To help me feel better about my upcoming birthday (where I stop being a thirty-something) I've decided I'd like a quality fountain pen, and with much research have settled on a Pelikan M805 (black) but I need some help with the nib choice. (Would have liked an M1000 if only they did it in black and silver.)

I've been using fountain pens (on and off, but more on) since I was at school, and have always liked the look of italic/oblique writing but never had a pen with such a nib. Regardless, I'm inclined to go with an oblique medium nib but I'm concerned that it might not feel as smooth or as easy to write with as a normal nib and I'll end up disappointed. Since most store pens are stocked with medium nibs it's not easy to try one out for size. This pen will have some sentimental attachment so I'd rather get it as close to right as possible now and don't like the potential cost of replacing the nib.

The pen will be used day-in and day-out both at home and work so I want something practical and not too broad. I'm right handed and I intend to use Diamine inks of various colours.

Is there anyone out there with experience of the oblique medium nib that can provide input to either dissuade me from taking the risk, or encouraging me it'll all be OK?

Thanks,
Mark.

Not at a Pelikan pen, but I have an OB in a Waterman Charleston and after many years of writing with just round normal nibs, I adore it!. It was a bit tricky at the beginning, is a left oblique, I believe, and I tend to lean a bit more on the left tine, or to rotate the pen just a bit in that direction, so maybe a right oblique would have been better. But the line variation it produces, along with the confortable nib size, is just perfect for me. Is my daily pen, and the nib is sort of "naturally stubbed" when used at 75-90 degrees angle.
Pelikan has a variety of OB, OBB, stub and italic nibs from the factory, that I have tried but never owned. They have a reputaion for being great nibs out of the box.
If trying is indeed complicated, I would not be afraid of not liking it, the truth. Others inteh forum can give you a mreo accurate feedback on their experiences with these nibs, but IMHO, go for one.

You might want to read this thread, particularly the last post, which is Richard Binder's clarification of oblique nibs. If you are new to shaped nibs, I would recommend a stub. I would also recommend spending some time in the reference section at Richard's Pens.

Congratulations on your upcoming birthday. An 805 is an excellent choice for a present to yourself

HTH,
Bill

have M1000 with M nib, pel 200 with F and one with M, pel 250 with EF and enjoy using them all.
and I have one extra 2xx nib - OBB. Tried several times to use it, but never successfully, the thing that disturb me is that the nib must to be in just one specific angle.
maybe because I am lefthanded.

Sorry about that pilgrim. I have a left oblique cursive italic Pelikan M400 that I love! I'm left handed, no problems with this custom nib by John Mottishaw.
PMS

Thanks to all for their advice on this, especially the link to Richard's references. It highlighted that what I'd be looking for is not an oblique, but probably a stub as suggested by Bill.

I think I'll go with the regular medium nib for this pen, and look at experimenting on other pens in the future.

Thanks,
Mark.

The nice thing about Pel's is you can always get another nib and swap it out as you wish! I have found the modern obliques from Pel to have not much character compared to the vintage. I find them very subtle (reference is a 200 amber). If you rotate your pen while you write such that your nib is at an angle to the paper, then obliques may be just the thing for you.

Happy Birthday!

Left-handers have so many variations on hand position. Depends on how you push and pull the pen as to whether a left-footed works for you or not. The one nib I ground for left-handed overwriter was a right-footed "sharp" stub. Sharper than a stub, not as sharp as a Binder oblique. Angle of about 8 degrees. That worked well for him because he could push down, and pull up and not fight a sharp corner.

Let's clarify (I may have missed it above, I'm in a bit of a rush) the *factory* oblique nibs are not much different in character than a custom ground oblique. So yes, a Binder Oblique is probably not the best place to start. But a factory oblique, if you have your basic right-handed grip and angle of attack, is not likely to be uncomfortable. It won't give you the line variation either.

Also, if you choose to try the factory oblique and it isn't working for you and you're in the US - no problem. Only cost is postage to Chartpak and a few days wait while they exchange the nib.

MrStuff,

A great choice of pen. I bought the 805 in black and love the form factor. I want to get a italic nib of some kind, but I didn't want to commit to modifying my pretty 805 nib before I knew what I wanted. So...after perusing the very informative Richard Binder website, I purchased an italic stub .08mm stainless steel nib ($45). I didn't learn to drive in a Ferrari, why risk regrinding your nib before you're absolutely sure what you like?

