News: M120 Green-Black Special Edition

January 31, 2016 By Joshua in News Tags: 120, Fountain Pen, M120, New Release, Pelikan 22 Comments

Pelikan M120 for 2016 (click to enlarge)

Amongst the rumors that have surfaced about Pelikan’s 2016 line-up, the one that I was most dubious of was news of a forthcoming M120. The original 120 was made from 1955-1965 as a school pen, Pelikan’s first entry into that market. The lessons learned from the 120 would ultimately go on to inform the design and marketing of the first Pelikano released some five years later in 1960. Before proceeding, it is important to distinguish between the original 120, often referred to as ‘Type I,’ and a second run of pens under the same name but with somewhat different styling made under contract by Merz & Krell from 1973-1977, the so-called ‘Type II.’ Rumors of a special edition replica paying homage to the original 120 may have just gained a bit more credibility. Penworld, a long respected family run business out of Antwerp, Belgium since 1924, has announced via Twitter and Instagram news of the upcoming M120. Quoted to be available some time around March of this year, this new release looks to be true to the original save for the appearance of the nib.

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The Many Faces Of… M200 Green Marbled

January 28, 2016 By Joshua in Reference Tags: Fountain Pen, Green Marbled, M200, M250, Pelikan 11 Comments

Pelikan has had many unique fountain pen releases over its long and storied history. Amongst the Classic line, the marbled variants have proven very popular and have had an enduring presence since their introduction in the late 1980s. Perhaps no finish has enjoyed the longevity of the grün marmoriert or green marbled variant, one of Pelikan’s best sellers. This pattern has seen no less than five permutations across a couple of different models in the M2xx family. The marbled look can be traced all the way back to Pelikan’s earliest pens dating to the 1930s. I thought that it would be fun to explore each one of these modern iterations in the M2xx line-up, especially in light of the newest version released in November 2015. Green marble is back and while it may seem like much of the same on the surface, there are some subtle differences that are worth pointing out.

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Review: M800 Burnt Orange (2015)

January 16, 2016 By Joshua in Reviews Tags: Burnt Orange, Fountain Pen, M800, Pelikan 9 Comments

As anticipation grows for the upcoming M800 Grand Place and M805 Vibrant Blue, I thought that it would be fun to start off the new year with a close look at the last Souverän released in 2015, the M800 Burnt Orange. Pelikan reported in their last newsletter that stock sold out very quickly with this model, so much so that a second run is planned for sometime in April 2016. The Burnt Orange boast a beautiful combination of rich, warm colors that were well suited to its fall release. To achieve such a beautiful looking pen, some design choices had to be made and form appears to have won out over function as I’ll describe below. This is the first time that we have seen a shade of orange make its way into Pelikan’s high-end Souverän line since the M320 Orange Marbled debuted in 2004. Many other manufacturers have effectively incorporated similar colors into some of their models, the Montblanc Hemingway and the Delta Dolcevita quickly coming to mind. Read on to find out if Pelikan’s implementation on the Burnt Orange hits the mark or goes astray.

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News: M800 Grand Place

January 5, 2016 By Joshua in News Tags: Fountain Pen, Grand Place, M800, New Release, Pelikan 58 Comments

Despite all of the rumors swirling about Pelikan’s upcoming 2016 releases, the company is still able to surprise and delight its customers. In an unexpected announcement today from several well known vendors, Pelikan has proven that it still has a trick or two up its sleeve. Seemingly out of nowhere comes news of the soon to be released M800 Grand Place. If this pen has a familiar look, that is because it is very similarly styled to the M620 Grand Place released in 2006 and the more recent M201 Bayou in 2015. The M800 Grand Place appears to take on features of both pens in a hybrid fashion. This M800 special edition is named after the world famous market and historical landmark in Brussels, Belgium. According to Wikipedia, “The Grand Place (pronounced ɡʁɑ̃ plas) or Grote Markt is the central square of Brussels. It is surrounded by opulent guildhalls, the city’s Town Hall, and the Breadhouse building containing the Museum of the City of Brussels. The square is the most important tourist destination and most memorable landmark in Brussels.” Also of note, Brussels serves as the headquarters of the European Union.

