....and it looks brilliant!! Had a problem with poorly-aligned tines at first, but went back to the shop and changed the nib. It's pretty smooth now and I'm looking forward to running it in over the next few days. It's my first "serious" fountain pen, decided on it after reading the opinions of the aficionados on this forum.

A question for other M800 owners though: the slit on my nib appears to be inaccurately cut and slightly off angle, ie. it doesn't divide the nib neatly down the middle but leaves one side of the tip larger than the other. Nonetheless, ink flow is good and it glides over paper smoothly enough. It's an M. Does anyone know if this is a common imperfection, and does it really matter? Especially given the variations in the way different people write?

are you sure you don't have an oblique M nib? in that case, one side would be "larger" than the other

The nib on my F green striped M800 is slightly off center with the slit a little to the right. Once you get this nib situation worked out (which is rather surprising) you will LOVE this pen. Excellent choice for your first serious pen. Bravo!

I can't say much about the cosmetic problem. The nib on my F point runs true down the middle.
The tines on mine were a little misaligned which I had to correct.

Mine is a blue and black striped M800 and it is my favorite pen. I thoroughly enjoy using mine.

Michael

Thanks for the replies. It's definitely not an oblique nib, just one which has a slightly slanting slit. As I said though, it works fine, so i wonder if a "perfectly" made slit might actually be less suitable for the way I write. Guess I gotta buy more pens/nibs to find out, no substitute for experience!!

Whoa, you pay all that money for a pen and the nib isn't aligned right for all three of you, where's quality control at Pelikan?

The nib of my green/black striated M800 is absolutely symmetrical.
I'm not trying to teach you a lesson but when you buy ANY pen, why don't you look at the nib fist and then also do a wet run?

Mike

I have a 1987 m800 with a full flexible medium nib and it is a delight to write with.

One might only assume that it was bought from one of the various online vendors.

As for the nib, I do not know if it is a common occurence, but sometimes the slit is not perfect. As long as it is not too imperfect, it should not really have any effect on the pen at all.

-Nkk

Congrats on the 800, I absolutely love mine!

I've heard about the quality issue with the modern Pelikan pens... but they are still considered the best FP out there!
Consider adding different size nibs for them.. .or add more colors.. I love my Blue!

Good for you! An M800 is an excellent choice - an undisputed classic. My green M800 has a M nib too and it was my first 'serious' FP as well.

If something bothers you every time you think about it, you should do something constructive with it. Your retailer sounds like they want to make you happy. Talk to them, be pleasant about it, and see what can be done. Pelikan nib replacement is so easy.

My M800 did not write well straight out of the box. My father's side of the family may get me for saying this, but I think the Germans were extra drunk the day they assembled the nib and section. A few minutes of fine tuning fixed it though. Later, I had the nib italicized. My M800 now totally knocks me out every time I use it - and I expect it will for years to come.

I'm new to FPN too. Glad you're here.

Good luck, RedSG, and let us know how it goes.

My 800 tines are symmetrical. I've experienced a few QC issues with Pelikan, and have heard of tons of others having problems with these out of the box (I think a lot of folks just expect that Pelikan nibs will need adjustment coming straight from the factory). Since you purchased this at a store, my advice would be to get one that looks right and writes right too. Just my .02 ...

No, I don't work for Pelikan but I do love their FPs.

And I'm not saying that no other company has good service, but Pelikan does have a good service in any case. The store you bought the FP in PLUS Pelikan themselves (here it happens to be in Hannover) do everything they can to make you happy.
Maybe one reason why that is my favourite FP brand!

Mike

Thanks for all the replies. As I said, the nib writes smoothly, with just a hint of enjoyable feedback, and is pretty wet. No problems really, just that visually the tip of the nib looks a bit off. But i suppose we've all heard enough stories about shiny, glam-looking pens that are far more expensive than Pelikans, which have perfect-looking nibs, that write like (Potty Mouth).

So, having run in the pen, and enjoyed the process thoroughly, I do find myself now with an actual problem. What next? Another M800 in blue stripes? Red? M1000? Majesty? Or perhaps one of the many Italian pens that have caught my eye? (Is that sacrilegious on a Pelikan forum? )

i would suggest to you to have its changed to your satisfaction/ Pelikan don have this type of problem maybe of its manufacturing defect issues.

To the point of blasphemy

Why not a M1000 in striated green? Pure FP classic perfection. Last time I was in Austria I've seen one in a great shop and I was hooked, almost to the point of the impulse purchase. I resisted because I cannot complain about my M140s and M215, they are such great writers. But one time or another, I know I'll relent and I'll buy one (saved by my doubts regarding size up tp now... M1000...M800...M1000... ) even if I don't need one. Must.... resist...

Excellent choice! Have two, one in black and one blue stripe. Just looked. Both nibs are symmetrical. Heard about the QC problems but both M800 and one M1000 are great daily pens. No issues with nibs or pistons.