Suddenly I'm wanting a new fountain pen! Those Pelikans are exceptionally attractive pens. Thanks for the heads-up about what is and isn't a fine-point nib with this brand. I'm a letter writer and I like to have a lot on each side of the page a fine-point that really is one is important to me.---Also, Keri, it's a pleasure to see your clear, cursive handwriting. So many younger people here in the U.S. can't write or read cursive and it's truly a shame. Keep on writing with your beautiful penmanship!
I have an M815 Metal Striped that delights me every time I use it - mine has the Medium nib (which is "generous" to say the least! ) and is my everyday work pen (typically inked with Monteverde Horizon Blue). Even the feeling of uncapping it makes me smile - it's no wonder I find the slightest excuse to take notes...
I love my M815 Metal Striped. :) I have a very moderate broad nib on it. It is rather fine and dry for a B nib. :) I want to get a M805 Blue Striped as well and then put the B on the blue one and the M on the M815. :) I somehow feel like I need an M nib for it. :)
Every Pelikan pen I ever bought, from the 120 to the 1000, has been a good writer if not an excellent writer from the beginning of my ownership. The only one I was disappointed in was a Pelikan Toledo, $700+. It wrote like a dry stick. I sent it back to Pelikan, & it was OK when I got it back. I like that the nibs are threaded and easily interchanged in most cases.
Kerry, I have to agree with all your points! Mine is an M800 Souverän in Renaissance Brown with a Broad nib. It is perfection in every way (except, maybe, price -- I had to stretch quite a bit to justify this one). From the moment I inked it up and held it, it was like it was built just for me. I don't go out of my way to match ink to pen color, but, for this one, I always use one of my top two favorite inks: SBRE Brown and Sailor Bungubox Piano Mahogany. They are tied for the favorite of favorites spot and perform especially well in this pen. Oh, I also agree with your view of trying to pronounce foreign words as they would in the country of origin. I fail miserably at that and, like you, it just feels phony. Your brief disclaimers explain that and are perfectly acceptable! Your Stresemann is gorgeous, but I do love my Renaissance Brown and will happily stick with it!
I draw with my fountain pens, and like the big models of each brand because they are more relaxing in the hand -- and the Pelikan M800 might be the very best of the best for me. I did pop for the M1000, and it's good too, but I think that's the one pen that manages to be a little TOO big for comfort. I recommend playing with the M1000 for a while, if you get the chance, before making that investment.
I, on the other hand, despite large hands, prefer to draw with slender, pencil-like pens. Maybe because I learned to draw with a pencil. Maybe because I spend a lot of time holding even thinner watercolor brushes. Your mileage will vary.
I have always favoured the colour blue. Blue pens, blue inks, so when I considered purchasing this pen mainly because of the comments on UA-cam that it been produced to resemble a famous German politician’s striped trousers. I had already decided to buy a Pelikan but opted for the black-blue M800. I was so impressed with the quality of the M800 that I have purchase the Blue Dunes M805 Special Edition. What else, BLUE! 👍 NO REGRETS.
Thanks for the 3 year update. Frequently, reviews (especially on sites like Amazon) are by those who just received their and haven’t even used it yet. Those reviews show tremendous confirmation or affirmation bias (unintended) to be sure. Good reviewers, like yourself, spend some time using the item before they make their assessment. The best evaluations though come after years of use when annoyances or mistakes really are known and the newness is worn off. This review was great - I was leaning toward a Pelikan M805, but now I am convinced this will be the next pen I buy (hopefully in the next few weeks). Thanks again.
Please consider the M1000, I have one and it probably has the best modern nib available. Soft and springy, simply a joy to write with. As you say it is a larger pen and is probably more of a desk pen.
I got my Pelikan by being in Hannover, Germany, on the very specific Friday of the year that the Tintenturm has its annual Christmas sale. Staff overheard me as my wife asked if I wanted 'the pretty pen in the painting' and I told her everyone wants that pen, but it's a limited edition that's been sold out everywhere for months. They caught us as we exited the art space, shoved into my hands a four figure pen no one on the internet had been able to buy since Easter, and encouraged me to play with it while they looked for the grail pen I'd actually come in to buy.
@@WantedVisual - I can certainly understand that. I treasure mine and, generally, pull it out for special occasions. Not only is it pretty expensive (for me anyway), but it's also a wonderful pen that I'd hate to lose PLUS, at least for you, it's a very nice reminder of a memorable trip! All that said, I keep reminding myself for other treasured objects, "it really is just a 'thing' and there are other more important elements to life." Not always easy, but a nice truism. I hope yours brings a smile to your face for many, many years before you pass it on to an heir!