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Transparent Green M800 – The Collector’s Edition

December 23, 2015 By Joshua in Reference Tags: Fountain Pen, M800, Pelikan, The Collector's Edition, Transparent Green 17 Comments

Pelikan is well known for their regularly released limited edition fountain pens in addition to their standard line-up. There have been many limited edition releases over the years and I thought that it might be interesting to look back at what is considered to be the very first of these modern releases from Pelikan. The details surrounding this model have caused some confusion over the years which I hope to dispel by the end of this post. Which model launched such a distinguished tradition of releases? The answer is none other than the highly sought after M800 transparent green demonstrator. Affectionately referred to as the “Green Ocean,” it is the predecessor to the highly successful M800 Blue Ocean released as a run of 5000 fountain pens in 1993. The confusion surrounding the transparent green release often stems from the fact that none of these M800s are identifiable as limited editions as the pens themselves are not numbered.

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News: Ink of the Year 2016 – Aquamarine

December 16, 2015 By Joshua in News Tags: Aquamarine, Edelstein, Ink, New Release, Pelikan 9 Comments

It was almost one year ago today that Pelikan gave us Edelstein Amethyst on the heels of a few new product announcements. Déjà vu. That pattern appears to be repeating itself starting with the news of the upcoming M805 Vibrant Blue which was announced yesterday. Today, Pelikan officially announced the Edelstein (pronounced EY-dell-shtine) 2016 Ink of the Year. Unlike the Vibrant Blue, it appears that this rumor was 100% accurate. This upcoming year will feature Aquamarine, marking the thirteenth addition to the Edelstein line-up and the fifth Ink of the Year.

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News: M805 Vibrant Blue

December 15, 2015 By Joshua in News Tags: Fountain Pen, M805, New Release, Pelikan, Vibrant Blue 18 Comments

A rumor by definition is of uncertain truth and that appears to have been the case with the early news of the M600 Vibrant Blue that had been leaked several months ago. Don’t fret too much though if you had your heart set on a Vibrant Blue release because within that rumor was obviously some truth. Rather than an M6xx, Pelikan has just announced the M805 Vibrant Blue slated for a February 2016 release. Described as, “bright blue with a complex structure like the sea,” it certainly has a pleasing appearance. The pen will have the standard Souverän trim which will be palladium plated in keeping with the x05 line. I think the palladium really goes well with the blue coloring and the picture seems to show some translucency to the material, similar to that of the M600 Vibrant Green. As is the new convention, this pen will include an all rhodium plated 18K nib devoid of any of the yellow gold accents seen on the other lines. Nib sizes will be available in the standard EF, F, M, and B.

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News: Pelikan 4001 Dark-Green

December 5, 2015 By Joshua in News Tags: 4001, Dark-Green, Ink, Pelikan 13 Comments

Since Edelstein Turmaline debuted in 2012, we have become accustomed to seeing Pelikan release a new ink annually as part of their Ink-of-the-Year series. These releases have been restricted to the relatively newer Edelstein line. In contrast, Pelikan’s much older and mature 4001 line of inks does not often see a new release. According to the company, as of January 2016, that is about to change. In a somewhat surprise announcement to their Facebook page yesterday, Pelikan revealed 4001 Dark-Green. The 4001 line is now well over 100 years old having been dubbed in 1898 and is very well-regarded for its properties, particularly its ability to tame the wet feeds of Pelikan’s pens. Details are sparse right now and it is not entirely clear as to whether this will be a limited edition but I suspect it will likely be part of their standard line-up. If so, Dark-Green will join the eight other inks in the line as well as pink which is only available in cartridge format. I would expect this release to be found in flacons as depicted as well as standard international cartridges. We won’t have to wait long for this one if next month’s release date is accurate. I really like a nice dark green ink for my writing so I’m excited to see just what shade we’ll get with real world use. What do you think of this new release? I look forward to reading your thoughts below.