Pelikan Vs Noodler's

[inkstainedruth]

Why did you like the konrad so much? What was so special about it for you?

 

I thought it was a good pen for the money ($20-$40 US, depending on the materials). I have small hands, so the Konrads are a good size and weight (the ebonite one is a bit longer, but still is balanced, even when posted). Maybe I've been lucky, but all of my Noodler's pens have been good out of the box (even the Charlie eyedropper pens). The only issue I've had with any of them (other than losing a couple of the Konrads) was with the Poseidon Pearl -- for some reason that pen writes very dry, compared to the others, and there is some sort of obstruction inside the cap so it doesn't post. And the ones I've bought, I've liked the colors (most recently a Medieval Lapis Konrad).

Yes, they do tend to dry out a bit compared to some other brands, due to the resin material on most of mine. But I've been pretty happy with them overall. And I like the fact that I CAN completely dismantle them for thorough cleaning if necessary. The only other maintenance I've had to do with them is to replace the o rings on a couple of the FPCs (oh, and I've borked a couple of the Konrad nibs, but that was my own fault -- and not while over-flexing them...).

No, they're not Pelikans. They're not as good as my vintage Parkers either (but then, very little is... ). Like I said before, they are what they are. I'm a fan of the pens that I've used (I can't say anything about the Ahabs or the Neponsets -- those pens are a bit too large for my hand; well, in the case of the Neponsets, a lot too big -- which is a bit disappointing because I like the idea of an inexpensive music nib pen, and some of the early ebonite Neponsets were gorgeous colors).

And also like I said before (and now again, in response to dogpoet) -- I've had ink leak/burp into the cap of a 1950s era 400, too. I've spent a fair amount of time over the last couple of days scrubbing the ink ring off the binde with ammonia solution and a bit of dish detergent, and mostly (but not entirely) gotten it off with an old toothbrush dipped in the ammonia solution....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[inkstainedruth]

I'm astonished that Ruth has bought that many of the things and had no problems with any of them: as I got mine through the Goulets, it can't be down to Noodlers sending seconds out of the country and saving the stock that works properly for sale in America, so it has to be either issues with quality control (as rwilson suggests) or them not travelling well.

I've gotten mine from several places: Goulet Pens, isellpens, and (most recently) from Birmingham Pens here in Pittsburgh. In that last case, I went in planning to get a Nemosine Singularity (I like their range of nib widths) -- but I didn't like the colors. So for 1¢ more I bought another Konrad -- which was a known quantity.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[dogpoet]

Ruth, I'd have been a lot happier with the things if the worst any of mine did was just leak into the cap occcasionally...

Edited November 6, 2016 by dogpoet

[sargetalon]

I'll have to echo the sentiments of the others here. There is no comparison between the two because they are in different leagues. Pelikans are, in general, wet, smooth, and dependable writers. The gold plated stainless steel nibs have a little spring but by no means any flex. Today's nibs won't give your writing much character as their isn't any line variation from the factory but they are dependable and get the job done. They also lend themselves beautifully to custom nib grinds.

[Runnin_Ute]

I have a resin Konrad which wrote well right out of the box. I didn't much care for the "flex" nib and it didn't see much use. Then I bought a Goulet branded Jowo nib ( B ) for it. The usage went up dramatically. Currently it is uninked.

On the other hand I currently have three of my four Pelikan pens inked. (2 M200's and a M150) The M150 has a nib that I believe a previous owner tried to flex. One tine seems like it might have been sprung. Sometimes it works properly sometimes not. (F nib)

 

I keep telling myself that I will get a replacement nib for it, but haven't yet. One of the chances you take buying on ebay used. All that said, I will take a Pelikan over a Konrad any day of the week. Granted the latter was $20 and my Pelikans ranged from $17.50 to $100.00. Two in the $46-$60 range. (M200 OB and M150) The? M200 at $100 was brand new (Cognac ) and my 120 Merz & Krell was $17.50. (F and M respectively )

Edited November 6, 2016 by Runnin_Ute

[Foundational]

I would help if you tell us specifically what you are looking for?

