top is an improvement.Does the half-demonstrator mode make it an demi-demo?
I agree. Pelikan, for the first time in a while, seems to be trying something new and responding to the market rather than just continually doing the same old thing. Its a spark of life that I’m happy to see. Love of hate this new “demi-demo,” it is the creativity behind it and the last few releases that has me more excited than anything else.
This is nice, but I already have the M320 and the M600 orange pens, so will hold off on this one. I wonder how the ink, if any, will differ from Edelstein Mandarin.
Pelikan is recommending to pair this one with Edelstein Mandarin in their product literature.
Kudos to Pelikan for stepping out of their comfort zone! Since orange is not a real favorite color of mine, I’m on the fence with this one. Still considering it, though. I like the combo of the solid and translucent finishes. It really plays up the color well. Thanks, Josh, for your usual excellent report on this new pen.
I like vibrant, bright oranges, reds, and yellows. The mixed materials really do play off one another nicely.
Not for me. Of course, that’s what I thought about the M600 Vibrant Orange, until I saw it in person at a pen event. When I found a good sale, I snapped it up, and have never regretted it.
But this orange M200? Not for me…though I reserve the right to change my mind.
Pelikans do have a way of winning over your heart when encountered in person.
I love orange and I’ve got the orange 600 and the burnt orange 800. This is a must have item for me. Also with the different cap and barrel it reminds me of another favorite the cafe crème. Which I have and love. ❤️
I didn’t think about the Cafe Creme but I see what you mean. The Burnt Orange is one of my favorites so this one should fit in nicely.
orange is my favorite color and I like smaller pens, oh it’s irresistible !
It’s just nice so see something fresh. I love the few brightly colored pens Pelikan has done. The whole catalog seems a bit one note and then you have colorful examples like this that shine through from time to time.
I love the color and the form of this 200. The other orange pelikans – I have them all. It’s my favorite brand.
TWSBI comparisons aside, I too like it. Its a new direction for Pelikan and I think one that works well. Not saying every pen should do this going forwards but I would love to see an M800 get a similar treatment.
Opaque Section, cap, knob.
Transparent Barrel, black piston filler.
It’s an ECO, ain’t it?
The ECO has a clear section and barrel so not quite but I get where you are coming from. Not sure that is a bad thing as people seem to like the TWSBIs. I think this model has a more refined and upscale look when compared with an ECO though that comes at a significantly higher cost which clearly favors the ECO here.
This model reminds me of a Sailor pen, or several. I think it’s stunning and will be hard to resist.
I didn’t get Sailor vibes when looking at it. Any specific models that come to the front of the mind?
The solid cap + transparent body combo doesn’t appeal to me. I would have preferred a solid orange barrel, with an orange ink window.
I think your proposed design would have looked good to. I love my yellow M910 Toledo with a yellow ink view window. Its just nice to see fresh takes old designs being tried.
That mix of opacity and translucence was the first thing that caught my eye and it’s quite nice. Although I love my single 205 I find it a bit on the small side so I don’t think I’ll rush to get this one but I sure looks good.
Do you post your pens? I too find them a touch small unposted but love the versatility and ease of travel that the size allows and posting equals perfection to me. I know that is not everybody’s cup of tea.
I do not post my pens. Until recently my 200 was relegated to my planner (one of the few pens I own that fits in the pen loop) but replaced it with the freebie they had at the Hub meeting. I’m looking forward to using the 200 in a longer writing session.
The M200 is great for planners for those who still use and paper. The lack of use is what killed the M300.
Something that is odd is that the pens, uncapped, are very similar in length so big and small it is relative
If you’re going by the photos in the post, those aren’t the same aspect ratio so don’t judge by that.
I have from the M400 to the M1000
The difference in length is very small but of course diameter and weight affect (my M800 has brass so weights more)
Agreed. While there is a difference in length, it’s not a ton. It really is diameter and weight that are the bigger changes when moving up the line.
I probably won’t be picking this one up (it reminds me of an Eco!), simply because I’m not really an orange fan. I do like the mixed solid/transparent materials they have going here though. If only it were another color I probably would have it on my list. I’m still waiting impatiently for the copper rose gold to come out!
I definitely would look forward to them using the mixed solid/transparent materials with other colors and models in the future. I’m sure a lot of people are waiting on the Copper Rose Gold.
Hola Joshua y Pelikano parlantes, tengo la Pelikan Smoky Quartz, que disfruto mucho con su tinta y un plumín antiguo de la 120 F excepcional, y como es traslúcida es suficiente para mí. Encuentro más bella y seductora la Vibrant Orange M600 aunque no la poseo.
Comparto tu tu opinión Joshua, modelos mayores, como la M600, son los que me encantarían ver.
Abrazos para todos y felíz 2,024.
Happy 2024 to you as well Pablo. Yes, the M600 Vibrant Orange is a beauty. Perhaps one day, one will makes its way to you though you don’t see them around much.
The hybrid desgin attracts me at the first glance. I hope this design could be extended to M800 to create a semi-demonstrator. The black plastic on M200 can be replaced by frosted coated black or silver copper piston then.
I too would love to see this concept extended to an M800 though I’m less optimistic that we would see such a move from the company. I think some neat things could be done with the concept.
Hello, I think this will sell and I like the innovation of orange. This will sell and one will be coming to. I think Pelikan may have realised that catering to the lower end of their range first maybe a plan in nurturing buyers of the M200/205 to upscale to the top of their range. I maybe wrong, but that is what it has been to me.Pelikan saying that they will not be introducing a ball point is sad and wrong . I hardly use a ballpoint, but as I have done with all my Pelikan purchases if there is a ballpoint available then it is bought. Are we going to be told a release date, and like the Copper Rose it is put back. Either way what I have said is my opinion and I maybe wrong, but I will keep buying Pelikan as they make stunning pens and great quality.
I can totally see the M200/M205 being an entry that cultivates additional higher end purchases from consumers. The only issue with that, to me anyways, is the high price of the M2xx line these days. When shopping in the right market, it’s not that much more to jump directly into an M400. I did not routinely buy the ballpoints but I can see how they would be missed.
As much as I love me a orange pen, I’m over demonstrator everything. Sorry, Pelikan!
It is getting to be a bit worn as far as concepts go.
i’m excited to see new pens from Pelikan. maybe I am a curmudgeon, but they don’t look like anything more than same stuff, different color. I was happy to see that the Capp was a solid color, instead of being demonstrator. Maybe I am jaded, but I don’t see demonstrators as being an expensive fountain pen.
I’ve not seen, but have they released a color of the year for their ink?
You are not a curmudgeon. The “same pen, different color” has been a theme that Pelikan has long fed into. It is only recently that they seem to be trying to experiment again which is a welcome change. I agree that a demonstrator doesn’t exude expensive, at least not in the way that Pelikan has been doing them. The next ink of the year color should be dropping soon. Stay tuned…
Just to let you know. The ink of the year 2024 is golden lapis, available in March. No photo of the corresponding pen, yet. Shimmer!
I appreciate you pointing it out. I had the inside track on it last evening but fatigue and work prevented me from posting about it until this evening. The post is upon the blog now if you’re interested.
I bought mine today. The pen is a perfect match for the Pelikan Edelstein ink “mandarin”. It’s exactly that colour in real light. I’m so in love with it!
Yes, made me wonder if Mandarin wasn’t an inspiration for the pen or just a coincidence that they aligned so well.