I haven't been buying many of Pelikan's recent new fountain pens because they don't interest me much. However, I recently acquired a brand new Pelikan M809 Black Matte for the first time in a long while. To be precise, it was a birthday present from my wife. I requested it after seeing an article about this pen on the Pelikan's Perch and finding it intriguing. Since that article covers this pen in detail, I have little to add. I just want to mention a few things I noticed only after seeing the actual pen (it was probably only recently imported to Japan, so I hadn't seen it in major stationery stores beforehand). My first impression is that from the grip to the barrel, rings, cap, and 18 carat gold nib, every part is unified in black, creating a perfect monochrome beauty. The matte-finished barrel has no visible seam. Its appearance is identical to the matte-finished PVD (physical vapor deposition) coated metal clip, crown, and rings (Fig.1). As the website describes, “soft matte resin meets matte textures, creating a hand-held rhythm ...”, the texture feels unique touch compared to the regular model. Examining the surface under a loupe reveals countless minute irregularities (Fig.2-1). The slightly smoked ink window is designed to blend seamlessly with the barrel. This smoked tint ensures the ink window appears black regardless of the ink color used (Fig.4). The cap tube and turning knob have a glossy finish, likely similar to the M800 (though appearing slightly duller, likely due to the matte finish of the clip and ring). While some might think that “all parts being unified in black” could make the entire pen look monotonous, this is not the case. When light hits it, the glossy cap tube and turning knob appear as black stripes, much like the barrel of the M805 Stresemann or "Raden"⁽¹⁾(Fig.5). This saves the pen from monotony despite its perfect monochrome design, while subtly hinting at its Pelikan DNA. Unless you use special lighting, this pen will not look like too hushed images as shown in the Pelikan website⁽²⁾. This is something you simply cannot know without holding the actual pen in your hand. There was one more thing I wanted to confirm once I acquired this fountain pen. The 18 carat gold nib is coated with black PVD, matching the barrel and metal, but I was curious (a minor detail) about the iridium tip. As I expected, it was the same black color as the nib (Fig.3-2). I don't know if the iridium is coated too or if they specifically sourced black iridium⁽³⁾, but it shows Pelikan's commitment to achieving this perfect monochrome look. This is why I believe the beauty of this pen and Pelikan's dedication can only truly be appreciated by holding the real thing. I've seen some negative opinions about this pen on several forums (especially regarding the price) and hesitation about purchasing it, but if you get the chance, I still think you should see it in person.
 
The first thing that came to mind when I saw this pen for the first time was the H. Moser Venture Concept Vantablack⁽⁴⁾ Black Hands watch - something watch enthusiasts might recognize. The watch deliberately omits even the company name and all hour markers, featuring a dial (it's hardly a dial anymore) and hour/minute hands entirely in black. Pursuing the ultimate minimalism, the H. Moser tried to obscure its brand identity, and stubbornly refuses even legibility. Similarly, obsessed with minimalism,  the M809 Black Matte is an ultimate concept fountain pen that asserts itself by "not" asserting. At first glance, you might not even recognize it as a Pelikan pen. Its packaging is also extremely simple, perfectly aligned with this concept (Fig.6).
 
Now, Pelikan has released such concept fountain pens based on the classic Souverän line. Just as Pelikan previously introduced the Ductus and Majesty, I hope they will create such pens based on an entirely new fountain pen model in the future. This pen is a special edition, with only 250 pieces scheduled for sale in Japan. I wonder how many are planned for the entire world?
​
Note;⁽¹⁾This also applies more or less to other M800 series pens.
⁽²⁾The photos on this website seem to have gotten a bad reputation. They appear overly fixated on “monochrome,” failing to capture the rich expressions of this fountain pen. However, after trying to take photos myself, I've come to understand anew the difficulty of expressing such fountain pens through two-dimensional photographs (I always end up failing).
⁽³⁾If I were to grind down the iridium, I could tell which one it is, but I don't have the courage to do so.

⁽⁴⁾Vantablack is a class of super-black coatings with total hemispherical reflectance (THR) below 1% in the visible spectrum. The name is a compound of the acronym VANTA (vertically aligned nanotube arrays) and black. The original Vantablack coating was grown from a chemical vapor deposition process (CVD) and is claimed to be the "world's darkest material", absorbing up to 99.965% of visible light measured perpendicular to the material (wikipedia).