What you'll often see is that pen enthousiasts will lean towards buying an M800 or M1000 instead of opting for the slightly smaller M600. However, as one of those collectors who bought an M800, I have to say -or rather admit- that the M600 is actually the superior pen. I'll do an in-depth comparison of the different Souverän models later on, but for now: let's focus on why the M600 is so great!
First of all: the size. In my review of the M800, I mentioned it being slightly oversized. The M600, on the other hand, is perfectly sized for everyday use! The size is- what I would consider- the perfect balance between compact (not as in-your-face as the M800 and M1000!) and comfortable to use. I don't think anyone (regardless of the size of your hands) would find this pen uncomfortable to use.
Secondly: the weight, Due to the use of plastic for the Piston mechanism, they managed to keep the weight low. I found it to be perfectly balanced unposted (There's not much weight to it, so it can't really feel 'unbalanced', if that makes any sense!). Combine the perfect balance with a comfortable girth, and you've got yourself a pen that can be used continuously without cramps or uncomfortable experiences.
Build quality is really top-notch. For the price, I don't except anything less than perfection, and Pelikan succeeds at delivering! There's really nothing bad to say about these pens. The green 'stresemann' striations are still gorgeous, and all parts are polished to an impeccable high-gloss finish. Everything fits together nice and snugly, and the piston operates smoothly (something Pelikans are known for).
Add a simply fantastic nib (both visually as performance-wise), and you have an awesome daily user pen. A very expensive daily user, definitely not one to throw in the jeans pocket (It's not small enough to fit in your pocket anyway!) But seriously,... the nib is pretty awesome! The bi-color 14k nib is (obviously) quite a bit narrower and shorter than the one on the M800 and M1000, but it isn't any less impressive. It's easily one of the smoothest nibs you'll get, it even has a bit of softness to it, though not as pronounced as the larger ones (or at least that's what it feels like.). I'd expect a nib as smooth as this to have a lot of skipping and hard start issues, but that doesn't seem to be the case! In fact it never hesitated on me, not even once.
The price is the only thing that prevents me from buying at least three, or at least right now. But I'll definitely have one of these in my collection one day. The Pelikan M600 retails for around 350 EUR / 405 USD, but it can be found cheaper in some places.
Note: this pen was lent to me by Pelikan, so I could write this review. I was in no way influenced in the making of this review, the opinions shared in this review are completely my own!
Interesting to read your findings and your preference of this pen to M800. To what pen would you say this M600 compares best size-wise?
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty comparable to a Lamy safari, though a few mm shorter both capped and posted. There isn't really another comparable pen that comes to mind really... I hope that helps? :)
DeleteI finally broke down and purchased a Pelikan Souverän M600 Red Stripe with a fine nib. I had to order it from the UK where it was about half the price I could find anywhere else. (Thanks to Royal Mail and the USPS, I had to wait a month for the pen to arrive.)
ReplyDeleteThe Pelikan puts all my other pens to shame. It feels more solid in my hand than other pens, exudes quality craftsmanship, and writes like a dream. Unlike every description of the nib I've heard or read, the nib is not 'buttery smooth' or anything of the sort. It has what I feel to be a perfect balance of smoothness and feedback. You know the nib is moving across the paper but it is doing so almost effortlessly. (writing with it reminds me of the way I could feel the texture of the road surface through the steering wheel of the BMW 325i I used to own.) This is using Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Brown ink.
At the top of my fountain pen food chain I've got an Opus 88 Koloro, a Visconti Rembrandt, a Platinum 3776, two Pilot Custom Heritage 92s with different nib sizes, three Bexley models, a Parker '51', a Sheaffer Admiral...The Pelikan is a far finer pen then any of the above.
Even at the price I paid for it I consider the M600 to be overpriced, too expensive an item for me to have purchased. The good news is that I will probably never buy another fountain pen. I don't see how anything could possibly top it.
I'm glad you like your M600, they are fantastic pens indeed! Wether or not the price you pay for them is worth it... that's of course a very personal opinion, and a choice that everyone has to make for themselves. I'd say as long as you're happy with the purchase, it wasn't a waste of money!
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