How Does The Pelikan Sub-Forum Feel About Recent Nibs?

[lurcho]

What I mean is this:

 

I recently rediscovered a circa-2000 (maybe late 1990s) M800. And realised it was the best fountain pen I'd ever used.

 

A nonpareil.

 

I'm sending a recent M400 medium to Oxonian for stubbing soon, but it had begun to grow on me a bit in its natural, but slightly-dull, state.

 

How much do you miss Pelikan's wedge-pointed Souverans?

[Readymade]

A lot. But I personally like stubbish nibs.

 

Early production M800 nibs are indeed a delight to use!

[sargetalon]

The older nibs are definitely leagues ahead of what is in production today in terms of the character imparted to the writing and the joy of use. I pick one up whenever feasible. Those are my favorite nibs across any manufacturer, and I have used many. The modern nibs are much less fun and have essentially no character out of the box but are dependable and do what they are supposed to reliably. I have a good mix of both at hand.

[whych]

The older nibs are definitely leagues ahead of what is in production today in terms of the character imparted to the writing and the joy of use. I pick one up whenever feasible. Those are my favorite nibs across any manufacturer, and I have used many. The modern nibs are much less fun and have essentially no character out of the box but are dependable and do what they are supposed to reliably. I have a good mix of both at hand.

I think that is the case with all modern nibs, whether Pelikan or other. Makes no difference what manufacturer, whether the nib is gold or steel, with a modern nib you know it will be a reasonable writer and indistinguishable from the next.

Sign of the times when all nibs are made for BP users and very few are for FP users.

In fact, I have found the modern Pelikan steel to be nicer writers than the gold ones.

 

The old Pelikans were made in times when materials like steel was scarce, and gold even scarcer. They used minimal tipping and made great nibs in varying nib grades and flex to suit the buyer.

Now, you just get a restricted choice of grade and nothing else.

Having stiff nibs though does mean there are fewer returns from guys who try to press too hard and use a FP like a BP.

[MarkTrain]

Yes, I would tend to agree that vintage nibs are better and the new nibs are too plain and round (they are good candidates for custom grinding, though.)

[DrCodfish]

I guess I am the 'goldilocks' person in the room; I donlt want a nib that is too flexy, or too stiff, I want one that is juuuust right. I think many FP afficianados equate flex with good, and stiff with bad. For me, a very flexible nib is a problem, especially if it is gound to a fine, or extra fine point, because I am left handed and write in the over writer style. It's a curse, I wish I were 'normal' because when I see the lovely script which flows from a fex nib pen, I get, ... jealous.

 

I can handle 'springy' nibs and do appreciate them . Many of the nibs which suit me best are from the 50's to 80's era pens. They (not all, but many) suit my particular need quite well.

 

All that aside, for me the grind of the nib is the thing, and I am generally not satisfied with new era nibs because as mentioned earlier, they do seem to be devoid of character.

[Barnaby Bumble]

I guess I am the 'goldilocks' person in the room; I donlt want a nib that is too flexy, or too stiff, I want one that is juuuust right. I think many FP afficianados equate flex with good, and stiff with bad.

 

That's a good point. I have some excellent nibs -- or nibs I consider excellent, at least -- that are extremely stiff.

 

I wouldn't describe my M800 nib as soft, but it does have a bit of spring and flex in it.

[rollerboy]

Pelikan seems to have taken to using (oversized) spherical tipping. It's forgiving to the user in terms of angle and rotation of the nib when writing, and I suspect forgiving to Pelikan in terms of the manufacturing prowess required. However I find the writing feel is bland and the lines formed lack crisp edges.

 

A better shape of tipping in my opinion, has a somewhat flat contact patch with rounded shoulders when the tipping is viewed head on. It gives the feel of the nib character and the lines formed are crisper.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Do not care for semi-nails 400/600 or nail 800's.

An '87-89 800 passed through my hands....that I'd buy very, very nice springy regular flex.

 

I tend to chase the semi-flex and 'flexi'/maxi-semi-flex '50-65 vintage and obliques in those two ranges.

Stubbish clean line.

 

The problem comes eventually you got all the nibs.....really got to think about sharing the wealth.....been saying that for a month or two....so far talk only.....It appears I have a collection or four.

[Miles Hand]

A better shape of tipping in my opinion, has a somewhat flat contact patch with rounded shoulders when the tipping is viewed head on. It gives the feel of the nib character and the lines formed are crisper.

