Review 3: Pelikan M400 Souverän

First impressions:

The second smallest pen in the Souverän line, the M400 is actually exactly the same size as the M200/205. The difference comes in the trim and nib; this has more trim rings, and a gold nib as standard.

The pen came in ste standard Souverän-style "coffin" box, in a faux leather pouch. There's a million and one unboxing videos so I shaln't go into detail about this!

I have the white tortoise model; the pen is also available in black, blue, green, and red, but I just fell absolutely in love with this finish! The cap, section and piston knob are made from resin, ever so slightly cream coloured compared to, say, the white M100. The barrel has Pelikans signature striations, but is made from the most gorgeous honey-green celluloid with flecks of yellow, brown and gold. Seriously, it's a stunning finish, and took my breath away when I saw it in person!

Weight:

- Capped: 16g

- Uncapped: 10g

- Cap: 6g

Dimensions:

- Length capped: 12.5cm

- Length uncapped: 12.0cm

- Length posted: 14.9cm

- Barrel diameter: 12mm at the widest point

- Section diameter: 9.5mm in the middle of the taper

Construction:

At the top of the cap sits Pelikan's golden crown cap, topped with the company logo featuring a mother pelican feeding her chick; the modern Souverän models have this in a sandblasted finish, whereas the older models and the current lower end (M200 and below) have a painted logo. The cap band reads "PELIKAN SOUVERAN GERMANY". The story behind the logo (and the varying number of chicks throughout the company history) is an entertaining read if you have time!

Believe me, this pen looks even better in real life than in photographs, and you only need to hold it to the light for the colours to spring to life, dancing and playing in the sunshine. Each pen is very unique, depending on which bit of celluloid happened to be used, which I like too!

The M400 holds 1.3ml of ink. Pelikan are famous for their quality filling mechanisms, and this is no exception. The travel is smooth and the pen holds a substantial volume of ink - just as well since the flow to the nib is generous, and the writing experience so pleasant that the pages start stacking up fast. The piston mechanism is plastic, as it is with all pens M600 size and smaller, but I don't feel this is going to hugely affect the durability.

In common with the whole standard Souverän line (M400 to M1000) there are several trim rings; two at the piston knob, one at the end of the section, and two more on the cap. The clip, which is firm and springy, connects directly below the crown. Of course, all the Pelikan clips are shaped like the bill of a pelican, charmingly complementing the theme of the brand! It has been noted in older Pelikan models that the trim ring at the end of the section can eventually corrode after repeated contact with ink, cleaning fluid, and the inside of the cap, but so far so good with my pens.

This pen was clearly made with great attention to detail; no mould lines here! This has universally been my experience with the Souverän models I have owned or written with. It's nice to have good quality control, especially with such premium pens.

Nib and feed:

The nib on this pen is a 14k bicolour medium, which is just as smooth and wet as that of the M600, although feels firmer when writing than the larger nib of the M600 (which compared to the delightfully bouncy giant M1000 nib itself feels a bit of a nail!) but is still an easy and pleasantly smooth writer. The nib is adorned with three decorative arabesque swirls, the mother pelikan and chick logo, and the nib information. This is common across all Souverän-line pens except for the M1000, which has double lines on the swirls.

The feed is moulded plastic, and provides a generous flow to the nib. Helps bring out all the character in an ink!

The nib and feed are housed in a single unscrewable unit, making removal for cleaning or nib swaps easy; some nib units are interchangeable between models.

Writing:

Let's face it, it's not a pen that I would be able to use unposted with comfort, but posted it is a delightfully well balanced writing instrument. I habitually post my pens, and luckily the M400 is nicely balanced with the cap posted. For the record, I do have big hands so if you prefer smaller pens or have smaller hands, don't discount using the pen unposted!

The nib is smooth, and provides a generous ink flow. There's little line variation to be had, but then that isn't the design of the pen! Although it's a small pen with a narrower section than I usually prefer, I still find the M400 very comfortable for long writing sessions (and have emptied the tank in one go before now!).

Thoughts and opinions:

So, to summarise, I really like this pen. It's no secret that I'm a fan of Pelikan, and while I was initially apprehensive about the smaller size of the M400, I'm glad I own one. I only wish they would release this finish in an M800 size!

Thoroughly recommended to anyone looking for a first Pelikan and who enjoys small to mid-sized pens. Can be pricey at retail cost, but there's deals to be had if you look around!

The M400 is the joint second smallest in the Pelikan line (ahead of the diminutive M300, and tied with the M200). The photo above compares the M600 on the left, the M400 centre, and the M200 right.

As always, a little writing sample to finish.

I hope you've enjoyed this, the first of a few Pelikan reviews I hope to do!

Have a great weekend everyone,

Alex