M400 Or M600?

[mitto]

Just bought this pen from a local auction site. The seller didn't know neither about the size nor the model.

 

Is it M400 or M600?

Thanks.

 

 

Here are seller's pictures.

 

 

 

 

[mitto]

By the way the nib is 14ct (585) and not 18ct.

[Chrissy]

I don't know which one it is without knowing the length.

[mitto]

The seller says it is a little above 5".

[Lam1]

The seller says it is a little above 5".

 

In that case it should be a M600.

Congrats on the new pen!

[Bluey]

The seller says it is a little above 5".

Then it's an M600

[DrCodfish]

Older OB nib, you got a dandy!

[mitto]

Older OB nib, you got a dandy!

And who would let me know what is a 'dandy'. Lol.

Edited December 9, 2016 by mitto

[mitto]

In that case it should be a M600.

Congrats on the new pen!

 

Thank you, Lam1.

[zaddick]

And who would let me know what is a 'dandy'. Lol.

Usually taken to mean excellent or great.

[mitto]

Usually taken to mean excellent or great.

Thank you.

 

I may have got a sumgai deal too. Got the pen in local currency for a hooping amount of Rs.5000 (around $47.00).

Edited December 9, 2016 by mitto

[zaddick]

Thank you.

 

I may have got a sumgai deal too. Got the pen in local currency fo a hooping amount of around $47.00.

 

Should it function out of the gate, I would agree. Congrats. It pays to shop around!

[Bo Bo Olson]

Mitto...you ol'sumgai you!!!

Your turn to buy the shots of ink.

 

OB in a modern pen....any Pelikan made after 1965...will not have all the flex that a semi-/maxi-semi-flex offers.

You should have some small line variation only.

 

Modern Oblique is made for folks with left eye dominance or some of the left hand styles. Perhaps it was always so.....but the '50-65 German Obliques of companies with a little flex...Soennecken, MB, Pelikan, Geha, Osmia, & Kaweco....were stubbed nibs to go with the flex and the grind.

 

Your nib has the normal American Bump Under.

 

I have a total of some 13 or so obliques....in a mix of semi&maxi....OBB, OB, OM & OF in both @ 15&30 degree grind..................long story of why I don't have an OEF from that era...but think that would be way too small for my eyes.

 

 

Yours looks to be @ 30 degree grind.

 

To get the most out of Oblique....if it's 15 degree grind. Align the clip between the slit and the right half of the nib...(ignore the nib) grip the pen with the clip in the middle of your hand...like normal......Then just place the pen on the paper and write.....Do Not try to make the nib do anything. The nib will be canted....keep it in the middle of your grip....not out to the side............don't know why someone would do that but it has been done.

 

If it's 30 degree grind, align the clip so it's at the edge of the right side of the nib....(ignore the nib) gripped so the clip is in the middle...and write normal.

Don't go pressing the nib expecting something....it's a semi-nail so it's with lots of strength and will power a 2 X tine spread.

 

Yes, you post your 600...it is a medium-long pen and is very well balanced posted. It is not well balanced un-posted. It has a nice girth.

 

Someone mentioned you had an old style 14 K nib,,,585 same thing....If so then you have a nice springy 'true' regular flex nib....like the nibs of the '90's. It gives a better ride.

 

It is not near as good as a '50-65 semi-flex....but should be better than the modern blob nib. It is 1/2 a width narrower than modern....you OB will be a writing nib...not a 'signature' nib.

Once the 600 was the fancy upped M400 and the same size...just the nib was fancier.....some may have been 18 K, some may have been two tone gold before the M400 had that.

 

When I had a chance to pick up a old same size as a M400....600....I was stupid and didn't. I had started chasing semi-flex on a budget.

 

Some day get a '50-65 semi-flex for it.

My 605 has a '54 400's semi-flex B nib on it.

Edited December 9, 2016 by Bo Bo Olson

[mitto]

Mitto...you ol'sumgai you!!!

Your turn to buy the drinks.

 

OB in a modern pen....any Pelikan made after 1965...will not have all the flex that a semi-maxi-semi-flex offers.

You should have some small line variation.

Modern Oblique is made for folks with left eye dominance or some of the left hand styles. Perhaps it was always so.....but the '50-65 German Obliques of companies with a little flex...Soennecken, MB, Pelikan, Geha, Osmia, & Kaweco....were stubbed nibs to go with the flex and the grind.

I have a total of some 13 or so....in a mix of semi&maxi....OBB, OB, OM & OF in both @ 15&30 degree grind..................long story of why I don't have an OEF from that era...but think that would be way too small for my eyes.

 

 

Yours looks to be @ 30 degree grind.

 

To get the most out of Oblique....if it's 15 degree grind. Align the clip between the slit and the right half of the nib...grip the pen with the clip in the middle of your hand...like normal......Then just place the pen on the paper and write.....do Not try to make the nib do anything. The nib will be canted....keep it in the middle of your grip....not out to the side............don't know why someone would do that but it has been done.

 

If it's 30 degree grind, align the clip so it's at the edge of the right side of the nib....gripped to the middle...and write normal.

