Fountain Pen Review: Pelikan M1000 Green Stripes Medium

1) First impressions

The M1000 has been my dream since I bought my first Pelikan, but I have always been stopped by its prohibitive price. I was always attracted by the combination of big nib, big size, pen lightness and internal solid brass mechanism. Whereas it is the Pelikan Souverän series flagship it has been paid very low on ebay and the shipment from a german private person was fast. The package was perfect but the pen, not being sold by an official dealer, was provided without the deluxe package which would have had a TG1 ink bottle with pen rest, in addition to the included standard soft cardboard box with the hard cardboard inside. Inside the box there was not even the instructions/maintenance/warranty booklet and to my request of explanations, the seller quickly told me that I had a warranty of 1 year with him but at the 99.999% I would not have needed of it. However, the pen was a gift from my girlfriend and never look a gift horse in the mouth.
The initial impact was very exciting for me and today I am still surprised by many of its characteristics and when I hold it in my hand I always feel good.

2) Aesthetics and finishing
As for all other Pelikan pens owned by me, also this pen is perfect or it is perhaps even more better being the Souverän series flagship. The pen is in the classic version with semitransparent green stripes, black resin for handle, knob and cap and 23Kt gold-plated trims. It's completely diamond polished and has no smearing of any kind even though the green rows are not perfectly parallel to the pen axis. I am very satisfied with the overall quality of construction that obviously was not clear from the photos.

3) Design, size and weight
The pen is in a diamond polished acrylic. The shape is the Pelikans' classic cylindrical shape with rounded ends and on the cap tip there is the golden Pelikan symbol. The clip is shaped like a pelican beak with eyes close to the cap tip. Both at the base of the cap and at the base of the plunger knob there are 2 gold-plated bands which give even more emphasis to the majesty of this pen that live is much more beautiful and enjoyable than I could expect. The pen is over-sized and infact it is long 146 mm capped, 135 mm uncapped, 177 mm posted, while its weight is of gr. 33.3. The cap alone measure 70 mm. The diameters are: 12 mm for handle, 14.5 mm for body, 15 mm for cap. Having small hands the pen is more comfortable uncapped for me but it can also be used posted without compromising the balance.

4) Nib design and performance
The maxi nib is 18Kt solid bicolour gold and its stroke is Medium. I chose Medium because with the M200 I experienced that with Fine the ink lasts for too long and in this way I have more opportunity to experiment with new inks or get rid of one if I am bored of it; infact you have to consider how much ink can be hold in this pen, I like change ink from time to time, and that I have large stocks of Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black. However it seems slightly larger than M150 medium. It's absolutely rigid and runs well on any type of paper. The flow is slightly abundant but not so much to bleed through the Quablock by Pigna paper sheet, just as much for what is necessary to use blotting papers when you turn the sheet if you do not want to wait that the ink dries. The feed system is a classic Pelikan with horizontal plastic strips that, whereas the nib size, are many and thin. Everything is easily unscrewable for replacements, repairs, or for easier pen cleaning.
As pen for greeting cards, for letters and diary I am very pleased because even though the nib is big it is very comfortable. Unfortunately in Moleskine the amount of ink that comes out from the nib slightly bleeds through the sheet and has also a little feathering effect. Instead it is perfect with Ciak paper. The nib measures are: length 26 mm, wingspan 9 mm.

5) Filling System
The M1000 has a classic filling piston system but its peculiarity is almost invisible from the outside and it's that all components are made of solid brass and are virtually indestructible. The pen ink capacity is significant also if you remove the classic three drops after initial filling, but given the medium-broad nib and the flow a little abundant, the ink doesn't really last for too long but as I have already written, it is a solution that I have personally selected and then I am satisfied with it. I think that the plunger moves really well without any problems and it is interesting to see quickly and significantly decrease of the ink bottles level when the pen is being filled.

6) Cost / Value
Although the pen has been donated to me for my birthday by my girlfriend, I know that its price was € 225.00, bought on ebay from mundo_handel, unofficial dealer that provides a one-year warranty with him. The purchase was made on June 12nd 2008, with € 15.00 for shipping costs. I think it's odd that Pelikan does not provide a lifetime warranty for its Souverän series flagship pen. Other brands do it for their flagships thence giving more value to the pens especially in the large collectors' market. My girlfriend felt very good as buyer with mundo_handel and I think that she did a good deal whereas the pen has an official almost double price.

7) Overall opinion and conclusions
I think the M1000 will remain the flagship of my pen collection, not only because I have always dreamed of it and it was a gift from my girlfriend, but also because it was much better than I expected, unlike other pens of superior cost. For someone the green striped color sounds a little bit vintage but I really like it because of semitransparent effects that permits almost to see the mechanism and the ink. The Pelikan site is unable to convey the emotions that you feel holding this pen, not even with pictures of the black version. I know that there is also a version with silver trim and cap and is called the M1050 but I wouldn't like it because as I have seen with other pens, silver, becoming dark and oxidized, will ruin the aesthetics. I suggest to buy the M1000 for sure, especially if it is still at this price.