As a birthday present, my parents bought me a Pelikan M200, which is, from what I've heard, a good next step from the type of pens I started out with (Safari, Vista, and a brand-less stationary store pen). However, upon trying out my new pen with blue Quink that came free with the purchase, I was surprised to find that I hated the way the pen wrote, and adding insult to injury, it's dry, skips, and I have to scribble a bit to make it start. So anyway, just proof to what I've heard that even though pens may get more expensive, it's still easy to find better writers that are much cheaper.

Try cleaning, rinsing and drying first.

Worst case send it to a nibmeister....most pelikan M200s write really well. sorry yours isn't working well.

Soapy wash! It works wonders!
If not, then get in touch with the vendor; Pel nibs should be just right (from what I've heard), and you can get an upgrade.

It's not uncommon to hear from people who've had a bad first nib, then replaced it with a good one under warranty - though I think this is more due to the bad news coming more often than good!

I'm sorry, but I have to disagree.
A product not suitable for its intended purpose (like a fountain pen actually putting ink onto paper) should be replaced or repaired by the manufacturer!
A Buyer should not have to send a new pen to a repair specialist to get it to write.

Is there any way to make the flow a little wetter?

Glenn is right. Immediately throwing a pen into the hands of a nibmeister just to make it write properly doesn't help anyone (Pelikan, or any prospective buyer), and ends up making YOU, the owner, mad (because it's quite likely that you'll have to wait for a good long while before you get the pen back). It kills the gratification of owning the pen. Believe it or not, there are situations where a nibmeister is NOT the answer.

Fortunately, Pelikan stands behind their products like they should.

Flush the pen with lukewarm water with a drop of dishsoap in it, and then let it dry overnight. This might help your issues.

If it doesn't, call Chartpak and tell them what's going on. They'll make it right. OP, let me know if you need the contact information.

I think what also should be considered after giving the pen a good rinse, is to try a variety of inks with it. Some inks act differently in some pens then others, and just because one ink may write dry, or tend to skip may not mean that others will too. I wouldn't give up on a pen only after trying it with one type of ink. Of course, most ink should work with any pen, but sometimes this just isn't the case. Clean it as mentioned above, then go from there!

I meant that WORST CASE he should send it to a nibmeister. If he washes it, gets a new nib, washes that and the pen doesnt write like he wants to, then a nibmeister is a great option. They can customize the pen to exactly what is wanted.

So far I've tried both Quink Washable Blue and Waterman Florida Blue and I've flushed it with soapy water. It just writes in such an unpleasant way. I'd appreciate it if you could point me towards Chartpak. Thanks.

I had a similar experience with my M200 upon arrival. It did not write the way a first-class pen should write, I knew that much -- kind of "scratchy" in a way I didn't expect, and dry. After visiting and searching the FPN Pelikan Board, though, and reading some posts over there, I came to understand that quality control on Pelikan nibs isn't too good these days. The nibs themselves, though, I can say at least from my experience, are outstanding -- or at least mine sure feels that way -- once they are lined up properly.

When i came to understand that my experience with the nib wasn't that unusual, I decided to figure out if I could fix it myself. I like to try and figure things out and fix them myself when I can, so I started reading around and found John Mattishaw's Nibs.com to be a great help, particularly this page: http://www.nibs.com/Article6SmoothingAdjusting.htm

Starting with one of my kid's higher-power magnifying glasses, I came to see that the tines (nib tips) were out of alignment. Also, the center line was not lined up properly over the feed. Some of this I may have caused myself seeking to increase the flow by pulling gently at the wings/shoulders, but given the initial feel, I know for sure that all was not lined up properly. The nib just wasn't right, on delivery.

I am a rank beginner with pens, but also an ex-roofer, which is all about lining things up horizontally and vertically for optimal water flow. So, as I read and messed around, I gradually came to understand that flow was influenced by how well the line down the center of the metal portion of the nib lined up with the center of the feed (the dark plastic stuff). Next, the tines need to line up both horizontally and vertically for a smooth ride on the ink that's flowing. Finally, if I want to increase the flow for a wetter line, I can gently separate the two halves to provide more ink flow. A "very little at a time" approach was my mode of operation throughout.