I feel that the Pelikan nibs I've had weren't crisp at all. I believe Bo Bo Olsen describes them as blobby, which is just how I felt.

 

Which nibs have the type of tipping you favour? Would the Lamy 2000 be among them - that has a much crisper feel to me (with a Fine nib).

[oregano]

I feel that the Pelikan nibs I've had weren't crisp at all. I believe Bo Bo Olsen describes them as blobby, which is just how I felt.

 

Which nibs have the type of tipping you favour? Would the Lamy 2000 be among them - that has a much crisper feel to me (with a Fine nib).

 

I have a modern Conway Stewart nib that feels a lot 'crisper' and more interesting to write with than the current, modern Pelikan nibs. Their nibs have been described as soft but is not overly soft or springy imo. Montblanc is known for having the flatter nib tip described and I find them very pleasant to use for that reason. Aurora is super crisp/toothy.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Go vintage '50-65, flat stubbish nib, with some flex...which really adds to the fun, clean, sharp, stubbish line, which gives normally good line variation, with more 'on demand'.

 

I have a modern 605 nib that some day has to go become a semi-nail CI or stub. I have a wonderful semi-flex B from my 400n on my 605.

 

As pretty as the 600 nibs are...they have to go to a nibmeister to be thinned, perhaps made semi-flex or one has some vintage '50-65 nibs that one puts on the 600. Not quite so blingy looking, but sure are fun to write with...even with Rooster Scratch.

I do like the size of the 600. Some of the 600's are among the prettier pens around....yet I don't even think about buying one because of the lousy fat, blobby semi-nail nibs.

[zchen]

flexi-ness aside, I still prefer the wedge/chisel type of tipping found on older Pelikans even for the harder nibs

[PAKMAN]

I guess I am more attuned to newer Pelikan nibs and as such love them!

[Matlock]

I guess I am more attuned to newer Pelikan nibs and as such love them!

 

I have only been using fountain pens since 1956 so I am no expert, but I also love modern Pelikan nibs (and some older ones).

[Barnaby Bumble]

I have no complaints about my modern Pelikan nibs. (Disclaimer: I've never used any vintage nibs.)

[rollerboy]

I feel that the Pelikan nibs I've had weren't crisp at all. I believe Bo Bo Olsen describes them as blobby, which is just how I felt.

 

Which nibs have the type of tipping you favour? Would the Lamy 2000 be among them - that has a much crisper feel to me (with a Fine nib).

 

Three out of three of my Lamy 2000 EFs have the the flattish with rounded shoulders nib tipping shape I favour. Two out of two of my Pilot Elite 95s in F (the Elite reissue from a year or two ago) have that shape also. I suspect in those cases it's not luck of the draw and Lamy and Pilot really are at least tending to grind that nib size on those models in the flatter shape.

 

In contrast, and to show how careful you have to be in making sweeping generalizations, the Pilot #5 fine-medium on my Heritage 92 has vanilla, bland, round ball tipping. I've got must be a dozen Lamy Safari/AlStars with EF nibs. In the Safari/AlStar EF case I find it's luck of the draw. Sometimes the tipping is flattish and feels good, other times it's round and bland feeling.

[jkingrph]

No complaints on my newer nibs, but I really like the earlier flex models.

[canibanoglu]

Here's another person who'd rather have more stub qualities going on his pens. I love modern Pelikan nibs, they are extremely reliable and I feel that they are better than most others out there out of the box but each time I touch my M1000 to the paper, I have a strong urge to get a new thicker nib and have it customized to be more stubbish. I don't want a true stub, although they are very fun to use I don't particularly enjoy using them. I just want something like my Visconti HS's B nib. It had a lot of character out of the box and I really enjoy that. To top that, it is almost a semi-flex (not as much of a give as the M1000 but very close). I wish I could get that experience from modern Pelikan nibs out of the box.

 

I don't think there's anything particularly wrong about nails, I enjoy them just as much, they just lack that something we call character. Not every nib has to have flexible traits to have a soul as far as I'm concerned.

[Bo Bo Olson]

'80's-89 400 is reputed like the 800 of that era to be a tad better than the '90-97 ones, in regular flex with a tad of spring.

 

One does need a good regular flex nib with a tad of spring....like the '90's pens. The c/c Celebry also has a nib that = the '90's 400, and in both steel and gold, both =.

The 200's nibs as nice regular flex with a tad of spring is very good too.

 

Certain inks shade better with a nice regular flex than with semi-flex or 'flexi'/maxi-semi-flex in they are wetter writers on the whole.