Slightly Disappointed By Pelikan M205

[athenian]

I just received a new Pelikan m205 which I filled with Pelikan Blue Black (I had read that this is a wet pen and this ink seemed like a good idea). Unfortunately the medium nib is rather narrow and the pen skips on some downstrokes. I'll try it with a wetter ink and see what happens. Also, since I am used to grip the pen rather low, the section threads irritate my finger.

Regards

[rochester21]

This is not normal, pelikans should never skip. You must have got a pen with a misaligned nib. This would explain the skipping and the narrow, dry writing.

 

Anyway, none of the people i personally met was happy with his pelikan pens, myself included

Edited September 15, 2013 by rochester21

[athenian]

Well, I'm sorry you are included in our "club". It's annoying since I own several Lamy Safaris which wrote perfectly out of the box and were much cheaper. I'll try to look at the tines with a loupe and see what happens.

Regards

[GTOZack]

flush the nib more often theres machining oils in it. happened to my white 205

[ANM]

Yeah, as GOTZack said, new pens often have manufacturing oils that need removing. Rinse in water with some detergent, then in clear water a few times.

[athenian]

Will do. Thanks for your replies.

Regards

[Vendome]

If you flush the pen through several times, but it's still playing up after that, send it back to the retailer or Pelikan direct, (including a copy of the receipt) explain the problem and ask for it to be exchanged under warranty for one that works properly.

[athenian]

Update: I cleaned the pen as advised and filled it with Waterman Florida Blue. There's definitely an improvement, but it still looks to me as a fine nib rather than a medium. Maybe that's the way it is with pelikan nibs. And I still struggle with the grip.

I also checked the tines with a loupe and they seem aligned. But I have a question: am I supposed to see some light between the tines when I hold it agains a lightsource?

Thanks for all your replies.

Regards.

[brewsky]

As to the nib not being the size you wanted.. i have a M and an EF and the size difference between the two os VERY minimal. I prefer the EF due to it being slightly smoother. My pen has never skipped once, no mater what ink i put in it or if i forget to clean it out for six months. The m2xx series is my favorite pen line thus far. hope this helps

[athenian]

Yeah, it helps a lot. Guess I have to stop complaining. Maybe I will buy a broad nib in the future.

Thanks

[PAKMAN]

Odd, every Pelikan I've gotten has run a little wide for the size nib instead of running narrow!

[athenian]

Well, the nib is definitely a medium one, it just doesn't feel like one. I wonder if spreading the tines a little bit would help. I've tried it on other nibs before, using a piece from an old x-ray film of mine. Will see.

Regards

[PAKMAN]

Flossing the nib will often create a wetter pen. I use a spark plug feeler gauge with the finest blade to start with .

[athenian]

Thanks for the suggestion, but I don't feel brave enough to use this tool. My hands would probably shake.

[Mr Ink]

Well, the nib is definitely a medium one, it just doesn't feel like one.

 

I own quite a number of Pelikan pens with gold nibs and others with steel nibs. In my personal experience, the modern gold nibs generally tend to run wider than the corresponding modern steel nibs. Thus, the width of my modern, gold, medium nibs is closer to that of my modern, steel, broad nibs. The vintage gold nibs are a different kettle of fish, and they tend to run finer than the corresponding modern gold nibs.

 

Of course, I cannot say whether this is a universal occurrence, but it does apply to all those Pelikan nibs in my own collection.

[novarider]

Update: I cleaned the pen as advised and filled it with Waterman Florida Blue. There's definitely an improvement, but it still looks to me as a fine nib rather than a medium. Maybe that's the way it is with pelikan nibs. And I still struggle with the grip.

I also checked the tines with a loupe and they seem aligned. But I have a question: am I supposed to see some light between the tines when I hold it agains a lightsource?

Thanks for all your replies.

Regards.

 

 

It is my understanding from reading on this site that the slit should be roughly the same size from the hole to the tip. I have also read that the tip of the tines should be close to each other but not touch. On some of my pens they do not touch but on others they do. IMHO I think it depends how wet you like each nib. My pilot custom 823 nib tines touch because if they do not it is a gusher. I like wet nibs so I usually have to spread the tines on almost every nib I own.

 

On my pens I cannot see light through the slit if they are inked. When they are empty and flushed I can see through the slit.

[Pterodactylus]

I own quite a number of Pelikan pens with gold nibs and others with steel nibs. In my personal experience, the modern gold nibs generally tend to run wider than the corresponding modern steel nibs. Thus, the width of my modern, gold, medium nibs is closer to that of my modern, steel, broad nibs. The vintage gold nibs are a different kettle of fish, and they tend to run finer than the corresponding modern gold nibs.

 

Of course, I cannot say whether this is a universal occurrence, but it does apply to all those Pelikan nibs in my own collection.

This fits also my observation, still can be coincidence.

 

It also depends on the ink, with Pelikan 4001 my modern M600 M nibs feel more like a medium than with wetter inks.

With wetter inks it looks more like a broad.

 

I also feel that the ink influence on the line width on modern spherical nibs seems to be greater than on stubby vintage nibs as there are no clear borders on the modern spherical ones to stop the ink.

Edited September 16, 2013 by Pterodactylus

[Albinoni]

Doesnt sound quite right, I actually have a vintage Pelikan M200 with steel nib in medium too, currently using Pelikan Royal Blue in it and it is a wet writer for sure, the pen is green marble and around 1980s say early 80s or even 1980 it self but is definately a wet writer.

 

Can you take it back ?