Released alongside the M205 Rose Quartz, the M600 Red-White continues the practice of cladding the M6xx line in white resin. That is a tradition which began in 2012 and was last seen with 2021’s M605 Green-White. This is the seventh model to do so over the past decade, a total comprised of five M600s and two M605s. I have been slow to get this review out simply because of the number of great releases that we have had in the last few months. It’s hard to put the M600 Glauco Cambon (2023) down in order to use something else. The new Red-White comes as an M600, a medium sized pen with gold-plated furniture. Its color scheme was apropos for the holiday season which we recently found ourselves in, reminiscent of a traditional candy cane or peppermint. Personally, I prefer the bolder, red stripes over the pastel hues incorporated on past models. While the Red-White is a solid fountain pen, it perpetuates a few bad habits that will be a turn off for some. Even though the pen has no glaring faults, it fails to inspire in the way that the Tortoiseshell-Red or Tortoiseshell-Black did. That doesn’t make it a bad pen but one that you’ll want to consider carefully before making an investment. Continue reading to see if the Red-White is worthy of your time and money.

A rainbow of M6xx models incorporating white resin components have emerged over the past decade

• Appearance & Design (8/10) – Reminiscent of a candy cane, the red stripes are nicely offset against the white resin

The M600 Red-White is delivered in unique packaging, not previously seen with any of the company’s other white resin pens to date. Gone is the ribbon motif that has been in place since 2015’s M600 Pink. The Red-white comes in a thin, red, rectangular box that opens from the front. A hinged lid of white cardboard bears the “Pelikan Passion” logo. The bottom portion of the lid takes up 2/3 of the real estate, leaving the last 1/3 for the top, separated by a bright red seam between the two. The same red and white colors permeate the interior, a nice thematic touch and one that we could see repurposed in the future. Opening the lid reveals the product literature, under which is a groove housing the pen, secured by a red band. The inside of the lid reads “Pelikan Special Edition.” While it is nothing flashy, there is beauty in simplicity and the extra attention to the thematic details is appreciated. Interestingly, the faux leather pouch that comes with the standard G30 packaging is omitted here but that is hardly a loss.

If you’ve handled past M6xx models such as the Pink (2015), Turquoise-White (2018), Violet-White (2019), or Green-White (2021), then the Red-White will be instantly familiar. The most attention grabbing feature of this new model is the contrast between the white resin components and the red striped barrel. The pen has a bright and warm feel to it. Thin slivers of silver/gray break up the bolder, red stripes. There is a visible seam along the barrel where the design comes together but it is hardly noticeable on my example. That seam may be more conspicuous on some pens than others. The stripes travel unbroken from the piston knob to the section since this model lacks a dedicated ink view (don’t despair, all is not lost). By virtue of being a traditional Souverän, it comes equipped with dual trim rings at the piston knob, dual cap bands, a single trim ring at the section, a gold plated cap top, and a pelican’s beak clip. I stress “traditional Souverän” here in the sense that the redesigned bands which were used on the cap and piston knob of the M800 Green Demonstrator (2023) were not utilized here. We will simply have to wait and see if such a design was a one off or if it will rear its head again. As I said, the white resin really sets the red off nicely but is not without its caveats. White resin is more prone to staining, particularly with the use of super saturated ink formulations. If routine pen hygiene is not high on your list of priorities, then you might be predisposed to experiencing this. I personally have not found this to be an issue when employing good pen habits and prudent ink selection. If that doesn’t sound like your modus operandi, then you may be disappointed in the warts that this one could accumulate over time.

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• Construction & Quality (9/10) – High quality construction that leaves no doubts about this pen’s durability

The M600 Red-White is a well-built fountain pen consistent with Pelikan’s high standards of German craftsmanship. There should be no reservations regarding its construction. All of the components fit together snugly and there is negligible play in the piston knob. The barrel seam is smooth and only visually perceptible. I do not anticipate this being a weak spot as other models of similar design have held up well for nearly a decade now. Love it or hate it, the traditional Souverän design includes a trim ring at the section. Its unfortunate location puts the ring at an increased risk of corrosion, a consequence of long term exposure to caustic inks. I have certainly seen this manifest on pens from the late 1990s, but it is definitely not an issue that I routinely worry about. That’s because I believe the matter can be largely nullified with prudent ink selection and basic pen care. If you happen to see ink on that ring, be sure to gently wipe it away. If you are like me and prefer to post your cap, rest assured that the cap of the Red-White posts securely. That said, care should be taken not to jam the cap too forcefully onto the back of the barrel which can both scratch the barrel and result in micro-cracks at the cap lip. One thing that I appreciate about the Pelikan design is that the cap can be quickly removed with 3/4 of a turn yet does not come undone in the pocket. The M600 Red-White proves itself to be of high quality construction that should provide years of reliable service.

A close up of the seam where the material that forms the barrel comes together

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• Weight & Dimensions (10/10) – A medium sized pen that travels well and fits nicely in the hand

Pelikan’s Souverän pens come in small, medium, and large sizes.  The M600 is the middle child that bridges the gap between the diminutive M400 and the hefty M800 and M1000. Its size makes it a comfortable, non-fatiguing writer that travels well in either a pocket or a case. It sits nicely in the hand while writing and remains well balanced when posted.  The M600 measures approximately 5.28 inches when capped, 6.10 inches when posted, and has a diameter of 0.49 inches.  It weighs just 0.57 ounces. Those dimensions are nothing to be ashamed of but will still prove a bit too small and light for those who simply prefer the girth and heft of the M800 and up.

