The German brand Pelikan was born in 1832 manufacturing paint and ink. When in 1878 Gunther Wagner took the lead of the company, he incorporated the Pelican, his family's emblem, as the brand's logo.

It was in 1929, after acquiring the fountain pen patents that Pelikan began to produce them and introduced the famous piston system, which differentiated their pens from the rest in the industry.

Since then, the brand has continued to manufacture and market a wide variety of classic and timeless items that drive writing fanatics crazy.

Pelikan Souverän

In 1950 Pelikan launched the model 400, with its green striped body, inspired by the suits of the foreign minister of the Weimar Republic, Gustav Stresemann, who used to wear thinly striped pants.

Image Title: Three Men's Suits, a so-called "Stresemann" to the left, 1924 © bpk - Photo Agency / Kunstbibliothek, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz / Dietmar Katz

This model quickly became a worldwide symbol of the brand, with its classic and traditional styling. During the 1980s the series was baptized as Souverän.

The production of the Souverän barrel is a task of extreme delicacy as the material, created exclusively for Pelikan, must be handled with precision.

Pelikan Souverän M605 Stresemann

Pelikan Souverän is considered one of the best in writing instruments, for its solid construction and high quality material. The piston loading mechanism and the handmade nib add the finishing touch to this fabulous collection.

The collection stands out for its variety and practicality, which is why all Souverän pens come with a white carrying case. Among the most popular models are the M400, M600 and M800, but how do they differ?

LENGTH

The main difference between these three models is the size. The M400, which was the first of the 3 to hit the market, is a small pen. Closed, it has an approximate length of 12 cm, and open it has about 14.58 cm.

The M600 is slightly larger, closed at around 13 cm, while open it reaches 15.4 cm.

The M800 is the longest of the three. Its length is 14 cm closed and 16.5 cm open.

WEIGHT

Due to the difference in size between the three pens, the weight also varies. However, the real difference is seen in the M800.

The M400 has an approximate weight of 15g, the M600 of 18g. These two pens have an internal plastic mechanism, which makes them extremely light pens.

The M800 has a brass mechanism, reaching a higher weight of around 29g.

NIB

The nib is the guide for many when buying a pen, and among these three the nib is significantly different. In comparison the M400 has a shorter and thinner nib, the M600 has a wider and slightly longer one. Both have a 14-karat gold nib of excellent quality.

The M800 stands out for its 18-karat solid gold nib, manufactured entirely in Pelikan, and due to its soft shape and alignment, it has a smoother writing.

Pelikan Souverän M400, M600, M800 nibs detail