Pens of Note

A long History

The history of this company started in 1838 when Carl Hornemann opened a paint and ink factory in Hanover, Germany. Günther Wagner, a chemist and plant manager, took over the company in 1871. He designed the Pelikan trademark of Small Honey Paints (honey was used as a binder for the paint colour), based on the family coat of arms (a pelikan over three small chicks). It was trademarked in 1878 with a fourth chick added after the birth of Wagner's forth child. Fritz Beindorff married into the Wagner family and took over the company. Over the years the brand tradmark symbol has changed in look and number of chicks but always along the consistent theme of a mother pelikan's love for her chick.

Today the Pelikan Group GmbH, with headquarters in Berlin continues to create and distribute paper, stationary supplies that include fountain pens - more than 12,000 items. The company has production sites in Germany, Mexico, Columbia and Poland. The liens of fine writing pens are manufactured in the Pelikan plant located in Vöhrum, Germany located near their Hanover Headquarters.

 

Pelikan Souverän M800

Pelikan introduced the differentiated piston in 1929. This is a piston where the thread mechanism has an internal part that turns faster than the amount of turn of the knob at the end of the pen. The Pelikan piston pen has a smoothness of feel and has a long track record of being dependle.

The Souverän Collection

 Souverän, sovereign, commanding, refers to the company's high end lines. The line started with the 400 in 1950. At the time the pen was part of a product redesign. The striped sleeve became and still remains a worldwide symbol for the brand. The workmanship of the body is impressive. It is not made from a solid rod of resin, rather raw material cotton is processed in many steps until it is shaped into a striped sheet. The sheet is shaped, sanded and cut with a diamond for exact measurements.

In terms of the M800, it was issued in 1987 as part of the company's launch into the premium pen market. After going into receivership in 1982, being taken over by the Swiss Company, Condorport in 1984, and then in 1996 Goodace of Malaysia became the majority stockholder. The M400 was re-launched in 1982, after basically not being in production since 1970. The M800 was a hit.

Pelikan M800 Green

Pelikan launched the M800 pen, their first oversized pen, at the Frankfurt Fair in 1987. The pen was first released in the classic green stripped Sressemann pattern. The green pen weas followed with a version in black, and shortly after the model in Tortoiseshell Brown.

M800 Black

With the Green M800 a success, short after that the line was isued with a version of the pen in black. Similar to the others, but the pen was different in tht the in chamber has a window.

Pelikan M800 Tortiseshell Brown (new)

In 1987 Pelikan issued the M800, a line of pens that if often referred to as their entry into the luxury pen line. The first pen was in the traditional green strip colour, followed by The M800 pen in black. Then, for a limited time, the Tortoiseshell Brown M800. This was was re-issued in 2013, again as a limited run. Produced in limited numbers, but once completed, no more pens will be produced. To match the beautiful shades of brown, tan and orange, the pen is produced in a dark brown resin. From a distance it make look black, but when light falls on the pen, the rich brown colour is very evident. The pen is appropriately trimmed in 24 kt gold plate.

The limited number M800 Tortoiseshell is available in Fine, Medium and Broad nib style. I ordered mine with a broad nib and it is a very smooth writing pen. In addition to the fountain pen, Pelikan will be producing a Roller ball and Ball point pen, again in limited numbers.

The pen is the standard M800, and all comments on the M800 in terms of size and feel in the hand stand for this version. There is a Tortoiseshell White in the M600 line, but the colours of the M800 Tortoiseshell Brown are just that, brown versus the golden greens of the M600. Likewise, the colour of this pen are totally different from the M101N Tortoiseshell Brown pen.

I love the pen, it has all the feel in terms of size and quality of the M800 line. The packaging of the pen, given its price and restricted production, feels inappropriate. The pen comes in a standard cardboard gift box. The lid lifts off, and the only thing special is that the pen is in a white leather case. The white leather pouch is very nice.

Pelilkan, on their website notes that the Edelstein Ink of the Year (2013) will be Amber and I have to ask the obvious question... why did they not coordinate production of the ink so that a bottle of ink was included with the pen?

Pelikan Souverän M800 Burnt Orange

So on my September 2016 visit to Novelli Pen in Rome, I went through my normal ritual of looking at the various pens, Marco carrying a try to put the pens of interst, and then to return to the counter and try out the various pens, and try to narrow down my selection. This year I had pick too many that I just "must have". When I indicated that perhaps I would select the M800 Burnt Orange on my visit next year (there is good advance planning), Marco indicated he only had two left and the pens were no longer available - this was one of the Special Editions with a defined production run. So that moved this pen to the top of the list!

Pelikan Souverän M800 Renaissance Brown

The Renaissance is made with the standard M800 body and cap. The acrylic body and cap (same material used on both) is a beautiful blend of rich browns with large flecks of pearl that catch the light as you hold the pen. This is where the pen gets it name. Pelikan says the nuances of light and shadow in the acrylic are a typical characteristics of Renaissance painting. The pen pays homage to the masterpieces painted by the period's greatest artists.

The rings and clip of the pen decorated with 24 carat gold/There is gold plate trim at the base of the nib section and beneath the section with the piston turn knob. This all nicely sets off the beautiful resin used in the cap and the body. The resin is semi translucent and when you hold the pen up to the light you can see part-way into the body.

The nib is the smooth writing 18K gold nib, and it is available in Extra Fine, Fine, Medium and Broad. Gone are the days where a broader assortment of nibs were available.

I thought they went cheap on the box, and when a read about the pen on the Pelikan web site I see they call it a "practical" box and that prestigious gift boxes can be ordered separately.

With this pen, they note the 2017 Ink of the Year is Smoky Quartz, a matching colour for the pen. The ink was available in May 2017.

M800 Renaissance Brown

Pelikan M800 Blue

Pelikan M800 Red

Pelikan M800 Black