Debate Reopened? The Pelikan M400 and the Perfect Pelikan Size

January 19, 2019

Back when I first reviewed pens from Pelikan’s flagship Souveran collection, I only had one: the M600, which is the “mid-size” model and what I had expected would be a great size for me. I wasn’t wrong. I love the M600, and have long expressed a desire for Pelikan to do more with that model in terms of special and limited releases. This past year we M600 fans got our wish, with a special edition “Brilliant Orange” M600, though not everyone’s a fan of the color. I’m still on the fence, leaning towards passing on Brilliant Orange and waiting to see what, if anything, Pelikan has in store for 2019. But I digress.

The Pelikan Souveran M400 (left) compared to the M600 (center) and the M800 (right)

As it turns out, I’m no longer sure that the M600 takes first prize among the Pelikan lineup for me. More and more, I find myself turning not to the larger M800 (as many Pelikan fans do), but to the smaller M400. This isn’t about price, though as I’ll discuss below, the M400 sits at a fairly attractive price point once you take into account all the features. No, it’s mainly about portability. For an everyday workhorse, I like a pen that sits comfortably in a shirt pocket. As a lighter-weight pen, the M400 doesn’t pull the pocket forward as much as its bigger cousins, probably due to the use of a lighter piston mechanism.

The brown tortoise acetate that Pelikan uses as the binde on its pen barrels is one of my favorite pen making materials ever. If only they would leave it in the lineup! Also, as with the M800 Burnt Orange, the acrylic used for the cap, section, and … — The brown tortoise acetate that Pelikan uses as the binde on its pen barrels is one of my favorite pen making materials ever. If only they would leave it in the lineup! Also, as with the M800 Burnt Orange, the acrylic used for the cap, section, and blind cap is actually a very dark brown, though it appears black in most photos.

Even though it’s one of the smallest pens in Pelikan’s current lineup, I don’t necessarily consider the M400 to be “small.” Taken in its historical context, the M400 is approximately the same size as many - if not most - vintage Pelikan’s, as well as many other vintage pens of the same era such as the standard Esterbrook J. I can comfortably use the M400 (as well as the M200 and the M120) for very long writing sessions without any discomfort, and the M400 has excellent balance when posted.

Another advantage to the M400 size is that the nibs can be swapped with most similarly sized vintage Pelikan pens. In my review of the Pelikan M120, I discussed how I was able to take an oblique medium nib from a vintage Pelikan and swap it into a modern one. Guess what? That vintage nib fits into both the M120 AND the M400. I plan to spend my pen show time this year hunting more vintage Pelikan nibs in this size.

Pelikan nibs are among my favorite in terms of decorative scrollwork and brand logo.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

As I mentioned above, while the Pelikan M400 certainly doesn’t come at a bargain price, I do consider it good value. For around $300 (and even less with the occasional coupon code), you get a reliable Pelikan piston filler with what is, for the most part, an excellent 14k gold nib right out of the box. Over the years, quality control on Pelikan nibs has ebbed and flowed, but recently I’ve had nothing but good luck. The fine nib on the M400 writes more like a traditional medium, but it’s smooth and the ink flow is perfect with no tendency to skip or hard start. The M800 I purchased recently also had a great out-of-the-box nib, though it was a medium that wrote more like a broad. I generally advise people considering Pelikan pens to purchase one nib size smaller than what they normally write with. If you only like extra fine or needlepoint nibs, you will almost certainly be looking at having someone grind the nib down for you, as gold nib extra-fines from Pelikan write more on the fat side of a traditional “western fine,” in my experience.

I purchased the Pelikan M400 in Brown Tortoise pictured in this review from Pen Chalet, but unfortunately that pen has now been discontinued. Pen Chalet does, however, carry the standard M400 (gold trim) and M405 (Rhodium Trim), both priced between $300-315, and you can get that down even further using one of the coupon codes floating around out there. The M405 Stresemann costs a bit more at $380, and I don’t know whether or not Pelikan considers this pen to be a special edition like the Brown Tortoise. If so, it may also be susceptible to being phased out in the future, though I hope not.

