It took a while, but my new Pelikan M605 White Transparent finally arrived, and it’s gorgeous. If you’ve been hesitating, it’s safe to come out now. Maybe not safe for your wallet, however.
I had been very unsure about ordering this one. Why? Mostly because it was white. But then, even after I took a chance and pre-ordered it, I was nervous: I saw some Instagram posts of the pen that didn’t wow me, honestly.
But, in person, it’s a total “wow.” The transparent part with white stripes looks neat, and the rhodinized trim cools off the warmer white plastic used on the rest of the pen. The combination of warm and cool materials keeps the pen from looking either syrupy or stark. It’s really kind of dazzling.
The cap, section and piston knob are made of the same off-white as on the M605 Pink and the M600 and M400 White Tortoise models, but the effect is different with the different color trim. Here are all three of mine, the two M600-size pens and the M400 White Tortoise.
I love them all, but I prefer silver-color trim, and so the M605 White Transparent is icily perfect for me. It’s also the only one of the three that looks sleek. Even, perhaps, a little contemporary.
All of the trim is palladium-coated, and the nib is rhodinized, like the M605 Marine Blue.
The internals are white, which means, as you can see from these photos, that the piston mechanism is nicely unobtrusive. But because the ink chamber/pen body is transparent, when you ink up the pen, you will see the ink inside. Here’s the obligatory “before” closeup.
I inked up the M605 White right afterwards. I’ll post some photos of the pen filled with ink tomorrow.
Fountain Pen Follies 
Wow, I hadn’t realized that the piston was white! What a nice little detail from Pelikan. They truly make great pens. Your photos do a wonderful job of showing off how gorgeous they are, too!
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Have you had any problems with ink leaving permanent stains on your white Pelikan pens? Especially curious about pink ink… thanks!
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Great question. No. And I do use reds and pinks all the time with the M600 Pink.
But now let me fill that in. Every Pelikan plastic, including the whites, has been, for me, perfectly stain-resistant on the pen body, section and cap. After filling a pen, just towel off any ink on the section with a damp paper towel. What about inside the barrel? I do not have a clear plastic demonstrator from Pelikan, but I’ve never had staining of the inside barrel or section on any Pelikan I’ve ever owned, and I do check inside when I’m cleaning the pens. My biggest worry would be whether an ink might stain the piston inside the pen. I’ve never seen that on any Pelikan I’ve ever owned — nor have I seen that in my piston fillers from Aurora and Montblanc that have a clear plastic piston. But this is, to my knowledge, the first Pelikan I’ve used with a white piston. Still, it is a Pelikan, so I am confident they tested it carefully with Pelikan and Pelikan Edelstein inks.
One very important detail: I only use inks that I know are easy to clean, especially in any pens that are more costly or special, or any pens that are made of clear plastic, or celluloid. I tend to be very careful with inks that prize high saturation or permanence over being low maintenance. In my experience, reds, magentas and purples tend to be the most prone to staining, so I am extra careful with those — but I have found many that are also easy to clean and wouldn’t stain. In general, a company’s own inks are formulated to do well with its pens.
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Thank you! Can I ask what brands/colors of pink and purple inks you have had no staining issues with? Based on your response, I am assuming all Pelikan inks would be fine — curious about other brands/colors you have successfully used. (Once again, this is for my Pink Pelikan M600). I will be sure to wipe the nib/feed ASAP after filling. 🙂
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Yay M600 Pink Pelikan! I think that’s almost worry-free, because it’s not transparent and has the usual Pelikan piston, unlike the White M605.
I don’t really use purple inks much, but some I have used, like and have found easy to clean are Papier Plume Mardi Gras Indians Purple, Pelikan Edelstein Amethyst, and any J. Herbin purple. The main thing is, with any purple ink, don’t leave it for months in a pen.
Pinks and reds, I use all the time in my Pink Pelikan — never had an issue. KWZ makes beautiful reds and burgundies. I love Edelstein Ruby, though it’s lighter; Edelstein Turmaline is long gone, sadly, but was excellent. All the MB special edition pink, reds and burgundies have all been wonderful, though I don’t like the color of the regular-line Burgundy Red. Sailor makes some very nice pinks, too. I love Caran d’Ache Infra Red and Divine Pink, but Infra Red may clash with the Pink Pelikan. All J. Herbin “Rouge” inks are excellent. All of the foregoing have been very easy to clean. Pilot-Iroshizuku pinks and reds are lovely, not always as easy to clean, but I’d use them in the Pink Pelikan without question.
Enjoy!
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Thank you so much! I have some Herbin (rose cyclamen, violette pense) and Iroshizuku (kosumosu) that I will go ahead and try and then perhaps look into getting some Pelikan inks. I am not sure HOW it happened…ahem…but apparently my new Pink Pelikan will be getting a baby Tortoishell brother very soon. (I blame you and your beautiful photo of the “triplets”!!). I’ll have to get me some Alt-Goldgrun in anticipation of his arrival.. 🙂
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It’s great when a pen surpasses your expectations and looks even better in the flesh. Sorry to hear about the loss of your Lamy Pico though 😦
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I like the close-up details, but overall I’m not that wowed by the look of it.
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I’ve been firmly on the fence about this pen. I like it but I have resisted temptation so far. 🙂
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It *is* the most handsome of the three you show, specifically because the white/silver works so well. There is a very strong similar feel to my Sailor Pro Gear in ivory with rhodium trim – the cool of the metal and the warmth of the body material play off of each other very nicely.
OTOH, no one *really* likes a white pen, they are just covering for their impulse buy. I wasn’t kidding – that Baystate Blue will tint the pen to a nice, acceptable chroma in no time flat. Why stick out in a crowd? Why lose your pen in one of those horrid Chi-town snow drifts? I think Mr. Tardis had YOU in mind when he made that evil liquid…
(That’s a really nice pen, and I’m glad you got it. Any ink you choose will be fine.)
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It is a really nice pen!
Do you know my Laser Orange Lamy Pico was taken in Columbus? (Or lost but not turned in.) Its bright color did not protect it. So only invisible pens for me from now on.
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I’m so sorry. That was a neat little pen. Something good will happen to you to balance the universe again.
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Aw, yeah, but honestly it’s just a pen — no rebalancing needed. 🙂
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Way to leave us hanging! What ink did you pick? Something bright so it’d show colors or something stealthy?
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And there you see my incredible social media skillz, getting everyone to check in tomorrow…. Or, actually, I’ve just been so busy it took me all day to even get this much up. 🙂
For the ink, I considered both. I almost went bright — the amazing, sheeny KWZ teal ink that’s called Walk Over Vistula and is brand new. But I wanted something wintery, so I went with a blue gray, also a recent ink, but more quiet. It’s a lovely match. I’ll try to get that up tomorrow. 🙂
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