Don't go pressing the nib expecting something....it's a semi-nail so it's with lots of strength and will power a 2 X tine spread.

 

Yes, you post your 600...it is a medium-long pen and is very well balanced posted. It is not well balanced un-posted. It has a nice girth.

 

Some day get a '50-65 semi-flex for it.

My 605 has a '54 400's semi-flex B nib on it.

 

Yes Bo Bo, I have already got a spare 400NN semi-flex nib. Would try to use that nib with the pen.

 

Thank you for the kind advice.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Great....all that counts knows the better nib is monotone. What width is your 400nn's nib?

 

I do like that size and width....I won't say 'better' than the 400/400nn. The 400NN is also a medium-long pen...it though is just the same girth as the 400.

Edited December 9, 2016 by Bo Bo Olson

[mitto]

Great....all that counts knows the better nib is monotone. What width is your 400nn's nib?

 

I do like that size and width....I won't say 'better' than the 400/400nn. The 400NN is also a medium-long pen...it though is just the same girth as the 400.

 

It is a super soft or even somewhat flexy M nib.

[Bo Bo Olson]

More than likely what I call maxi-semi-flex.

 

Mash a 'true' regular flex till the nib gives a 3X tine spread over a light down stroke.

Semi-flex needs half that pressure.

Maxi-semi-flex half of that or 1/4th the pressure needed to mash a true regular flex to three X.

 

All there flexes are in a 3X max flex set...to ask for more is to come here and ask for a repairman.

 

Most semi-flex I have some 26 all clump together in a middle.

 

Maxi-semi-flex and superflex have more variation within either, maxi or superflex.

 

I have a Rupp nib that is real 'flexi' for "semi-flex"....I walked around for three days saying 'WoW! that is maxi-semi-flex. :eureka: then I realized that was what folks were talking about as a 'flexi' nib when speaking of difference in semi-flex.

Eventually I decided to define that 'a bit more flexi semi-flex' as maxi-semi-flex....and have a fairly good definition description of how much pressure it takes to flex that nib.

 

I did get a bit OCD/AR...then having but a whole five tried to get a system....that didn't work....can't work. Subjunctive.

F-1 was basic maxi-semi-flex. I had two that were F-1....two that were F-1 1/4 and that Rupp still my most flexible maxi....at F-1 1/2. Pressing the nibs to the paper...evaluating.

 

There was not only width but 1/2 more ease of flex from the Rupp to the first stage of Superflex...an Easy Full Flex , which is more than it sounds. I had no problem differentiating between the two flexes.

There is pressure variation within maxi-semi-flex and different stages of superflex.

 

Eventually, I stopped being so AR and just lumped the maxi-semi-flex variance together and didn't worry about splitting hairs any more.

When I find one of my semi-flex bought pens is maxi-semi-flex....all I have in mind is good...and it's not as flexible as that Rupp nib*. That is enough 'measurement' ...in one is to write...not 'measure' .

(*I was never lucky enough to find out if that was norm in Rupp or just a lucky nib with a bit more flex than normal.The three I did see went because they were on pretty and seldom pens for more than I could spare. )

 

It is not hair splitting between semi-flex (26) and maxi-semi-flex (16) there is that half in pressure difference....if one is so lucky and has a 'true' regular flex nibbed pen as the measurement base.

 

I also seemed to be the one who noticed the German obliques in the '50-60's were sometimes ground @ 15 or 30 Degrees***. Then discovering I'd lucked out and had one of each in a mix of semi&maxi from OBB, OB, OM & OF. I have some 18 Obliques from that era.

***I won't say there is no 22 degree grind...but mine are as far as I can tell are 15 and or 30 degrees.

 

I have no idea why....I have an Osmia OBB that is 15 and one that is 30 degrees.

Most of my Pelikan Obliques are 15...but my 500 is an OBBB (not marked) is 30 degree grind. Now that is a signature pen....it takes half a sheet of paper to write my legal name.

My Mercedes is my only one so don't know if they normally ground to 30 degrees or was it a pen store on the corner option.

Do you want that oblique in 15 or 30....do you want it in semi or maxi?

Could well be the 30 degree grinds could have been done in the corner pen store as part of the service. "A little bit more Flair? Sir?"

Well the one thing you can say for sure...with those flat stubbish semi/maxi flex nibs...there was no baby bottom.

[mitto]

My 140 has a M nib that I can safely describe a super flex as per your definitions of the flexy nibs.

 

 

Further,I have 50s' 400 and 400NN as well 80s' 400 and all have soft to super soft nibs and each may fall under one of the flex categories that you describe.

 

Thank you , Bo Bo.

[Bo Bo Olson]

You have been real lucky with your '80's nibs then. I'd expected them to be a very springy 'true' regular flex...in the '80's are reputed to be a tad more springy than the '90's.

 

I had once been going to chase a '80's nib but a very good, but passed poster told me, I was spoiled having a semi-flex 140 and that maxi- 400nn. and advised me not to chase it.

[sargetalon]

The post-97 M600 is 5.28 inches so this should be an M600 based on your description. The cap top look like it has 2 chicks in the nest so this pen would date 1997-2003 if that's the case. Enjoy your new pen.