Pelikan Jazz Velvet Ballpoint Pen Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

You ever pick up a pen that you think is new to you, only to discover you've used it in the past? That's me when I recently picked up a Pelikan Jazz Velvet ballpoint pen to try out. Turns out, I had picked up a Pelikan Giant 337 to try out back in 2020 and really had no memory of it at all. Even better, Brad reviewed this exact pen back in 2021, only in a different body color. Time goes by so quickly, and it's easy to miss or forget things! But I'm really glad the Pelikan Jazz Velvet and its Giant refill made it back into my life.

The Jazz Velvet is a ballpoint pen that uses the ubiquitous Parker-style refill shape. The refill doesn't use a hybrid ink formula, either. Just a huge amount of traditional blue ballpoint ink.

Given the price (around $14), I really wasn't expecting much from this pen. I assumed it would provide a mediocre writing experience and come with an ink that isn't bold or saturated. Nothing to write home about, but nothing to complain about either for the price. My assumptions were dead wrong.

This pen doesn't look like an expensive pen on the outside, and I wouldn't expect it to given the price. But what I didn't expect at all was that it feels so great in the hand. The balance is perfect thanks to the heavy top end and tapered body. For my writing grip, it's perfect and feels fantastic. The matte blue coating over the barrel has just enough texture and oil-resistance to provide superb grip. Every time I pick this pen up and start writing, I'm surprised by how much I like it.

This pen uses a twist mechanism to extend and retract the writing tip. This motion was really stiff and imprecise when I first got the pen, but after a couple dozen cycles with regular use, it feels a lot smoother and predictable. It's easy enough to operate with one hand, but I normally use two hands because that's a little quicker.

The all metal top portion of the pen also holds the signature Pelikan clip, which does its job beautifully. It keeps the pen attached to stuff and also prevents it from rolling away.

Writing with the Giant refill in this pen is another factor that makes the pen so surprisingly good to use. It's a really smooth refill that has bold, crisp ink. It starts easily, doesn't skip, and produces clean lines when writing. I love it, and I'm starting to prefer it over my trusty Schmidt EasyFlow 9000 refills for this refill shape.

At $14, I think the Pelikan Jazz Velvet is a sleeper and a fantastic deal. Since the refill costs almost $12, it's even more shocking that the pen feels so great in the hand. Seriously, just add one to your next order and have some fun using it and comparing it to your other favorite Parker-style refills.

(Goldspot provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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TLDR: Pelikan Pens 101

(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)

Ok, I know what you’re thinking, Kimberly can’t write a short article to save her life and you’re probably right but I did want to do a “quick” post about Pelikans since today is Pelikan Hub for most folks around the world and I heard from a lot of folks that they don’t have a Pelikan or don’t know much about them, so here goes!

First of all, if you wanna know all there is to know about Pelikan, stop reading and go to The Pelikan’s Perch by Joshua Danely. He has one of the best blogs out there about Pelikans, including new, the various models, its history, company, manufacturing and more. Go check it out, you won’t regret it. Also, this is not a be-all-end-all article about Pelikans, just a few things to know about the more common models that might help you in your research and possible purchase of a Pelikan. They are known for their fountain pens but Pelikan also makes ballpoints, pencils and inks. I am going to focus on their modern (post ‘90s) piston-filling fountain pens in this article.

Naming, The Brand

Yes, that’s Pelikan, with a K, not a C, in the middle. It used to be C but now it’s K and if you want to know more - read Joshua’s post about the brand/ spelling. Autocorrect will eventually learn to spell it with a K, lol.

Naming, The Letter

You will often see Pelikans listed as M400, M805, M640, K600, P200 etc. What does it all mean? For modern Pelikans, If you see P or M, they are fountain pens; K is for ballpoint, and D is for pencil. The PXXX fountain pens are cartridge fountain pens. Most of the time when people are talking about Pelikans, they are referring to the M series, which is their piston-filler fountain pens.

Naming, The First Number

Pelikans have a 3 or 4 digit number following the letter, like M405, M620, M800, M1005. There are a bunch of models but here are some general guidelines: M2xx series has steel nibs, the M4xx and M6xx have 14kt gold nibs and the M8xx and M1xxx have 18kt gold nibs. Yes, there are other models as well, but this is a good starting point.

Pelikan M200 Caffe Creme, M400 Blue Souveran (or Blue Stripes), M600 Red Tortoiseshell, M800 Brown Tortoiseshell.

Naming, The Last Number

Yes, I am skipping to the end because this is more frequently different than the middle number. The last number tells you if it is gold trim or silver-colored trim (I use the term silver trim to describe the color not because it is sterling silver). If the model ends in 0, it is gold trim (clip, cap/pen rings, primary nib color); if it ends in 5, it is silver trim.

Some gold vs silver comparisons - (left to right) M200 Caffe Creme vs M205 Marbled Petrol and M400 Blue Stripes and M405 Stresemann.