Are you looking for a flexible nib pen?

 

Good questions

 

I'm looking to buy a pen with following characteristics:

• a fountain pen I can use on the train (so not a dip pen)
• no convertor system/cartridge nor a sack (piston, or other filling systems ok)
• I have medium hands, so a medium pen is big enough I suppose?
• max 100 €
• nice to have: gold colored nib, black body
• most important: the nib: Fine, smooth and line variation from F to M.

  no full flex is needed, nor wet noodle. Just something I can use other then stubs or oblique pens, but stil gives line variation and those subleties.

I already have many lamy's, the joy stubs, an 2000 oblique, a 27 oblique...

all nails. Something else would be a welcome change

[dogpoet]

If you weren't opposed to c/c pens, putting a vintage flex nib in a Jinhao would tick most of those boxes.

[mirosc]

Pelikan 100N can be found for that money, if you are willing to look into vintage pens.

Geha Goldschwinge 725/735/745

plus a lot more vintage pens. If you are daring and buy a noname pen you can find five for 100€. In the end it's not much more need for tinkering with them than with a Noodlers

[Foundational]

I keep telling myself that I will get a replacement nib for it, but haven't yet. One of the chances you take buying on ebay used. All that said, I will take a Pelikan over a Konrad any day of the week. Granted the latter was $20 and my Pelikans ranged from $17.50 to $100.00. Two in the $46-$60 range. (M200 OB and M150) The? M200 at $100 was brand new (Cognac ) and my 120 Merz & Krell was $17.50. (F and M respectively )

 

hmm, the pelikan's aren't that expensive either (second hand)...

 

 

Like I said before, they are what they are.

 

And they sound like fun, but I'm not sure if the're reliable enough.

 

I'll have to echo the sentiments of the others here. There is no comparison between the two because they are in different leagues.

 

Now I start to understand this: build for different "purposes".

 

Thanks for all the advice, folks!!!

 

So I understand that vintage pelikans have more line variation and that the nibs are interchangeable with the M200 (depending the type)

 

The m150 has the same section? No friction fit?

[memm]

 

So I understand that vintage pelikans have more line variation and that the nibs are interchangeable with the M200 (depending the type)

 

 

The M200s with F nib from the blog post and the video I linked to are about ten years old, so I wouldn't call them vintage. I have some vintage Pelikans (>50 years old) and some of them are more flexible, some less than the ten year olds.

I often read that the old ones have more flex and the new ones are nails, but that doesn't always match my experience.

[Runnin_Ute]

The M150 and M200 take different nibs (M150 is a bit smaller - it has to be in order for it to cap properly) but they are both screw in nib units.

[Bo Bo Olson]

The Ahab is good starter pen to learn about feeds with....is a flexible pen....rather heavy....in one needs lots of pressure to spread the tines 5-6-7X.....at least semi-flex pressure perhaps more.

With the Ahab Mod....little half moon ground out of the sides of the nib....it becomes a superflex in the first stage....Easy Full Flex.....that is under Wet Noodle......which you don't need to really worry about right now. The Ahab Mod will be then a fun pen....not as it comes 'out the box'. It is a Large pen, so is going to be a bit clunky....as all Large pens but the Snorkel are.....and one or two others like the Waterman 52, has good balance also.

 

 

The 200 is a pen you can give to your grand kids and theirs. A posted standard sized 200/400/ are very good balanced pens.

 

I've 4 '50's 400's, a 400nn, late '40's; an Ibis and 100n(superflex)....2 x 140...outside the 100n, they are semi-flex or maxi-semi-flex....that the 200 is not. I call it 'true' regular flex....in today....semi-nails and nails are 'regular flex' to those who don't know the difference....in that is all they have seen on their pens, the harder to bend semi-nail and nail.

