Impulse purchase alert!

How to tell if it’s an impulse: it’s the same model as something you already have, in the same nib size, and just a different colour. (It’s probably worse if you have two absolutely identical pens, but why would anyone…? Right?)

I thought I’d wanted a fine nib but my penchant for “as fine as possible” won out in the end, and I paid the €10 more for the EF, resulting in me now owning two M2xx EF pens. Not that it’s anything to complain about, since the colour is strikingly different from the M205 Amethyst!

There are actually two versions of Pelikan’s clear demonstrator: an earlier release from 2000 also called the M201, and this release from 2012. The earlier one has a black piston housing and a black cap band around the finial. With either of these, though, the ink still sloshes around in a very satisfying manner, especially if there’s a light colour within; my first inking of this pen was with Robert Oster Peach.

The gold plating in this pen is slightly less yellow than in the two Sailors I’ve reviewed; there is a comparison photo in last week’s article. The nib, as expected of Pelikan, is a little wider than a Western EF, but really smooth and (after I washed it in some soap to get rid of manufacturing oils) a wonderful writer.

The amount of spring on Pelikan steel nibs has always amazed me and this is no exception. With some pressure you can get pretty good line variation — be careful, though!