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Why Do Pelikan Nibs Hold Their Value So Well?


dubhe

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I was drawn to the nib interchangeability when I bought my first Pelikan, a burnt orange M800. I have plenty of Montblancs, but wanted to try something different.

 

I want to buy another nib, but second hand they seem to cost around the same as new, surely they should drop in price? Also, the two chicks nibs seem to be more expensive, yet they are only 20-30 years old and not that special, are they?

 

Finally, if I buy a nib on its own from eBay, can I swap it into a modern feed or will I need special tools?

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Its hard to say why they hold their value so well. I guess that since there isn't much that would go wrong with a nib, there is no reason they would depreciate much.

 

I believe that the reason for the older ones being more expensive is that they are seen as better nibs, either with a little flex or more character (the tips are not blobs), or both.

 

As long as you buy a M800 nib, you can swap them just using your fingers and a little care.

 

In my experience, your best bet to get a good priced nib is ebay.de or ebay.it and a bit of patience. From time to time I have seen some going for not much more than $100-120 (for M800). About a month ago there was one (Broad) on ebay.it for 70 euros and I considered buying, but shipping to US was 25 euros and I decided against it (I know, I'm a fool :wallbash: :headsmack: ).

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As long as you buy a M800 nib, you can swap them just using your fingers and a little care.

 

 

Sorry I meant if I bought just the nib with no feed etc.

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Sorry I meant if I bought just the nib with no feed etc.

That will be slightly more difficult as Pelikan doesn't produce nibs w/o feeds and collars. And unless the nib unit broke in some way, most people would keep their nibs intact.

 

Also note that you will need a vice (or similar tool) to gently punch out the nib. IMO, you won't save that much money going for a nib-only route and also run the risk of damaging the feed fins or nib tines.

“My two fingers on a typewriter have never connected with my brain. My hand on a pen does. A fountain pen, of course. Ball-point pens are only good for filling out forms on a plane.”

Graham Greene

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That will be slightly more difficult as Pelikan doesn't produce nibs w/o feeds and collars. And unless the nib unit broke in some way, most people would keep their nibs intact.

 

Also note that you will need a vice (or similar tool) to gently punch out the nib. IMO, you won't save that much money going for a nib-only route and also run the risk of damaging the feed fins or nib tines.

 

 

There seem to be a few on eBay sold this way, so I was wondering how difficult it would be to transplant the nib into my current feed/collar.

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There seem to be a few on eBay sold this way, so I was wondering how difficult it would be to transplant the nib into my current feed/collar.

Without the right tools, it's a pain and carries a higher than average risk of disaster. Much better to just get a complete nib assembly.

PELIKAN - Too many birds in the flock to count. My pen chest has proven to be a most fertile breeding ground.

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Now, that you have been Beaked...you need an '89-90 which has the best of the 'true' regular flex nibs....might as well get the whole pen. I don't know how to tell the nibs apart with out looking to see how many chicks are on the top...but up to perhaps '97 when Pelikan changed it's 400 and later 600 over to semi-nail....and some time about then the 800 over to a nail.

 

You do want one of the nibs that are 'true' regular flex. Got a nicer ride. The problem is the 400/600 nibs do not fit the 800.

 

Penboard De....will have older nibs.... They are though expensive.

 

The reason the nibs stay high in price is they twist out with no problems....no problems = more $.

 

I have no idea how to change nibs, other than it is a pain.

 

I am prejudiced against nail nibs. So if you are a nail only user....(where's the evil Sneidly Whiplash smilie.)

Do think about getting a semi-vintage regular flex nib for your 800 and make it a 'complete' pen. ;)

In reference to P. T. Barnum; to advise for free is foolish, ........busybodies are ill liked by both factions.

 

 

The cheapest lessons are from those who learned expensive lessons. Ignorance is best for learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

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Do think about getting a semi-vintage regular flex nib for your 800 and make it a 'complete' pen. ;)

 

Thanks, that is kind of what I am trying to do, but it looks like I am going to have to budget a bit more for it!

 

Are the semi-vintage nibs the same width? So if I like a Fine in a modern M800 nib, will that translate across?

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I'm not that good with the 800.I don't care for nails. I did trans-mail a '89-90 800 to someone in Spain, in many Germans refuse to mail out side of Germany.

That nib is supposed to be even springier than the '91-97...don't know never tired the latter. I am much more use to heavy Large pens now than then. That nib lived up to all it was supposed to be.

