We’re finally getting our first real-world look at two highly anticipated releases—the M600 Rudi Rother and the M805 Metal Sleeve—and they do not disappoint. The Metal Sleeve, in particular, has been a pleasant surprise. The inner core features a barrel made of translucent resin, a detail never hinted at in the pre-release promotional materials or photos. It’s a small touch, but one that adds a lot of visual interest and makes the design feel more dynamic. Just as we’ve begun to take in these new arrivals, Pelikan drops yet another surprise.
Yesterday, news broke of the M809 Black Matte—a model that proves Pelikan isn’t finished exploring the dark allure of black PVD coatings, first seen on last year’s M670 Warm Grey. Matte black may not be new to the fountain pen world—pens like Pilot’s Vanishing Point and Esterbrook’s Raven have both worn it well—but it’s a first for Pelikan, and the result is nothing short of stunning. Expected to land in late October or early November, pre-orders are already open. I have a feeling this one is going to be a hit among those who prefer Pelikan’s larger models.
Pelikan leans all the way into the matte black design ethos with this one. In the official product literature, the brand describes the M809 Black Matte as:
“All Black. All Bold. Pure Presence. The M809 Black Matte is more than a writing instrument: it’s a design statement in deep, uncompromising black. From the grip to the barrel, from the rings to the cap, even down to the elegantly finished 18-carat gold nib: every visible element is finished in matte black. This seamless, monochrome look is elevated by a refined contrast of textures: satin-finished metal meets high-gloss precious resin for a sleek, modern silhouette. A discreetly smoked ink window blends almost invisibly into the barrel, offering subtle transparency without breaking the pen’s dark allure.”
We’ve seen Pelikan experiment with black hardware before—the White M100 (“Stormtrooper”) and M670 Warm Grey (“Dirty Stormtrooper”) come to mind—but this is the first time I can recall them fully embracing a matte finish. And honestly? It’s giving major Darth Vader energy. Sleek, menacing, and just plain cool.
Unlike the high-gloss resin we’re used to seeing on most Pelikan pens, matte black takes things in the opposite direction. It absorbs light instead of reflecting it, giving the surface a soft, flat appearance that feels both modern and understated. The M809 Black Matte plays beautifully with that idea by mixing textures throughout the design.
The cap, piston knob, and section all appear to be crafted from polished black resin, while a smoke-colored ink window hides subtly behind the section—nearly invisible unless you’re looking for it. The barrel itself wears a true matte finish, described as having a “soft satin texture and a gently grippy feel.” Even the trim pieces seem more subdued than what we saw on the M670, with a satin-like sheen on the dual piston rings, section ring, twin cap bands, pelican’s-beak clip, and plated cap top.
Rather than going for an all-matte uniform look, Pelikan leans into contrast here—and it works. The interplay of textures gives the M809 Black Matte a rich, layered personality that sets it apart from every other black model in the lineup.
As part of the M8xx family, the Black Matte is on the larger side—a detail that’s either a plus or a dealbreaker depending on your hand size and writing preferences. No matter how good it looks, that footprint won’t be for everyone. The pen measures about 5.55 inches (14.09 cm) in length, 0.53 inches (13.5 mm) in diameter, and weighs roughly 0.99 ounces (28 grams). Ink capacity is a generous 1.35 mL.
Up front, you’ll find an 18C-750 gold nib with a satin black coating to match the pen’s stealthy aesthetic. It will be available in the usual EF, F, M, and B widths.
I have to admit, this is one model that really makes me wish Pelikan had released a matching ballpoint or rollerball alongside it. Unfortunately, that’s not in the cards this time.
As for price—brace yourself. The U.S. MSRP is listed at $1,150, with most domestic retailers offering the usual 20% discount, bringing it down to around $920. Overseas, the EU RRP comes in at 850 € (roughly $987.70 USD), with retail prices around 722.50 € (about $839.50 USD, VAT included). Once you strip out VAT, tack on shipping, and factor in customs, the difference in final cost isn’t all that significant either way. The days of meaningful overseas savings are pretty much gone—especially now that the de minimis exemption has been eliminated.
With the M809 Black Matte, Pelikan has gone to the dark side—and I mean that in the best possible way. They’ve created a pen that’s bold, moody, and effortlessly cool, a perfect blend of tradition and modern edge. With pricing where it is, the M809 Black Matte certainly isn’t an impulse buy, but it does make a statement. It’s interesting that Pelikan chose to release it alongside the M805 Metal Sleeve, because you couldn’t ask for two more different interpretations of the M8xx line. The Metal Sleeve dazzles with light, texture, and precision; the Black Matte absorbs it all, projecting quiet confidence and restraint. One is bold and architectural, the other dark and minimal—but both show Pelikan’s willingness to experiment with form and finish in ways we haven’t seen in years.
Whether you’re drawn to the shine of metal or the allure of matte, it’s clear that Pelikan is exploring new territory while keeping its classic DNA intact. As a longtime Pelikan fan, I can’t help but feel like we’re entering a new and very interesting chapter for the brand—and I, for one, am excited to see where it goes next. What are your impressions of the M809 Black Matte? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
It seems that the screw shape has changed. I’m not sure whether it’s an actual design change or just a result of the rendering.
If you are referring to the step from the section threads to the barrel, I’m prone to think it’s another poorly done job from whoever (or whatever–AI?) generates these uninspiring images.
As for the overall looks of the pen, I personally find it ugly, but I’ll wait for (better) pictures of the (actual) pen (these pictures seem more like teasers) before making a final judgement.
