Pelikan Souverän M800 Fountain Pen

The Souverän M800 has been in continuous production since 1987 and is, for a lot of writers, the reference point against which other pens in its class get measured. It doesn't make a dramatic design statement — that's the point. It's a pen that earns its reputation through material quality, filling mechanism, and nib performance rather than through visual novelty.

The barrel material is worth understanding in detail. The striped resin is made from a cotton-based formula developed specifically for Pelikan, built up in layers over the course of months, then shaped and cut using a natural diamond. The characteristic double rings on both the cap and barrel are integrated with the utmost precision to produce a nearly seamless material transition, then the whole pen is polished to a high gloss. It's an involved manufacturing process for what appears, at first glance, to be a simple striped pen. The clip is the stylized Pelikan beak — one of the oldest continuously used pen design elements in the industry. 

The filling system is Pelikan's differential piston mechanism, which they introduced in 1929 and have refined ever since. The differential design causes the internal spindle to rotate faster than the barrel end-piece through the use of two different thread pitches, resulting in smooth, controlled ink uptake and a larger usable reservoir than a standard piston. Internal components are solid brass, which contributes to the pen's slight but noticeable heft and gives the filling action a precise, mechanical feel that many writers find satisfying. 

The 18k gold nib is rhodium-trimmed and hand-tested for writing quality before leaving the factory. The 18k nib writes with a softness and expressiveness that Pelikan's 14k nibs — used on the smaller M600 — don't quite match. Pelikan nibs on this model also have a reputation for writing slightly wider than their stated size, which is worth keeping in mind when selecting a width. Available in EF, F, M, and B. 

At around 30 grams and 141mm capped, it's a lighter pen than its presence suggests — comfortable for long writing sessions, and well-balanced both posted and unposted.

Specifications

Body: Cotton-based striped resin, diamond-ground and polished; also available in solid black resin
Trim: 24k gold-plated brass
Nib: 18k bi-color gold with rhodium — EF / F / M / B 
Filling: Differential piston (bottled ink only)
Cap: Screw
Length (capped): 141mm | Posted: ~164mm
Weight: ~30g
Made in Germany