Also, I would like to have a point of reference of Mr. Binder's 1-10 flow rate. I asked for a flow rate of '7' on my test nib. That way, when I take the plunge to have my 18k nib ground, I don't make any regrettable choices.

Will

I am right handed and have the same problem with the OBB that came with one of my M600s. I have been writing with conventional fountain pens for too long to learn how to crank my hand in a way that makes the oblique nib work.

To make an oblique work simply takes rotating the pen in your hand like shown on Richard Binder's site. You don't have to change your hand angle (unless you really want to ).

unless you have an especially high angle of attack. That might make it more difficult to use.

Unfortunately I'm based in the UK, so the prospect of changing the nib after buying isn't so easy.

It doesn't look like Richard modifies the 800 nib anyway, so I'd have to go with a 600 series instead, which means gold trim and not silver (as for the 805) and it won't be such a good fit in my large hands. (I don't like posting the cap - on all previous and smaller pens this has resulted in an obvious marking on the barrel.)

Alternatively it looks like John Mottishaw will modify 800 (or even 1000) nibs.

Are there any decent Nibmeisters in the UK?

Overall, I think I'm safest going for the regular nib this time round and trying alternate nibs on cheaper pens first.

I'm still confused why Pelikan's writing sample image makes the oblique look like an italic if it's nothing of the sort.

The one Pelikan OB nib I have is sort of vaguely italic in nature... But only subtly so, there is SLIGHT line width variation... Nothing like a true stub or italic nib though.

And of course its a sample of one, so YMMV.

First thing is to rotate the pen. I have the habit to do so since I was a child so I love oblique nibs and have both, normal and oblique nibs. The new Pelikan oblique nibs (anything I have in a M 400) are very close to the normal round nib and easy to write with.

Vintage Pelikan oblique nibs are a different story. I have anything from OF to OBB and they really don't work without rotating the pen. But if you have found the sweet spot of the nib, the writing can be wonderful with great line variation.

Richard doesn't *stock* certain nibs as "pre-ground" (sorry, can't think of a better expression at the moment) but a AFAIK he'll modify whatever you send him. The 800 nibs are probably just too expensive for him to keep any kind of stock of specialty nibs. I can't imagine why he wouldn't modify an 800 or 1000 if the owner wants that. Seems no riskier than modifying vintage nibs as he has done.

Did you see anywhere on his site that he said he wouldn't modify an 800?



I don't think that writing sample has been altered since the days when their obliques did have variation. I don't know when they started making such rounded obliques but if you look at a vintage chart of their nib configuration it looks virtually identical to the modern advert. Deletions for nibs they no longer make. Laziness? Failure to admit that what they used to make was more exacting compared to modern nibs? I dunno.

I also have an Pelikan OM nib and, to be honest there isn't a lot of difference between it and my Pelikan F. I don't have a problem using it and it can be used without rotating the pen without any problems. I tend to start with the pen straight and rotate it anti-clockwise as I write anyway.

My guess is that it was for flex and I recall reading somewhere that nibmeisters only add flex to 14k nib. Both the M800 and M1000 beeing 18k...

That is true. But stubs and italics and so forth should be fair game. I've had an 18k nib modified.

If you look at: http://www.richardspens.com/sales/newp_nib.htm
Richard explicitly lists the Pelikan pens where he offers handcrafted nibs. This list excludes M800 and M1000.

I had assumed this was because of the 18k gold but I admit that on second reading Richard is talking about "standard" customized nibs and it could be that he just doesn't stock the M800/M1000 versions due to the price. If this is the case then I was wrong in the way I interpreted the wording.

Yes, you misinterpreted. He doesn'st stock them but he'll certainly grind them just as Mr. Mottishaw and others will do.

MrStuff: I'm a fan of the 805 too. Like you I would get a 1000, if it came with silver trim.

That said, go oblique. I've got several Pelikan pens oblique and regular, both modern and vintage. They are great fun, and finding the sweet spot is easy and intuitive. I prefer the factory obliques to those pre-ground by Richard (and done by John M.). The the line variation is less pronounced on the factory obliques, which I find to be more comfortable, but you could get Richard or John to re-grind a nib about any way you want.

Go Oblique!