(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)
The Pelikan Special Edition M120 in green and black is a tribute to the vintage version from the 1950s. Like its predecessor, the pen is cigar shaped with a black cap and piston knob, green barrel, and Pelikan-beak clip.
My pen came in a cardboard presentation box with a drawer. The pen is nestled inside a leatherette Pelikan pen envelope tied with brown ribbon.
The cap top is engraved with the Pelikan logo, but it's hard to see except in direct light.
The Pelikan-beak clip is gold plated. And the cap ring is engraved with the words "Pelikan Germany."
The barrel is solid green plastic with an ink window and a black grip.
The M120 nib is gold-plated stainless steel engraved with a retro design.
I am quite impressed with the nib on my review pen. Even though it is an extra-fine, it is not scratchy at all. It writes smoothly and even has a bit of spring.
I inked the M120 with Pelikan's new 4001 Dark Green ink. It's a perfect match for the pen and is a beautiful shade of green. The piston on the M120 works smoothly and draws in about 0.9 ml of ink.
The M120 is a small pen at only 4.75 inches unposted and 6.1 posted. It is bigger than its vintage predecessors (the M140 and M120) which measure 4.5 inches unposted and 5.5 inches posted. The pen weighs only 14.5 grams.
You can purchase the Special Edition M120 in green and black at Goldspot for $211.95 (retail is $265!). For such a simple plastic pen with a steel nib, that's a pretty steep price. I think Pelikan should have priced this around $100 or less, making it more competitive with other EDC pens like TWSBI, because the M120 could be a wonderful every-day writer.
Pros
- The simple design of the M120 and piston filling system make this a great EDC pen.
- The gold-plated, stainless steel nib writes beautifully. Pelikan nibs are consistently good (in my experience) though the size of the nibs can vary (i.e. one fine Pelikan nib might write more like a medium, whereas another fine might write like a true fine). The EF on this review pen is a true EF.
- The pen is light and well balanced posted or unposted. It won't weigh down a shirt pocket and will fit easily in a small notebook.
- The M120 comes in a nice presentation box and would make a great graduation gift or Father's Day present.
Cons
- I honestly think this pen is overpriced. It is a piston-filler, which may add a bit to the cost, but it's plastic with a steel nib. It really shouldn't be over $100.
- Because the pen is small, people with larger hands may find it too light even when posted.
Thanks to Goldspot Pens for lending Pen Addict the M120 for review.