As I moved forward, I bought a jeweler's loupe at the neighborhood hobby store -- 20 X, I believe, maybe a little stronger -- certainly stronger still when you add my reading glasses. Then I really started seeing things even more clearly, and so set about lining up the center line with the center of the feed, adjusting the tines to line up together properly (Mattishaw's link is great on th is), and getting the flow where I liked it -- which also involved educating myself about inks, papers, etc. I'm not advising anyone to do this kind of deliberate trial and error, but I can say that everything is 100% right with that nib now, and the writing itself is beyond smooth -- to my hand at least. Everything they say about Pelikan quality is true, true, true, once the materials are adjusted properly. Elegant feel to that M200 -- to my hand anyway.

Since that time I have gotten a Pelikano straightened out -- as those tines were out of line on delivery -- and, happiest of all, a Pilot 78G that now writes butter smooth after a scratchier-than-I-prefer start. Just patient, deliberate, less-is-more seems to work best in these undertakings -- and lots of trial and error. The Pilot is wonderful now -- while challenging at first, it is now more than I hoped for. It's actually a very close second to the M200!

I hope to get a fine nib next for my M200, as I like the finer line I'm seeing with the Pilot M nib (I'm told here on FPN that Japanese nibs are finer than European -- and that looks to be true) -- and might even get a second M200, but when I do, will buy from Richard Binder. If I have to, I will try my own adjusting again, but I am just new enough at all of this that I am happy to turn the work over to him as well, so I know from the get-go that all is well. No one reports bad experiences with his nibs -- and I find that to be a powerful reference (disclaimer: no affiliation).

Again, I'm not suggesting anyone try this "at home," but at the same time, we're talking lining up vertical and horizontal lines to produce good flow and smooth nib travel across that flow. It may be tricky, but I don't think it's beyond anyone who can be patient and has at least a good magnifying instrument. Like with cars, houses, etc., one works on what one learns through trial and error that one can do -- and then, turn the rest over to the experts. Plumbing, for example, is something I never try around the house. I've flooded one too many bathrooms in my day, trying to do that stuff on my own. :0 In fact, I just paid a plumber 80 bucks to do a pretty simple job yesterday. Lining up a nib is something I'm willing to try again, though -- and I have gained some confidence in the process over the last few weeks -- but grinding a nib, or other higher order tasks, that ain't me... :0)

All just my view, though. The bottom line is all these people who love the M200 on this Board -- and I'm one of them -- can't all be wrong. I hope yours eventually settles down. The quality, the distinctive elegance of this pen are outstanding in ways I was unable to imagine until I felt the pen really perform in my hand. No turning back now -- this is love... :0)

Best of luck!

Well said, and well done, UsFour.

That pen'll probably never leave your stable, either, because in essence - you built it yourself.

Thanks for the well thought out reply UsFour. I'll definitely have a look at that site. It's encouraging to know that one can fix these types of problems without sending the pens off to a professional.

Always a good first step but if that does not work, it's back to Pelikan (or whomever) for replacement. My thoughts anyway.

DeMaens:

I went back just now and re-read that Mattishaw/Nibs.com page. Two interesting points mentioned I thought I would copy here, as I think they apply to various portions of the conversation so far. The first is situated beneath a magnified photo of a not-too-functional Pelikan nib:

"This factory Pelikan M800 BB nib suffers from a couple problems. First, the tipping is not perfectly aligned and second, notice that the place where the ink would touch the paper is concave and would not touch."

So, ours are not the first Pelikan nibs to be problematic on arrival. :0)

Next one comes right at the end:

"As may be noted from the above, a smooth nib is the result of several dynamics. The process of balancing a nib requires skill and patience. The rewards are great, but pitfalls abound."

True dat!

Again, best of luck with your M200! When and how this all may settle out, this present time will pass, and I think eventually you'll find yourself writing with a wondeful pen...