Pelikan M1000
Overview
The Pelikan M1000 is one of Garry's two most expensive pens. His copy is the "Renaissance Brown" special edition (priced higher than a standard M1000). It has an 18-karat gold broad nib, is piston-filled, and is consistently described as the softest-writing pen in his entire collection -- "like writing with cotton wool." It has held a place on both of Garry's "pens I'll never sell" videos, recorded roughly a year apart, making it one of only a small handful of pens to survive that list update.
Design & Appearance
- Shape: "Stubbier" than his torpedo-shaped Pilots -- a classic cigar-style Pelikan silhouette with a domed cap top.
- Colour/Material: Renaissance Brown -- a swirled mix of browns, silvers, and gold/yellow tones that catches the light dramatically. Garry repeatedly calls it "stunning" and says it "captivates the eye" more than any other pen he owns.
- Clip: Gold-coloured, springy, designed to evoke a pelican's beak -- the cap-top logo forms the "eyes," narrowing down into the clip as the "beak."
- Cap band: Reads "Pelikan," a souveran symbol, and "Germany."
- Section: Plain black plastic (not the same showy material as the body), with a noticeably wide taper that Garry finds very comfortable for his large hands.
- Pen looks scores across reviews: 9/10, 9/10, 9/10 -> consistent 9/10
The Nib
- Material: 18-karat gold (hallmarked "18 C 750").
- Grade: Broad. Garry believes it's roughly equivalent to a "number 8" size nib -- one of the largest in his entire collection, noticeably bigger than his Pilot #15 (roughly a #6-equivalent) nib.
- Decoration: Two-tone -- gold outer border with what Garry believes is a rhodium-plated inner section, with the Pelikan logo picked out in gold in the centre.
- Feel: The softest nib he owns, by a clear margin. Extremely generous bounce; he has to consciously avoid pressing too hard. Completely silent -- "next to no audible feedback... I could not hear a thing coming off this pen" (a direct contrast to his Sailor ProGear Slim, which he describes as his loudest nib).
- Flow: A true "gusher" -- exceptionally wet regardless of which ink is loaded. Writing samples regularly take two full minutes to dry, even on absorbent paper.
- Writing experience scores across reviews: 9/10, 9/10, 9/10 -> consistent 9/10, described once as "nearly a 10... it is so soft"
Filling Mechanism
Piston filler, holding about 1.5ml of ink. Cap comes off in a very smooth half-to-one turn. No ink window -- a recurring complaint. The body is faintly translucent and Garry says that, by holding the pen up to strong light at the right angle, he can occasionally make out the ink level, but for all practical purposes he has no reliable way to monitor how much ink remains.
Measurements
| Measurement | Value |
|---|---|
| Total length (capped) | 14.6 cm |
| Length unposted | 13.5 cm |
| Length posted | 17.6-17.8 cm |
| Body width | 1.48 cm |
| Cap width | 1.58 cm |
| Section width | 1.2-1.26 cm |
| Full pen weight | 33.5-33.8 g |
| Body weight alone | 23.8-24 g |
| Cap weight | 9.7-9.8 g |
Writing Experience
- Garry does not post this pen. Although it technically posts down to just below the filling mechanism, he finds it "really, really back heavy" and "very long" when posted, and is also wary of stressing the cap threads against the precious-resin material. Used unposted, which he finds perfectly comfortable.
- The single most repeated description across every review: it feels like "writing with cotton wool" -- exceptionally soft, silent, and smooth.
- The wide section is a clear comfort upgrade compared to his smaller pens -- in the head-to-head against the Custom 823 specifically, the M1000 wins on comfort because of it.
- Comfort scores across reviews: 9/10, 9/10, 9/10 -> consistent 9/10
Inks Used (as referenced across reviews)
| Ink | Context / Notes |
|---|---|
| Diamine Weeping Willow | Used in the First Impressions video; a standard (non-shimmer/sheen) ink chosen deliberately for the first ever fill, with good shading once on better paper |
| Diamine Garland | Used in both the vs Pilot Custom 823 showdown and the vs Visconti Homo Sapiens showdown; a shimmer-and-sheen ink that shows a vivid red sheen and blue shimmer once dry |
| Colorverse White Hole | Used in the vs Majohn M1000 showdown; an unusually pale ink in most pens, but renders as a striking, juicy blue in this nib |
Comparisons and Rankings
vs Pilot Custom 823 (Diamine Garland vs Diamine Cinnabon) -- "Two Icons, One Winner"
Two of Garry's grail-tier pens. The Custom 823 has the demonstrator body and slight nib bounce; the M1000 is the far wetter, softer writer with a noticeably wider, more comfortable section. Build quality couldn't be scored higher than the Custom 823's at the time, simply because Garry had owned the Pilot for three years versus the Pelikan's seven months.
