PELIKAN SOUVERÂN M805 STRESEMANN FOUNTAIN PEN REVIEW

Yes! I finally got the chance to review this bad boy, the highly anticipated Pelikan Souverän M805 Stresemann! I've had my hands on it for a few weeks now, but due to my recent exams I wasn't able to make a review about it until now. I did, however, flood my Instagram page with eye candy of the Stresemann. Go ahead and follow me on Instagram if you want to be the first to know what new products I get my hands on! To make up for the rather silent past couple of weeks, I did an extra effort to get some nice pics for this review (Which means as much as: this will be a VERY picture heavy post!)

When I was opening the box the Stresemann comes in, I couldn't help but wonder if it would actually be any different at all from the all-black M805 I own, which turned out to be quite a difficult question to answer...

It's a bit of a yes and no. While it's indeed identical to the regular M8XX's when it comes to size and design, the anthracite 'Stresemann' stripes on the barrel succeed at giving this pen a completely different appearance!

The stripes aren't as bright and vibrant as I would have thought, at least not in every lighting condition. Though they are mesmerizing when gazed upon from the right angle. There's a multitude of different shades of grey <Insert 50 shades of grey joke here> that appear pearlescent in the right light. It's really quite a brilliant material, subtle at first, but striking when you take a closer look. If I were to be the big boss over at Pelikan HQ, I'd implement this finish on all the different Souverän models, it's a great alternative for those that aren't really into the usual green, red or blue striped finish. 

For detailed descriptions of size and weight of this pen, I'd suggest checking out my review of the M805, and the comparison post between the M6XX, M8XX and M10XX.

Under the hood, you'll find a rather underwhelming single tone Rhodium-plated 18k gold nib. I say underwhelming because it's not as appealing and sexy as the usual two-tone nibs. But on the other hand, I do have to say that it fits the overall color scheme much better (I tried my two-tone nib in it, and it just doesn't look right!) 

The nib is otherwise exactly the same as all other Pelikan nibs, and it performs equally well, as it should be. It's a perfectly polished, smooth and reasonably wet (although seemingly not as pronounced as my own M805) writer. A lot of people complain about Pelikan nibs not being true to size, which is something I can confirm. However, I did find this Stresemann's Medium nib to run a bit finer than my own M805. It could also just be a standalone case, a matter of which ink you use, or because this specific one has slightly drier flow...

This thing paired with the new Pelikan Edelstein Amethyst (Ink of the Year 2015): Pure Bliss!

The price for the Stresemann is -luckily- not any higher than the standard M805, which might also be because I heard this will be a permanent edition, not a special one. 470 EUR, or about 640 USD will get you one. It's still a whole lot of money, but I definitely think it's worh it (Perhaps you noticed, I'm a bit of a Pelikan Nut!). Will I buy one? Not right away (The upcoming M805 Demonstrator is higher on the want list), but if it really remains in Pelikan's standard Souverän lineup, I might go for one in the future! If you don't have an M800 yet, and you're looking for a nice one, I'd definitely recommend this one. It's a well-balanced compromise between the classic 'stresemann' striped design, and a more restraint appearance.

Note: this pen was lent to me by Pelikan, so I could try it out and write this review.  I was in no way influenced in the making of this review, nor was I monetarily compensated. The opinions shared in this review are completely my own!