245 MSRP? I have no clue why this pen is so expensive. I mean, it still has a steel nib. The other confusing part is, even with such a discount, why is it so expensive on Massdrop? Retailers in Singapore retail it cheaper. About $20 cheaper.
IndianElfPiston fill and a super smooth nib. Almost a century of experiencr producing quality German fountain pens. Save $20 buying from Singapore??? I'm not sorry that being in North America I'd rather buy from a reputable dealer on the same continent. That way I'll know it'll take less than 3 months to shop and ensure the pen is authentic. Overall, this Pelikan from Massdrop isn't expensive it is a fantastic value.
JJJAKSteel nib, plastic body. It's original price in the 50's was <10 deutsche marks . The MK II in the 70's was <$10. I purchased an original from 50's via auction; I paid less than $40 for it. Regardless of the name attached, the price they're asking is absurd. It should be no more than $100.
rapoonMacrolon, Ebonite, Acrylic, etc. All of them are polycarbonate plastics. So argument about this pen having a plastic body is pointless. So does 3000$ Montblanc but I don't see people complaining about that, no matter that they advertise it as "precious resin".
As for nib, it depends. What good is gold nib which doesn't write properly as opposed to gold plated which works like charm. People buy stupid Visconti pens costing $500+ with chromium nibs which often don't work at all, even on their limited edition pens. As opposed to that, Pelikan nibs are smooth and very nice to write with. My M200 has smoother nib than some 3x more expensive pens. It's all about experience.
That said I wouldn't pay 160$ for this pen either, mostly because this pen can be found in other places for cheaper, and I don't like the idea of artificially inflating the price by making limited editions.
plastic construction: see context!
In regards to the nib, my criticism has absolutely nothing to do with the writing experience of gold plated steel vs gold; it's the fact that it lacks a gold nib. again, see context.
As I previously stated, I own an original. It performs it's utilitarian function well enough , and is absolutely not worth any more than the ~$50 ($40 + shipping) I paid for it. The context of mine and others posts is being severely contorted. Criticism(s) of this pen isn't that it has all plastic construction or a steel nib; it's the fact an obnoxious price tag is associated to the aforementioned characteristics. Anyone interested in this pen should simply buy an original at a fraction of the cost.