M1000 = 8.67/10, Custom 823 = 8.5/10
vs Visconti Homo Sapiens (Diamine Garland vs Diamine Ghost) -- "Luxury Fountain Pen Showdown"
Garry's two most expensive pens, requested by a viewer. The M1000 wins on looks (9 vs 8) and is the much wetter writer (9 vs 8 on ink flow); the Homo Sapiens wins decisively on comfort, scoring a rare 10/10 thanks to its weight and section shape, which Garry says suits how he holds a pen perfectly.
Both scored 8.67/10 (a tie)
vs Majohn M1000 (Colorverse White Hole, same ink in both) -- "Budget vs Luxury"
A novelty showdown between two completely different pens sharing the same model name -- the Majohn M1000 in olivewood versus the Pelikan. The Majohn's steel nib is praised for an unusual, very stiff "writing with a steel barrel" feel that Garry says he actually likes, but the Pelikan nib is rated "nearly a 10" for softness. The Majohn was docked slightly on ink flow after Garry had to prime a dried-out feed before filming.
M1000 = 8.67/10, Majohn M1000 = 8.17/10
Listed among "Keeper Pens -- 5 Fountain Pens That Will Never Leave My Collection" (original video)
Alongside the TWSBI Eco, Pilot E95S, Pens By Casey Tokubetsu, and Visconti Homo Sapiens. Described there as "my second most expensive pen" (behind the Homo Sapiens).
Listed among "Fountain Pen Favourites -- 5 Pens I'll Keep Forever" (2026 update)
Alongside the Faber-Castell Hexo, TWSBI Eco, Delta Dune, and Visconti Homo Sapiens. Notably, the Pilot E95S and Pens By Casey Tokubetsu dropped off this updated list in favour of the Faber-Castell Hexo and Delta Dune -- but the M1000 made the cut both times, alongside only the TWSBI Eco and Visconti Homo Sapiens. Garry notes that this pen and the Homo Sapiens are not pens he takes out of the house casually, unlike the cheaper pens on the same list.
Listed among "My Top Six Grail Fountain Pens"
Alongside the Pilot Custom 823, Visconti Homo Sapiens, Benu Talisman Dragon's Blood, Sailor ProGear Slim, and Waterman Carene.
Overall Scores Summary
| Review | Score |
|---|---|
| vs Pilot Custom 823 | 8.67/10 |
| vs Visconti Homo Sapiens | 8.67/10 |
| vs Majohn M1000 | 8.67/10 |
| Average | 8.67/10 |
Remarkably, this pen scored exactly the same total in every single showdown -- the most consistent score of any pen summarized so far.
By category (consistent across all three showdowns)
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Pen Looks | 9/10 |
| Build Quality | 8/10 |
| Writing Experience | 9/10 |
| Ink Flow | 9/10 |
| Comfort | 9/10 |
| Value for Money | 8/10 |
Build Quality
No issues reported across any review. The score has been capped at 8/10 in every video specifically because of relatively short ownership at the time (seven, eight, then ten months across the three showdowns) compared to pens he's owned for years -- Garry is explicit that he simply doesn't feel comfortable rating durability higher until a pen has proven itself over a longer stretch. This score may well rise in any future review as ownership lengthens.
Value for Money
Consistently scored 8/10. Garry is candid that, taken alone, the pen would score very low on pure affordability -- but judged against other pens in the same luxury price bracket (Visconti Homo Sapiens, Waterman Carene), he considers it to meet the expectations that price commands.
Key Recurring Themes
- "Writing with cotton wool" -- his standout sensory description for this pen, repeated across multiple videos, and his clearest example of an exceptionally soft, silent nib.
- No ink window -- his most consistent practical complaint about this pen.
- Unposted-only -- unlike most of his small Japanese pens, this one is already long enough; posting it makes it too back-heavy and risks the cap threads against the resin.
- A genuine "gusher" -- wet and generous with every ink tried so far, regardless of the ink's normal behaviour in other pens.
- Remarkably consistent scoring -- 8.67/10 in all three showdown reviews, with identical category breakdowns each time.
- Survived two "forever pens" list updates -- one of only three pens (with the TWSBI Eco and Visconti Homo Sapiens) to appear on both his original Keeper Pens video and the 2026 update.
- A special-occasion pen -- explicitly not something he takes out of the house casually, given the cost.
Source Files
- Pens/Pages/Pelikan M1000
- Pens/Pages/Pelikan M1000 Fountain Pen - My First Impressions
- Pens/Pages/Pilot Custom 823 vs Pelikan M1000 – Two Icons, One Winner
- Pens/Pages/Luxury Fountain Pen Showdown – Pelikan M1000 vs Visconti Homo Sapiens!
- Pens/Pages/The Ultimate M1000 Battle – Budget vs Luxury Fountain Pen Face Off!
- Pens/Pages/Keeper Pens 5 Fountain Pens That Will Never Leave My Collection
- Pages/Fountain Pen Favourites 5 Pens I'll Keep Forever 2026 Update
- Pens/Pages/From Ordinary to Extraordinary: My Top Six Grail Fountain Pens