After I got my Delta DolceVita Oversize, I was hooked on oversized pens and I acquired a bunch of them in rapid succession. The Pelikan Souverän m1000 was one of them.
I knew early on in my fountain pen journey that I had to have an m1000. A “grail” pen, as it were. My definition of a grail pen has shifted over the years and the m1000 is not it, but I wanted one and used my post-Delta giant pen fever to justify getting it.
This is another substantial pen. Although it’s large, the pen is proportionally correct so it doesn’t feel as ridiculous as the Delta. The material has depth but is subtle. The whole pen feels like a high quality instrument, like the Delta, but it’s not flashy and garish–it’s classy and conservative. All of these qualities work together to create a fountain pen that would be a great option for every day use, although I think it’s a bit long for a shirt pocket.
Pelikan’s flagship pen is not heavy, despite being large. Most of its weight falls in the web of my hand because of the brass piston mechanism; some do not like a back-heavy pen, but it works for me. The pen posts and becomes stupid long, but because it is proportionally sensible and the cap is light and posts deeply, it sort-of works. I don’t write with it like that, but one could do it.
The two tone nib is one of the most beautiful in the industry. Pelikan nibs are proprietary and interchangeable between like models (i.e. m1000 size nibs are interchangeable). Unlike my Delta, it wrote out of the box. I didn’t like how it wrote, but it worked: the nib seemed uneven like one nib tine was longer than the other and it tended to slowly run dry while writing–unacceptable at this price, of course, but at least it was functional.
I’ll be honest, I bought this pen off of the gray market–paid a lower price ordering it directly from Germany via eBay. The trade off to taking this route is one can generally kiss their warranty goodbye. I probably could have sent it back to Germany, but instead I sent the pen to the legendary Mike Masuyama. He sorted it out for me. The guy is a pen wizard.
It writes like a dream, now. It’s significantly finer than it was and writes with the perfect amount of feedback with no skipping, drying-out, or other BS. The nib is springy and responsive but nowhere near a flex nib–nor is it advertised as such. It’s a joy to use.
The Pelikan m1000 is a seriously nice pen.
Pros:
- Classy and professional.
- Comfortable in the hand.
- Well designed and balanced.
- Beautiful, expressive nib.
Cons:
- Probably too big for some.
- Expensive.
- Mine was a mediocre writer out of the box.
Specs:
- Cap:
- Screw Cap.
- 3/4 turn to remove.
- Nib:
- Large Pelikan nib unit–roughly #8 size.
- Presently available in extra fine, fine, medium, and broad.
- Other nib grades were historically available and are still out there.
- Filling system:
- Silky smooth piston mechanism
- Ink capacity is around 1.2-1.3 mL.
- Length
- Capped: 146mm
- Uncapped: 136mm
- Posted: 178mm
- Weight:
- 34 grams
- Cap: 10 grams
- Pen: 24
- 34 grams
- Section diameter:
- 12-13mm
Mat's Pens 