The way my heart dropped when you said they all suck! You do have a point though :) I love my Pelikan m1005 and would like to try both of the two others. I am saving up for a KOP. I'm really happy that I bought a new old stock Pelikan so it has the transluscent stripes. I don't think I will buy one where I can't see the ink level. (But who knows)
Hey DoodleBud… while I agree with your winner; another comparison would be ease of cleaning… I don’t know a pen that is easier to clean than a Pelikan… the nib just unscrews and use a syringe to flush out the ink… and add silicone grease if needed. For me, even easier than cartridge converter pens.
I am delighted that you chose the Pelikan. Though I do not own the M1000, I have several others, newer and older, and several of their inexpensive models for school children. Wonderful stuff! Since the new owners of the company have cut an entire division, no telling what will become of the "fine writing" products, nor how "fine" they may be in the future. I cannot understand how they justify it being too difficult to make pens with the alternating color and translucent layers when several pen makers have been doing just that for decades, long before the precision machines we have now were available. The US representative, whom I met at a pen show (very cool guy, btw) told me they took a poll to see what customers thought of the idea. Did anyone ask me? Nope. Anyone I know? Uh, nope. Did they ask our friend Doodlebud? Evidently not. Please keep sharing your insights and knowledge with us.
Thank you for doing this. After all the reviews, purchases and testing - the Pelikan are the king of pens. Smoothest nibs, never dries out, quality craftsmanship, and a joy to write with.
I’m very happy and fortunate that I got the Pelikan brand logo finial in gold and the stripe window before they started cheapening it out. I bought my M1000 green stripe one about 8 years ago new. I’m also very happy with my Pelikan m1000 nib and I got to cherry 🍒 pick the one I liked at the brick and mortar store. It writes like a dream!
Pelikan needs to bring back the translucent green stripes. Otherwise, what’s the point and who would still be buying it? The older ones seem to be impossible to find on the used market.
I love my M1000. Mine is latest generation all black one. Although I originally prefer the green stripes, the black one has better ink window and not stand out in work setting. The nib has certain 'singing' tactile sound that I really adore.
Great video. I love it when you nerd out on pens! To reiterate another commenter: The engineering is what sets your channel apart. Thank you Doodlebud, you're the best!
Hi DB! Thanks for the honest appraisal of three pens that would be considered grail pens for most FP folks. My Pelikan is not that model, but it is the most unique writer of all the ones in my collection. And the nib IS lovely! Yes, they write a bit wider. Japanese pens always write a little narrower than western pens. An XF is more like an XXF in a western pen, and so on and so forth with the other sizes. Not a bad thing at all. I think the design of the Pelikan nibs and feeds are what make them much wetter writers than some others.
I did not expect you to end up rating the King of Pen so highly after your standalone video. I think the extra control of the KoP gives it the edge for me. If I ever got an M1000 (I’m not interested in Mont Blanc at all), I’d have to get an EF for how much they oversize the tipping on the nibs. Great video!
@@Doodlebud I have two 1911Ls I like a lot, but they definitely aren't quite to the level of the King of Pen. I agree on the converter situation, seems very odd that Sailor won't make a larger size converter for the King of Pen or even longer cartridges like the long international carts. They do sell reinforced carts for refilling but they're the same size as their standard carts. Still, it's the best compromise I've been able to find as the converters are just so dang small.
A great and thorough video, with nice timing, and a fair review. For me, of these pens, the best is the Custom Urushi. I have all of them and the only one I use regularly is the CU.
Absolutely love my M1000! Compared to the KOP and the 149 it’s just a lot more joyful to write with. All three are wonderful in their own ways but I’ll take Pelican all day and twice on Sunday!
There is a new Renaissance Brown color for the M1000 and it is the same price as the regular stripey ones. I got to try it at the Pelikan TintenTurm in Hannover a few weeks ago. Nice pen.
@@Schaeffs71 yeah, it looks nice. It's slightly translucent, the cap has a bit on an orange glow when you hold it in front of a light source. But the barrel will be mostly just like a brown marble with some shiny highlights in it, so it's not going to function as an ink window or anything.
@@enten161 You think it's better than the green stripe version which is the only other I am considering. Big difference in price in Australia currently, $400 between the two. With the brown being more expensive.
@@Schaeffs71 Damn dude. That's crazy. I would not spend that much more on the brown version seeing as they're literally the same price here. It's all personal preference though, obviously. If you're considering a new pen, I don't like that they got rid of most of the transparency between the stripes. I also held a Grey M800 and I was able to look right through the gaps, so some of them still have it. Not the green ones though I think. Not sure if I would buy a new Pelikan. It's unfortunate.
@@enten161 Cheers. I bought a few lower tier pens of late but want one of the best. Both are currently on sale but the SE is AU$1250 and the Green Striped is AU$899. Big bucks either way. The Mont Blanc 149 was on sale for AU$1320 but now over $1600 full price. It can wait. I do still have to decide on medium or fine nib though.
I'm not much for "Flagships" as they are primarily designed for corporate entities to maximize profit rather than give the consumer something back. As far as Mont Blanc, I have always found them stodgy and boring and for old people, so not on my radar. Sailor and Pelikan get big points for style and quality workmanship but again I would never be interested in Flagship models. I have a 1911L demonstrator that is an absolute joy to write, and yes the pencil-feedback is there and I find slows you down just enough to enjoy the experience even more. It's the exact opposite of a Pilot 823 which is so glass smooth you almost slide off the page if you get lazy. I also have an older M400 (OM) that is also a joy to write with its bounce and line variation. I definitely give the edge to Pelikan for the styling as Japanese pens can be stodgy in their own way, but they more than make up for with 100% reliability every time.
Another nice video DB. I was mildly surprised you chose the Pelikan. I don't have an M1000, but I do have an M800. I also have a 90's Vintage MB 149 that is a great writer. I don't know what it is, but I have no interest in any of the pricier Sailor pens including the KoP!! For such pricey brands I won't be buying any of the modern versions. Thanks for the video it was an interesting exercise!!
I have a 146 and an M600. I know the latter is not the flagship, but honestly they are so good I have no desire for a 146, M800 or M1000. Having said all of that I have been, I am blown away by the 9019, 9016, and 9013! I am a fanatic for smooth nibs, and thanks to you, Doodlebud, I have gotten pretty good at turning even the driest, scratchiest nibs into wonderful writers. I have not had to touch any of the nibs on the several 9019s, 9016s, or 9013s I have purchased. They have all been lovely, wet, smooth writers. I cannot say as much for several $50-200. I could easily buy any pen I want, but I am not likely to buy any more. These days I find downright inexpensive pens much more fun and interesting. Oh, don't overlook the Jinhao 100s - same great #6 nib as 9016, a large variety of lovely color combinations, and a really nice flat-top design.
Informative. Thank you. I’d also favor the M1000, but not in its current incarnation. I understand the importance of cutting costs where possible, but when it comes at the expense of quality, I would think that most people buying a pen that costs $700 or more would happily pay a few dollars extra for the medallion finial rather than take a laser-etched one that shows wear before you’ve even used the pen. I’d rather do without the finial entirely than have a cheap one that will, with use, make my pen look cheap. And the stripes. Pelikan is certainly capable of producing them as they did. That should continue to be a feature of their flagship pen; it was part of the draw of that pen, and the current ones seem diminished without it. I don’t see the importance of having a vac or piston filler above a certain price point. It doesn’t affect my writing experience at all, and in pens that don’t allow you to disassemble and clean it easily, it’s a positive annoyance. Must I forever use the same ink in them, or spend an evening flushing the pen out? And in all honesty, preferring F and EF nibs as I do, I don’t remember the last time I exhausted the ink in a full pen at one sitting. It was probably … never. A pen doesn’t feel less luxurious to me for using a convertor. I have pens like Yard-O-Led and Namiki Yukari Royale that are beautiful, excellent writers, and equipped with convertors. I don’t feel cheated by that. Those are still beautifully made and finished, and my Montblanc is still made of PMMA and had to be reground. I realize that we all like different things in fountain pens, and there is something satisfying about filling a pen with a beautifully engineered filling mechanism, but that satisfaction is a brief pleasure, not the lasting contentment of an excellent ebonite feed (why do so many flagships use plastic?) or a beautiful display of maki-e or raden. I just don’t understand the “gotta have a piston” sentiment. Filling my pen is the thing I do least with it. Anyway, I find MB 149, the KOP, and the M1000 all sort of meh in their current versions, and in comparison with what other pen makers are doing, they’re getting more meh by the day.
this video was fun to watch. The price on these pens is insane, but ignoring that I think I would go with the pelikan I like the look so much more than the other two (except the nib, I love the pattern and two toning of pelikans nib, but I prefer the look of the Sailors). As for how well they write etc. etc. I can't say, I've never tried any of them.
I'm glad that your engineering skills and elaborate detailed checks confirmed my own personal likes, the Pelikan because of its nib and feed. Reducing cost, increasing profit, well up to what extend? Until sales drops? Until customers walk away. In general I disregard pens in the luxury price segment, in the end it's a thing producing lines. Can be done with a 15 USD pen, a 200 USD pen and with a 800 to over 1,000 USD pen. But everyone has to decide for themselves. Weigh up the cost, value, benefit or just enjoy owning a luxury item.
Thanks DB. Man, in your 'Andre the Giant' hands, these large fountain pens look like you're handling cigarettes! 😂 Sailor is my favorite brand. I don't have the KOP. Just Regular & Slim.
The move to eliminate the slight transparency on the Pelikan bodies is lame. Was such an fantastic esthetically pleasing and functional feature of the pen.
This an excellent video. Very helpful with respect to features to look at when examining pens of all sorts. I like my Pelikan’s ease of cleaning, and the interchangeability of the nib.
I just wish nibs weren't so expensive if you want to swap one out. For the price of a new nib unit you can pick up a whole pen 2nd hand in great condition. Got to use a M1005 last week and WOW does that ever look great 😍💸💸💸
I tend to prefer Japanese pens. The nibs just feel better to write with. And I started to like converter pens more now than I did when I was a student. I just don’t write as much as I did in school, and they’re easier to clean, so I use my converter pens more often now.
I'm always torn on the matter of converter vs piston fill, aesthetically and from a perspective of admiring the manufacturing and engineering that goes into a pen I like piston fill, but when it comes to practicality and actually using the thing, I prefer the ease of ink changes and cleaning you get from a converter.
I've long been enamored by piston fillers and other large-capacity mechanisms, until they became far more affordable in more attractive options (never liked the look of TWSBIs) in the last 5 years or so, and I got a couple for myself. I got over it in just a few months. Much more finicky to disassemble and thoroughly clean out, and I've found that I've never had much use for a large capacity anyway since I always had at least 2-3 pens inked up at a time.