I jumped into modern Pelikans with an M1005 Stresemann a couple of months ago. Echo your rave entirely! Now you've got me thinking I should start looking for an 805 F Stresemann :). The best ink I've found for my 1005 M is, somewhat surprisingly, Sailor Blue Black. Nicely saturated (and a pretty bright blue) with killer shading. I'll have to check out Earl Grey. What other good ink matches have you found?
Their M line of pens are all Grail pens for me. Honestly, what's not to love about them - excluding price of course lol. Thanks for sharing and enjoy that pen.
@@catwhisperer911 yeah but m200 has more flex than m400, dont know about the m800. considering the bigger nib which is also gold and longer tines intuitively we could expect some softness like in other nibs
Pelikan pens never go out of style. I have three Pelikan 400 (two vintage ones, 400 and 400NN and a rather modern M400) as the M800 is too large for me. Apart from some tiny details the design didn't change over the last 60+ years. However the vintage ones have OM and OF nibs which aren't produced anymore. What a pity! While an M nib is ok I definitely prefer the oblique nibs. They automatically add a bit of line variation once you have learned how to write with them. I also own some M200 with steel nibs and those pens also are very excellent, reliable pens. Even their school pens are well-designed and durable.
How would you compare the writting quality between the M805 and M200? I´d love to get an M800 but that´s still not possible. I´d also like to have an idea on how the pilot custom 74 and M200 compare too.
Nathan wrote: " I sold my M400 a few years ago and am not sure what to purchase as a replacement." ...... Both Pilot and Sailor make some excellent pens. You may want to research them. I have Pelikans, Sailors, and Pilots, and I prefer the Japanese pens (I have Platinum pens as well, but prefer the former two). If you buy Japanese, go one grade higher on the nib than you would with a European nib i.e., if you want a fine get a medium.
@@PensandTea Don't get my wrong, they are stunning instruments! I just think I bought the wrong pelikan. I am surfing through more of your videos to get an impression of what will fill the void. I am considering a Parker Duofold Centennial (M) as I am a thing for Parker; however, I am also trying to go beyond the usual suspects and try new pens.
@@wittwittwer1043 Really appreciate your advice! I have my eye on a parker duofold and a sailor LE slim professional great FP. I also agree on your recommendation re: medium nib. Wonder pens has a lot of Sailor's that I am considering.
Slightly larger than the 146 in size and a bit heavier. Pelikan pens are more wet than Montblanc and I would say smoother too lol that said, I’ve never tried either of their EF nibs and that is really where you can see the difference. I think I’ll make a video comparing the 146 vs M800 soon 👍🏻
@@PensandTea I'd very much like to see a comparison of the MB 146 with a range of pens of that size. Somehow, that looks like the best MB pen to me so it's on my radar.
From stories a pricy but nice pen but from my own experience does not worth the money and the efort. I regret buying it. Mine came full of problems, send it back first came worse. Send it back again and changed it at the factory and got a pen with a better body then before but was not writing at all. The experience with customer service was good until they started not to answer my mails. 😆 After that I fix it myself. It writtes ok now but gives me absolutely no joy and now it is sitting in the drawer. Buying a Pelikan it is a gamble. Tried in store a few M600 but didn't liked them.
I have never understood why Pelikan (for the outrageous price they charge for their pens ) can’t produce nibs with line widths comparable to other western nibs. I have heard a number of writers complain about Pelikan’s lack of consistency in nibs and their disappointment with their purchase when their fine or medium writes like a broad. I can’t imagine buying an EF so I will get a medium writer. I just got a handle on the Japanese nibs versus the Western style.
Stopped watching when you called it beautiful... I understand that some people like this aesthetic... But calling it beautiful in XXI century? C'mon...
I remember when you got this pen. The Stresemann was the first Pelikan model that made me think, "Wow, I'd like to have a pen like that!"
The Pelikan "M" pens don't disappoint. Smooth, consistent and never skips whatever model. Even the "EF" is wet and smooth.
I have an EF M805 and this is true - it was a beautiful surprise.
Suddenly I'm wanting a new fountain pen! Those Pelikans are exceptionally attractive pens. Thanks for the heads-up about what is and isn't a fine-point nib with this brand. I'm a letter writer and I like to have a lot on each side of the page a fine-point that really is one is important to me.---Also, Keri, it's a pleasure to see your clear, cursive handwriting. So many younger people here in the U.S. can't write or read cursive and it's truly a shame. Keep on writing with your beautiful penmanship!
I have a few pelikans but I just got my first 805 (EF). I"m so excited!!
I have an M815 Metal Striped that delights me every time I use it - mine has the Medium nib (which is "generous" to say the least! ) and is my everyday work pen (typically inked with Monteverde Horizon Blue). Even the feeling of uncapping it makes me smile - it's no wonder I find the slightest excuse to take notes...
