Pelikan Special Edition M120 Green/Black: A Review

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

The Pelikan Special Edition M120 in green and black is a tribute to the vintage version from the 1950s. Like its predecessor, the pen is cigar shaped with a black cap and piston knob, green barrel, and Pelikan-beak clip.

My pen came in a cardboard presentation box with a drawer. The pen is nestled inside a leatherette Pelikan pen envelope tied with brown ribbon.

The cap top is engraved with the Pelikan logo, but it's hard to see except in direct light.

The Pelikan-beak clip is gold plated. And the cap ring is engraved with the words "Pelikan Germany."

The barrel is solid green plastic with an ink window and a black grip.

The M120 nib is gold-plated stainless steel engraved with a retro design.

I am quite impressed with the nib on my review pen. Even though it is an extra-fine, it is not scratchy at all. It writes smoothly and even has a bit of spring.

I inked the M120 with Pelikan's new 4001 Dark Green ink. It's a perfect match for the pen and is a beautiful shade of green. The piston on the M120 works smoothly and draws in about 0.9 ml of ink.

The M120 is a small pen at only 4.75 inches unposted and 6.1 posted. It is bigger than its vintage predecessors (the M140 and M120) which measure 4.5 inches unposted and 5.5 inches posted. The pen weighs only 14.5 grams.

You can purchase the Special Edition M120 in green and black at Goldspot for $211.95 (retail is $265!). For such a simple plastic pen with a steel nib, that's a pretty steep price. I think Pelikan should have priced this around $100 or less, making it more competitive with other EDC pens like TWSBI, because the M120 could be a wonderful every-day writer.

Pros

• The simple design of the M120 and piston filling system make this a great EDC pen.
• The gold-plated, stainless steel nib writes beautifully. Pelikan nibs are consistently good (in my experience) though the size of the nibs can vary (i.e. one fine Pelikan nib might write more like a medium, whereas another fine might write like a true fine). The EF on this review pen is a true EF.
• The pen is light and well balanced posted or unposted. It won't weigh down a shirt pocket and will fit easily in a small notebook.
• The M120 comes in a nice presentation box and would make a great graduation gift or Father's Day present.

Cons

• I honestly think this pen is overpriced. It is a piston-filler, which may add a bit to the cost, but it's plastic with a steel nib. It really shouldn't be over $100.
• Because the pen is small, people with larger hands may find it too light even when posted.

Thanks to Goldspot Pens for lending Pen Addict the M120 for review.

Pelikan M205 Special Edition Transparent Blue Demonstrator Review

Pelikan is one of the top brands in the fountain pen market for a reason. The history behind the company is strong and the quality they produce year in and year out is outstanding. They like to have fun with colors too, outside of their main product offerings like the Souveran lineup, and the M205 Special Edition Transparent Blue Demonstrator is a prime example of this.

For many years, Pelikan has used the M205 lineup to dabble in colored demonstrator barrels. Their fluorescent highlighter models have been some of the most popular releases (with matching ink no less) and the reissuing of this blue model shows how popular it is. It doesn’t hurt that they released this same color in larger models like the M605 either. Was it that popular, or did they have that much extra material? Hmm…

Regardless, this is a cool pen. The M205 is one of Pelikan's smallest offerings with a piston filling mechanism, so don’t go into it thinking this is a big pen. It’s small and lightweight, making it perfect for every day carry almost any way you would like it to travel. In a pocket, purse, or backpack it will work just fine.

I find Pelikan steel nibs better than their gold nibs right out of the box. The gold nibs are amazing, but are wider and wetter than their steel counterparts. Every Pelikan gold nib I own I had to have modified to write how I want them. Every Pelikan steel nib I own is on the mark from first ink and a joy to use.

I mentioned earlier that this is a piston filler, and it is an excellent one at that. The mechanisms across the lineup are easy to use and allow for easy cleaning. In fact, my Pelikan pens may be the easiest pens to clean that I own.

After all the fawning over this pen and the brand as a whole, there has to be a kicker, right? There is, and it is the price. Up and down Pelikan’s product lineup they are more expensive than comparable pens from other brands. This model is no exception. $140 for a steel nib fountain pen puts it in the same category as gold nib offerings from Lamy and Pilot. You will have to determine what you are looking for in a pen to decide if this pen is right for you.