Hi DB a great video. I get your comments about the cartridge converter on the KOP and I think that there are better converters out there. That said the fact that it does have a cartridge converter is a definite win. Cartridge converter aside the KOP doesn’t get my vote despite the fact that it has a 21 carat nib. In view of the past backup service I’ve had from Pelikan that would get my vote as the overall best especially for durability although I haven’t actually owned an M1000. The M149 in my opinion is the best looking pen of the trio and my favourite pen in my collection for a super long writing session. To my mind it looks the way that a superior fountain pen should look and scores 10/10 for writing comfort. The M1000 gets my overall vote and is now a grail pen.
Hey DB! Great video. Thank you! Your MB nib can be like brand new with use of a cheap DC power supply, white rodhium, (if need be) gold plating solution and a plating pen. Pen plating is very easy process. No need to dismantle the nib either. Before plating, the nib needs to be polished and cleaned well. Worth a try.👍
@@Doodlebud Sure I did. Learned plating from UA-cam. First I tried on my Platinum Century's gold plated trims. They had been worn out. Then on my Sailor Pro Gear two tone nib. And on my Parker Duofold's two tone nib and lastly on my Visconti HS rose gold nib. Since plating pen tip is small with the help of a loob I can plate yellow and white parts easily. Some times I use tape. But best not to work on contours. I usually plate it in situ. Voltage settings 3,5 V and amp is 0.8 - 1 mAh. Pen plating is a quick and easy process. For white parts white rhodium plating solution needed since gold is not white. Rhodium (white or black) solutions are a bit pricier than gold (24K, 18K, 14K, rose or green) solutions. They sell them in 10 ml bottles. 10 ml is more than enough. Have a wonderful weekend!
I have a Montblanc 146 Legrand, and I have 2 Sailors which are a 1911L Loch ness Monster and a Pro gear regular in Christmas Spice Tea. And I have A LOT of Pelikans from m200 all the way up to the M1000 Renaissance Brown. Pelikans are my weakness. Old and new they just got it right I think. That doesn't mean I don't adore my Montblanc or my Sailors. I love them all for different reasons. Great video. And if you would of picked anything other than the Pelikan you would have been wrong!! LOL Joking! haha
I put my 149 back in my daily carry rotation just after doing the video and Im loving using it again. Oh man, everything tells me the M1000 is a better pen, but the way my 149 nib writes is so damn good! It should be, I spent a bunch of time on this one getting it just perfect (at least for me). Im fortunate to be able to have this mental debate about which pen is better LOL
@@Doodlebud I want a 149 eventually, but Rose Gold trim. I see why you love yours, and the fact that you tuned the nib specifically how you yourself wanted it helped a huge amount. For me Pelikans price for what you get is better than Montblanc. You can find Pelikans at a huge discount even brand new if you know what you are doing. Montblanc I was lucky to get my 146 Legrand 100 years for 100 dollars off. Most new Montblancs are an arm and a leg, but like you have been saying for years look at the used market for a hell of a deal on them. I'd still like to get a Sailor KOP at some point as well, but it's not a have to right now. We are pretty lucky to have the pens we have. I still forget that there are people who won't ever get to experience the pens we have, but really want to.
For whatever reason I was not interested in this topic at all. Just letting the video play to pass the time. Now, 17 minutes in, I'm invested. And, oh no! I think I got spoiled in the comments! 😮 I'm going to ignore it and continue on with this riveting content. Really interesting to see where you get ur money's worth in a modern pen.
@NameLikeNobodyElse if you don't own a fountain pen but would like to try cheap get the pilot varsity if you enjoy that step up to a 5 to 10 dollar jinhao with a converter to put your own ink in from a bottle. It's a rabbit hole lol
@@williamcatalano1762 Let me turn on a flashlight. I'm already in the rabbit hole.😄 I like things that are flashier than what he was comparing & I figured I'd never own one of those top dogs, that was the reason for the lack of excitement. He got me interested in trying a Sailor to experience the feedback. & the classic green Pelikan. I've never tried one of those either.
Great review, thanks. I have one of each after I discovered that I prefer the tactile sensation of quality pens (which could be a size & weight thing as much as materials) vs cheaper alternatives (could be an autism thing on my part the whole tactile sensation) and the writing experience of quality gold nibs. I love the KOP nib, it's the best, but the ink capacity is poor plus I find that I have to twist the convertor down to improve the flow as it empties. I didn't like the aesthetics of the M1000 at first but I got one and now consider it the benchmark that all other pens should aspire to. It just does everything well and that wet nib is a joy and never skips a beat. My 149 doesn't stand out in any particular way but that could just be the OB nib.
Completely agree with your conclusion at the end there. And you can rest assured that all of these old European brands resting on their laurels and their historical reputations are going to bitch and moan when the Chinese brands start producing luxury offerings to a better standard than they do. That's actually a societal issue, everything is held together with marketing wankery instead of quality and attention to detail. But marketing wankery is like a rust on a car; it can easily be counteracted if you get on top of it immediately before it starts spreading, but if it does start to spread it rots everything it touches and you end up having to scrap the entire thing.
I've tried all of those pens, and none of them made my personal collection lol. I feel the transparency on the barrel was something special Pelikan had going for them and was sad to hear they would no longer do that when they announced it. I also feel that Mont Blanc relies too much on their name rather than innovating or even just delivering a high quality product. I really can't say much about the Sailor though. I think it's a bit overpriced for what it is, but I do enjoy most of my Sailor pens. Anymore, I've been leaning towards small makers or metal pens as I feel I get a better deal. Companies like Hongdian, Asvine, and MoonMan/MaJohn also put out some fantastic performing pens for the price.
I’ve got small handwriting and mostly, in these top of the line pens, there’s a pretty limited nib selection all of which write too fat for me:(; have no Pelikan fp’s but do have and do love their regular line of inks esp. blue/black:); I do have a Mb146 which has a F nib, know I would prefer their EF nib but it still would write broader than I prefer which leads me to my personal favourite which is my Sailor pro gear which has a proper Japanese H-EF nib: for all you nib manufacturers, a lot of us have small handwriting - please give us the equivalent of a Japanese EF!; love that you mentioned the Jinhao 9019, which I bought to see if I would be ok with the no.9 nib and girth of the Mb149: genuinely impressed with this fp; thanks for this, love your engineer’s design insights:)
Thanks for the great video db. They are all awesome pens. I have not had the privilege of using/owning any of them. I think the Pelikan M1000 would be my first choice. I like a wet and bouncy nib.
I'm really happy I forked out for a m1000 before they changed the barrel. I love pelikans but the 1000 is the only one that truly fits my hand. Sailor is my favorite pen but they have gotten so expensive since they built the new factory I won't buy them new ever again. And they're filling system sucks hands down. They sell hard plastic cartridges that you can eyedropper that tease twice the capacity of a converter... But you can only fill them about 65 percent without them constantly running dry. I refill a disposable sailor cartridge till I wear it out and on to the next. Never used a 149 but I totally wanna try their new curved nib real bad 😁 I am a twsbi 580 collector because for some reason my brain demands I buy every clear pen with different colored accents, I dunno why. But I honestly have a hard time deciding my favorite favorite. I love pelican but I'm scared I'll break it, I can pick up a used sailer reasonably if I need a new nib and nib wise I love their finer nibs but I love pelikans broader nibs equally
Thanks for your take on flagship, though I would have added the Pilot Custom Urushi pen to the range given that as FP manufacturers go Pilot is the biggest, now I would also qualify Visconti but it is more difficult to choose what pen to bring to the contest, the Bronze Age possibly but looking at all the non special edition, there might be other top of the line pens such as the Divina or the Medici. I’m fortunate enough to own all of them and it’d be hard pressed to select a favorite: I’ve also ground my MB 149 and I love it, my KoP is the Ebonite version and indeed the feel of the nib is unique, my m1000 is one of the new one: no ink window and that’s a bummer and I had to buy an EF separately because as you said the M was a BB at least, the Pilot Urushi (vermillion) is a bit more special color-wise but also the #30 nib is just fabulous in FM but it’s a big boy, light but very chunky getting a case or a sleeve is a challenge (not as much as an Emperor I guess but still), Visconti pens are probably more aesthetically varied and are beautiful but the nib is a lottery, thanks to you I know how to adjust and regrind a nib so that’s not a problem (though what a shame to have such a poor QC), but once adjusted or when the nib simply come right out of the box the writing experience is like no other, they are generally heavier top of the line and have relatively smaller nibs than all the other brands. For me it comes down to my mood which pen I’ll pick, strangely they are not my always inked favorite: it is the trio mechanical pencil/ballpoint/fountain pen (F) pilot small size from the 70’s with the squared metallic pattern (I think you have one too), with Kon-Peki cartridge and a Galen leather pouch, they are always with me.
Yeah tricky which one to include from Visconti. The HS Bronze Age is amazing, and a Divina is one I've always wanted to get one day. Love my vintage Pilot Elite! So classy
Which pen would you say fits a reasonable cost/expense, non overly wet, silky smooth/non catching italic nib… 🤔. Commenters leave you experienced recommendations below in reply’s 👇
@@ichirofakename Thanks for reply. I’ll take a look. I’ve been using a budget Parker with one of their italic calligraphy nibs. It writes great but catch’s the paper a little too often. Maybe I’ll get another and try sanding it. I’m about to research the Jinhao 🧐
None fit the bill. The M1000 has gone up in price over the years, and the KOP has recently been falling. All 3 are smooth, but the smoothest, no feedback nib is the M1000, but it's wet nib. Most feedback is the Sailor. i have all 3. Out them I would take the M1000, then the 149, then the KOP. That stupid converter kills me. Don't get me started lol.
I had to do a bit of a comparison of my own (following along so to speak). I don’t have an M1000 so I made do with my M600. For the Sailor, I have a large Pro Gear with the 21K nib like the KoP. I can agree with you pretty much across the board. I have a soft spot for Pelikan, but I would pick my MB over the others just because of the way it writes and maybe because it’s a vintage nib from the 60s. Good and thoughtful video as always.
@@williammodlin2621 The 21k nibs on the standard Pro Gear and the KoP are very different creatures. The PG’s 21k is a superb nib but is obviously smaller and certainly stiffer than the large, slightly springy 21k nib on the KoP that writes like no other nib in the world.
Not a massive fan of fine/medium nibs which is why I use the cheap & cheerful Shaeffer 'No Nonsense' fountain pens. When I was at school (England UK) in the early 70's were not allowed to use pencils or ball-point pens, just fountain pens (our desks still had ink-wells built into them from previous generations). One thing that bothers me is (slow) ink feed meaning the pen effectively runs out until you shake it or squeeze the bulb/cartridge. So, despite lusting after a Meisterstuck for years, my choice here would be the Pelican with its generous ink feed and wetter nib. Excellent review - subscribed.