If you have your heart set on the M400 in Brown Tortoise, shop around and act quickly if you locate one. Currently, site sponsor Goldspot has a few in stock, and there are also various Amazon sellers that still have the pen. Again, don’t wait, because whenever Pelikan discontinues one of their pens in brown tortoise (i.e, the M800 and previous M400 versions) they quickly become hot commodities on the secondary market. Of course, Pelikan tends to bring them back every few years, but there’s no guarantee they’ll continue to do that, and no telling when.

Disclaimer: This post contains links to paid sponsors and affiliates.

Baron-Fig-Brass-Squire-Leather-Mastermind

Catching up with Baron Fig: New Squires, a Confidant Partnership, and Leather Goods

January 17, 2019

In terms of companies that make some of my favorite products for everyday use, both at home and at work, you need not look much further than Baron Fig. From its origins as a Kickstarter notebook project, the company has evolved from being simply the makers of the Confidant notebook to a full-blown lifestyle brand, though the focus remains on stationery. Today I’ll take a look at a few of the Baron Fig products I’ve added to my daily kit over the past year or so.

Pictured from left: Squire Rollerball in “Sheath” Pen single pen sleeve; “Lock” Brass limited edition Squire (check out that patina!) and my getting-worn-in slim bifold wallet. All of these products are sitting on top of a Mastermind desk pad.

Squire Rollerball Pen. Baron Fig’s Squire is my preferred iteration of the retractable rollerball - I like the teardrop shape, they’ve kept the design clean, and now there’s even a compatible Uniball Jetstream Refill that you can use to turn your rollerball into a fine-tip hybrid gel/ballpoint. Over the past year, Baron Fig also has backed away from a quarterly “limited edition” release schedule in favor of a wider range of standard colors and materials. The most recent release has been a Squire in brass, which is one of my favorites and which I’ve had the pleasure of using as part of the “Lock and Key” limited edition set that was released about a year ago. Today, my brass pen sports a gorgeous patina. I’m glad to see brass join stainless steel and copper as part of the regular Squire lineup.

Confidant Notebooks. The Confidant lineup also has expanded over the past couple of years, with both new sizes and new colors now available as part of the regular line. The limited or special edition Confidants that were being released on a quarterly basis have apparently been replaced by special-purpose notebooks designed in partnership with various writers and designers. These include the new Clear Habit Journal (designed to accompany the book Atomic Habits by James Clear), the Wander Dream Journal, and the Show & Tell Notebook (designed in conjunction with Dribbble design showcase). Of these three, the Clear Habit Journal is probably the only one that might find its way into my regular rotation - and I have one on the way to review - but I love that Baron Fig has branched out and released these other products. I know several people who have enjoyed using the Wander Dream journal, and the Show & Tell will appeal to those who like to combine lined pages for writing with blank pages for sketching, doodling, or diagramming.

Workspace Accessories. In 2018 the Mastermind Desk Pad remained my most used stationery item. I probably churned through a dozen of these things, far outpacing my use of anything else in my kit. Though the Mastermind is not intended for writing on both sides of the page, the paper quality holds up with fountain pens, especially with respect to feathering and dry time. One of the things I love about Baron Fig paper is that it’s slightly absorbent, so it dries relatively quickly and doesn’t get all over your hands and wrists if, like me, you keep a Mastermind notepad underneath your keyboard. It also comes available in an “Mini” size, and Baron Fig subsequently released a narrow “Weeks” version to help you plan.

Bags and Leather Goods. Last but not least, I’ve found Baron Fig’s leather goods surprisingly impressive in both their looks and durability, especially at the price point. I’ve periodically posted that I’m carrying one of their slim bifold wallets in Charcoal, which is actually a very light gray that ages into an almost khaki color. I’m very hard on wallets, and this one has held up well. Other Baron Fig leather goods in my regular repertoire include the leather “Sheath” pen case for the Squire, as well as the “Guardian” notebook covers.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Baron Fig is one of those brands that I’ve enjoyed getting to watch grow over the past few years. One thing I appreciate is that despite their rapid growth and introduction of new product lines, I’ve not had significant quality control issues, even as they’ve managed to keep their pricing reasonable. The stuff just “works,” and allows you to get down to doing your work, whatever that may be, with a minimum of fuss.

