Pelikan M600 Review: The Goldilocks of the Pelikan Souverän Line

Introduction

The Pelikan M600 occupies a spot in the Souverän lineup that a lot of collectors end up appreciating: right in the middle. It is larger than the M400, smaller than the M800, and it carries a 14 karat gold nib in a body that stays comfortable for long writing sessions. For this review, the pen in question is the standard Blue Stripes version, a classic look with a striped blue and black resin barrel, gold trim, and the familiar Pelikan-style clip topped with an etched metal finial.

One small detail worth knowing up front: the cap unscrews in just under one full rotation, roughly three quarters of a turn. The M400 comes off in half a rotation and the M800 takes closer to a full turn, so the bigger the pen, the more twists it takes. The M600 sits neatly between those two, which fits its whole personality.

Across the lineup, the M200 and M400 share the same size and nib dimensions, with the 200 carrying a steel nib and the 400 a gold one. The M600 steps up in both body and nib size while keeping the 14 karat gold nib, and the M800 grows again and moves to an 18 karat nib. The M1000 sits at the top as the biggest of them all in both girth and nib size.

Who This Product Is For

The M600 makes sense for writers who want more presence than the M400 without committing to the bulk of the M800. Compared side by side, the M800 is noticeably wider and longer than the M600, while the M600 is only slightly bigger than the M400.

Here is the interesting part: uncapped, the M600 is not actually much longer than the M400. It is mainly a little wider in the grip section. So if you are considering the 600 expecting a significantly longer pen in the hand, that is not quite what you get. What you get is a modestly wider writing experience with a larger nib. All of these pens can be posted as well, which changes the in-hand feel further.

This is a good pick if you want a comfortable, classy everyday writer. Pelikan pens are not known for wild designs; even their special editions lean refined rather than flashy. The Blue Stripes finish fits that brief perfectly: a good pen to take anywhere, with lovely stripe detailing and warm gold accents.

Main Strengths

The piston filler is the headline. Across the Pelikan pens in this lineup, the piston mechanism is the smoothest and most effortless around, operating with almost no force at all. It is hard to convey in words, but there is essentially no resistance when filling. The one trade-off with the Blue Stripes version: the striped barrel is not transparent, so you cannot see how much ink remains. If you want an ink window, the plain black M600 offers one, at the cost of a less decorative barrel.

Then there is the nib. The review unit came with a 14 karat gold extra fine, though in practice it writes closer to a fine, and a Pelikan fine already runs closer to what most brands call a medium, only wetter. Pelikan nibs are among the best looking in the business, with detailed scrollwork, a clear size and material marking, and big chunky feeds that deliver a serious flow of ink.

Performance is where Pelikan earns its reputation. The pen is very smooth and very wet, one of the wettest stock writer brands you can buy. There is a touch of audible feedback from the extra fine tip, a little paper sound, but no resistance and no scratchiness. No skips appeared during a fast writing test, and the pen kept up easily. Lines come out saturated, and the wet flow means strong ink character on the page.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The first consideration is nib sizing. Pelikan runs wet and broad, so if you prefer narrower lines, consider sizing down. The extra fine tested here is close to what other brands would call a fine, and it is still wet enough that its true width is hard to pin down. If you love a fire hose of ink and wide, characterful lines, none of this will bother you.

The second consideration is ink consumption. This pen holds a good amount of ink as a piston filler and uses plenty of it. That makes Pelikan pens excellent for working through a bottle, but it also means a heavily saturated ink will disappear faster than you might expect.

Speaking of ink, the M600 pairs beautifully with saturated, sheening inks. A bright pink with a strong gold sheen was used for this review, and while standard 80gsm blank paper does not show much sheen, better sheening papers will bring it out. The ink used here is fairly saturated, so it does not shade much, but the wet Pelikan flow maximizes whatever properties your ink has.

Buying Advice

Within the Souverän range, the M600 is the comfort pick. The M400, with its half-turn cap and light, nimble feel, is quick to uncap and easy for fast note-taking even though it is a twist cap. The M800 delivers the chunky, substantial feel for writers who want more pen in hand. The M600 lands in the middle: comfortable, balanced, and satisfying just to pick up and write with.

A practical note for buyers: depending on the distributor, packaging varies. Units sourced from Japan include the full documentation set, though the booklet is in Japanese, and they may not include the leather sleeve sometimes bundled elsewhere. The pen itself is unaffected, but it is worth knowing what to expect in the box.

If you already own an M400 or an M800, the M600 rounds out a collection nicely without redundancy, since it is genuinely distinct in both nib and body size. And if you are choosing a single Pelikan, ask yourself honestly how much pen you want in hand. For most writers who find the M400 too small and the M800 too much, the M600 is the answer.

Conclusion

The Pelikan M600 delivers what the Souverän line is known for: a beautiful striped resin body, an effortless piston filler, a gorgeous engraved gold nib, and a reliably wet, smooth writing experience. It is not a pen for those chasing needle-thin lines, but for anyone who wants a classy, comfortable daily writer with real ink capacity, it earns its place in the middle of the lineup.