I recently purchased a Pelikan 400 tortoise off of the Green Board, and it came with a fine, 14k nib that is somewhat flexy. The nib is marked "585". Anyone know what a fair price for this nib would be? I am debating whether or not to sell it and purchase an italic nib for the pen, or to just keep it for some future date when I decide to learn how to use this flexy nib.

Thanks for in advance for your opinons. Have a good day!

TMann

Hmm....that's a tough one. I'm sure Rick Propas could give a better estimation than I can, but I would guess the nib could for for $60ish (though I sometimes underprice, I think). It of course depends on how well it flexes and how smooth it is, but if you include a nice writing sample showing off decent flex, I imagine it would sell for that. There are a lot of people out there who would like a flexy nib for a modern 200/400 pen.

In my newbie craziness, I bought all the 14K two tone nibs available for the M400 (just to try them all out). They also fit the M2xx, M4xx, M6xx, M700 Toledo, "1931" and "1935" LEs models. I also bought the EF and M nibs for the M600 because it's a wee bit bigger than the M400 nibs. Incidentally, the M600 nibs are also marked "585," just like the M400 nibs.

The F and M nibs for both the M400 and M600 do seem to have a bit of flex, but the EF, B, and OB on up, not as much. I bought the nibs at Swisher Pens: the M400 nibs were $69.62 each and the M600 nibs were $81.55.

I just bought some specialty nibs from Richard Binder for a M200 that I ordered from him. If the specialty nibs are as great as everyone says they are (and I suspect they will be), I'll probably send the M400 OM, B and OB nibs as well as the M600 M nib over to him for regrounding because I seem to gravitate toward cursive italics and stub italics these days.

Oops -- I just realized you were asking about the vintage nibs! Well I hope the pricing I provided for the M400 is somewhat helpful.

Actually, my advice to TMann would be to get to know the nib and see if you come to like Pelikan fine flex nibs as much as many of us do.

That said, Pelikan did not make an italic nib in the old days. The closest they came were obliques and the broad nibs, which often were, in effect, stubs.

Those nibs can be pricey, especially when you consider installation. Unlike Parker and Sheaffer nibs, Pelikans take a fine hand to set. If you haven't done it, you probably cannot set the nib up to its maximum.

As far as price, I would charge $95.00 for the swap, including a light restoration.

Added note: 585 is not an important number. 14 / 24 = .585. That is, the nib contains 58.5% gold. Its just another way of saying "14 karat"

I am not an expert on this, but my understanding is that the 585 designation does have some significance in vintage Pelikan nibs, in that early-style 14K nibs do not have 585 imprinted on them, while later-style ones do (both with and without the logo). So maybe TMann noted the 585 designation in order to differentiate it from an early-style 14K nib, for purposes of his question.

EDIT: Oh, and TMann, I think I'd keep it and play with the flexy nib, at least try it for about a week. At first, I couldn't get used to using the flex nibs my friend has. I was a cursive italic nib user and loved those. But once I figured out how to use them, I became a convert to the flex! I love the ones I have, and they're nice to have in addition to my cursive italics. If after trying the flex for a little while, you still don't like it, then you could always sell it then.

Hello Blueiris,

Thanks for the advice. That's what I think that I'm going to do.

TMann

With your artistic skills that nib may become a favorite one day. Have you tried it for sketching? Some flex nibs can put down a very expressive line...

Blueiris is correct. On Pelikan nibs the 585 does differentiate between the first and second generation nibs. Important to those of us who are obsseeive in dating pens or ensuring that replacement nibs are correct and appropriate to the pen, as much as possible to determine.

Fairly arcane stuff, admittedly, but worth knowing if you are going to dabble in Pelikans.