You can purchase any of the products featured in this post through the Baron Fig website, and they’re even starting to expand into retail streams. Our sponsor Vanness Pens currently carries a range of Baron Fig products, including the Confidant and Vanguard notebooks.

Disclaimer: This post contains links to paid sponsors and affiliates. Baron Fig provided me with certain of the products pictured in this review free of charge for review purposes, though others (like the gray squire pen and the Mastermind desk pads) were purchased with my own funds for my own personal use.

Kanilea-Pen-Company-Comparison-Mauna-Kea-Nui-Nalu-Hanauma-Bay

Catching Up with Kanilea: Nui Nalu and Hanauma Bay Fountain Pens

January 12, 2019

It’s been too long since I’ve devoted a full post to the Kanilea Pen Company. I purchased my first Kanilea pen, a Mauna Kea, back in March 2017 at the Baltimore Pen Show. In the meantime, I’ve added two more to my collection: a Nui Nalu and a Hanauma Bay (from their “Elements” and “Locations” collections, respectively). In my earlier post, I went over the history of the brand, and particularly how Hugh and Karol Scher launched Kanilea based on their family’s travels to and love of Hawaii. I’ve regularly remarked on how I consider Kanilea to be one of the most unique well-conceptualized, and well-implemented “small batch” pen brands. (By “small batch,” I mean pens that aren’t made-to-order custom pens in a material/design chosen by the customer, but rather come from a standard product line, made in extremely small quantities and, in the case of Kanilea, entirely by hand.) Regardless of whether or not you find the aesthetic of the pens appealing, you have to appreciate what Hugh and Karol have done with the brand in such a short period of time.

So let’s catch up and talk about what’s special about my two latest Kanilea additions:

The Nui Nalu (“Big Waves”) fountain pen was inspired by the waves on the North Shore of O’ahu. I chose this particular pen due to how the white swirls were both evenly distributed through the material AND formed a continuous “wave” pattern. It’s not as obvious in my pen, since the darker swirls and “whitecaps” are more prominent, but sections of the acrylic are slightly translucent, allowing you to see the converter or, alternatively, the ink should you choose to eyedropper the pen. I also selected a different shape from my Mauna Kea, opting for the Classic rather than the Classic Flush, so the cap on this pen is slightly oversized.
The Hanauma Bay fountain pen, from the “Locations” collection, was inspired by a photograph of a sunset over Haunauma Bay, O’ahu. The pen is definitely one of the wilder pieces in my collection, with the acrylic featuring swirls of green, gold, white, turquoise, blue and orange, and the orange and blue showing a good degree of translucency. Most notably, my Hanauma Bay is a “Classic V” shape with a sterling silver clip, and this design posts, which distinguishes it from most of the other Kanilea models. The pen is a bit long posted, but it’s also quite light due to the acrylic construction and cartridge-converter system, so I can easily post it when I don’t have a convenient place to set the cap down.

Premium design and construction warrants a premium price. Kanilea Fountain pens start at $395 for a pen with a steel nib, with gold nibs $125 extra, and rose gold nibs $135. The acrylics are custom made for Kanilea, and the pens are all hand-turned. Trim (clips and medallions) are sterling silver, and nibs are all tuned by Hugh prior to shipping. Finally, most people ignore (or throw out) the packaging from their pens after purchasing, but you’ll want to hang onto your wooden Kanilea box, which makes a great keepsake or pencil box for your desk. I’ve found ways to use all three of them!

Kanilea Clips and Medallions are made with Sterling Silver, lending the pens a very classy, high-quality look.

All Kanilea pens come with a postcard featuring the photograph that inspired your pen’s design.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

In my 2018 recap, I wrote that I would be limiting the number of pens I bring into my collection going forward. One of those slots will almost certainly be held open for a Kanilea Pen, as they always seem to be releasing something new and interesting around the time of the D.C. Pen Show, where I’ve purchased both my Nui Nalu and my Hanauma Bay fountain pens. These are among my favorite fountain pens in my collection, due to both the overall aesthetic as well as the care and craftsmanship that go into the pens themselves, and I look forward to adding more in the future.

