A Closer look at the Pelikan Souverän M805, 640 and M205
Since Pelikan Fountain Pens get talked about quite often in The Nib, and they are one of my favorite brands of pen that I own, I thought that I would take a closer look and compare the three sizes that I have.
I currently have a Pelikan Souverän M805 Blue and Black fitted with a 18kt gold medium nib, a 640 Polar Lights also fitted with a 18kt gold medium nib and an M205 Black and Silver fitted with a steel broad nib. I think we all know that these pens are all piston fillers.
When purchasing a Pelikan, the larger the size of the pen, translates directly to a larger price. For that reason, I wanted to compare the sizes of the pens I have, and illustrate the differences.
Capped, the 805 is the largest coming in at 5.56 inches. The 640 is not far behind with a length of 5.36 inches. The 205 is the smallest coming in at 4.94 inches (all measurements were taken with a pair of digital calipers that has an inch setting). While capped the pens have somewhat large differences, when the caps are removed, the differences are much smaller.
I never write with my pens posted. One of the most important measurements I look for when buying a pen is the size of the body, meaning the area I can hold with my hand. Very often, this measurement is not shown.
Uncapped, and measured from the edge of the section to the end of the barrel, the 805 is 4.14 inches. The 640 is 4.09 inches. The 205 is 4.01 inches. These measurements are much closer, and surprising. When I first bought my 805, I would have sworn that the body was much bigger than a tenth of an inch over a 205! But it is not.
The diameter of the pens is another area that you would think would be very different also, they do feel much different. The diameter of the 805 is .54 inches. The 640 has a larger diameter at .57 inches. The 205 has a diameter of .48 inches.
The last area of comparison is weight. This is where things get different, and I think the weights of the pens is what gives the impressions of everything else being so different. The weight of the 805 capped is 1.10oz and uncapped .78oz. The weight of the 640 capped is 1.20oz and uncapped .92oz. The weight of the 205 capped is .52oz and uncapped .38oz. Now I will say that each pen has ink in it, and yes there may be different levels of ink in them, but you get my drift. Uncapped the 805 is twice what the 205 is (most of that must be the brass piston parts instead of plastic).
And finally the nibs. On the three pens I have here, two have 18kt gold, the 805 a two tone and the 640 a rhodium plated 18kt gold single tone. Both those are medium and the 205 has a broad steel nib. I must say that the steel nib is just as smooth and a joy to write with as the two gold nibs are.
I have a Pelikan Souverän M600 that is set to be delivered this week from Richard Binder. I will take the same measurements and list them in this thread because I am sure that they will be different from the 640, especially the diameter. I would love for someone to add measurements for any other Pelikan pens they have, So this can become a kind of buying guide.
Thanks for reading!
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