The much-loved Pelikan Souveran M800 Black-Red which enjoyed popularity until around 2012 when it was discontinued, is reportedly returning to the market as the Hannover-based brand has made the decision to reintroduce this variation to their portfolio.
It is indeed news we have been eagerly awaiting, and here we are. But before we move on to the new model and what it has to offer, let’s take a quick look back at the launch of the M800 and see what it has meant over the years and what it means to users today.
According to sources, Pelikan was to release the M800 in 1987, which was to become their first modern oversized model. Until then, the M400 and M600 models launched in previous years had not enjoyed such success. And even though the M600 underwent a few changes along the way in terms of size becoming slightly larger, for both Pelikan’s history and the brand’s users, the M800 was a huge success. At first, before the line expanded and became the launch pad for numerous special editions, the M800 was available in Green-Black striped or Black.
Now, let’s see what to expect from this version as soon as it is released. As for its appearance, it seems that the black and red version will follow the same design line as the existing models and this means that we will find the same body made of precious resin along with the famous stripes that have established the brand over the years, the trim plated in 24k gold, the bi-colour 18k gold nib beautifully decorated with the iconic logo as well as the already well-known piston filling mechanism.
We don’t know for sure yet, but there are rumours that Pelikan will replace the translucent barrels – for which it has also become popular – with opaque ones for the future. If the rumours are confirmed it looks like there will be a big battle over the translucent butt models still on the market or in the aftermarket. We don’t know what would cause the brand to make such a change, but in our humble opinion, the new pens may no longer possess the same charm for which they were so beloved by users.
As for the price, it seems that anyone who didn’t manage to add it to their collection before it was discontinued will pay EUR 460 on the new version.