Kanilea doesn’t sell through retailers, only directly, so you are limited to purchasing one of their pens through the Kanilea Pen Company website or at a pen show. This year, Kanilea will be attending the Baltimore, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco Pen Shows. If you can get to one of these shows, I personally recommend visiting the Kanilea table and seeing the pens in person before you make a decision. Don’t get me wrong, all of their pens are beautiful, but there is so much variation in the materials they use that one pen might speak to you more than others.

Disclaimer: I purchased the pens featured in this review with my own funds, for my own personal collection. I was not compensated in any way for this review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Catching up with Kaweco: Art Sport, AL Sport, and Skyline Sport

January 9, 2019

I believe someone wrote into the Pen Addict Podcast a couple of months ago asking whether there was one brand you couldn’t quit, even though you may have had some issues over the years. For me, that brand is Kaweco, and the Sport models in particular. While Kaweco has frustrated me in the past with their inconsistent quality control on nibs, I love the form factor of the Sport lineup, making it one of the pocket pens I reach for most often. Nib quality has improved recently, though I still have the most luck with mediums and fines. This post will take a look at a few new additions to the Kaweco lineup over the past year that have managed to make their way into my collection.

From left, the Kaweco Art Sport in Dark Blue, the Kaweco Skyline Sport in “Fox,” and the Kaweco AL Sport in Red.

Skyline/Classic Sport: Two New Colors for Late 2018

In late 2018, Kaweco announced two new colors for their basic lineup, the Classic/Skyline Sport: Navy Blue and “Fox”. Since I had recently purchased a Dark Blue Art Sport (see below), I passed on the Navy Blue, plus it had gold trim and I preferred the Art Sport’s chrome. The Fox, however, spoke to me immediately, with its muted, almost terra-cotta tone coupled with the Skyline series’ chrome trim. Other than the new color, there’s not much new to say about this pen. The medium nib is a good enough writer, and the standard Kaweco Sport continues to be one of those pens that is easy to recommend at the lower end of the pricing spectrum, especially for beginners.

AL Sport: Finally, a Red One!

This pen caught me completely by surprise at the 2018 Atlanta Pen Show, where Lisa Vanness had quite a stock at her table. I believe this ruby red color was a North American exclusive for a limited period of time, and for a while Vanness was the only retailer who stocked this particular version. I initially reviewed the AL Sport back in the early days of this blog, and everything I said about that pen still holds true: it’s a pocket-sized workhorse that’s quite durable, and will look even better over time as the anodized finish wears off and takes on that “stonewashed” look.

I first had a chance to take a look at the current Art Sport lineup when I was working the Vanness Pens table at the 2018 D.C. Pen Show.

Art Sport: The Best Version of What The Sport Can Be?

A word of warning: the higher-end Art Sport can spoil you forever on Kaweco pens, and make you never want to touch a Classic/Skyline again. Though Kaweco’s “premier” non-metal Sport model is expensive, the pen kicks the quality up a notch - it’s made from turned acrylic, not injected molded plastic, which gives the pen a warm feel in the hand. Once you’ve written with an Art Sport for an extended period of time, you start to REALLY notice the sharp facets and injection-molding lines of the standard version. Whether this justifies paying the upcharge is a personal decision. (More on that below). Along with the better QC and tighter manufacturing tolerances, the key selling point of the “Art Sport” line is definitely these unique acrylics. While this particular dark blue color, of course, isn’t especially unique, it does have a vintage vibe that I enjoy. The current series also has a lighter blue, as well as “Perlmutt Orange,” and “Metallic Green”. If you’re willing to shop around, you can also find the gorgeous “Tiger Eye.”

When it comes to Kaweco, I accept that I’m going to have to trade reliability for a general lack of nib variety. For the best writing experience, the simple medium works best for me, and it’s what I purchase in all of my Kaweco pens.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Kaweco Sports are the one pen that I allow myself to pick up on a whim, if I like the color. Because they’re so handy to “grab ‘n go,” I keep a handful inked up at any given time on my desk at home and at work. I don’t anticipate giving up this habit anytime soon. Now if only Kaweco would resurrect the piston-filling Sport that’s sitting in their vintage archives…

As I mentioned, I purchased the red AL Sport from Vanness Pens, who still has it in stock for $90. I acquired the Art Sport in Dark Blue from Pen Chalet, priced at $130. When this series was first released, Kaweco priced the Art Sport models at $175, which I consider way too steep. The turned acrylic and limited edition colors are nice, but this is still a small pen with a steel nib, and a standard $125-135 price point seems appropriate given the “small batch” nature of the production. If Kaweco kept the current pricing standard, they’d gain a lot more traction with the Art Sport, in my opinion. As of 2023, The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of Kaweco, and stocks the Skyline Sport in colors including the “Fox” pictured here.