Naming, The Middle Number

Most of the time, the middle number is 0, but occasionally you will come across a pen with a different second digit, like M215, M620, M640, M815, etc. The second digit tells you that there is usually something special about it. For example, the “1” in M215 or M815, tells you that there is metal “on the barrel”, which makes the pen a little heavier than its non-metal sibling. The M620 is for the M6xx sized City Series pens. The M640s are a bit bigger than the M6xx with metal barrels and therefore are heavier than the M620s, and have more intricate designs. You get the idea.

M215 Rings and Orthogons (things I learn from the Pelikan’s Perch!), M620 Place de la Concorde, M640 Sahara, M750 Jubilee, M815 Metal Striped.

Size/Weight

The M2xx and M4xx are similarly sized and weigh about the same. Their main difference is in the nib (steel vs gold). The M600 is a bit larger and therefore a slight bit heavier. The M800 is a bit larger but feels a lot heavier (compared to the jump from M2xx/4xx to M6xx) because of the brass piston vs plastic in the smaller models.

Comparison with M2xx/4xx: Kaweco Sport, TWSBI Mini, Pilot Prera, M200 Golden Beryl, Sailor Pro Gear Slim, Pilot Metropolitan, Lamy AL-Star, M400 Blue Stripes, TWSBI Eco, Kaweco Student, Faber-Castell Grip.

Comparison with M6xx: Pilot Metropolitan, Lamy AL-Star, Sailor Pro Gear, M600 Red Tortoiseshell, TWSBI Eco, Platinum 3776, M620 Place de la Concorde, Pilot Custom Heritage 92, TWSBI 580.

Comparison with M8xx: Sailor Pro Gear, Leonardo Momento Zero, TWSBI 580, Pelikan M800 Burnt Orange, Gioia Partenope, Platinum 3776, Esterbrook Estie, Pelikan M815 Metal Stripes, Platinum President, Pilot 823, Visconti Homo Sapiens, Montblanc 146, Leonardo Momento Zero Grande.

Swapability

For the most part, you can swap the nib units between several of the models. Just carefully unscrew the nib unit from the pen barrel. For example, you can swap nibs between the M2xx and M4xx series as they are the same size pen and nib length. You can also put an M4xx nib unit into an M6xx nib - you can technically fit the M6xx nib onto one of the smaller pens, BUT there might not be enough room in the cap for the longer M6xx nib. The 600 nibs don’t fit in the 800/1000 bodies (and vice versa). I don’t know if the M8xx and M1xxx nibs are swappable or not (I don’t have one of the latter). For me, to keep things simple, I keep my nibs in the same “series” - so 200 nibs go in 200 bodies, 400 nibs in 400 bodies, etc.

Since the nib unit is easily unscrewed from the barrel, I unscrew it to gently syringe the barrel for cleaning - it gets a majority of the cleaning done. I will use the piston a few times to expel the water from the barrel. Then I will blast the nib unit with a bulb syringe until it runs clear before putting it back into the pen and then using the piston a final few times. Just be careful, as always, when unscrewing nib units, so you don’t damage the feed or cause any misalignment of the tines.

Writing Experience

Pelikan’s writing experience for their steel nibs is a bit different than their gold nibs. I have found their steel nibs to be pretty firm but some have experienced bouncy, almost borderline flexy nibs in their M2xx pens. The steel nib sizes are pretty consistent and what you would expect width-wise from a European nib. The gold nib sizes, however, are all over the place. You might get an EF that writes like a Medium or a Medium that writes like a Broad, while another Medium writes like a Fine. I think my M8xx pens are wetter than the others - probably because there’s just more ink in the barrel. I don’t have any M100x pens because their nibs are too long for me to use comfortably due to my steep writing angle, but they feel a bit squishier to me.

Both the steel and gold nibs write well, with the gold nibs writing more like butter. It is almost too smooth if you get a nib with some baby’s bottom. Most Pelikans write fairly wet, so drier inks are sometimes recommended if you don’t want a super broad line. Pelikan 4001 series inks were designed to be drier so that they’d work well in Pelikan pens. The Edelstein line is overall less dry than 4001. Some of the lighter chromashading inks can be dry, but they behave beautifully in my Pelikans.

I don’t have all the nib sizes for all the models but these are the fairly common ones, except for the factory Italic Broad, which you don’t see very often.

Where to buy

There are lots of places to buy a Pelikan, both new and second hand. To my knowledge, you’re not likely to find fake or clone Pelikans but you may get some frankenpens (nib doesn’t match the body/era, wrong colored cap) if you buy second-hand, especially with some of the vintage models. I have bought most of my Pelikans either from European vendors, where Pelikans tend to be cheaper, or from eBay, so it helps to pay close attention to the listing and pictures.

Alright, that’s my somewhat short primer on Pelikans - hope you found it useful. Now to get me and my flock ready for the Pelikan Hub tonight!

(Disclaimer: all pens pictured are mine. I received no compensation for mentioning or including them in this post.)

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Pelikan Hubs are Back!!!