I used to dream of all of these in my collection building days -- especially the M1000 as it would finish a full Pelikan pod (140, 205, a number of 400s, M600, M800) but then realized that the M800 is about perfect for me (with nib tweak by Mike Masuyama). I always thought MB was over priced (still do) but finally had to pick one up when I found a 146 for a good price; again, no need for the 149. The Sailor KOP spent the least time on my wish list. I tried (and have) a few other Sailors but have been disappointed in their ink capacity. When I discovered that the KOP had the same capacity but for lots more $$s I scrubbed it from my list.
Great video. Unpopular opinion but I will go with a Montblanc Meisterstück 146 or 149. I have a Pelikan Souverän M800 (M) but I find the grinds on the Montblanc pens to be better and more liberal compared to the same of the M800. Might be an anecdotal thing since I have not used many Pelikans. I prefer German pens over Japanese pens when it comes to ink flow and tactile feeling of the nibs. Hence, despite being a fantastic pen, the KOP is out of my list (as of now, might change my mind later!)...
I have a newish M805, and that sadly doesn't have the ink window at all. It is just crazy that they are cutting on plastic material cost on a pen that costs so much. If their margin is so thin, then raising the price by $5 would be absolutely preferred to loosing such a functionality. Now I can only guess what could be the ink level in my pen. A Preppy is better on that department.
The Pelikan M1000 is my pick of these pens also. I have two of them, one with the EF nib (my favourite for this pen) and one with a M nib. The M1000 nibs seem to write lines that are about one and a half to two sizes larger than most pen brands.
One thing I do appreciate Doodlebud is that you do trim your fingernails, so no worries on that nail bruise. For me the KOP is not comparable. It's something to compare Japanese to European pens, but that's as far as it goes. Though for funszy sake, why not? If I had to compare the Nibalya range of fountain pens I take the KOP as a pen last. I just can't handle that standard converter on their flagship pen. At least do a larger converter. Pound of pound I think the M1000 is the best out of all of them. And it was until recently the cheapest too.
All are great, but the M1000 checks off more boxes for me at least. Been writing with my 149 more since this video and DAMN is thst nib dialed in just perfect for me 👌
Im happy you chose Pelikan. Mine are from no later than 1995 and a DELIGHT. Strangely, Pelikan are also my least used pens because Im scared something will happen to them which is not the way to own nice pens. Use them! I also have a MB 149 from about 1980 or so and it seems too elegant to enjoy, if that makes sense.
I just got to try out the new Jinhao 10 and am happy to say they fixed the biggest issue with the Majohn A1. The spring is of the correct length and the tab sits in the notch by default. The nib units are also interchangeable. Sadly mine has pretty bad misalignment of the section and internals, so the spring door and nib aren't in line with the clip. Hope that's just a one-off and not a bigger thing.
Let's face it. They are all wonderful pens. There no question about the quality of the pen. I have never written with a 149 (I wasn't allowed at a pen show unless I was going to guarantee I was purchasing one. ) I have tested the 1000. It is such a smooth and soft writer. I have to look for a ore- owned version to fit my budget. Currently I only have the King of Pen. Only? This is a remarkable pen. Like your 149, I had the nib custom ground by the Sailor nibmeister when he was touring the country. I have a number of pens that come close to the performance of the KoP but nine have surpassed it. I have even eyedropper filled the barrel! I know that is asking for trouble but their converter nas cartridges are, well, puny.
Solid Video DB 👍😎. (I was rooting for the Pelikan… , I like the way they look 🤭). I’m sure if one purchased any of these “flagships”, after an appropriate amount of UA-cam viewing reviews, and gazing longingly at images online, and of course if you live somewhere close to a pen/stationer store that would actually have a pen you could use for a minute or two. The choice would be clear, as long as you could pony up the bucks… . I had a Sailor Pro Gear Realo, medium/fine, but regardless of all the blocks that got checked, I didn’t enjoy the nib. Yeah, you just can’t really know till you get one in your hand, and live with it a few days… . "Nobody could have predicted that Dr. Grant would suddenly jump out of a moving vehicle". "There's another example. See, here I'm now sitting by myself, uh, er, talking to myself. That's, that's chaos theory". … . 😉
The prices on these new is pretty crazy, but I've been fortunate to save up over time and find good deals on the pens. This was my first time using a Sailor and feeling the famous feedback. Its very interesting. I love it for printing but not as much for cursive.
Oh, no. You got it wrong. You appear to be a nice man. Well informed, even intelligent. But, you see, I have a 149 arriving tomorrow, so it must be the best, right? Of course you had no way to know that, so you can be forgiven. Your comment about the cap being at risk of chipping is spot on. I have a 2017 Montblanc Classique 140mm (M) that suffered a 3/8" chip along the open circumference of the cap, from - yes - being pushed down the barrel. I'm looking for a replacement cap; have been for about six months. Wish me luck.
I was able to get a Pelikan M1000 NOS with the old style of the logo; the laser etched logo really looks cheap and out of place on such a classy pen. It was interesting to see what heavy use does on the threads of the Montblanc. Aren't you afraid it will break down anytime soon (is it something that can be fixed if the start of the threads would wear away)?.
When its done right I have no problem with laser engraving a nib or cap finial. I've seen some lasered nibs done by Delta recently that look amazing. But on my M805 its not so great. The pen is always in some type of a nice case so no idea how its showing signs of wear. Im not worried about the threads on my MB. The tiny part that chipped was at the injection molding line and only at the very start. I don't imagine there being any issues after decades more of use.
For me I wouldn't want any of them. Everybody is chasing that carrot in the pen game, that is what it is. I want something that would make ME happy. Not for flash and showing off. And yes, I cannot afford those pens. My Asvine P20 makes me smile at every stroke. But for me a prestigious pen would be a Pilot of anything, but you cannot go wrong with a Pilot. Doodlebud, thanks for THIS video. I am not sure if anyone has done one!
@DB, how does the M1000 nib compares to the HS palladium nib? Unfortunately I don't have an M1000 but the nib in my HM is exactly as you have described in for yours.
1. I became a Sailor Boi because somehow I got convinced they were the most precise. Once I got my KoP I found that I needed a VERY good reason to use any other of my 48 non-royal pens. Even though it is too late for me to change, I would value hearing your opinion on the issue of fountain pen precision. Or better yet, somehow quantifying precision. 2. Let me go on record that all these pens are ridiculously overpriced, and should only be bought by people with too much money.
1) Tough to know what you mean by fountain pen precision. Best manufacturing precision, nib grind consistency, etc? Thats a tricky one as no matter what would be measured you'd need a large sample size over multiple batches to measure any of those metrics. 2) Yes, all are soooooo much money for what you get. The ROI on those molds is EPIC! Big upfront cost but those molds essentially print money. All of my "high-end" pens were bought 2nd had (except for one). Similar buying a used car, but these get even less wear & tear on them.
@@Doodlebud 1. Sorry for the unclarity - I meant the precision with which a pen makes a mark. As someone who draws, this may be a bigger issue for me than many others. How accurately can the pen produce the mark I intended. 2. I should trace a circle drawn with a compass, and a straight line drawn with a ruler, with all my pens, to see which does best. Maybe tomorrow. Originally I thought a narrow barrel (e.g. CP1) increased the precision of my hand. Now I think precision is a quality of the nib.
@@ichirofakename If you mainly mean the distinct, consistent precision and control that the KoP’s nib (indeed all Sailor nibs, in my opinion) provides in the writing experience, I wonder if you’ve tried Platinum’s gold nibs. I’d say Platinum offers a differently great writing experience but has the ‘precision’ factor in common with Sailor.
@@ichirofakenameHi, I don’t mean to butt in, but I’m going to. YOSEKA STATIONERY (NY NY), has a UA-cam channel. A few years ago (?) not sure when. They did a review of a lot of Pilot’s Custom fountain pen nibs ~ sizes. It was very well done as far as demonstrating size differences of their nibs. I thought it was one of the better reviews of many different nibs in the same video. Sorry, I don’t have a direct link to the exact video, but you’ll find it if you look. Some of their review videos are just so well done (imo). Daisy does a great job 👍😎. Good luck 👍🥹
Hello DoodleBud. Very nice video, thank you very much. The Pelikan logo on the cap has one chick, the logo on the nib has two chicks. So the nib is older than the cap.
I love pens, and I have been a long time viewer of this channel, and many others. But over the past two years, I’ve noticed something very saddening within the pen world… I completely understand a company trying to save money on manufacturing. What I don’t understand corner cutting to reduce manufacturing costs, while raising prices. I got my very first sailor pen not long ago, it’s a custom tuned pen from Kirk spear. A fantastically made pen and a shoutout to an amazing nib smith. But, I found I enjoy writing with a friends vintage sailor more than my own. Mine has a custom tuned nib, but the pen itself and even quality of the nib is noticeably worse, and costs almost $100 more than his did when it was brand new. My pen has a slightly thinner nib, lighter weight which means less material, and just doesn’t feel like it got the same level of attention his received. And then the number of “special edition” pens coming out now is really killing my passion for pens. Special editions used to be genuinely special. They came out once or twice a year per model or company, and they gave you something special, at a slight increase in price. But now we have pens coming out two to three times a month that are just color variants, and some cost almost $100 more than the basic version. Another in a series of sad evolutions in the pen world, is the trend of steel nib pens that are being pushed up well into the $300-$400 price range. A special color Esterbrook Estie with a steel nib, shouldn’t cost as much as a sailor pro gear and 1911L, or a pilot 823. I love pens and writing, I love the friends I’ve made over the years within this community. I love the designs and the engineering that goes into fountain pens. But seeing the problems of every other hobby finally making their way into this hobby in a meaningful way is sad. A sailor pro gear for example, was $220USD in 2010, and is now $312 for the black only, and can be over $400 for special colors. To me that is sad to see, and severely limits what pens most people can obtain in their collections. I love this community, and I want to see it change for the better, and not keep changing for the worse.
I hear ya, but here is a little perspective on the price. 2010-2024 is 14yrs. With an average inflation rate of 3% over that time a $220 pen in 2010 equates to $317 in 2024. So the price change is pretty much on point. Doesn't make it feel any less expensive after doing the math, but that's just the way inflation works over time 😕
Sailor KoP, until the end of time.❤️ Pelikan M1000 has the superior piston compared to the MB 149. And it looks nicer, all round. But the 149 has the better nib. The KoP just slays and rules, owing to the truly unique sublime writing experience of that large, stellar 21k nib. All three pens are upscale, flagship models of the three respective brands. And are comparably priced, here in the U.S. I own the MB 149, three KoPs but intentionally never bought the M1000. All that said, the Sailor KoP wins, on my card, every time.
