Review: Pelikan Tradition M200 Clear Fountain Pen - Broad @PenChalet @Pelikan_Company

This Pelikan Tradition M200 clear fountain pen was sent over by Ron from The Pen Chalet for me to review! Thanks Ron! I very much fancy clear pens, despite my OCD about keeping clear pens looking clear. I'm getting over that. ... Anyway. Onwards ho!

ABOUT

Body Material: Resin
Trim: Gold
Length (capped): 4.87"
Length (uncapped nib-end):
Length (posted): 5.87"
Barrel Diameter: 0.5"
Section Diameter: 0.35" - 0.38"
Nib material: 14K gold plated steel
Weight: 11.34 g
Fill type: Piston-filler
Price: $156.00USD
Where to buy: Pen Chalet

PACKAGING

The packaging for this pen is straight forward and pretty bland, but that doesn't surprise me at this price point. It's just a dark blue hard case, with the pen held down with the elastic and satin ribbon on a plastic felt bed. You'll also receive your pen's guarantee information. The box doesn't make the Keep It cut for me.

APPEARANCE

The M200 is one of the smaller of the Pelikan series, but it's just as gorgeous as any of the other Pelikan fountain pens. The clear, polished resin provides a great view of the piston-filling mechanism of the pen. The clear resin is perfectly complemented by the gold trim of the rings and pelican beak clip. The section is small, with a slight flare towards the nib. The gold nib sits is a good size for the pen, aesthetically; not too small.

NIB & PERFORMANCE

This M200 nib is a 14K gold-plated stainless steel nib. It's not as fancy as the nibs on the Souverän series; it lacks the swirlies and flourishes, and instead has just the slit, the breather hole, the little Pelikan logo, Pelikan, and the nib grad written on it. I prefer the Souverän nibs and think one of those nibs would make this pen look even better, but alas.

I inked up with Diamine Havasu Turquoise and gave the pen a go on Clairefontaine paper. The nib lays down a nice broad line that is quite wet. The feed keeps up well, and there is some decent line variation to this nib. The nib has some spring so with some pressure, you'll see the variation easily. In this regard, the pen and nib performs as well as Pelikans in the Souverän series, which impresses me.

IN HAND

The pen is light and comfortable, and posts well. As such, it's pretty nice to use for both shorter and longer writing sessions. I have always liked Pelikans, even the bigger models (such as the M1005). The piston is plastic, unlike the brass piston on the M1005, so where this pen could be made heavier, it isn't. Of course, this is a function of the price as well.

Compared to a Lamy Safari, it looks kind of small, doesn't it? Those who have large hands or just prefer bigger pens, steer clear.

It's fun to write with this pen: the nib is smooth, juicy, springy, and enjoyable.

PROS & CONS

One great thing is, like other Pelikans, the nib unit can be screwed off and interchanged for another unit. A huge plus! And makes for very easy cleaning of the pen.

OVERALL

I think this is a lovely pen - aesthetically, it's very appealing to me because I love clear pens, and the warmth and richness of the gold brings even more to it. As I also own the Pelikan M1005 clear fountain pen, I miss the weight, but it's hard to complain about such things when considering the difference in the prices. With the springy, juicy nib, the M200 is very fun to use! And pretty much every ink looks good in it, which is a bonus.

I received this pen free of charge for the purposes of this review. I was not compensated monetarily for my review. Everything you've read here is my own opinion. There are no affiliate links in this review.

And don't forget you can get 10% off at Pen Chalet until the end of the year on your purchases! (Not an affiliate link!)