It looks like Pelikan is now following the marketing strategy of other manufacturers: release as many (possibly uninspiring) variations as possible, as quickly as possible. (To their merit, at least the M805 metal sleeve required some new design/tooling done).
Agree with your take on the threads. I definitely do not understand the release timeline here. With three very costly pens in such short interval, how can sales of each not begin to cannbilize one another.
My guess is that that is a really bad render by the marketing team. I see no reason that there would be a change in design but will have to see one in real life to know for sure.
I see this as an interesting variation. It’s substantially inconsistent with the classical Pelikan striped-binde brand DNA, but that’s what makes it compelling as a complement to the rest of the M8XX series.
Numbering. I think the MXX9 numbering makes dramatically more sense than the M670 numbering. Memo to Pelikan: Unit-place for furniture variations; tens-place for body variations. Can we just agree that it should have been the M202 Copper Rose Gold?
Foundation of a sub-series? Looking forward to some photoshop mock-ups of the black furniture with other colors. Red? Dark Green? Cobalt Blue? If the start of a series, then this will be the OG and more collectible.
Nib. I’m thinking it might be fun to take this black nib on a tour of the other M80X bodies. Since it’s October, I’m wondering what it would look like as part of a M800 Burnt Orange franken-pen. I’m not seeing this nib swapping as a permanent thing unless it really works with the M805 black or Stresseman.
Timing. Curious that it is announced before the M805 Metal Sleeve even arrives. Both are advanced placement variations on Black Pen. Too much black, too soon?
Luxury? I see the M815 blue metal stripe, M800 cream blue, M600 artists, and M805 metal sleeve as more luxurious than this M809. Maybe it’s stealth wealth, but I’m not seeing it.
Ink. What would you put in this pen? Most variations of the Black Pen demand basic black. While that could work, I’m seeing it with a red or orange. At least in October!
Ink window redux. Thanks, Pelikan, for bringing it back.
Goth? Yes. Which isn’t necessarily a good thing.
In the end, I’ll probably favor the M805 Metal Sleeve. I have a Stormtrooper, which scratches this itch.
Sometimes, I think Pelikan picks numbers out of a hat. Some numbers have been internal that entered into the popular vernacular (e.g. M201). Others have been completely random. Beyond the M800 and 805, we’ve had M810, M815, M816, M817, M818, and M850. Of course, we now have the M809. Would love a bit more consistency in the numbering. I agree that the timing on this one is indeed curious. Seems like a lot of releases in a short interval.
Just gorgeous. When I get paid this year, I’m going to have a hard struggle deciding between this and the Rudi Rother Special Edition. The metal sleeve wouldn’t go amiss either… Oh help!
Very different aesthetics between the two but I can see how that would be a hard choice.
I just don’t like it.
Valid opinion. Certainly not going to be for everyone.
The all black M809 is really ugly. Just because you can coat everything in black PVD doesn’t mean that you should. It is almost a joke how bad it is in my opinion. If someone else gets pleasure from it, that is fine and all. No problem. Meanwhile the Rudi Rother is really very elegant. I suppose that I have classical tastes on such matters!
I’m surprised by how much negativity there is to this one. One thing that I think goes against this one is the horrible marketing photos. I wish Pelikan would cut out that nonsense and actually pay someone who can portray these pens a lot less artificially. I suspect that this one is going to look a lot better in person.
That is a stunning pen! I have the Sailor 1911 Large ‘Blackout’ which is ringless, completely black with a blackened 21 carat nib- wonderful. This is going to be a very tempting offer, except for the price which puts it outside my current budget unfortunately. But I am glad that Pelikan has added an ink window- a recent trend which I welcome because I found earlier Pelikans without the ability to check remaining ink levels very difficult to use. I expect this will become one of the great Pelikan classics.
I too was of the mind that this was going to be a classic one day but there seems to be a lot of polarization around this one. A lot of people seem negative on the look.
The pictures are too dark. Not very well done. I do not like the color at all.
The pictures are horrendous. I can’t believe this passed final muster in marketing. Such poor images do nothing to sell these products.
I won’t be adding this one to my collection. While there are definitely some unique aspects to it, and I like it somewhat, I don’t like it enough to pay $900 for it. The prices of Pelikan are getting out of hand, and it is too bad overseas purchasing is not a good option any longer for significant savings. Many of my Pelikans I purchased overseas, with a lot of my M80x series pens costing me around $400. But alas, those days are gone, and I do understand why from the US perspective. I was able to, though, recently purchase a brand new M800 Burnt Orange from a local vendor, and I was so excited I was able to find one of these and add it. I have had my eye on it for a long time. This pen, in my opinion, is in a totally different league than the M809 stealth pen with a perfect color scheme. This is one of the pens I am using this autumn.
Yeah…the price here is definitely a major deal breaker and a bigger issue overall. Unfortunately, we can only expect prices to go up. The Burnt Orange is one of my absolute favorites and always gets inked up in the fall. Amazing color scheme. Enjoy it.
Well, I did in fact add this one after thinking about it more. For me, this will be my first pen with an all black finish like this. To make the price a little more palatable, I was able to get 10% off as well as a cursive italic nib grind.
Well, I ended up cancelling my pre-order. I’m just really ambivalent about this one and ultimately decided not to buy it.
Given the price, that is totally understandable. If you’re not sold on it, it’s hard to justify that price. Definitely don’t want to be regretting this one later.