@@blaiseutube You have a point. My 149 is a much older pen that I inherited from my late father a few years ago. And it is a superb writer. I have tried a few modern 149 nibs, out of curiosity. Nothing great really. But frankly, I like the M1000 nib, and Pelikan gold nibs, in general, much less than even the current 149 nibs. I own the Pelikan M400 and the M600 Glauco Cambon. They are definitely quite nice wet writers, but I dislike a certain ‘squishy’ feeling to these soft nibs - and the fact that the actual line width is invariably out of sync with the designated nib size point. I’m hardy alone with these complaints. And I feel similarly about the M1000 nib. It’s the reason why I never bought the pen after trying it out at pen shows and on loan from a friend. Sailor’s 21k gold nibs trump them both. And I’ve always preferred Aurora’s fantastic nibs (14k/18k) over anything Pelikan offers, every day of the year.
My Pelikan M800 is too juicy for me, but I'm hoping to tame it with a really dry ink (maybe Pelikan 4001 or Diamine Sepia) because I really like everything else about it. I don't think the M1000 would be a good fit for my preferences. I still want a W. Germany NOS MB 149 and hope to score at a local pen show later this year. The KOP is a fun pen and while I understand your gripe with the converter, I reach for other pens when I need high ink capacity. But the price hike for an injection molded pen that still shows the seams is something I also find a bit offputting. The Jinhao 9019 is such a chonker that it's almost comical! But the price people can easily afford more than one.
Try Monteverde Smoke Noir. When I need a dryer ink I give that a try. I also have a vid on checking "ink wetness" that is easy to do and anyone can do at home. ua-cam.com/video/SzYkIhuDDcc/v-deo.html Jinhao also has the 9016 & 9013 which is same style just smaller for those who don't like the big chonk
I was weighing up between the 149 and the Pelikan M1000. I have settled on the Pelikan but now am trying to decide on the nib. Most of my pens are medium. I just bought a Pilot E92S and that's a bit heavy in M. I won't get a chance to test so have to order blind. I don't mind the good ink flow but am leaning to a Fine nib. Undecided.
I feel like a better comparison would be to the KOP ebonite just because the plastic KOP’s feel so hollow, literally and figuratively, compared to the piston fillers of the other two. The ebonite elevates the KOP to a level of elegance that can match the other two.
Possibly but I don't have access to all the pens out there. The MB 149 is an injection molded pen just like the KOP, and the Pelikan has injection molder parts so I think its a closer comparison since the pens are made in similar fashion. The Ebonite KOP is a very different material and is machined instead.
@@Doodlebud Yes good point. I suppose what I’m really trying to say is not so much that your comparison isn’t fair (because you’re right, it is) but rather that I find the plastic KOP’s with their c/c system kind of sad compared to these other piston fill flagships, and in my mind I’ve replaced them with the ebonite version as the top of the Sailor food chain. I find the ebonite material and sleek design makes up for its shortcomings. Highly recommend you give it a try at some point if you haven’t already!
I don't think I will get a King of Pen. I am happy with my 149 (Vintage) and my M800 and M1000 -- I would get another M1000 but not another 149. Thank you for you videos.
Saves money... thats the reason. I don't mind if its laser engraved or acid etched if the end result is fantastic. But as I showed on my new M805, its worn down over time which is nuts. The pen is always in a nice pen case or pen box. It experiences zero wear and tear but shows signs on wear & tear! WTF
Does Majohn P139 have an injection molded section? Also, could you please include a proper size comparison next time? One more note: you can't disassemble anything on the Montblanc, while you can at least unscrew the nib unit on the M1000.
Doodlebuuuud! I have a suggestion/request for a video that I believe only you can create. Best fountain pen for carbon and carbonless paper. At work I often have to use a 4 copy carbon invoice. Takes quite a bit of pressure to go through 4 layers of paper and 3 layers of carbon, so I always have to reach for a ballpoint or rollerball. I use fountain pens dammit! So far a Platinum Preppy has been the only one that could *almost* do it. But I know you can answer this question that literally some people need to have an answer to!
I have all three. And it’s not even close for me -it’s the KoP. But I suppose this is because I definitely prefer Japanese nibs (especially Sailor’s) and craftsmanship over everything else.
I don’t understand your comments on the Pelikan M1000 ink window. I could see it clearly on my iPad. I’ve never used the 149. It doesn’t interest me. I love the snow cap, but black plastic is a non-starter. I have two Sailor 1911s. Yes, they’re both black plastic. Black, hard as rock, plastic. My fingers hurt from the hardness. I also don’t understand the fascination with their nibs. I had to send both for adjustment. They are smooth, but skip. Part of that is the cursive italic, but not all. So, they sit in storage with no prospects for use. Back to Pelikan. I would love an M1000, if it weren’t so large. My M800, (600s, and many others) writes beautifully. But, it’s so big and heavy, a fill lasts forever. After a while, I empty it and return it to storage. I will have an M1000 one day. I just wish it were more human scale.
My M1000 has the ink window, but the new ones don't. The body doesn't have that translucent part between the colored stripes to let you see the ink inside. I checked my vintage 140 and it actually has a larger ink capacity than my new M805 which was interesting to see. I have large hands so the big MB149 & M1000 fit me great. But having different sized pens in their series is smart since there's something for everyone.
How do these compare to an ASC? eg Bologna or Gladiatore. Did you really say the MontBlanc is injection moulded? I thought these expensive pens were turned resin?
I don't have those pens to compare. But yes, they are injection molded (MB & Sailor). Just because its expensive in prices doesn't mean its expensive to make 💸💸💸. Resin doesn't mean its will be turned. The plastics used to injection mold are a resin as well. I believe the plastic for the MB and Sailor are both PMMA (Polymethyl Methacrylate)
I have a pen that unthreads very easily do I live with it or can it be fixed? if it was made out of metal, I would have used pink locktite, but sadly it is made out of plastic
I bought a montblanc 149 directly from MB and out of the box with montblanc ink it would not write. It skipped even when writing a signature. I had to ship it to a repair shop and pay $28. They sent it back but now it is so wet if I write in my checkbook it soaks through. I bought a jinhao 159x, MB 149 copy wrote beautifully and cost $13.
I have one in the Bronze Age and its amazing. Tough to include Visconti in this one for a "flagship" pen because which one would it be? The Homo Sapiens, Divina, etc etc. Either way, LOVE my HS and like it has the old Pd nib on it too :)
I personally do not even consider buying a pen over $150 if it is not piston or vac filler... For that reason i always stayed away from sailors because i can not see the worth for my money
I actually studied computer engineering. I've always been interested in mechanical stuff and took cars apart as a teenager. I studied computer as I knew nothing about how they worked. In my engineering work, it was a mix of mechanical, optical, electrical & computer engineering. Most of my learning was from my work. I was very fortunate who I worked for. Here's an engineering series he put together to teach young engineers. This should be a must watch for all new engineers. ua-cam.com/play/PLSGA1wWSdWaTXNhz_YkoPADUUmF1L5x2F.html&si=yarsIqPm0wN7H9rp
Thanks very much ! I went to University earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering but learned nothing much. Most things I learned are from working on the job and applied engineering, I beginning to tie in my experiences to what I studied in school. Great contents you have. Keep it up !
@Doodlebud seems to be the way to go. I'm quite recently interested in fountain pens and am not really seeing how the up-charge for a gold nib is justified. I bought a Lamy studio with a fine nib and purchased the fine gold nib as well and it just doesn't seem to have an additional $100 dollars of value when comparing them side by side. I could just be missing something. Really enjoying your channel.
@@MichaelR-kl6hk Generally, a gold nib will be a bit softer than a steel, and that is one of the biggest reasons why those of us who prefer gold nibs, prefer gold nibs.
You forgot to make MB fanboys mad by showing that the red glow of their so called "precious resin" is also present in the KoP, which proves it's just PMMA plastic 😬 Haven't tried any of these, not quite interested either, all of them having good characteristics, but in the end the best nib should win, so, Sailor all the way for me 😌
The way my heart dropped when you said they all suck! You do have a point though :) I love my Pelikan m1005 and would like to try both of the two others. I am saving up for a KOP.
I'm really happy that I bought a new old stock Pelikan so it has the transluscent stripes. I don't think I will buy one where I can't see the ink level. (But who knows)
I got the kop, Spring Sky edition. Gorgeous. I recommend. 😊
Hey DoodleBud… while I agree with your winner; another comparison would be ease of cleaning… I don’t know a pen that is easier to clean than a Pelikan… the nib just unscrews and use a syringe to flush out the ink… and add silicone grease if needed. For me, even easier than cartridge converter pens.
I am delighted that you chose the Pelikan. Though I do not own the M1000, I have several others, newer and older, and several of their inexpensive models for school children. Wonderful stuff! Since the new owners of the company have cut an entire division, no telling what will become of the "fine writing" products, nor how "fine" they may be in the future. I cannot understand how they justify it being too difficult to make pens with the alternating color and translucent layers when several pen makers have been doing just that for decades, long before the precision machines we have now were available. The US representative, whom I met at a pen show (very cool guy, btw) told me they took a poll to see what customers thought of the idea. Did anyone ask me? Nope. Anyone I know? Uh, nope. Did they ask our friend Doodlebud? Evidently not. Please keep sharing your insights and knowledge with us.
Thank you for doing this. After all the reviews, purchases and testing - the Pelikan are the king of pens. Smoothest nibs, never dries out, quality craftsmanship, and a joy to write with.
I’m very happy and fortunate that I got the Pelikan brand logo finial in gold and the stripe window before they started cheapening it out. I bought my M1000 green stripe one about 8 years ago new. I’m also very happy with my Pelikan m1000 nib and I got to cherry 🍒 pick the one I liked at the brick and mortar store. It writes like a dream!
That is the BEST way to buy a pen. Nothing better than being able to try it out in store
Pelikan needs to bring back the translucent green stripes. Otherwise, what’s the point and who would still be buying it? The older ones seem to be impossible to find on the used market.
I love my M1000. Mine is latest generation all black one. Although I originally prefer the green stripes, the black one has better ink window and not stand out in work setting. The nib has certain 'singing' tactile sound that I really adore.
Thanks for teaching me about a Higby cut! Love learning stuff like that!
My 149 is circa 1968-72. Has celluloid white star, now yellowed. Absolutely no cap wiggle - solid as a rock!
Oooh, those are the good ones.
Oooh, those are the good ones.
Oooh, those are the good ones.
Oooh, those are the good ones.
Hi. Oh, how Beautiful.😍
Great video. I love it when you nerd out on pens!
To reiterate another commenter: The engineering is what sets your channel apart.
Thank you Doodlebud, you're the best!
