Pelikan Tradition-Series 200 Fountain Pen Review

I recently purchased a Pelikan Tradition Series 200 Fountain Pen from Goldspot Pens. The pen normally retails for a little over $100, but I was able to purchase it for $80 on sale.

I've wanted a Pelikan pen for a long time - the German company has a long and storied history of producing quality writing instruments. The 200 series seemed like a good place to start - a quality pen at a reasonable price.

My pen arrived quickly from Goldspot, packed in a very nice presentation box with instructions in several languages. The pen itself has a black acrylic resin barrel with gold plated accents. The nib (I ordered a fine point) is stainless steel with gold plating. Medium and broad point nibs are also available. Of course, the iconic Pelican bill clip is present.

These pens come equipped with a built-in plunger mechanism, precluding the use of cartridges. That suited me fine, as I like to try different brands of ink in different colors. This time, I decided to try Noodler's Nakahama Whaleman's Sepia, based on an excellent review on Unposted. Filling the pen was simple - simply submerge the nib completely and slowly twist the end of the barrel. You should see bubbles in the ink as the plunger forces air from the chamber. Then, slowly twist the end in the opposite direction to fill the pen. The lower part of the pen is translucent, allowing you to see the ink level in the barrel. The pen wrote smoothly enough after a brief break-in period. The fine nib produced a steady flow of the Noodler's ink, though it was just a bit scratchy - even on the excellent Doane Paper I used. I imagine it will smooth out more with continued use.

The Pelikan is very light and compact. It is considerably shorter than a Lamy Safari but not so small as to be unwieldy for writing. Some might find the pen almost too light. The compact size allows it to fit easily in a shirt pocket - the cap screws on for a very secure fit.

All in all I really enjoy this Pelikan. It writes well, looks classy and has a built-in plunger mechanism. This is a pen suitable for casual or dress attire. If you're looking for a classic fountain pen at a very reasonable price, I can highly recommend the Pelikan Tradition-Series 200.

Pelikan Tradition-Series 200 Fountain Pen Review