"Wait. You bought half a ski worth of pen!?"
That was the reaction from my friend/temporary roommate(who bought a whole ski around the same time, huh huh.)when I confessed to her my darkest secret. By the way, I did so with a happy and smug face, just like her dog/roommate no.2 when she ate my lunch/chewed up my makeup brush.
I have owned and used this pen for almost 9 months already and I guess it's time for a short review.
Pelikan M400 White Tortoise is one of the pens that had been on my list forever, and as soon as I got my second paycheck from my grown-up job (the first/ the whole thing, was to take care of the rent and deposit. The joy of living in New York area), I went online and hunted this baby down.
The reason of my strong desire is quite apoarent: Look how pretty and shiny it is!
There are plenty of pictures of the white tortoise on the net so I won't go all spammy: In real life, it's just as beautiful (as it was in my day dream). The white pen has a simple design with gold accent.
The acrylic barrel, where most ooh-and-ahh is induced, has warm toned striations that glitter and flicker under sun. This kaleidoscope-like beauty is further enhanced with inks in shades of yellow, amber and orange.
The grip section of the M400 is short but long enough to rest on my finger without running into the thread. Anyway, the well-balanced pen is lightweight enough that it wouldn't cut into skin even I am holding onto the thread.
For the nib, I picked up a broad (mainly because my appetite for pin-point precision can be fulfilled by the Japanese). It's less stiff than the 14k from Sailor but a tad springy than the stainless nib from Lamy. It writes well, in a smooth and sheer way that showcases shading in lighter ink but admittedly, I can't say it's better writer than pens in cheaper price brackets.
Writing sample with Diamine Jade Green on Muji grid notebook. It took me months to use up the barrel full of ink now that I no-longer have notes to take and my actually handwriting has to be done with ballpoints. The horror.
Overall: It's a beautiful pen and a decent writer. I can't say it's worth all the Benjamins but it has been making me really happy. If you want a more expensive pen with a solid performance and tangible craftsmanship, I think a Pilot pen in the 100-dollar range will bring you more joy.