Thanks so much for the kind words
The trifecta of top pens, love how you broke out the various categories. As I own none of those pens, I can enjoy from afar thanks to your videos.
The all black Pelikan m1000 has a great ink window.
Unfortunately they stopped having that feature in the newer M1000's.
Very valid comments about changes over time.
Doooooooodlebud!
I‘d pick the KOP just for nib alone. Love the M1000 and 149 though
Hi DB! Thanks for the honest appraisal of three pens that would be considered grail pens for most FP folks. My Pelikan is not that model, but it is the most unique writer of all the ones in my collection. And the nib IS lovely! Yes, they write a bit wider. Japanese pens always write a little narrower than western pens. An XF is more like an XXF in a western pen, and so on and so forth with the other sizes. Not a bad thing at all. I think the design of the Pelikan nibs and feeds are what make them much wetter writers than some others.
I did not expect you to end up rating the King of Pen so highly after your standalone video. I think the extra control of the KoP gives it the edge for me. If I ever got an M1000 (I’m not interested in Mont Blanc at all), I’d have to get an EF for how much they oversize the tipping on the nibs. Great video!
The whole converter thing still chokes me, but it is a great pen. I'll probably get a 1911L at some point
@@Doodlebud I have two 1911Ls I like a lot, but they definitely aren't quite to the level of the King of Pen. I agree on the converter situation, seems very odd that Sailor won't make a larger size converter for the King of Pen or even longer cartridges like the long international carts. They do sell reinforced carts for refilling but they're the same size as their standard carts. Still, it's the best compromise I've been able to find as the converters are just so dang small.
A great and thorough video, with nice timing, and a fair review. For me, of these pens, the best is the Custom Urushi. I have all of them and the only one I use regularly is the CU.
This is exactly the video I’ve been looking for. Thank you.
Good to hear
Absolutely love my M1000! Compared to the KOP and the 149 it’s just a lot more joyful to write with. All three are wonderful in their own ways but I’ll take Pelican all day and twice on Sunday!
There is a new Renaissance Brown color for the M1000 and it is the same price as the regular stripey ones. I got to try it at the Pelikan TintenTurm in Hannover a few weeks ago. Nice pen.
I have been looking at that brown too. Looks a bit like marble. I can't get to see one in person. Is it as nice in person as it is on the videos?
@@Schaeffs71 yeah, it looks nice. It's slightly translucent, the cap has a bit on an orange glow when you hold it in front of a light source. But the barrel will be mostly just like a brown marble with some shiny highlights in it, so it's not going to function as an ink window or anything.
@@enten161 You think it's better than the green stripe version which is the only other I am considering. Big difference in price in Australia currently, $400 between the two. With the brown being more expensive.
@@Schaeffs71 Damn dude. That's crazy. I would not spend that much more on the brown version seeing as they're literally the same price here. It's all personal preference though, obviously. If you're considering a new pen, I don't like that they got rid of most of the transparency between the stripes. I also held a Grey M800 and I was able to look right through the gaps, so some of them still have it. Not the green ones though I think. Not sure if I would buy a new Pelikan. It's unfortunate.
@@enten161 Cheers. I bought a few lower tier pens of late but want one of the best. Both are currently on sale but the SE is AU$1250 and the Green Striped is AU$899. Big bucks either way. The Mont Blanc 149 was on sale for AU$1320 but now over $1600 full price. It can wait. I do still have to decide on medium or fine nib though.
I'm not much for "Flagships" as they are primarily designed for corporate entities to maximize profit rather than give the consumer something back. As far as Mont Blanc, I have always found them stodgy and boring and for old people, so not on my radar. Sailor and Pelikan get big points for style and quality workmanship but again I would never be interested in Flagship models. I have a 1911L demonstrator that is an absolute joy to write, and yes the pencil-feedback is there and I find slows you down just enough to enjoy the experience even more. It's the exact opposite of a Pilot 823 which is so glass smooth you almost slide off the page if you get lazy. I also have an older M400 (OM) that is also a joy to write with its bounce and line variation. I definitely give the edge to Pelikan for the styling as Japanese pens can be stodgy in their own way, but they more than make up for with 100% reliability every time.
Vintage Pelikan or MB with an oblique nib is something very special!
The sailor 21k is the first modern nib that feels like my 1980s 18k m600
Tough decision for me to pick! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on them Doodlebud!
Another nice video DB. I was mildly surprised you chose the Pelikan. I don't have an M1000, but I do have an M800. I also have a 90's Vintage MB 149 that is a great writer. I don't know what it is, but I have no interest in any of the pricier Sailor pens including the KoP!! For such pricey brands I won't be buying any of the modern versions. Thanks for the video it was an interesting exercise!!
You are an Excellent mechanical engineer.
I have a 146 and an M600. I know the latter is not the flagship, but honestly they are so good I have no desire for a 146, M800 or M1000. Having said all of that I have been, I am blown away by the 9019, 9016, and 9013! I am a fanatic for smooth nibs, and thanks to you, Doodlebud, I have gotten pretty good at turning even the driest, scratchiest nibs into wonderful writers. I have not had to touch any of the nibs on the several 9019s, 9016s, or 9013s I have purchased. They have all been lovely, wet, smooth writers. I cannot say as much for several $50-200. I could easily buy any pen I want, but I am not likely to buy any more. These days I find downright inexpensive pens much more fun and interesting. Oh, don't overlook the Jinhao 100s - same great #6 nib as 9016, a large variety of lovely color combinations, and a really nice flat-top design.
Informative. Thank you. I’d also favor the M1000, but not in its current incarnation. I understand the importance of cutting costs where possible, but when it comes at the expense of quality, I would think that most people buying a pen that costs $700 or more would happily pay a few dollars extra for the medallion finial rather than take a laser-etched one that shows wear before you’ve even used the pen. I’d rather do without the finial entirely than have a cheap one that will, with use, make my pen look cheap. And the stripes. Pelikan is certainly capable of producing them as they did. That should continue to be a feature of their flagship pen; it was part of the draw of that pen, and the current ones seem diminished without it.
I don’t see the importance of having a vac or piston filler above a certain price point. It doesn’t affect my writing experience at all, and in pens that don’t allow you to disassemble and clean it easily, it’s a positive annoyance. Must I forever use the same ink in them, or spend an evening flushing the pen out? And in all honesty, preferring F and EF nibs as I do, I don’t remember the last time I exhausted the ink in a full pen at one sitting. It was probably … never. A pen doesn’t feel less luxurious to me for using a convertor. I have pens like Yard-O-Led and Namiki Yukari Royale that are beautiful, excellent writers, and equipped with convertors. I don’t feel cheated by that. Those are still beautifully made and finished, and my Montblanc is still made of PMMA and had to be reground. I realize that we all like different things in fountain pens, and there is something satisfying about filling a pen with a beautifully engineered filling mechanism, but that satisfaction is a brief pleasure, not the lasting contentment of an excellent ebonite feed (why do so many flagships use plastic?) or a beautiful display of maki-e or raden. I just don’t understand the “gotta have a piston” sentiment. Filling my pen is the thing I do least with it.
Anyway, I find MB 149, the KOP, and the M1000 all sort of meh in their current versions, and in comparison with what other pen makers are doing, they’re getting more meh by the day.
this video was fun to watch. The price on these pens is insane, but ignoring that I think I would go with the pelikan I like the look so much more than the other two (except the nib, I love the pattern and two toning of pelikans nib, but I prefer the look of the Sailors). As for how well they write etc. etc. I can't say, I've never tried any of them.
The two-tone sailor nibs look AMAZING! I might have to get a 1911L at some point
I'm glad that your engineering skills and elaborate detailed checks confirmed my own personal likes, the Pelikan because of its nib and feed. Reducing cost, increasing profit, well up to what extend? Until sales drops? Until customers walk away. In general I disregard pens in the luxury price segment, in the end it's a thing producing lines. Can be done with a 15 USD pen, a 200 USD pen and with a 800 to over 1,000 USD pen. But everyone has to decide for themselves. Weigh up the cost, value, benefit or just enjoy owning a luxury item.
Thanks DB.
Man, in your 'Andre the Giant' hands, these large fountain pens look like you're handling cigarettes! 😂
Sailor is my favorite brand. I don't have the KOP. Just Regular & Slim.
The move to eliminate the slight transparency on the Pelikan bodies is lame. Was such an fantastic esthetically pleasing and functional feature of the pen.
This an excellent video. Very helpful with respect to features to look at when examining pens of all sorts. I like my Pelikan’s ease of cleaning, and the interchangeability of the nib.
I just wish nibs weren't so expensive if you want to swap one out. For the price of a new nib unit you can pick up a whole pen 2nd hand in great condition. Got to use a M1005 last week and WOW does that ever look great 😍💸💸💸
I tend to prefer Japanese pens. The nibs just feel better to write with. And I started to like converter pens more now than I did when I was a student. I just don’t write as much as I did in school, and they’re easier to clean, so I use my converter pens more often now.
I'm always torn on the matter of converter vs piston fill, aesthetically and from a perspective of admiring the manufacturing and engineering that goes into a pen I like piston fill, but when it comes to practicality and actually using the thing, I prefer the ease of ink changes and cleaning you get from a converter.
I've long been enamored by piston fillers and other large-capacity mechanisms, until they became far more affordable in more attractive options (never liked the look of TWSBIs) in the last 5 years or so, and I got a couple for myself. I got over it in just a few months. Much more finicky to disassemble and thoroughly clean out, and I've found that I've never had much use for a large capacity anyway since I always had at least 2-3 pens inked up at a time.
Hi DB a great video. I get your comments about the cartridge converter on the KOP and I think that there are better converters out there. That said the fact that it does have a cartridge converter is a definite win. Cartridge converter aside the KOP doesn’t get my vote despite the fact that it has a 21 carat nib. In view of the past backup service I’ve had from Pelikan that would get my vote as the overall best especially for durability although I haven’t actually owned an M1000. The M149 in my opinion is the best looking pen of the trio and my favourite pen in my collection for a super long writing session. To my mind it looks the way that a superior fountain pen should look and scores 10/10 for writing comfort. The M1000 gets my overall vote and is now a grail pen.
Hey DB! Great video. Thank you! Your MB nib can be like brand new with use of a cheap DC power supply, white rodhium, (if need be) gold plating solution and a plating pen. Pen plating is very easy process. No need to dismantle the nib either. Before plating, the nib needs to be polished and cleaned well. Worth a try.👍
Have you done it before?