I have a '50's 120 with all the gold plating still on it....that is close to a 200's nib with 'spring' in it is regular flex from that era. I thought the 200's nibs to be a tad better....but what's that little of a tad.

 

 

I really don't notice much difference between my W. Germany one (sigh) and later 200's. Or didn't the one time I tried it. I've 17 pens inked....so it's got to wait it's turn.

 

I have a 120, a W.Germany 200, a 150 (smaller as Running Ute mentioned...but still 'true' regular flex ), a 215 and an amethyst 200. (Others with similar 'true' regular flex nibs I have are....a 90's M400, 2 Celebries (one gold & one steel =) a 38x/39x gold nib. Isee the gold and steel nibs of those pens to be equal enough, that I don't worry about it.....and me a one time gold snob.....

 

I trans-mailed a lot of 200 nibs to a pal in England over a couple of years, because there are idiots in Germany who refuse to mail out of Germany.....the reason I bought the 215....in I had some 400's and didn't need a 200....including a '90'-96 tortoise M400. I was eventually impressed with the 200's springy 'true' regular flex nibs. The 200's nibs are as good as my '90-96 tortoise 14 K 400! Impressed enough to buy one....the others came later....unexpectedly.

 

I don't see them as semi-nail.....I see them as a springy 'true' regular flex nib....that most companies made before the mid '90's. (Some folks coming over from nail or semi-nail think them semi-flex there is that much difference between 'true or once normal' regular flex and nail/semi-nail.

 

If one thinks.....semi-flex or maxi-semi-flex is The Springy Nib....then I can see a '200's being categorized as a semi-nail......but the modern gold piston ring fat and blobby 400/600 Are semi-nails.

The 200 and the semi-vintage 'true' regular flex are @ 1/2 a width narrower. and have a nice clean line....and have a bit of spring to them that is lacking in semi-nail and nails.

A nicer ride.

 

I see the semi&maxi as Springy ++,+++ nibs.

A 'Springy' nib like a Falcon or modern MB nibs or the new Lamy Imporium are 2X tine spread with good tine bend. That is to me a different orange than the apple of the 'true' regular flex. One gets a bit more tine bend....not as much as in a semi-flex but a bit more than 'true' regular flex...but less tine spread. The new Lamy Imporium is such a nib....nice to write with but not much (2x) tine spread.

True regular flex, semi&maxi are 3 X tine spread, with various lessening levels of pressure needed to achieve 3 X.....True regular flex has to be really mashed to get 3 X. Semi-flex half of that, maxi half of that or 1/4th the pressure needed for a regular flex.

A semi-nail don't do 3 x....or not often....or they will spring.

 

'True' regular flex in western M&F are very good shading nib, in they are not as wet as semi or maxi; which needs a better ink and paper match to get full shading out of them..

 

 

There is a slight difference in class between the 200 and 400 pen bodies....IMO the '200's nib is the better since '98. ......................well the modern fat and blobby semi-nail nibs are butter smooth.....the 200 has the cleaner line. ...and a slight tad of spring, for a nice ride.

Edited November 8, 2016 by Bo Bo Olson

[Mangrove Jack]

As many others have said, the Pelikan is a pen of much better build quality and thus more expensive than the Noodlers. You get what you pay for. I have both - Pelikan M200 and the Noodlers Konrad pine cone swirl ebonite which actually is a very nice looking pen and not easily available anymore.

 

I guess I have been fortunate since the Noodlers pen has worked well straight out of the box and never given me any trouble. I like tinkering with my pens and playing around with the Noodlers pen, changing nib's, adjusting tines and feeds, etc are fun for me. I am about to try out the Goulet pens Jowo nib's in the Noodlers pen this week, time permitting, and looking forward to it.

 

The Pelikan however is the pen I carry around with me and if I were to be using one when travelling on a train regularly it would be the Pelikan. Less chances of leaking and better build quality.