Where to buy: N/A

Price: N/A

Recommend?: Y E S S S S S S S S S S S S. For Londonphiles (yes that’s now a word) such as myself, absolutely yes. It reflects Piccadilly perfectly and captures it in a pen AND it’s a Pelikan! Two wins right there.

If you want a TL;DR of this pen, I adore it. I will also tell you that I have put another review on hold just so that I have another excuse to write with this pen tonight. Oh. Also, London.

I have lived in London my whole life, and I am so happy that I do. Of the 5 universities I applied to, 4 were in London (I let Mother think this is because I want to stay close to home, but really I just love the city). I really cannot put my love for this city into words. Ykno another thing I really love? Pelikans. Pelicans are pretty cool, also.

So when I discovered that Pelikan did a City Series Edition of London, I NEEDED it. I go to a pen met up every month in London. This is where I met my Chief Enabler (you can read his review here (opens in a new tab)), and you will discover why he has this name. Because not only did he just prompt me to buy a Pilot Custom 823 and not only his Pelikan M100 ‘Stormtrooper’ (I am sure to do a review of these two pens) but also sold me this pen. And I am so thankful because, while I don’t have a grail list, this pen would certainly feature on said list.

So what makes this a London themed pen, other than by nomenclature? Well, the answer for that lies in the body design, which is difficult to ignore. Pelikan didn’t use this design just because it looks nice (and it does. It so does) but because it mimics the vibrant, neon aesthetic and embodies the out-going nature that Piccadilly represents. This is not a pen that is just sold with a special edition tag with new fancy design and swirls, it means something. To me, that is very important in the pen because if it didn’t have meaning, I think it would completely turn me off.

There is one issue I have with the pen: the furnishings are silver, and I am a gold guy. If I had the choice, then I would have gold furniture on this pen. However, it does not come with that option. But it isn’t something that annoys me as much as I love this pen (I’d say it’s a 3/10 annoyance but I have a 923728463763287/10 love for the pen). That being said, the pen has the Mxx0 nib which is the two-tone gold nib. This might irk some people. It makes it more personal to me so I’m not bothered by it all.

But talking about the nib, it’s fantastic. It’s a fine, and compared to my M800 fine I think this is a ‘true fine’ while the M800 is a Pelikan fine (for those of you who don’t know, Pelikan nib grades tend to run a tad broader than other Western nibs). It isn’t as smooth, but gosh the feedback is beautiful and it sings! It is also very wet for a fine nib. Reverse writing and line variation can also be had.

The M620 is part of the same size class as the other M6xx pens. I regard 600 as a ‘normal’ size. M8xx as ‘large’ and M1xxx as ‘oversize’. I can still write with this pen without the cap posted — and that is super important as someone whom detests writing with the cap posted. I’ve tested the pens in my hand across the entire range of Pelikans before, so I knew that this size was okay for me. The pen also has the famous Pelikan pelican (ehh) clip which I adore as well as the mama and babba pelicans on the finial.

The pen is also lighter than the M8xx and M1xxx sizes. Not just because it is thinner and smaller, but this pen (along with the 400 & 200 series) doesn’t use a brass piston. So that mitigates a lot of the weight, which is great if you prefer lighter pens. Thankfully I have no preference for every single pen I buy.

You can buy an M600 for a cheaper price than what I got this for (and if not, you’re looking in the wrong place..!) and it will write exactly the same and feel exactly the same. But the original M60x design will not embody my favourite city in the world and something that has been a big part in my life recently (due to frequent trips into London, particularly with my girlfriend over the past two years). It’s personal to me and I love it. That’s what this hobby is about.

Only spend what you think a pen is worth; and to me, this pen is priceless.

Pros:

Pelikan and London

M6xx size is perfect for most people; not too big and not small

B E A U T I F U L aesthetic

The nib is amazing – as expected from Pelikan

Cons:

Not widely available and I think everyone should have the opportunity to play with this pen