@@Doodlebud Sure I did. Learned plating from UA-cam. First I tried on my Platinum Century's gold plated trims. They had been worn out. Then on my Sailor Pro Gear two tone nib. And on my Parker Duofold's two tone nib and lastly on my Visconti HS rose gold nib. Since plating pen tip is small with the help of a loob I can plate yellow and white parts easily. Some times I use tape. But best not to work on contours. I usually plate it in situ. Voltage settings 3,5 V and amp is 0.8 - 1 mAh. Pen plating is a quick and easy process. For white parts white rhodium plating solution needed since gold is not white. Rhodium (white or black) solutions are a bit pricier than gold (24K, 18K, 14K, rose or green) solutions. They sell them in 10 ml bottles. 10 ml is more than enough. Have a wonderful weekend!
I have a Montblanc 146 Legrand, and I have 2 Sailors which are a 1911L Loch ness Monster and a Pro gear regular in Christmas Spice Tea. And I have A LOT of Pelikans from m200 all the way up to the M1000 Renaissance Brown. Pelikans are my weakness. Old and new they just got it right I think. That doesn't mean I don't adore my Montblanc or my Sailors. I love them all for different reasons. Great video. And if you would of picked anything other than the Pelikan you would have been wrong!! LOL Joking! haha
I put my 149 back in my daily carry rotation just after doing the video and Im loving using it again. Oh man, everything tells me the M1000 is a better pen, but the way my 149 nib writes is so damn good! It should be, I spent a bunch of time on this one getting it just perfect (at least for me). Im fortunate to be able to have this mental debate about which pen is better LOL
@@Doodlebud I want a 149 eventually, but Rose Gold trim. I see why you love yours, and the fact that you tuned the nib specifically how you yourself wanted it helped a huge amount. For me Pelikans price for what you get is better than Montblanc. You can find Pelikans at a huge discount even brand new if you know what you are doing. Montblanc I was lucky to get my 146 Legrand 100 years for 100 dollars off. Most new Montblancs are an arm and a leg, but like you have been saying for years look at the used market for a hell of a deal on them. I'd still like to get a Sailor KOP at some point as well, but it's not a have to right now. We are pretty lucky to have the pens we have. I still forget that there are people who won't ever get to experience the pens we have, but really want to.
For whatever reason I was not interested in this topic at all. Just letting the video play to pass the time. Now, 17 minutes in, I'm invested. And, oh no! I think I got spoiled in the comments! 😮 I'm going to ignore it and continue on with this riveting content. Really interesting to see where you get ur money's worth in a modern pen.
@NameLikeNobodyElse if you don't own a fountain pen but would like to try cheap get the pilot varsity if you enjoy that step up to a 5 to 10 dollar jinhao with a converter to put your own ink in from a bottle. It's a rabbit hole lol
@@williamcatalano1762 Let me turn on a flashlight. I'm already in the rabbit hole.😄 I like things that are flashier than what he was comparing & I figured I'd never own one of those top dogs, that was the reason for the lack of excitement.
He got me interested in trying a Sailor to experience the feedback. & the classic green Pelikan. I've never tried one of those either.
You picked the right one in my opinion. I love my Pelikan. That nib is the best.
Great review, thanks. I have one of each after I discovered that I prefer the tactile sensation of quality pens (which could be a size & weight thing as much as materials) vs cheaper alternatives (could be an autism thing on my part the whole tactile sensation) and the writing experience of quality gold nibs. I love the KOP nib, it's the best, but the ink capacity is poor plus I find that I have to twist the convertor down to improve the flow as it empties. I didn't like the aesthetics of the M1000 at first but I got one and now consider it the benchmark that all other pens should aspire to. It just does everything well and that wet nib is a joy and never skips a beat. My 149 doesn't stand out in any particular way but that could just be the OB nib.
Completely agree with your conclusion at the end there. And you can rest assured that all of these old European brands resting on their laurels and their historical reputations are going to bitch and moan when the Chinese brands start producing luxury offerings to a better standard than they do. That's actually a societal issue, everything is held together with marketing wankery instead of quality and attention to detail. But marketing wankery is like a rust on a car; it can easily be counteracted if you get on top of it immediately before it starts spreading, but if it does start to spread it rots everything it touches and you end up having to scrap the entire thing.
I've tried all of those pens, and none of them made my personal collection lol. I feel the transparency on the barrel was something special Pelikan had going for them and was sad to hear they would no longer do that when they announced it. I also feel that Mont Blanc relies too much on their name rather than innovating or even just delivering a high quality product. I really can't say much about the Sailor though. I think it's a bit overpriced for what it is, but I do enjoy most of my Sailor pens. Anymore, I've been leaning towards small makers or metal pens as I feel I get a better deal. Companies like Hongdian, Asvine, and MoonMan/MaJohn also put out some fantastic performing pens for the price.
I’ve got small handwriting and mostly, in these top of the line pens, there’s a pretty limited nib selection all of which write too fat for me:(; have no Pelikan fp’s but do have and do love their regular line of inks esp. blue/black:); I do have a Mb146 which has a F nib, know I would prefer their EF nib but it still would write broader than I prefer which leads me to my personal favourite which is my Sailor pro gear which has a proper Japanese H-EF nib: for all you nib manufacturers, a lot of us have small handwriting - please give us the equivalent of a Japanese EF!; love that you mentioned the Jinhao 9019, which I bought to see if I would be ok with the no.9 nib and girth of the Mb149: genuinely impressed with this fp; thanks for this, love your engineer’s design insights:)
Thanks for the great video db. They are all awesome pens. I have not had the privilege of using/owning any of them. I think the Pelikan M1000 would be my first choice. I like a wet and bouncy nib.
I'm really happy I forked out for a m1000 before they changed the barrel. I love pelikans but the 1000 is the only one that truly fits my hand. Sailor is my favorite pen but they have gotten so expensive since they built the new factory I won't buy them new ever again. And they're filling system sucks hands down. They sell hard plastic cartridges that you can eyedropper that tease twice the capacity of a converter... But you can only fill them about 65 percent without them constantly running dry. I refill a disposable sailor cartridge till I wear it out and on to the next. Never used a 149 but I totally wanna try their new curved nib real bad 😁
I am a twsbi 580 collector because for some reason my brain demands I buy every clear pen with different colored accents, I dunno why. But I honestly have a hard time deciding my favorite favorite. I love pelican but I'm scared I'll break it, I can pick up a used sailer reasonably if I need a new nib and nib wise I love their finer nibs but I love pelikans broader nibs equally
Love montblanc so much. One classic (149), and one special (Jane Austen)
Thanks for your take on flagship, though I would have added the Pilot Custom Urushi pen to the range given that as FP manufacturers go Pilot is the biggest, now I would also qualify Visconti but it is more difficult to choose what pen to bring to the contest, the Bronze Age possibly but looking at all the non special edition, there might be other top of the line pens such as the Divina or the Medici. I’m fortunate enough to own all of them and it’d be hard pressed to select a favorite: I’ve also ground my MB 149 and I love it, my KoP is the Ebonite version and indeed the feel of the nib is unique, my m1000 is one of the new one: no ink window and that’s a bummer and I had to buy an EF separately because as you said the M was a BB at least, the Pilot Urushi (vermillion) is a bit more special color-wise but also the #30 nib is just fabulous in FM but it’s a big boy, light but very chunky getting a case or a sleeve is a challenge (not as much as an Emperor I guess but still), Visconti pens are probably more aesthetically varied and are beautiful but the nib is a lottery, thanks to you I know how to adjust and regrind a nib so that’s not a problem (though what a shame to have such a poor QC), but once adjusted or when the nib simply come right out of the box the writing experience is like no other, they are generally heavier top of the line and have relatively smaller nibs than all the other brands. For me it comes down to my mood which pen I’ll pick, strangely they are not my always inked favorite: it is the trio mechanical pencil/ballpoint/fountain pen (F) pilot small size from the 70’s with the squared metallic pattern (I think you have one too), with Kon-Peki cartridge and a Galen leather pouch, they are always with me.
Yeah tricky which one to include from Visconti. The HS Bronze Age is amazing, and a Divina is one I've always wanted to get one day. Love my vintage Pilot Elite! So classy
@@Doodlebud I have a Bronze Age and two Divina Elegance pens (Blue and Bordeaux). All the Visconti I’d ever need.
0:28
LOL Thats why we keep coming back, your personality and sense of humor and of course knowledge.Pelikan will be my choice as well.
Which pen would you say fits a reasonable cost/expense, non overly wet, silky smooth/non catching italic nib… 🤔. Commenters leave you experienced recommendations below in reply’s 👇
They are all ridiculously overpriced, especially mine, the KoP. Get the Jinhao if you value money.
@@ichirofakename Thanks for reply. I’ll take a look. I’ve been using a budget Parker with one of their italic calligraphy nibs. It writes great but catch’s the paper a little too often. Maybe I’ll get another and try sanding it. I’m about to research the Jinhao 🧐
None fit the bill. The M1000 has gone up in price over the years, and the KOP has recently been falling. All 3 are smooth, but the smoothest, no feedback nib is the M1000, but it's wet nib. Most feedback is the Sailor. i have all 3. Out them I would take the M1000, then the 149, then the KOP. That stupid converter kills me. Don't get me started lol.
I’m going to have a look at LAMY Z 50 nibs for joy and pen I think. Maybe that’ll be smoother than my trusty old Parker.
I had to do a bit of a comparison of my own (following along so to speak). I don’t have an M1000 so I made do with my M600. For the Sailor, I have a large Pro Gear with the 21K nib like the KoP. I can agree with you pretty much across the board. I have a soft spot for Pelikan, but I would pick my MB over the others just because of the way it writes and maybe because it’s a vintage nib from the 60s. Good and thoughtful video as always.
Oh a vintage 60's MB nib must be very nice!
@@williammodlin2621 The 21k nibs on the standard Pro Gear and the KoP are very different creatures. The PG’s 21k is a superb nib but is obviously smaller and certainly stiffer than the large, slightly springy 21k nib on the KoP that writes like no other nib in the world.
@@sajjadhusain4146 I suspected that the KoP would be bigger, but I’ve never seen one IRL, so I didn’t know. Thanks for adding that perspective.
Not a massive fan of fine/medium nibs which is why I use the cheap & cheerful Shaeffer 'No Nonsense' fountain pens. When I was at school (England UK) in the early 70's were not allowed to use pencils or ball-point pens, just fountain pens (our desks still had ink-wells built into them from previous generations). One thing that bothers me is (slow) ink feed meaning the pen effectively runs out until you shake it or squeeze the bulb/cartridge. So, despite lusting after a Meisterstuck for years, my choice here would be the Pelican with its generous ink feed and wetter nib. Excellent review - subscribed.
