Nib Nomenclature & Variation

[Recoil Rob]

I was the lucky recipient of a friends desk cleaning yesterday, I was given a green Merz & Krell 120 with a medium nib. It had been stitting uncleaned for 15+ years so after a soak, cleaning and lube I inked it up with some black Quink to test it out.

 

I was very surprised to see that the line it put down seemed the same as my 150 EF nib so I measured them both with a caliper and sure enough the EF measures .076mm and the M is .078mm. The both put down what I consider an EF line.

 

Is this variation in nib designation due to the fact they were made by 2 different companies or 2 different models? I would think nib size and nomenclature would be standardized within a company. Even if they had a subcontractor such as M&K wiuldn't the nibs have been made to Pelikans Specs?

 

thanks,

Rob

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v323/hvpcno1/Fountain%20Pens/Pelikan%20CM%20120%20DL/P1260009_zpsckgwselq.jpg

[mirosc]

Pelikan is always very inconsistent in label and actual size...

[MarkTrain]

Pelikan point sizing has changed (inflated) over the years. I find a vintage fine to about that of a modern extrafine and a vintage medium to about that of a modern fine. My most recent modern extrafine writes likes a vintage medium. I noticed that this inflation of sizing to occur mainly in the early 90's about the same time that nibs became stiffer and nail-like.

Edited January 26, 2015 by MarkTrain

[sargetalon]

Pelikan point sizing has changed (inflated) over the years. I find a vintage fine to about that of a modern extrafine and a vintage medium to about that of a modern fine. My most recent modern extrafine writes likes a vintage medium. I noticed that this inflation of sizing to occur mainly in the early 90's about the same time that nibs became stiffer and nail-like.

My experience has been similiar.