When And Why Did Pelikan Change Their Nibs?

[FoszFay]

Hey fellow Bird-Keepers,

 

I don't own any vintage Pelikan's yet, but I do have one on the way, and I really like the look of writing produced by these old pens. You know, when they had character, and weren't just a big, iridium blob on the tip of the nib.

 

They offered the real writing experience, which couldn't be matched by ballpoints and rollerballs, like their stubbish, "expressive" writing, other than just a round line, which is what they are now.

 

When did Pelikan start doing this? Why did they lean away from their vintage "cuts", like their OM, OB (and B that were stub-like) and begin making large, round-tipped nibs?

 

I know their larger BB and 3B nibs still offer the slightest amount of line variation, as does Montblanc's larger nibs, but none compare to their older nibs.

 

Thanks,

Tom.

[benincanada]

I just got a nice factory Pelikan Italic nib on a M200 Cognac, so they are definately available still. I know there were several Medium Italic M20X pens floating around for sale a few months ago too.

[Notgatherox]

I can't say when, but I'll offer my thought about the why.

 

As ballpoints became more reliable, people started to change away from their leaky FPs towards BPs.

 

Thus, most young people would have never come into contact with a FP.

 

So when these young people switch to FP, there is an increased chance for them to think the old nibs are faulty and return them, or even spoil the old nibs because they have no idea how to use them.

 

With that in mind, it is therefore understandable why Pelikan make them with round-tipped nibs, so as to cater to the BP people who switch over.

 

I may be wrong, of course.

 

 

 

~Epic

[twdpens]

When did Pelikan start doing this? Why did they lean away from their vintage "cuts", like their OM, OB (and B that were stub-like) and begin making large, round-tipped nibs?

 

Most recently c. 2009, when Souverän nib production was moved back in-house. There are still some older nibs about if you look hard enough.

 

HTH,

 

Martin

[Bo Bo Olson]

The change came in 1998. So you have the pre '98 and the post '97 eras. A pre'98 800 had a nice springy regular flex nib....post '97 it became a nail. The best 800 is the '87-89 W. Germany, because after '90 both the 800&400's nibs lost a tad of spring. The W. Geramny 400's also are a slight tad better than the '90-97 ones. (In that I had a 140 semi-flex and a 400nn with 'flexi'/maxi-semi-flex, a respected poster told me I'd be disappointed in I had the 140&400nn. But if you don't have them, and don't have a 400, the W.Germany 400 would be one to chase.

Also have the '50's-65 era for the first 400's era.

 

The reason why the Pelikan nibs have become second class is:

Ham fisted idiots who don't have 3 minutes to learn how to hold a fountain pen; who hold a fountain pen like a BP/RB and press hard like a BP.

You need to to have a double kugal/ball so folks can hold it like a a BP. A ball on both sides of the nib. Needs to be a semi-nail so the ham fisted don't bend the nib.

 

Easier/cheaper to make a fat blob than to trim it like they did back in the day ('50's). Back then they had folks that liked holding a pen like a pencil, so they had still the flattish bottom with a thicker tip and a ball on the up side of the nib....kugal....the KF, KM....KEF even....never seen, yet a KB. The bottom was still flattish, so you could hold the fountain pen up like a pencil, or down like a fountain pen. I have only a couple of KM's. An Osmia and a KOB MB 234 1/2 deluxe but that one has a Waverly tip....I think I have another sitting around but it won't come to mind, and it's not worth hunting it up.

 

The 200's nibs and those of the semi-vintage '80's-97 400 and ''90's early 2000s Celebry (gold&steel=) are nice thin 'truer' to width springy regular flex.

That is not a 'Springy' nib like a Falcon or an MB....true regular flex when well mashed spreads it's tines 3X a light down stroke. 'Springy' only 2X, but with more tine bend. That is a hell of a lot better than the modern semi-nail that is being passed off as regular flex....a reason why I keep saying 'true' regular flex.

 

The '50's-65 nib did not have the American Bump under. They were flattish, very 'sparsam' with the more expensive than gold 'iridium'. It is not stub, in the 'iridium' is not all across the bottom of the nib and squared off like a stub.

With the flatter tip and a semi-flex or 'flexi'/maxi-semi-flex nibs of the '50-65 era, you get very nice line variation with a "stubbish" nib.

 

There is a difference between 'stubbish' and stub.

Most American stubs are nails....stub works real good with a nail. Stub is max line variation at all times. But it lacks a tad of more on demand that one gets with the '50's-65 era Pelikan nibs. So with those nibs you can get more line variation with more pressure.

 

Just don't go bat by always trying for max with a Pelikan nib from that era. You can spring a nib that way. You get a nice line with line variation; but you can when the urge hits you fancy up a letter some; when you slow down to do it. Remember with regular flex, semi-flex & 'flexi\/maxi-semi-flex; those are a 3 X only set.....don't go trying to make it a "Flex" pen, or you will spring the nib. Do please read my signature.

 

A good poster explained the difference between always max stub and more on demand with a stubbish nib with some flex. He preferred max, I on demand.

 

Nib springing...Richard has a very good article on that. 100% must read.

 

For a while Pelikan had it's nibs made by Bock....Bock makes very good nibs for many name companies. They will make the nib the way the company orders.

When Pelikan started again to make nibs, they had QC problems...not any more or not much. Pelikan might or might not still be letting Bock make the 1000's nibs. I know the 1000's nibs if taken back in house were the last nib that Pelikan took back.

I have old Bock semi-flex nibs in both gold and steel. So Bock can make what ever nib any company wants.

It's so sad, that semi-flex on a modern pen is so scarce if made at all.

Edited October 22, 2014 by Bo Bo Olson

[chas0039]

Both my Pelikan nibs made no sense from the factory. My M600 was a thicker line across than up and down. A bit of work with the Micromesh and were both writing much better and had interesting line variation.

 

To be fair, Pelikan is not the only major brand I have that needed work. More and more, quality control rests with the end user.

Edited October 23, 2014 by chas0039