After I gave the m1005 a chance I did find too I chose it over the MB149. That Pelikan nib is so wet and soft to write with
I used to dream of all of these in my collection building days -- especially the M1000 as it would finish a full Pelikan pod (140, 205, a number of 400s, M600, M800) but then realized that the M800 is about perfect for me (with nib tweak by Mike Masuyama). I always thought MB was over priced (still do) but finally had to pick one up when I found a 146 for a good price; again, no need for the 149. The Sailor KOP spent the least time on my wish list. I tried (and have) a few other Sailors but have been disappointed in their ink capacity. When I discovered that the KOP had the same capacity but for lots more $$s I scrubbed it from my list.
Great video. Unpopular opinion but I will go with a Montblanc Meisterstück 146 or 149. I have a Pelikan Souverän M800 (M) but I find the grinds on the Montblanc pens to be better and more liberal compared to the same of the M800. Might be an anecdotal thing since I have not used many Pelikans.
I prefer German pens over Japanese pens when it comes to ink flow and tactile feeling of the nibs. Hence, despite being a fantastic pen, the KOP is out of my list (as of now, might change my mind later!)...
Not unpopular at all, many like the 146 over the 149
I have a newish M805, and that sadly doesn't have the ink window at all. It is just crazy that they are cutting on plastic material cost on a pen that costs so much. If their margin is so thin, then raising the price by $5 would be absolutely preferred to loosing such a functionality. Now I can only guess what could be the ink level in my pen. A Preppy is better on that department.
Very disappointed Pelikan doesn't have the built in ink window feature anymore
fantastic video! very interesting indeed'
The Pelikan M1000 is my pick of these pens also. I have two of them, one with the EF nib (my favourite for this pen) and one with a M nib. The M1000 nibs seem to write lines that are about one and a half to two sizes larger than most pen brands.
One thing I do appreciate Doodlebud is that you do trim your fingernails, so no worries on that nail bruise. For me the KOP is not comparable. It's something to compare Japanese to European pens, but that's as far as it goes. Though for funszy sake, why not?
If I had to compare the Nibalya range of fountain pens I take the KOP as a pen last. I just can't handle that standard converter on their flagship pen. At least do a larger converter. Pound of pound I think the M1000 is the best out of all of them. And it was until recently the cheapest too.
All are great, but the M1000 checks off more boxes for me at least. Been writing with my 149 more since this video and DAMN is thst nib dialed in just perfect for me 👌
Im happy you chose Pelikan. Mine are from no later than 1995 and a DELIGHT. Strangely, Pelikan are also my least used pens because Im scared something will happen to them which is not the way to own nice pens. Use them! I also have a MB 149 from about 1980 or so and it seems too elegant to enjoy, if that makes sense.
I just got to try out the new Jinhao 10 and am happy to say they fixed the biggest issue with the Majohn A1.
The spring is of the correct length and the tab sits in the notch by default.
The nib units are also interchangeable.
Sadly mine has pretty bad misalignment of the section and internals, so the spring door and nib aren't in line with the clip. Hope that's just a one-off and not a bigger thing.
I have one on the way so will be posting a review
@@DoodlebudNice, hoping your's won't have any issues.
Also finally decided to get a Wingsung/Junlai 630, should arrive soon.
Let's face it. They are all wonderful pens. There no question about the quality of the pen. I have never written with a 149 (I wasn't allowed at a pen show unless I was going to guarantee I was purchasing one. )
I have tested the 1000. It is such a smooth and soft writer. I have to look for a ore- owned version to fit my budget.
Currently I only have the King of Pen. Only? This is a remarkable pen. Like your 149, I had the nib custom ground by the Sailor nibmeister when he was touring the country. I have a number of pens that come close to the performance of the KoP but nine have surpassed it. I have even eyedropper filled the barrel! I know that is asking for trouble but their converter nas cartridges are, well, puny.
Solid Video DB 👍😎. (I was rooting for the Pelikan… , I like the way they look 🤭). I’m sure if one purchased any of these “flagships”, after an appropriate amount of UA-cam viewing reviews, and gazing longingly at images online, and of course if you live somewhere close to a pen/stationer store that would actually have a pen you could use for a minute or two. The choice would be clear, as long as you could pony up the bucks… . I had a Sailor Pro Gear Realo, medium/fine, but regardless of all the blocks that got checked, I didn’t enjoy the nib. Yeah, you just can’t really know till you get one in your hand, and live with it a few days… . "Nobody could have predicted that Dr. Grant would suddenly jump out of a moving vehicle". "There's another example. See, here I'm now sitting by myself, uh, er, talking to myself. That's, that's chaos theory". … . 😉
The prices on these new is pretty crazy, but I've been fortunate to save up over time and find good deals on the pens. This was my first time using a Sailor and feeling the famous feedback. Its very interesting. I love it for printing but not as much for cursive.
Oh, no. You got it wrong. You appear to be a nice man. Well informed, even intelligent. But, you see, I have a 149 arriving tomorrow, so it must be the best, right? Of course you had no way to know that, so you can be forgiven.
Your comment about the cap being at risk of chipping is spot on. I have a 2017 Montblanc Classique 140mm (M) that suffered a 3/8" chip along the open circumference of the cap, from - yes - being pushed down the barrel. I'm looking for a replacement cap; have been for about six months. Wish me luck.
I was able to get a Pelikan M1000 NOS with the old style of the logo; the laser etched logo really looks cheap and out of place on such a classy pen. It was interesting to see what heavy use does on the threads of the Montblanc. Aren't you afraid it will break down anytime soon (is it something that can be fixed if the start of the threads would wear away)?.
When its done right I have no problem with laser engraving a nib or cap finial. I've seen some lasered nibs done by Delta recently that look amazing. But on my M805 its not so great. The pen is always in some type of a nice case so no idea how its showing signs of wear. Im not worried about the threads on my MB. The tiny part that chipped was at the injection molding line and only at the very start. I don't imagine there being any issues after decades more of use.
For me I wouldn't want any of them. Everybody is chasing that carrot in the pen game, that is what it is. I want something that would make ME happy. Not for flash and showing off.
And yes, I cannot afford those pens. My Asvine P20 makes me smile at every stroke. But for me a prestigious pen would be a Pilot of anything, but you cannot go wrong with a Pilot. Doodlebud, thanks for THIS video. I am not sure if anyone has done one!
@DB, how does the M1000 nib compares to the HS palladium nib? Unfortunately I don't have an M1000 but the nib in my HM is exactly as you have described in for yours.
The M1000 nib is softer and bouncier. I love them both
1. I became a Sailor Boi because somehow I got convinced they were the most precise. Once I got my KoP I found that I needed a VERY good reason to use any other of my 48 non-royal pens. Even though it is too late for me to change, I would value hearing your opinion on the issue of fountain pen precision. Or better yet, somehow quantifying precision.
2. Let me go on record that all these pens are ridiculously overpriced, and should only be bought by people with too much money.
1) Tough to know what you mean by fountain pen precision. Best manufacturing precision, nib grind consistency, etc? Thats a tricky one as no matter what would be measured you'd need a large sample size over multiple batches to measure any of those metrics.
2) Yes, all are soooooo much money for what you get. The ROI on those molds is EPIC! Big upfront cost but those molds essentially print money. All of my "high-end" pens were bought 2nd had (except for one). Similar buying a used car, but these get even less wear & tear on them.
@@Doodlebud
1. Sorry for the unclarity - I meant the precision with which a pen makes a mark. As someone who draws, this may be a bigger issue for me than many others. How accurately can the pen produce the mark I intended.
2. I should trace a circle drawn with a compass, and a straight line drawn with a ruler, with all my pens, to see which does best. Maybe tomorrow. Originally I thought a narrow barrel (e.g. CP1) increased the precision of my hand. Now I think precision is a quality of the nib.
@@ichirofakename If you mainly mean the distinct, consistent precision and control that the KoP’s nib (indeed all Sailor nibs, in my opinion) provides in the writing experience, I wonder if you’ve tried Platinum’s gold nibs. I’d say Platinum offers a differently great writing experience but has the ‘precision’ factor in common with Sailor.
@@sajjadhusain4146 Now you tell me!
@@ichirofakenameHi, I don’t mean to butt in, but I’m going to. YOSEKA STATIONERY (NY NY), has a UA-cam channel. A few years ago (?) not sure when. They did a review of a lot of Pilot’s Custom fountain pen nibs ~ sizes. It was very well done as far as demonstrating size differences of their nibs. I thought it was one of the better reviews of many different nibs in the same video. Sorry, I don’t have a direct link to the exact video, but you’ll find it if you look. Some of their review videos are just so well done (imo). Daisy does a great job 👍😎. Good luck 👍🥹
They're all fabulous and this was a wonderful review....Personally torn between Pelikan and Sailor....
I'm a Pelikan girl 😅
Fun vid ! Is there a Pilot youd put in the same category?
Probably one of their Urushi pens
Hello DoodleBud. Very nice video, thank you very much. The Pelikan logo on the cap has one chick, the logo on the nib has two chicks. So the nib is older than the cap.
I adore my M1000
I love pens, and I have been a long time viewer of this channel, and many others.
But over the past two years, I’ve noticed something very saddening within the pen world… I completely understand a company trying to save money on manufacturing. What I don’t understand corner cutting to reduce manufacturing costs, while raising prices. I got my very first sailor pen not long ago, it’s a custom tuned pen from Kirk spear. A fantastically made pen and a shoutout to an amazing nib smith. But, I found I enjoy writing with a friends vintage sailor more than my own. Mine has a custom tuned nib, but the pen itself and even quality of the nib is noticeably worse, and costs almost $100 more than his did when it was brand new. My pen has a slightly thinner nib, lighter weight which means less material, and just doesn’t feel like it got the same level of attention his received.
And then the number of “special edition” pens coming out now is really killing my passion for pens. Special editions used to be genuinely special. They came out once or twice a year per model or company, and they gave you something special, at a slight increase in price. But now we have pens coming out two to three times a month that are just color variants, and some cost almost $100 more than the basic version.
Another in a series of sad evolutions in the pen world, is the trend of steel nib pens that are being pushed up well into the $300-$400 price range. A special color Esterbrook Estie with a steel nib, shouldn’t cost as much as a sailor pro gear and 1911L, or a pilot 823.
I love pens and writing, I love the friends I’ve made over the years within this community. I love the designs and the engineering that goes into fountain pens. But seeing the problems of every other hobby finally making their way into this hobby in a meaningful way is sad. A sailor pro gear for example, was $220USD in 2010, and is now $312 for the black only, and can be over $400 for special colors. To me that is sad to see, and severely limits what pens most people can obtain in their collections. I love this community, and I want to see it change for the better, and not keep changing for the worse.
I hear ya, but here is a little perspective on the price. 2010-2024 is 14yrs. With an average inflation rate of 3% over that time a $220 pen in 2010 equates to $317 in 2024. So the price change is pretty much on point. Doesn't make it feel any less expensive after doing the math, but that's just the way inflation works over time 😕
Great review! But isn't it always. You know it is!
