Pelikan M150 occupies a particularly interesting niche within Pelikan’s long and storied tradition of fountain pen manufacture. Introduced in the mid-1980s, it was conceived as a smaller, more approachable sibling to the better-known M200, yet it carries with it the same hallmarks of German engineering and understated refinement. Its release in 1985 marked a continuation of Pelikan’s pursuit of balance between practicality and elegance, offering a compact instrument with the reliability of a piston-filling mechanism and the dignity of a gold-plated trim.
In terms of form, the pen reveals a subtle charm that belies its modest dimensions. Measuring approximately 120 millimetres in length when closed, and just under 145 millimetres when posted, it is light in the hand at a mere eleven grams. This makes it particularly well suited to long sessions of writing, for it never fatigues the hand. The barrel is fashioned from polished resin, in the traditional green-striped pattern so closely associated with Pelikan, complemented by a solid black cap. The trim is plated in gold, lending the pen a classical warmth that distinguishes it from its rhodium-trimmed sibling, the M100.
The nib, perhaps the very soul of any fountain pen, is of stainless steel construction but plated in gold, a design decision that provides both resilience and a measure of flexibility. Though not soft in the manner of vintage gold nibs, the Pelikan M150’s nib possesses a touch of spring, affording subtle line variation without compromising control. Available in a range of sizes from extra fine through to broad and oblique double broad, it caters to both the precise hand and the more expressive writer. The one displayed here, marked with Pelikan’s twin chick emblem, carries with it the unmistakable identity of the company’s West German manufacture, a detail that situates it firmly within the era prior to Germany’s reunification.
A notable distinction lies in the trim variations that separate the “old style” M150 from the later redesign. Early versions, such as the one you own, feature the so-called derby cap top, a gently domed finial that is characteristic of Pelikan pens of the 1980s. The cap band and lip are slightly bevelled, and the piston knob is devoid of any trim ring—an austerity that enhances the purity of its form. In 1997, Pelikan restyled the pen, introducing a crown-like cap top and a trim ring at the piston knob, adjustments that subtly modernised the appearance whilst preserving the overall proportions. In Italy, this later version was even given its own designation, the M151, marketed specifically to that region.
At the heart of the M150 lies Pelikan’s superb piston filling system, a mechanism that sets the company apart from many of its contemporaries. Smooth and remarkably durable, it allows the pen to draw ink directly from a bottle, storing as much as 1.18 millilitres—generous indeed for a pen of this size. The inclusion of a translucent grey ink window between the barrel and section, though discreet, ensures that the writer remains ever aware of the ink supply, a feature both practical and aesthetically pleasing.
What truly defines the M150 is not merely its technical specification, but the writing experience it affords. In contrast to the weightier and more imposing M800 or M1000, the M150 glides across the page with a nimble lightness, responding promptly to the writer’s hand without resistance. It has long been admired by enthusiasts as a pen that “punches above its weight”: though modest in price and stature, it delivers a performance that rivals far more expensive instruments.