(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)

Can you tell that I’m excited that Pelikan Hubs are back?!?!? After a two year hiatus due to the pandemic, Pelikan Hubs are back! But what are Pelikan Hubs, you ask? According to the Pelikan Hubs site, “Pelikan Hubs connect people who are writing enthusiasts. A worldwide platform that combines knowledge with passion.” I’ve been hearing/seeing a lot of questions about Pelikan Hubs so I thought a little FAQ might be helpful..

What is a Pelikan Hub?

Pelikan Hubs were created by Pelikan as a way for people around the world to meet up with others in the community to enjoy and learn about each other’s fountain pens. Pelikan Hubs are usually held in the fall - usually around September, but this year they will be held worldwide next Friday, November 18, 2022 at 6:30PM.

Do I have to own, want or even like a Pelikan to attend a Hub? Absolutely not! You might not even be a pen enthusiast (yet)! You can own and like whatever pens you want and still choose to go to a Pelikan Hub. There will certainly be folks with many Pelikans in their flock and some with zero and plenty in between.

Currently inked Pelikans, ready for duty!

If I don’t have to own a Pelikan, why is it called the Pelikan Hub? Pelikan started the event in 2014 with 69 Hubs and 981 people gathering worldwide and has grown to 199 Hubs and 5,738 participants at the last Hub in 2019. They coordinate the signups (which was during a short period back in August), assignment of Hub Masters and participants and also send out goodies for Hub Masters to share with attendees.

What/who is a Hub Master?

The Hub Master is the person who is responsible for finding a location for their hub, communicating with their hub attendees and coordinating any activities they may wish to do. This could be an “easy” task if you have a small hub (minimum of 7 people), but it could easily be daunting (and expensive) as several hubs have more than 100 members. As a first time Hub Master, I will say that finding a space for 20+ people to meet, that isn’t at a sit-down restaurant, nor outdoors (it’s been chilly and rainy recently), that is conducive to people walking around and trying out each other’s pens, on a Friday Night, is not an easy feat! Don’t be surprised if Hub Masters request a small fee to help with the costs of securing a location or providing food - they should have already let folks know about this ahead of time.

How can I sign up?

Unfortunately, Pelikan Hub signups have been closed for a couple months now. This is to allow Pelikan enough time to ship their goodies to the Hub Masters. However, you can try to reach out to your local Pelikan Hub Master via the Pelikan Hubs Facebook Group to see if they have room available for you to attend. Just note that Pelikan only sent out enough goodies for the registered attendees, so there may not be any goodies left for unregistered folks.

What can I expect at a Pelikan Hub?

Every Hub can do whatever they like! Based on my past Hubs experience, there may be a speaker with Powerpoint presentation about Pelikans, there might be trivia and raffles, it might be a full sit-down meal (if the Hub Master and attendees have already agreed to it), some might have people selling their goods (always handy to have cash/PayPal/etc handy since you never know who might decide to sell a pen you’re eyeing), but it will definitely be a pen meetup with people bringing their favorite pens for show-and-tell (and try)!

There will also be a Pelikan Hub banner for folks to sign and some goodies from Pelikan too! Folks will be taking pictures and posting them to social media with the hashtag #pelikanhubs - it’s always fun to see the pictures coming in from the Hubs in earlier time zones like Asia and Europe.

The Pelikan Banner from 2018 (cameo by my Hobonichi and M800 Blue Souveran.)

Did you say goodies from Pelikan?

Yes, I did! In past years, Pelikan used to give each attendee a bottle of the ink of the year. Unfortunately, this year, due to timing, shipping and logistics, Pelikan isn’t doing that - so if you’ve been thinking about getting this year’s ink (Pelikan Edelstein Apatite), you should get that from your favorite retailer. I won’t spoil it by telling you what they are, but I will say it’s a nice gesture from Pelikan, even if it isn’t something that’ll knock your socks off.

We discovered that one of our attendee’s shirt matched the ink of the year, Olivine!

Do I need to bring anything to a Pelikan Hub?

Aside from yourself, you should bring any pens you might want to show off (they don’t have to be Pelikans), your favorite paper/notebook, and maybe even some things to share, giveaway or sell. While Pelikan Hubs are not meant to be a selling event, I find that pen meetups often have people finding something they like and someone else being willing to sell it. If you are having problems with any of your pens, you could also bring it to see if others might have some tips to help solve it. Some Hubs may have pen restorers or nib grinders who might be able to help with minor tweaks - they may not be “working” at the Hub, so if they are there, don’t expect a full-service experience.

Anything else?

Even if you don’t know anyone, I guarantee you that you’ll meet some new people and get to see and try pens. Pen people are pretty friendly, so don’t be afraid to ask to look at something or tell your Hub Master that you don’t know anyone and I’m sure they’ll do what they can to change that! For me, I will be passing around a notebook to have people sign their names, IG or TikTok handles, and what pen/ink they are writing with. It’s also great for finding new inks, discovering new people to follow on IG as well as help me remember who I might have talked to about XYZ, etc.

I hope you’re able to make it to the Pelikan Hub next week and that you’ll have a great time meeting pen people in your area. If not, you can still celebrate by meeting up with pen friends or spending some time with your pens. I’m looking forward to seeing all your #pelikanhubs posts on Instagram!