My Sailor KOP in urushi and the Pelikan 1000 are favourites until I test my Sheaffer Legacy II.
Sailor KoP, until the end of time.❤️
Pelikan M1000 has the superior piston compared to the MB 149. And it looks nicer, all round. But the 149 has the better nib.
The KoP just slays and rules, owing to the truly unique sublime writing experience of that large, stellar 21k nib.
All three pens are upscale, flagship models of the three respective brands. And are comparably priced, here in the U.S. I own the MB 149, three KoPs but intentionally never bought the M1000. All that said, the Sailor KoP wins, on my card, every time.
I'm not sure I call the current production 149 "the better nib" vs the m1000.
@@blaiseutubehis claims would of been more credible if he actually owned a M1000 Pelikan to make a fair comparison. Clearly humble bragging.
@@blaiseutube You have a point. My 149 is a much older pen that I inherited from my late father a few years ago. And it is a superb writer. I have tried a few modern 149 nibs, out of curiosity. Nothing great really. But frankly, I like the M1000 nib, and Pelikan gold nibs, in general, much less than even the current 149 nibs.
I own the Pelikan M400 and the M600 Glauco Cambon. They are definitely quite nice wet writers, but I dislike a certain ‘squishy’ feeling to these soft nibs - and the fact that the actual line width is invariably out of sync with the designated nib size point. I’m hardy alone with these complaints. And I feel similarly about the M1000 nib. It’s the reason why I never bought the pen after trying it out at pen shows and on loan from a friend.
Sailor’s 21k gold nibs trump them both.
And I’ve always preferred Aurora’s fantastic nibs (14k/18k) over anything Pelikan offers, every day of the year.
@@alowens9000 Like you know me so well. What’s wrong with you.? You need to put your hat on, cowboy - and quit being a trolling twerp. 🙄
@@alowens9000 And you’re clearly a trolling twerp. 🙄
My Pelikan M800 is too juicy for me, but I'm hoping to tame it with a really dry ink (maybe Pelikan 4001 or Diamine Sepia) because I really like everything else about it. I don't think the M1000 would be a good fit for my preferences.
I still want a W. Germany NOS MB 149 and hope to score at a local pen show later this year. The KOP is a fun pen and while I understand your gripe with the converter, I reach for other pens when I need high ink capacity. But the price hike for an injection molded pen that still shows the seams is something I also find a bit offputting.
The Jinhao 9019 is such a chonker that it's almost comical! But the price people can easily afford more than one.
Try Monteverde Smoke Noir. When I need a dryer ink I give that a try. I also have a vid on checking "ink wetness" that is easy to do and anyone can do at home.
ua-cam.com/video/SzYkIhuDDcc/v-deo.html
Jinhao also has the 9016 & 9013 which is same style just smaller for those who don't like the big chonk
I was weighing up between the 149 and the Pelikan M1000. I have settled on the Pelikan but now am trying to decide on the nib. Most of my pens are medium. I just bought a Pilot E92S and that's a bit heavy in M. I won't get a chance to test so have to order blind. I don't mind the good ink flow but am leaning to a Fine nib. Undecided.
I have a feeling a lot comes down to personal preference, i would take the Montblanc out of the bunch.
I feel like a better comparison would be to the KOP ebonite just because the plastic KOP’s feel so hollow, literally and figuratively, compared to the piston fillers of the other two. The ebonite elevates the KOP to a level of elegance that can match the other two.
Possibly but I don't have access to all the pens out there. The MB 149 is an injection molded pen just like the KOP, and the Pelikan has injection molder parts so I think its a closer comparison since the pens are made in similar fashion. The Ebonite KOP is a very different material and is machined instead.
@@Doodlebud Yes good point. I suppose what I’m really trying to say is not so much that your comparison isn’t fair (because you’re right, it is) but rather that I find the plastic KOP’s with their c/c system kind of sad compared to these other piston fill flagships, and in my mind I’ve replaced them with the ebonite version as the top of the Sailor food chain. I find the ebonite material and sleek design makes up for its shortcomings. Highly recommend you give it a try at some point if you haven’t already!
I don't think I will get a King of Pen. I am happy with my 149 (Vintage) and my M800 and M1000 -- I would get another M1000 but not another 149. Thank you for you videos.
We need a PILOT CUSTUM URUSHI VIDEO!
I need a PILOT CUSTOM URUSHI PEN 🖋
Please some viewer lend this man the pen! PLEASE!
I would click on that video so fast!
I never understood why Pelikan would cheap out on their brand logo finial and use laser etching.
Saves money... thats the reason. I don't mind if its laser engraved or acid etched if the end result is fantastic. But as I showed on my new M805, its worn down over time which is nuts. The pen is always in a nice pen case or pen box. It experiences zero wear and tear but shows signs on wear & tear! WTF
it was at :30 dude did a mic drop. Was not ready for that. Was not prepared for that.
I said the unthinkable!
Everything is subjective, there is never truly the best. Just the more expensive:)
Does Majohn P139 have an injection molded section? Also, could you please include a proper size comparison next time? One more note: you can't disassemble anything on the Montblanc, while you can at least unscrew the nib unit on the M1000.
The P139 is a machined pen so no injection molding lines
Doodlebuuuud! I have a suggestion/request for a video that I believe only you can create. Best fountain pen for carbon and carbonless paper. At work I often have to use a 4 copy carbon invoice. Takes quite a bit of pressure to go through 4 layers of paper and 3 layers of carbon, so I always have to reach for a ballpoint or rollerball. I use fountain pens dammit! So far a Platinum Preppy has been the only one that could *almost* do it. But I know you can answer this question that literally some people need to have an answer to!
I have all three. And it’s not even close for me -it’s the KoP. But I suppose this is because I definitely prefer Japanese nibs (especially Sailor’s) and craftsmanship over everything else.
Before i watch the video, if Pelikan do M1000 with hard nib - it will be my ultimate pen !
I don’t understand your comments on the Pelikan M1000 ink window. I could see it clearly on my iPad. I’ve never used the 149. It doesn’t interest me. I love the snow cap, but black plastic is a non-starter. I have two Sailor 1911s. Yes, they’re both black plastic. Black, hard as rock, plastic. My fingers hurt from the hardness. I also don’t understand the fascination with their nibs. I had to send both for adjustment. They are smooth, but skip. Part of that is the cursive italic, but not all. So, they sit in storage with no prospects for use. Back to Pelikan. I would love an M1000, if it weren’t so large. My M800, (600s, and many others) writes beautifully. But, it’s so big and heavy, a fill lasts forever. After a while, I empty it and return it to storage. I will have an M1000 one day. I just wish it were more human scale.
My M1000 has the ink window, but the new ones don't. The body doesn't have that translucent part between the colored stripes to let you see the ink inside. I checked my vintage 140 and it actually has a larger ink capacity than my new M805 which was interesting to see. I have large hands so the big MB149 & M1000 fit me great. But having different sized pens in their series is smart since there's something for everyone.
Doddlebud, What era or years would you consider peak Pelican?
How do these compare to an ASC? eg Bologna or Gladiatore. Did you really say the MontBlanc is injection moulded? I thought these expensive pens were turned resin?
I don't have those pens to compare. But yes, they are injection molded (MB & Sailor). Just because its expensive in prices doesn't mean its expensive to make 💸💸💸. Resin doesn't mean its will be turned. The plastics used to injection mold are a resin as well. I believe the plastic for the MB and Sailor are both PMMA (Polymethyl Methacrylate)
@@Doodlebud Fascinating! So my Asvine P20 can hold its head up...
@@dm319-j5y it's a great pen
I have a pen that unthreads very easily
do I live with it or can it be fixed?
if it was made out of metal, I would have used pink locktite, but sadly it is made out of plastic
in terms of aesthetic , the Pelikan looks the best, follow by Sailor King of Pen... just curious what are the most value for money pens in your view?
If it ain't broke don't fit
My grail pens are a vintage montblanc 146 & a peliken m400
I bought a montblanc 149 directly from MB and out of the box with montblanc ink it would not write. It skipped even when writing a signature. I had to ship it to a repair shop and pay $28. They sent it back but now it is so wet if I write in my checkbook it soaks through. I bought a jinhao 159x, MB 149 copy wrote beautifully and cost $13.
Visconti wins in my opinion. There is no better pen than the Homo Sapiens.
I have one in the Bronze Age and its amazing. Tough to include Visconti in this one for a "flagship" pen because which one would it be? The Homo Sapiens, Divina, etc etc. Either way, LOVE my HS and like it has the old Pd nib on it too :)
Hi. I have found that Visconti pens make great boat anchors.😂
Who usually has the best deals on fountain pen day?
There's lots of places that participate and all have different deals they're offering. This site gives some more details:
www.fountainpenday.com/
@@Doodlebud thanks 🙏🏽
I personally do not even consider buying a pen over $150 if it is not piston or vac filler... For that reason i always stayed away from sailors because i can not see the worth for my money
Try Sailor Realo
i second this. i am not a sailor fan.
The green no longer being transparent I could live with but the new cap finial is just such a downgrade.
Which Mechanical Engineering school did you go to ? I want to send my children there.
I actually studied computer engineering. I've always been interested in mechanical stuff and took cars apart as a teenager. I studied computer as I knew nothing about how they worked. In my engineering work, it was a mix of mechanical, optical, electrical & computer engineering. Most of my learning was from my work. I was very fortunate who I worked for. Here's an engineering series he put together to teach young engineers. This should be a must watch for all new engineers.
ua-cam.com/play/PLSGA1wWSdWaTXNhz_YkoPADUUmF1L5x2F.html&si=yarsIqPm0wN7H9rp
Thanks very much ! I went to University earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering but learned nothing much. Most things I learned are from working on the job and applied engineering, I beginning to tie in my experiences to what I studied in school. Great contents you have. Keep it up !
This is a great video, really made me realize none of these are worth the price.
Yup I agree. I bought all of mine 2nd hand at a very steep discount compared to new
@Doodlebud seems to be the way to go. I'm quite recently interested in fountain pens and am not really seeing how the up-charge for a gold nib is justified. I bought a Lamy studio with a fine nib and purchased the fine gold nib as well and it just doesn't seem to have an additional $100 dollars of value when comparing them side by side. I could just be missing something. Really enjoying your channel.
@@MichaelR-kl6hk Generally, a gold nib will be a bit softer than a steel, and that is one of the biggest reasons why those of us who prefer gold nibs, prefer gold nibs.
You forgot to make MB fanboys mad by showing that the red glow of their so called "precious resin" is also present in the KoP, which proves it's just PMMA plastic 😬
Haven't tried any of these, not quite interested either, all of them having good characteristics, but in the end the best nib should win, so, Sailor all the way for me 😌