 

I have a nice '90-96 (tortoise... the M400 in striped green stopped in '97) springy regular flex nibbed 400. The nibs of the '80's are reputed to be better. I had asked a fine passed poster if it was worth while chasing one of those nibs. She said there was a minimum difference, they were a bit better, but it was not for me in I was spoiled with my semi-flex and maxi-semi-flex 140-400s.

 

 

 

The '89-90 W. Germany, nib is the slightly better 800 nib. The '91-97 Germany nib before it went nail in '98 would be at least as good as the '90-97 Germany M400 with out the gold piston ring.

 

 

I have an old chart....more than likely from before 1998, when the 400 (later 600) got fat.

The 800 had it's own size on that chart....

 

There use to be flame wars.

Waterman's fans were very happy that Waterman had narrower nibs than Pelikan. The chart proved that Waterman had two sets of nibs....down to EF where the 400 and other Pelikan was thinner than either of the two Waterman nibs. The second set of Waterman nibs was the same width as Pelikan.

 

The 800's special width was between the Pelikan/Waterman tie and the 'normal' Waterman. The 800 from then was narrower than the normal Pelikan.

 

I never seen a modern list with the 800 separately listed.

The semi-vintage Pelikan pens I have....some 4 all seem to have the same width as a modern 200, @ 1/2 a width size narrower than modern post '97. That is @ what my '40-50-65 nibs had for width also.

Going by that chart, I'd expect the semi-vintage 800 to be thinner than the 400s semi and vintage nibs.........................of course there is always going to be slop/tolerance. Even at worst I'd expect no worse than the semi&vintage width of the 400s or modern 200's. ..The Fat F semi-vintage 800 = normal F on the semi-vintage 400 or 200. A Skinny F close to EF.

At best @ 1/4th-1/3 a size narrower.

 

Conway Stewart was by far the widest, then Parker was wider than Sheaffer then came Pelikan and finally Waterman. But that was back in Semi-vintage time.

 

Japanese pens were not major in the market until the last part of the '90's so were not on that list.

 

So a semi-vintage 800's F nib would be thinner than the 400/200's F nib. And the semi-vintage nibs is @ a size narrower than the modern 400s.

 

I as I said, only know a bit about the 800's. I hope some folks come on who have the Germany and pre' 98 Germany nibs come on and say what they have.

 

I would only buy a W. Germany 800 :rolleyes: ....never ever modern...I have a few good nail pens...like a Townsend I don't even use. Why buy another nail to hang on the wall?

 

Well, if I got my arm twisted and a huge deal....in I find the 800 to be too Large and clunky, I might buy a pre'98 Germany one. If I knew how to tell them apart. That I'd buy here on the com so some one could tell me it was a 'true' regular flex nib.

 

I think any of the pre'98's nibs or pens would be fine if you like the 800 as a pen. I don't, but I grew up in the day of standard and medium large pens.....before out side of PFM, Large pens.

 

The only Large pen I don't find to be clunky is the thin, well balanced posted Snorkel.... :yikes: Boy, was I so surprised when I found out it was as long as my Safari.

In reference to P. T. Barnum; to advise for free is foolish, ........busybodies are ill liked by both factions.

 

 

The cheapest lessons are from those who learned expensive lessons. Ignorance is best for learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Today I received a 14C M800 Fine nib and have fitted it into my Burnt Orange pen, it is lovely and smooth, with a nice springy flex. I had to buy the whole pen, the exterior of which is well worn, but the nib is in good condition and after a quick flush I fitted it and put it to use. The nib writes wetter than the current style EF nib, but around the same width. I like it, which is good because it wasn't cheap! Now to sell the redundant body and 2016 EF nib to recoup some of my expense.

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Today I received a 14C M800 Fine nib and have fitted it into my Burnt Orange pen, it is lovely and smooth, with a nice springy flex. I had to buy the whole pen, the exterior of which is well worn, but the nib is in good condition and after a quick flush I fitted it and put it to use. The nib writes wetter than the current style EF nib, but around the same width. I like it, which is good because it wasn't cheap! Now to sell the redundant body and 2016 EF nib to recoup some of my expense.

 

If the body is sufficiently beaten up, consider sending it off to Shawn Newton for a new binde. You won't recoup any money, but you'd have a great pen. http://newtonpens.com/pen-modifications/

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If the body is sufficiently beaten up, consider sending it off to Shawn Newton for a new binde. You won't recoup any money, but you'd have a great pen. http://newtonpens.com/pen-modifications/

 

Thank you, you have just ruined my plan for cash recovery! But you ruined it in exactly the way I like, something I can research, plan, purchase and anticipate!

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