Hi,
I am thinking of buying a Pelikan 200 italic medium nib that has semi flex. This is not a custom nib per se, but sells as is. I have been searching for feedback on this pen on the FPN and haven't found a specific topic.

Anyone out there with one and do you like it?

I have a light to medium hand and like lighter pens. I really love smooth writers and not excessively chatty ones.

Wanda

Where do you get such a nib?

I was pleasantly surprised when I bought an older M400 Tortoise Brown and found that it had a medium flexy nib. Very nice writer!

Your buy these as is on Swisher Pens and Farhney's websites.

I am located far far away from pen stores where I can try things out.

Wanda

Was this an italics medium or just a medium nib that was flexy?

Wanda

Looking at Swisher's site, I don't see an option of flexible OR italic on the 200, is why I was asking. I had no idea there was a stock flexible/italic nib for the M200.

I do not have direct experience of the factory Italic but I do recall much discussion of this nib from a year or so ago.

I think that opinion was divided with a leaning towards it being a bad choice. Do a board search for more detailed info.

HTH,

Chris

Hi Pelikanvert,

I tried to make a link to the specific pen, but the store front came up instead. Go to the Pelikan brand box and hit it. Look up Pelikan 200 series. You will see a black Pelikan medium point italic listed after two other 200's. Sale price of $85.

This is described as a italic medium semi flex.

I use Sheaffer calligraphy fine nibs for lots of my correspondence, when I have the leisurely time to sit and write. I liked the crisp appearance and not sure that a cursive italic would sacrifice distinct thins and thicks over increased speed of writing. I have a Lamy Joy calligraphy pen coming in the mail this week. Calligraphy pens stay at home. Conventional rounded nibs go to work. For the price, I might as well drop the bucks to have Richard Binder make me a nice nib and get a Pelikan 200 for the body.

The previous post notes ambivalent ratings about the factory italic.

Wanda

This is written with my M600 w/ a cursive italic nib courtesy of Richard Binder. As you can see, there are definitely distinct line variations.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3076/252171...99ec14fd0_o.jpg

Thanks for the photo. Looks nice.
Does your nib have some flex, too or is it a stiff nib?
Wanda

It's what I would call soft. It's springy, but the tines don't spread.

Songwind,

This may end up being my next birthday present.

I also like the idea of the Platinum music nib...see a wonderful review of this under FPN Pen Review.

But, check out this photo of the nib.

http://www.platinumpenusa.com/musicnib.htm

Thanks for your input.
W

Wanda

My wife has a Pilot Custom 74 with a music nib. It's very nice, but too broad for me.

Hi Wanda.
I just got that pen from FountainPen Hospital. Nice writter, classic look. I really like it. I don't have a heavy hand so the italic nib gives me a bit of line variation that I would not get with a flex. To get the line variation of the flex, the pressure you apply to the nib must vary. As I said, with my light pressure, the italic gets the variation I want without the need for a flex nib.

Hey S43,
Thanks for that. Songwind said that his Pelikan italic cursive nib no flex from Binder has enough spring in it without the tines spreading apart. I think I want to have at least one Binder nib pen in my collection. Your pen from FPH, if it is exactly like I've seen on Swisher, has semi-flex, specifically stated.
Wanda

Generally speaking, flex and broad nibs (like italics) don't tend to mix well. They each have their points of thickness and thinness, and the two just interfere with each other for most scripts. Now, if you're using some of the old bastard scripts, like Batarde or Fraktur, you really want a flexy italic. For most uses, though, I'd suggest sticking with one.

Hello songwind,

I really like your hand writing. Is that a particular style? I've been toying with buying a cursive italic nib from Mr. Binder for a while now. I've been holding off while I try and make up up my mind which Pelikan pen have it placed on.

I love what he did for the M215 I purchased from him.

Thanks,
Mike

Nope, no particular style - just what I was taught in grade school, with a few modifications because I didn't like some of the letters. I stole my dad's "D," went with a stylist block print "A", and took the loops out of the "L." That's about it.

I'm wondering just how wide the italic nib is on the pen from Swisher. I like using 0.9 cursive italic nibs for letter writing, but from the picture it looks like the Swisher version might be more like a 0.7 or a 0.6.
Also, does anyone know if the Swisher pen is a sharp italic or a cursive italic?

If the Swisher pen is a 0.9 cursive italic, I'm gonna have to break down and buy one .. at the sale price (plus Swisher has a 10% off sale going for the 4th of July), it is a great buy.

Thanks.

Todd

Todd, Bibbfybeans just posted a review of a Lamy that she had italicized, maybe that will give you a hint.

Oh, I'm a big fan of italicized nibs, well the cursive version, and have a few of them ...
I'm just wondering about the details of the Swisher/Pelikan italic nib.

Thanks.

Todd