I love my M815 Metal Striped. :) I have a very moderate broad nib on it. It is rather fine and dry for a B nib. :) I want to get a M805 Blue Striped as well and then put the B on the blue one and the M on the M815. :) I somehow feel like I need an M nib for it. :)
Every Pelikan pen I ever bought, from the 120 to the 1000, has been a good writer if not an excellent writer from the beginning of my ownership. The only one I was disappointed in was a Pelikan Toledo, $700+. It wrote like a dry stick. I sent it back to Pelikan, & it was OK when I got it back. I like that the nibs are threaded and easily interchanged in most cases.
Kerry, I have to agree with all your points! Mine is an M800 Souverän in Renaissance Brown with a Broad nib. It is perfection in every way (except, maybe, price -- I had to stretch quite a bit to justify this one). From the moment I inked it up and held it, it was like it was built just for me. I don't go out of my way to match ink to pen color, but, for this one, I always use one of my top two favorite inks: SBRE Brown and Sailor Bungubox Piano Mahogany. They are tied for the favorite of favorites spot and perform especially well in this pen.
Oh, I also agree with your view of trying to pronounce foreign words as they would in the country of origin. I fail miserably at that and, like you, it just feels phony. Your brief disclaimers explain that and are perfectly acceptable!
Your Stresemann is gorgeous, but I do love my Renaissance Brown and will happily stick with it!
Bought an M800 loved it and now bought the M1000 but it's not here yet. Cult pens in the UK is fantastic for US buyers. Great service and prices
I draw with my fountain pens, and like the big models of each brand because they are more relaxing in the hand -- and the Pelikan M800 might be the very best of the best for me. I did pop for the M1000, and it's good too, but I think that's the one pen that manages to be a little TOO big for comfort. I recommend playing with the M1000 for a while, if you get the chance, before making that investment.
I, on the other hand, despite large hands, prefer to draw with slender, pencil-like pens. Maybe because I learned to draw with a pencil. Maybe because I spend a lot of time holding even thinner watercolor brushes. Your mileage will vary.
Also bought that crazy Montblanc Perdy whiskey ink too. Love your videos
I have one in Broad, and it makes me smile every time I write with it.
I have always favoured the colour blue. Blue pens, blue inks, so when I considered purchasing this pen mainly because of the comments on UA-cam that it been produced to resemble a famous German politician’s striped trousers. I had already decided to buy a Pelikan but opted for the black-blue M800. I was so impressed with the quality of the M800 that I have purchase the Blue Dunes M805 Special Edition. What else, BLUE! 👍 NO REGRETS.
Yup. Lovely Pen. Saving up for one. Thanks for sharing. Stay safe. Wash everything. Twice.
Beautiful pen.
Thanks for the 3 year update. Frequently, reviews (especially on sites like Amazon) are by those who just received their and haven’t even used it yet. Those reviews show tremendous confirmation or affirmation bias (unintended) to be sure. Good reviewers, like yourself, spend some time using the item before they make their assessment. The best evaluations though come after years of use when annoyances or mistakes really are known and the newness is worn off. This review was great - I was leaning toward a Pelikan M805, but now I am convinced this will be the next pen I buy (hopefully in the next few weeks). Thanks again.
So, did you get one?
Please consider the M1000, I have one and it probably has the best modern nib available. Soft and springy, simply a joy to write with. As you say it is a larger pen and is probably more of a desk pen.
I really appreciate your thoughts on a pen after owning it a while.
I got my Pelikan by being in Hannover, Germany, on the very specific Friday of the year that the Tintenturm has its annual Christmas sale.
Staff overheard me as my wife asked if I wanted 'the pretty pen in the painting' and I told her everyone wants that pen, but it's a limited edition that's been sold out everywhere for months. They caught us as we exited the art space, shoved into my hands a four figure pen no one on the internet had been able to buy since Easter, and encouraged me to play with it while they looked for the grail pen I'd actually come in to buy.
Nice memory!!
@@randy-9842 I've never been afraid of breaking something more in my life.
@@WantedVisual - I can certainly understand that. I treasure mine and, generally, pull it out for special occasions. Not only is it pretty expensive (for me anyway), but it's also a wonderful pen that I'd hate to lose PLUS, at least for you, it's a very nice reminder of a memorable trip! All that said, I keep reminding myself for other treasured objects, "it really is just a 'thing' and there are other more important elements to life." Not always easy, but a nice truism.
I hope yours brings a smile to your face for many, many years before you pass it on to an heir!
I love the '800' sized Pelikans so much I have four! :)
My first one should be arriving today. What colors are yours?
@@TheSH1N1GAM1 "Renaissance Brown", "Stone Garden", "Grand Place" and "Streseman".
