The Pelikan Souverän fountain pen

The Pelikan Souverän fountain pen range is a truly iconic line within the fountain pen world. Featuring Pelikan’s signature striated (pin-striped) design and differentiated piston filling mechanism, it combines all of Pelikan’s most sought after features.

Souverän fountain pens include the gold finished M300, M400, M600, M800 and M100 and the silver finished M405, M605 and M805. Pelikan also release special editions within the Souverän range from time to time. Popular models include the likes of the M800 Stone Garden and M600 Vibrant Orange.

The Souverän range was introduced by Pelikan in 1982, to mark the revival of fountain pens. As opposed to being a more functional everyday pen, the Souverän was intended to be a treasured item to use for personal correspondence and signatures, as well as acting as a status symbol.

What makes the Souverän so appealing?

Since its introduction, the range has become synonymous with Pelikan’s superior build quality and aesthetics. The Souverän fountain pen comes in a range of sizes and colours, with the largest being the Souverän M1000 and the smallest the Souverän M300. Today, the series is made up of a number of classic Pelikan colours – including the archetypal green striations and classic black lacquer. Some of the Souverän models also feature blue, red and anthracite striations.

The nibs are similarly varied, with a width and design for all preferences. Each Souverän comes available with an Extra Fine, Fine, Medium or Broad nib. The finer the width, the lighter and crisper the line; the broader the width the thicker and smoother the line put down by the fountain pen.

The materials used for the nibs? As you may expect from such a high-end manufacturer as Pelikan, their Souverän are some of the most luxurious you will find in a fountain pen. While the nib in the M600 and M400 (will also fit the Classic M200, M205 and M215) and the M300 is made impressively from 14 carat gold, the M800 and M1000 comes fitted with an even more superior 18 carat gold. All of these nibs feature beautiful Rhodium decorations. The M405 and M605 nib are also 14 carat gold but feature full Rhodium plating – as does the M805, but like the M800 and M1000, is built with 18 carat gold.

What really does tie all of the Souveräns together, is the unbeatable ornate trim. The M300/ M400/ M600/ M800/ M1000 all come adorned with 24 carat gold plated trim across their bodies and caps, while the 05 variations come complete with plush palladium trim.

So, which Souverän’s right for you?

As you’ve discovered, there are so many variations of Pelikan’s famous Souverän fountain pen. We find that in reality, there’s a model there for everyone. If you’re looking at purchasing your first, you may want to consider these factors:

Size: If you have smaller hands, you may want to start from the lower end. The smaller the number, the smaller the pen. The M300 can be considered extra small, while the M1000 is extra-large. While men with larger hands may struggle to write for longer periods with the M300, the M1000 could pose problems for women or children with smaller hands.

Weight: Again, the smaller the number, the lighter the pen. Therefore, if you’re stuck Souverän M805 and M600, you may want to consider how long your writing sessions will be. There is a noticeable weight difference between each, so if you’ll be writing long essays, you may plump for the M600. If you’ll be writing in short bursts however, the M805 could be the one for you.

Here’s a closer look at the exact differences between the different Souverän fountain pens*:

* Table excludes all Limited Edition Souveräns. All Souverän fountain pens come fitted with Pelikan’s differentiated piston filling mechanism, meaning you will need to fill your pen with bottled ink, as opposed to an ink cartridge.