I’ve yet to be let down by a Pelikan pen, and I have bought several. Yes, you are paying a premium, but you know you are getting a quality product backed by 175 years of manufacturing history. Consider me a fan.

My thanks to Pen Boutique for sending this pen to me at no charge for review purposes. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post where I’ll be giving it away to one lucky reader!

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Aurora Mare Limited Edition Fountain Pen: A Review

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

Long ago I acquired a blue Auroloide Aurora Optima with a fine nib. The pen was lovely with its mottled blue celluloid and gold accents. But the nib was super scratchy and hard as a nail. As much as I loved the looks of the pen, I didn't like how it wrote, so I sold it. I assumed, based on my experience and on reviews of Aurora pens, that Aurora nibs were just scratchy (the politically correct expression is "they have feedback"), and I swore off Auroras for the time being.

My original Aurora Optima

But there was one Aurora that always caught my eye because of its vibrant blue color: the Aurora Mare. Every time I saw a picture of this pen I swooned, tempted like Odysseus by its Siren song. What lashed me to the mast, however, was that first experience with an Aurora nib.

Then Pelikan announced an M800 they called Vibrant Blue. The color is almost indistinguishable from the Aurora Mare. I know that Pelikan nibs are generally smooth and trouble free, so I was tempted. But, the Vibrant Blue has rhodium accents and I prefer yellow gold. When I happened upon some unexpected cash (thank you Mother's Day), I decided to buy a gently-used Aurora Mare with a medium nib that I hoped would be less scratchy (plus it was about $200 less than the Pelikan Vibrant Blue).

My Aurora Mare came in its original packaging: a blue-velvet clamshell box with a pamphlet and bottle of black ink.

The minute I saw the Mare I knew I made the right decision. The pen sparkles like waves on the Caribbean Sea, especially in sunlight.

The screw-on cap has a black finial with the limited edition number printed on the side.

The clip is the usual Aurora shape with a ball on the end.

But the Mare has an additional feature: a tiny seahorse engraved at the top of the clip. I love this detail. It's not ostentatious, but it is a reminder that the Mare is patterned after the ocean.

The bottom of the cap is adorned with a gold ring that has the name "Aurora" and a Greek key pattern design.

Like all Aurora Optimas, the Mare is a fairly short pen. Unposted it measures almost 5 inches; posted it measures 6 inches. I write with it unposted and find it quite comfortable.

Aurora Mare Unposted

Aurora Mare Posted

The Aurora Mare is a piston filler, and the ink window gives you an indication of how much ink you have left. In the event that you run out of ink while writing, you can twist the piston knob counter-clockwise and access a hidden reserve of ink (one of the special features of many Aurora pens). The piston is smooth and works flawlessly.

The nib is decorated with intricate scrollwork. It is one of the most beautiful nibs available, in my view.

Aurora's website states that their nibs are handmade in Turin, Italy. That is something special since most modern fountain pen manufacturers no longer make their own nibs.

Mine is an 18k nib. It certainly doesn't offer any flex, but writing with this medium nib is smooth sailing. I don't know if I just had a bad nib on my original Optima; if the medium is simply less scratchy; or if I'm oblivious to the famous "Aurora feedback," but I am delighted with how beautifully this nib writes.

Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-Peki

The Aurora Mare is a limited edition pen (7,500 pens were made). You can find them at Goldspot Pens for $859.95. I've also seen them for sale from time-to-time on the FPN and FPG classifieds.

While others are admiring their Pelikan M800 Vibrant Blue pens, I am enjoying my gorgeous Aurora Mare inked with Iroshizuku Kon-Peki (a perfect match, by the way). You can't go wrong with either pen, but mine has a sea horse, just sayin'.

Pros

• The Aurora Mare is one of the most gorgeous blue resin pens available. The color is absolutely stunning.
• The pen is a piston filler and holds a good amount of ink (1.1ml) along with a special reservoir that gives you an extra page or so of writing.
• Although some say that Aurora nibs give "feedback," my medium nib is smooth and trouble-free.
• The pen is comfortable both unposted and posted.

Cons

• At $859.95 retail, this is an expensive pen. But it can be found for much less used.
• Some may find the pen to be too short, but that can be remedied by posting the cap.