Disclaimer: I purchased the AL Sport pictured in this review with my own funds from Vanness Pens, and acquired the Fox Skyline Sport and the Art Sport from Pen Chalet using store credit generated through their affiliate program, of which T.G.S. was a member at the time of original publication. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

A comparison shot with another pocket pen that I recently reviewed: the Sailor Sapporo Mini.

Most of my year-end 2018 acquisitions: 12+ pens out the door, five in.

2019 New Year's Resolutions

January 5, 2019

I’ve never been a really bit “resolutions” guy in my personal life, but professionally I’ve found it helpful to take some time at the end of the year, reorient, and make sure your business is on target with where you want it to go for the next twelve months. I do that with my day job (a legal practice), and I try to do it here, though last year I fell off the wagon a bit and by the end of the year felt like I was drifting. After taking some time off during the week between Christmas and New Years, I came up with a few thoughts on where I want the site to go this year:

Work Through the Backlog. As you might have guessed from the massive pen sale and giveaway I held a few months ago, I accumulated far too much stuff throughout the year, both my own purchases and review samples. I overcommitted and found myself scrambling during the last few months to meet my review commitments, with little time left to explore the things that interest me, which is why I started my blog in the first place. My top priority for the year is to work my way through my personal collection and make sure that I’ve written about all of the pens, inks, and stationery that form my personal collection and shape my own preferences. (You’ve seen the results of this already, with my recent reviews of the Conway Stewart 100 and the Pilot Decimo.)
Buy Nicer Pens. Or maybe it’s better to say “Buy the pens that I want, rather than what I think I’m expected to review.” There are so many pen blogs and websites out there right now, that I shouldn’t feel like I have an obligation to chase and cover every major release. If it doesn’t interest me, someone else will pick it up. (Example: I suspected that I might dislike the Lamy Aion, but felt like I was “duty bound” to give it a shot. I should have passed.) The time and money saved already has funded some absolutely awesome acquisitions that I’m truly excited about, and I can’t wait to get reviews up on the site.
Take a Step Back. I’ve pushed myself pretty hard over the past two years, and I ended 2018 really, really tired. I need to take more time off if I feel that I need it, and while I plan to stick with a regular posting schedule, I won’t let it kill me if I need to skip a week or push a post by a couple days. I actually think the content will be the better for it. Relatedly…
Attend Different Pen Shows. The past couple of years, I feel like I’ve been in a bit of a Pen Show rut. I used to get really excited about attending the same group of shows, but in terms of pens (not people) it’s begun to feel like more of the same. The truly exciting releases are becoming a bit sparse, the price of decent vintage (not to mention near-vintage, past limited editions, and discontinued brands like Omas) is starting to approach what I consider absurdly overpriced, and my interests are shifting a bit towards pens and brands that aren’t very well-represented at most pen shows. I still plan to attend a few, but I’m going to target shows I haven’t visited before, maybe something on the West Coast, or even internationally.
Acquire WAY Less. As I mentioned above, I’m moving towards less stuff, not more, and even though I’ve gone a bit wild with my pen purchases over the last month or so, new pens coming in are vastly outnumbered (and funded) by pens that I’ve gotten rid of. It feels great to be able to see the surface of my desk again, and once I finish shipping the last load of giveaway items (today, hopefully), my office floor will even be clean. I plan to continue holding more sales and giveaways throughout the year, as I fine tune my personal collection and try to avoid holding on to anything that passes through for review purposes.

So goodbye 2018, and I’m looking forward to what the new year has to offer! If you have any suggestions about content you’d like to see on the blog (particularly something you may have enjoyed in the past but haven’t seen in a while) drop me a line through the “Contact Me” link at the top, or e-mail me at Joe (at) gentlemanstationer.com.