A comparison between the available Souverän sizes. Left to right: M400 Black/Red (2010-13), M600 Red-White (2023), M800 Black/Red (2001-03), and M1000 Raden Sunrise (2016)

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• Nib & Performance (8/10) – A reliable writing experience thanks to a feed that readily resists drying out

The M600 Red-White is available with the standard selection of EF, F, M, and B nibs. The nib is made of 14C-585 gold and comes in a two-tone rhodium plated finish. The scroll work and Pelikan logo are instantly familiar and make for a simple but attractive design. I purchased my pen with a fine nib. The nib is true to its designation as far as Western fines go. Pelikan’s modern nibs lack flex or even much spring but they do put down a wet and generous line when called upon to do so. They are excellent at resisting drying out, an often underappreciated feature but a trait that keeps the pen always ready to get down to business. The tines of my nib were well aligned out of the box and I experienced no issues with skipping or hard starts. The nib doesn’t have much intrinsic character but it is unwaveringly dependable. If you prefer a little bit more panache in your writing, be sure to check out one of the reputable nib grinders out there.

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• Filling System & Maintenance (10/10) – A well-honed and time tested mechanism that fills the pen with ease and requires very little upkeep

The M600 Red-White is a classic Pelikan piston filler. With a bottle of ink to fill from, the ink reservoir can be easily filled by cycling the piston. Twisting the knob results in a smooth travel of the piston along the length of the barrel. When full, the pen will hold 1.30mL of ink which should be sufficient for quite a few pages of writing (depending on your ink/paper/nib combo). Should the piston begin to stiffen up after a few years of use, it can be easily serviced by applying a tiny drop of pure silicone grease to the inside of the barrel.  There is no discrete ink view window and the stripes lack translucency but the barrel does display some transparency when held against a bright light source (such as that produced by a cell phone) which allows you to gauge the amount of ink remaining in the pen. While crude when compared with the eloquence of past solutions, this has been the trend for a while now and isn’t likely going away anytime soon. The piston assembly of the M600 is not designed to be removable since it is snap fitted to the barrel. Thankfully, this isn’t necessary for routine pen maintenance and should, by and large, be a non-issue. The Red-White is easy to fill, easy to clean, and easy to service, all positive features that make this one a snap to use and maintain.

Against harsh lighting, the ink reservoir can be visualized. It is difficult to photograph but the photo on the left depicts an empty reservoir whereas the photo on the right shows the piston when advanced towards the section

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• Cost & Value (7/10) – Compared with past models, this one comes a bit cheaper, a small but welcome surprise

The Red-White comes with a US MSRP of $640 and retails for around $512 on average. That amounts to an almost 12% reduction in retail pricing when compared with the M605 Green-White (2021), a small but welcome change.  This model can be found retailing for around €342.85 (~$379.75) from European vendors when the VAT is excluded. While cheaper than US pricing, this represents a distinct increase when compared with past models of similar design. This M600 is $120 cheaper than the Glauco Cambon released a few weeks ahead of it. Despite that, the Glauco Cambon certainly feels like the better value for the money. The Red-White is an expensive pen that looks nice, writes well, and is built to last but the fountain pen world is full of pens that could be similarly described, many available for less money. You’ll have to judge for yourself whether or not this one justifies its price tag. If you can’t see the value in this one, it may be best to hang back and wait to see what’s next in the pipeline.

From left to right; M600 Tortoiseshell White (2012), M600 Pink (2015), M605 White-Transparent (2017), M600 Turquoise-White (2018), M600 Violet-White (2019), M605 Green-White (2021), and the M600 Red-White (2023)

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• Conclusion – Another solid entry from Pelikan that does little wrong but fails to inspire in the way some other recent models have

M600 Red-White: 52/60 or 86.6%

The M600 Red-White does nothing wrong per se. It is an inoffensive model that gets a lot right. Despite that, the recipe feels a little stale at this point and the Red-White fails to ignite the senses. Perhaps it didn’t have a fair shake, being pitted against the Glauco Cambon in the same release year. Between the two, there is hardly any competition. The thematic packaging is a nice touch and the pen will be a reliable writer for anyone interested in picking one up. Those who have the other 6 white resin M6xxs in their collections will be sure to add this one for fear of missing out. Focusing on just that microcosm of pens, this one certainly rises to the top of the class, perhaps only falling behind the M600 Tortoiseshell White (2012) and M605 White-Transparent (2017), a wholly subjective estimation I know. We now have models in pink, turquoise, violet, white, green, and red but I’d personally love to see something in yellow or orange. Perhaps we’ll get there one day as Pelikan continues to sort through the color wheel.  If this one doesn’t do it for you, sit tight, as I’m sure we’ll continue to get new pen announcements along with hopefully some more interesting designs.

PROS

• The red stripes of the barrel are nicely complimented by the white resin components
• The nib is dependable, and the feed readily resists drying out
• The cap is able to be quickly removed and post securely
• The M600 sits comfortably in the hand and is easily portable 

CONS

• The trim ring at the section has the potential for corrosion
• There is no dedicated ink view window
• White resin can stain more easily, potentially marring the finish
• The nibs are only available in standard sizes that lack character
• The cost of ownership is difficult to justify

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A Look At The Pelikan M600 Red-White

Pelikan M600 Red-White Writing Sample

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*The pen utilized for this review is my own from my personal collection and therefore the opinions expressed are also mine and free of any undue influence.