Pelikan Souverän M1005 Stresemann Fountain Pen Review

Thank you to Pelikan for loaning me this pen for a review! I reviewed the Souverän M805 Stresemann a few years ago and I have had quite a few friends vocalize their desire to see an M1000-sized version of the finish - or any finish other than a raden or maki-e! Lo and behold, Pelikan gives us the M1005 Stresemann. It's not the finish I would have picked - ideally I'd love a white tortoise AND a brown tortoise, but I know this makes quite a few people happy. I'm pleased to be able to review it so here goes!

ABOUT

Body Material: Resin/Cellulose Acetate
Trim: Palladium-plated
Length (capped): 145.8 mm/5.74"
Length (uncapped nib-end): 135.0 mm/5.31"
Length (posted): 174.64 mm/6.88"
Length (section):18.74 mm/0.74"
Barrel Diameter: 11.68 - 13.07 mm/0.46" - 0.52"
Section Diameter: 12.17 - 14.39 mm/0.48" - 0.57"
Nib material: 18KT Rhodium-plated gold
Weight (all): 35 g
Weight (cap): 10 g
Weight (body): 25.5 g
Fill type: Piston-filler
Price: ~ $650USD
Where to buy: Appelboom Pennen

 

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PACKAGING

Like all other "standard" Souverän series Pelikans, this Pelikan arrived in a standard Pelikan gift box. The main box is found inside a white Pelikan sleeve. The box had a faux wood base and a silver-grey lid. Inside, the faux cream leather pouch with red plastic seal holds the pen. The pouch sits on a plastic bed. Underneath the bed, there was the Pelikan warranty and Pelikan Moments of Joy booklets. It's a pretty solid, heavy box. I like the pouch best though, as it's most useful. It's pretty underwhelming presentation considering this is the flagship pen.

APPEARANCE

Like its little brother, the M1005 Stresemann is a large pen with a round cap and barrel and slightly rounded ends. The end has a black resin piston-turning knob marked by two bands. The finial has the Pelikan logo in a brushed on polished finish. The clip is attached externally and has the classic pelican bill shape (which I love, it's a great touch). The center band on the cap is engraved with Pelikan Souverän Germany. The cap and section are black resin. The section is short and has an indent for your fingers before it flares out towards the nib again. The barrel is the highlight - it is composed of pearlescent anthracite stripes and clear stripes, allowing you to see inside the barrel.

The grey/anthracite and palladium-plated finish is crisp and clean and the rhodium-plated nib is shiny, matching the rest of the color scheme perfectly. I can't say this finish is for everyone. If you like bright, cheery pens, obviously this is not the pen for you. I like it but I'm not hopelessly in love with it. I appreciate the black, anthracite, and silver look of this pen. It's dark but not boring and flat at all: it is elegant and suave.

NIB & PERFORMANCE

The 18KT rhodium-plated gold nib is a fine and it is a huge nib. Like the other nibs from the Souverän series, this nib has a single slit and breather hole. It is engraved with the Pelikan logo, the nib size, the gold hallmark, and some flourishes. This is one of my favorite nib designs.

What I'll tell you right away is the writing experience with an M1000 nib is very different from the M400/M600/M800 - this nib is slightly softer and yields more as you write. In fact, I'd compare the bouncy sensation to the steel nibs of the M200 series. It is not a flex nib. It's not even a springy nib, despite what I may have thought or said in the past (and my apologies for my ignorance at the time). If you apply pressure, you will eventually lift the nib off the feed. Use a light hand and you may occasionally apply a little pressure to make your lines wetter but do so sparingly.

This fine nib is a colossal fine so if you're looking for an actual fine, look elsewhere. The size of this nib means even a fine nib is a whopper. It is perfectly tuned and adjusted and it requires a light hand to write. It is smooth, very, very wet, and yields as I write. I love the writing experience but it's not going to be for everyone. I'd suggest trying the M1000 nib before investing in the pen because if you are expecting a more firm writer like what you get with the M400/M600/M800, you're going to be surprised. And being surprised with a $500+ pen is not the best.

The piston-filling mechanism works just fine - smooth and clean. Everything is in working order. Since the nib can be removed by unscrewing it, it's easy to maintain the piston at home. Removing the nib will void your warranty but chances are it won't need much in the way of maintenance in the warranty period anyway.

IN HAND

The section is small but the shape makes it quite comfortable but it is a thicker section. I did not find the section itself slippery - the flare kept my grip in place. The pelican-inspired clip is well designed and it is nice and springy. It has a smooth, angled underside so it slides on and off pages, pouches, and pockets with ease. I don't leave it attached to pages just in case it gets knocked off and rolls away.

Unposted, this is a large, wide pen. It does not stretch my grip (like the Delta Dolce Vita Oversize does) but the section and body do feel wide. It is a large pen that will not work for everyone. The cap can be posted by friction, but posting is not advised because of the finish. It also makes the pen quite long and top heavy. I prefer to use this pen unposted and I like the smooth wet nib because it writes just from the weight of the pen. As such, all I need to do is guide the pen and not grip it tightly. That's how I can make a large pen like this work for me. The brass piston mechanism makes the pen heavier towards the back of the pen, which applies enough pressure on the nib to make it write without effort. As such, this nib sailed through the free-writing test. It's perfectly tuned - at least for my preferences - and it is perfectly adjusted. The center of balance is slightly towards the back of the pen.

Smaller hands should give this pen (or the M1000) a good test before committing, unless you plan to use it occasionally. Even those with larger hands may find it uncomfortable for long writing sessions. It's an oversize pen, so it's not necessarily the most comfortable pen ever.

Top to bottom: M1005 Stresemann, M800 Brown Tortoise, M600 Pink, M400 White Tortoise.

PROS & CONS

OVERALL

The M1000 is Pelikan's flagship model so you can expect a large, elegant, commanding pen. Personally, I love the soft writing experience of this nib size but it's not a "fine" and precise writer if that's what you're looking for. It's luxurious and a bit ridiculous - huge, wet, yielding. The pen itself is large and it's not inexpensive so there are a lot of things to consider. Quite simply, if you are looking for all of these things - an elegant pen with this type of writing experience, this is certainly a pen to consider. I love Pelikans (even when the nibs are overpolished) because of the design, colors, and writing experience. I am not thrilled that this edition costs more than the regular M1000 as there is nothing all that special about it, but I am willing to purchase them. Not everyone is and that's totally fine. I hope this helps you in your pen searches!



I received this item on loan for the purposes of this review. Everything you've read here is my own opinion. This is a sponsored review - that is, I was comepnsated for my time, but not to give a positive review. If you know me and have read my other Pelikan reviews, you'll know I'm a fan in general.