My Current Pelikan Nibs

April 27, 2015

http://i.imgur.com/7WfN3ys.jpg

Left to Right:

Pelikan 400NN (1956, Green Striped), 14K EF Semi-Flex (hard rubber nib unit collar)

Pelikan 140 (1950s, Black w/ Green Ink Window), 14K Broad CI (springy, EF across)

Pelikan 20 Silvexa, 14K Rhodium(?) Coated OB

Pelikan M250 (1992-1996, Black), 14K Monotone Medium

Pelikan M400 Old-Style (1990s, Brown Tortoise), 14K Monotone Medium

Pelikan M640 Special Edition (2008, Mount Everest), 18K 2-tone Medium

Pelikan M805 (Blue Striped, Rhodium Trimmed), 18K 2-tone Broad (Though looking to get this one traded to something smaller)

Pelikan Gold-Plated Steel 1.0 Nib Unit (springy, possibly from an MC120)

My favorite of the bunch is the nib on the Pelikan 400NN, followed by the Cursive Italic B on the 140. Both very smooth, both are quite springy (more of a difference in variation on the EF of course, but the B will go 2x easy).

Probably my least favorites are the moderns as they're more of a nail than I'm used to, still good performers, but pretty nail-like.

The Silvexa's OB is very smooth, but I still have trouble getting used to the left turn needed to write with it.

April 27, 2015

Very nice set up!! Your pictures skills are one of the best I´ve seen in pens, not only the light but the backgrounds are amazing!!

Happy to hear that I have something to do with your n1 and n2 favorite nibs

The Silvexa is indeed Rhodium plated and once you get used to rotate just a bit your hand when writing you will see how smooth it is!

Keep the great pictures coming!!

April 27, 2015

Nice nibs, nice pens, nice pic. Thanks for sharing!

April 27, 2015

Obliques's...are 'simple' Well.....

Place the nib canted on the paper and re-grip.

In that is harder to do than say....we had many long threads on that.

I came up with a trick.

The vintage OB's the only ones worth buying, those in Semi-flex or 'flexi'/maxi-semi-flex come in @15 or @ 30 degree grinds. Hold the nib up to the light and guess.

If it is @15 degrees, post the cap so the clip is lined up in the middle between the slit and the right hand side of the nib.

Just grip the pen ignoring the nib. Just follow the clip to set your grip.

If @ 30 degrees, post the cap so the clip is aligned at the right edge of the nib and grip normally, ignoring the nib.

Then just write!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Many folks try to make the nib with those two flex rates....do something. They twist their fingers, hand, arm...hang from the chandelier.

The flat stubbish '50-65 nib with those two flexs, plus the oblique will do it all with out doing anything fancy.

Now it depends on if Silvexa is regular flex or is semi-flex or better. Is it, I don't know. I never chased spade nibs, in no one was shouting great semi-flex. (I do have other pens with semi-flex or better spade nibs....but only got 3-4 spade nib pens.)

Unfortunately, if regular flex....there is/will be only a minimum line variation. I was disappointed when I trans-mailed a 200 OM I think it was.....a waste of money.

The Obliques 140, 400-400n-400nn or any German pen of that era that is known to have semi-flex or better, with the flat stubbish nib will give great line variation.

I like the vintage narrower than modern OB nib. It has a wider foot print, easier to stay in the foot print, and is really only a Fat M....compared to day's nibs.

My first Oblique was a semi-flex OB on a 140.

I'm glad I got that one first rather than my second....a 400nn OF maxi-semi-flex...I'd become use to canting the nib from the 140 and was therefore able to hold it canted on the OF's smaller footprint due to experience with a wider nib.

One of the other tricks Richard finally told us. Some have problems making an oblique nib with a tad of flex work, no matter what.

If you do (& I never had a problem) it could lie at holding the paper at 45 Degrees. If one holds at 90 or 180 their problems went away....and th many threads on Oblique problems died.

It could be you need an Oblique from '50-65 with a classic nib.

I have some 16 of them.

I have in both 15&30 degree grinds in a mix of semi-flex and 'flexi'/maxi-semi-flex, OBB, OB, OM & OF. They all give good to great line variation.

Edited April 27, 2015 by Bo Bo Olson

April 27, 2015

The Silvexa has no flex or spring that I can tell. Smooth, but has no give worth noting. I still have to order some pelikan branded carts because all the standard international ones keep falling off the nipple on it. or just barely hang on only to be knocked off easily.

Also Vasco's comment in regards to n1/n2 is based on the fact that the 400nn, 140, M400, and Silvexa were all purchased from him.

Edited April 27, 2015 by KBeezie

April 28, 2015

The Silvexa has no flex or spring that I can tell. Smooth, but has no give worth noting. I still have to order some pelikan branded carts because all the standard international ones keep falling off the nipple on it. or just barely hang on only to be knocked off easily.

Also Vasco's comment in regards to n1/n2 is based on the fact that the 400nn, 140, M400, and Silvexa were all purchased from him.

Use two carts in the pen. Put the flat ends together. This will stop it falling out.