I jumped into modern Pelikans with an M1005 Stresemann a couple of months ago. Echo your rave entirely! Now you've got me thinking I should start looking for an 805 F Stresemann :). The best ink I've found for my 1005 M is, somewhat surprisingly, Sailor Blue Black. Nicely saturated (and a pretty bright blue) with killer shading. I'll have to check out Earl Grey. What other good ink matches have you found?
Thank you, as a German I approve.
Their M line of pens are all Grail pens for me. Honestly, what's not to love about them - excluding price of course lol. Thanks for sharing and enjoy that pen.
piston is unnecessary, they are too wet, meh flex
@@Cortesevasive But they aren't advertised as flex pens, so why would you expect them to flex???
@@catwhisperer911 yeah but m200 has more flex than m400, dont know about the m800. considering the bigger nib which is also gold and longer tines intuitively we could expect some softness like in other nibs
@@Cortesevasive None of the pens you mention are advertised as flex pens.
@@catwhisperer911 ok soft nibs then. one might expect softness
Pelikan pens never go out of style. I have three Pelikan 400 (two vintage ones, 400 and 400NN and a rather modern M400) as the M800 is too large for me. Apart from some tiny details the design didn't change over the last 60+ years. However the vintage ones have OM and OF nibs which aren't produced anymore. What a pity! While an M nib is ok I definitely prefer the oblique nibs. They automatically add a bit of line variation once you have learned how to write with them. I also own some M200 with steel nibs and those pens also are very excellent, reliable pens. Even their school pens are well-designed and durable.
M1000 and M800 series are meant to write with them unposted.
M600 and smaller series are meant to write with them posted.
im glad your finger nails are immaculate some of the people videos i have seen turn my stomach here in scotland we say they are bogging lol
How would you compare the writting quality between the M805 and M200? I´d love to get an M800 but that´s still not possible.
I´d also like to have an idea on how the pilot custom 74 and M200 compare too.
Really enjoyed this review! I sold my M400 a few years ago and am not sure what to purchase as a replacement.
The M800 series is my favourite but the M600 series is a close second bahaha
Nathan wrote: " I sold my M400 a few years ago and am not sure what to purchase as a replacement." ...... Both Pilot and Sailor make some excellent pens. You may want to research them. I have Pelikans, Sailors, and Pilots, and I prefer the Japanese pens (I have Platinum pens as well, but prefer the former two). If you buy Japanese, go one grade higher on the nib than you would with a European nib i.e., if you want a fine get a medium.
@@PensandTea Don't get my wrong, they are stunning instruments! I just think I bought the wrong pelikan. I am surfing through more of your videos to get an impression of what will fill the void. I am considering a Parker Duofold Centennial (M) as I am a thing for Parker; however, I am also trying to go beyond the usual suspects and try new pens.
@@wittwittwer1043 Really appreciate your advice! I have my eye on a parker duofold and a sailor LE slim professional great FP. I also agree on your recommendation re: medium nib. Wonder pens has a lot of Sailor's that I am considering.
So what pens have you fallen out of love with?
I did a video a while back on that but I could probably do an updated one 👍🏻
Hey - how does this compare to the MB 146? Size, wetness, smoothness?
Slightly larger than the 146 in size and a bit heavier. Pelikan pens are more wet than Montblanc and I would say smoother too lol that said, I’ve never tried either of their EF nibs and that is really where you can see the difference. I think I’ll make a video comparing the 146 vs M800 soon 👍🏻
Pens and Tea thanks. That would be a a greater video. I’m sure I’m not the only one considering a 146 over the M800:)
@@PensandTea I'd very much like to see a comparison of the MB 146 with a range of pens of that size. Somehow, that looks like the best MB pen to me so it's on my radar.
We'll stay home and stay healthy and safe. You just stay Canadian. 😜😝
Always 🇨🇦
From stories a pricy but nice pen but from my own experience does not worth the money and the efort. I regret buying it. Mine came full of problems, send it back first came worse. Send it back again and changed it at the factory and got a pen with a better body then before but was not writing at all. The experience with customer service was good until they started not to answer my mails. 😆 After that I fix it myself. It writtes ok now but gives me absolutely no joy and now it is sitting in the drawer. Buying a Pelikan it is a gamble. Tried in store a few M600 but didn't liked them.
I have never understood why Pelikan (for the outrageous price they charge for their pens ) can’t produce nibs with line widths comparable to other western nibs. I have heard a number of writers complain about Pelikan’s lack of consistency in nibs and their disappointment with their purchase when their fine or medium writes like a broad. I can’t imagine buying an EF so I will get a medium writer. I just got a handle on the Japanese nibs versus the Western style.
I find the design of Pelikan M series way too conservative for my taste ...
Stopped watching when you called it beautiful... I understand that some people like this aesthetic... But calling it beautiful in XXI century? C'mon...