April 28, 2015

Use two carts in the pen. Put the flat ends together. This will stop it falling out.

+1. Yup, always need two carts. No carts will hold firm to Pelikan's nipple in my experience. They are held on by the pressure applied from the back of the barrel. Just the way that they designed these things.

May 1, 2015

+1. Yup, always need two carts. No carts will hold firm to Pelikan's nipple in my experience. They are held on by the pressure applied from the back of the barrel. Just the way that they designed these things.

Is it normal for there to be some firm pressure having to twist it down the extra 1mm or so in the gap or should the carts only be snug once the barrel is screwed on completely? Basically it's snug/firm the last half a turn of the barrel. Just want to be sure, because for me it's not normal to have any kind of extra pressure inside when closing it up. (I did notice that the bottom of the barrel has a recess that looks like it was designed to hold the lip of a cartridge still).

Edited May 1, 2015 by KBeezie

May 1, 2015

Yes. There is a little torque involved at the end there when screwing on the barrel. That has been my experience anyways. Gives a nice firm seat to the cartridge. If you google, I believe Brian Goulet looked into this and did a video demonstrating the technique on a Pelikano. May be useful to you.

May 1, 2015

http://i.imgur.com/7WfN3ys.jpg

Left to Right:

Pelikan 400NN (1956, Green Striped), 14K EF Semi-Flex (hard rubber nib unit collar)

Pelikan 140 (1950s, Black w/ Green Ink Window), 14K Broad CI (springy, EF across)

Pelikan 20 Silvexa, 14K Rhodium(?) Coated OB

Pelikan M250 (1992-1996, Black), 14K Monotone Medium

Pelikan M400 Old-Style (1990s, Brown Tortoise), 14K Monotone Medium

Pelikan M640 Special Edition (2008, Mount Everest), 18K 2-tone Medium

Pelikan M805 (Blue Striped, Rhodium Trimmed), 18K 2-tone Broad (Though looking to get this one traded to something smaller)

Pelikan Gold-Plated Steel 1.0 Nib Unit (springy, possibly from an MC120)

My favorite of the bunch is the nib on the Pelikan 400NN, followed by the Cursive Italic B on the 140. Both very smooth, both are quite springy (more of a difference in variation on the EF of course, but the B will go 2x easy).

Probably my least favorites are the moderns as they're more of a nail than I'm used to, still good performers, but pretty nail-like.

The Silvexa's OB is very smooth, but I still have trouble getting used to the left turn needed to write with it.

Lovely pens and lovely photography! I really love the springiness of my Pelikan nibs.

Obliques's...are 'simple' Well.....
Place the nib canted on the paper and re-grip.

In that is harder to do than say....we had many long threads on that.
I came up with a trick.

The vintage OB's the only ones worth buying, those in Semi-flex or 'flexi'/maxi-semi-flex come in @15 or @ 30 degree grinds. Hold the nib up to the light and guess.
If it is @15 degrees, post the cap so the clip is lined up in the middle between the slit and the right hand side of the nib.
Just grip the pen ignoring the nib. Just follow the clip to set your grip.

If @ 30 degrees, post the cap so the clip is aligned at the right edge of the nib and grip normally, ignoring the nib.

Then just write!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Many folks try to make the nib with those two flex rates....do something. They twist their fingers, hand, arm...hang from the chandelier.
The flat stubbish '50-65 nib with those two flexs, plus the oblique will do it all with out doing anything fancy.

Now it depends on if Silvexa is regular flex or is semi-flex or better. Is it, I don't know. I never chased spade nibs, in no one was shouting great semi-flex. (I do have other pens with semi-flex or better spade nibs....but only got 3-4 spade nib pens.)

Unfortunately, if regular flex....there is/will be only a minimum line variation. I was disappointed when I trans-mailed a 200 OM I think it was.....a waste of money.

The Obliques 140, 400-400n-400nn or any German pen of that era that is known to have semi-flex or better, with the flat stubbish nib will give great line variation.

I like the vintage narrower than modern OB nib. It has a wider foot print, easier to stay in the foot print, and is really only a Fat M....compared to day's nibs.
My first Oblique was a semi-flex OB on a 140.
I'm glad I got that one first rather than my second....a 400nn OF maxi-semi-flex...I'd become use to canting the nib from the 140 and was therefore able to hold it canted on the OF's smaller footprint due to experience with a wider nib.

One of the other tricks Richard finally told us. Some have problems making an oblique nib with a tad of flex work, no matter what.
If you do (& I never had a problem) it could lie at holding the paper at 45 Degrees. If one holds at 90 or 180 their problems went away....and th many threads on Oblique problems died.

It could be you need an Oblique from '50-65 with a classic nib.
I have some 16 of them.
I have in both 15&30 degree grinds in a mix of semi-flex and 'flexi'/maxi-semi-flex, OBB, OB, OM & OF. They all give good to great line variation.

Thanks so much for these tips, Bo Bo Olsen. I have a 400 heading my way with an OB nib and I'll keep all this in mind as I become acquainted with it. I only recently started looking at flex nibs, and I still don't quite have the hang of them yet.