What Nib For M800 To Match Line Width Of An M200 M

[DaveInPhilly]

Howdy folks,

 

Long time lurker here who took a long time off and is now jumping back in. As many here, I got into fountain pens when I was in school, and had more time than money. Quickly I had more money than time and now I have a happy balance of each!

 

I have an M200 with a Medium nib that has served me well for over a decade now, but I have always found it to be too small for my liking. I decided to pick up an M800 and opted for the Medium nib as I assumed they would be roughly equivalent, but boy was I wrong. The difference is like moving from a freshly sharpened pencil to a full size sharpie.

 

I am thankful to learn that it is very simple to swap nibs in the Pelikans, but I am struggling to decide whether I want to move down one or two sizes. I'm wondering if you folks might offer a bit of insight to make my decision easier.

 

The M800 is a wonderful pen - I am amazed each time I write with it. so I am a bit worried that moving to a smaller nib might cost me some of that effortless smoothness that makes the pen so special, but the nib is just too wide for me to use on a regular basis.

 

I also have an MB 149 with a Fine nib, on the way. So I may just wait and see what that writes like before deciding what to do with the M800.

 

Thanks in advance,

Dave

Edited September 29, 2017 by DaveInPhilly

[alwayssunnyalwaysreal]

By saying "smaller nib", I'm assuming that you are referring to a finer nib, but staying with the M800 model?

 

If so, in my experiences, M200's M is about the same width as M800/M600/M400's F.

 

You may want to consider EF as well, but I find that a bit dry and thin.

 

 

Sunny

[PAKMAN]

I would go with the M800 fine nib.

[torstar]

That's normal as you start to spend the $$$ on pens.

 

Pelikan has the brand advantage of user-friendly switching of nibs, which may lead you to buy more nibs than you want...

 

I like all widths in the pen basket when I need them, but probably 90% of the time I write with a certain initial.

[sargetalon]

Agree that an M800 F nib is likely what youre after. A fine that is aligned properly shouldnt cause any scratchiness. My fines are rather smooth and flow well in general.

[Calabria]

"Freshly sharpened pencil"? That's going to be difficult in a M800 nib, but my guess is you're looking for an EF. Even the EF is a wet, generous writer.

[farazqamar]

i have numerous m800s with nibs ef, f and m and my experience has been that pelikan are very inconsistent with their nib sizes. one of my ef writes like a heavy m or a b and and 2 of my ef and f nibs don't show any differences. my m from the 90s also writes like an f with a bit of stubbish line. i would say try the nib before you buy it.

[Bo Bo Olson]

'87-97? is a different 800 nib size completely. I don't know exactly when the 800 went from being much skinnier than regular Pelikan having it's very own nib width size between the then thinner than Parker and Sheaffer Pelikan and the skinnier of the two Waterman sizes.....to being the fat thing it is now.

 

'98 is when the fat stiffer nibs came in for everything but the 200.

 

There was always a fat nib....Parker was once that (Conway Stewart was much fatter)....same with a skinny nib Sheaffer was that.

 

With Pelikan it depends on which era one has, lean and clean vintage/semi-vintage or fat and blobby modern.

 

"Wet and generous"??? = fat and blobby, and seems what is wanted. All that is needed is everything in EF and the name of a good short line nibmeister to make it Japanese width narrow.

 

Always skinny......never ever does one see my B is too Fat, or My B is too skinny. My BBB is not wide enough.....nope....always skinny nibs being too Fat.

 

 

I don't have any problem with nibs not being narrow enough.....after getting my BB 605 made into a 1.0 stub all my Pelikans are semi-vintage ...pre-98 or vintage '65-50.....so have proper sized nibs.

 

I suggest buying only semi-vintage or vintage if you find your nibs too fat.....of course you lose that "Wet and generous" look....unless you find a fat wet ink.

"Wet and generous" must be for them that don't like shading inks.

Edited September 30, 2017 by Bo Bo Olson

[DaveInPhilly]

Thanks for all the insight. I think, I'll give the F nib a go. I don't generally prefer a finer line, but this one is just a bit too broad for my taste. Though, I enjoy writing with it so much, I may just try and adapt. It is such a wonderful pen. Then again, I may just order an entirely new M800 with F nib and let the two compliment each other.

[torstar]

Thanks for all the insight. I think, I'll give the F nib a go. I don't generally prefer a finer line, but this one is just a bit too broad for my taste. Though, I enjoy writing with it so much, I may just try and adapt. It is such a wonderful pen. Then again, I may just order an entirely new M800 with F nib and let the two compliment each other.

 

They sell the nibs separately and they are the most user-friendly brand to insert...

[DaveInPhilly]

 

They sell the nibs separately and they are the most user-friendly brand to insert...

Yeah but one more pen can't hurt...right?

[torstar]

Yeah but one more pen can't hurt...right?

 

I will never get in the way of someone buying another pen unless there is some sword of Damocles above them not to. Or a Proscrutean bed to lay in.

[Driften]

It's funny in this thread and others people have said Pelikan gold nibs run wide. So I got a M instead of a B in my new 805 and it puts out the same width line as my Montblanc 146 M and my Pelikan M215 steel nib in M. It measures at 0.6mm line on paper. That is a M to me. I have also heard that Pelikan nibs sometimes feel random as to what size is on the nib so maybe I just got a proper M and not a too thin or too thick one.

[alwayssunnyalwaysreal]

It's funny in this thread and others people have said Pelikan gold nibs run wide. So I got a M instead of a B in my new 805 and it puts out the same width line as my Montblanc 146 M and my Pelikan M215 steel nib in M. It measures at 0.6mm line on paper. That is a M to me. I have also heard that Pelikan nibs sometimes feel random as to what size is on the nib so maybe I just got a proper M and not a too thin or too thick one.

 

My experiences is that Pelikan vs. Montblanc the nib sizes are fairly comparable (F & M, gold nibs only). However comparing Pelikan gold nibs and stainless steel nibs, the gold nibs run one grade broader, at least with my pens.

[Driften]

 

My experiences is that Pelikan vs. Montblanc the nib sizes are fairly comparable (F & M, gold nibs only). However comparing Pelikan gold nibs and stainless steel nibs, the gold nibs run one grade broader, at least with my pens.

 

In my limited sample size my M805 = M215/M200 Steel M nibs. But I only have the one gold Pelikan nib. Also could be they are more precise now since mine is brand new. Or mine being to spec for a Western M nib is just lucky/unlucky.

[alwayssunnyalwaysreal]

 

In my limited sample size my M805 = M215/M200 Steel M nibs. But I only have the one gold Pelikan nib. Also could be they are more precise now since mine is brand new. Or mine being to spec for a Western M nib is just lucky/unlucky.

 

Perhaps someday I can try to make a comparison post for my pens.

 

I have a M400 with a 14K gold Medium nib. And that one is really wet and broad. I dislike it so much that I decided to have it ground to a Medium Stub. It writes beautifully (as a Medium Stub) but that's simply not my nib size. So I have to let it go and list it for sale.

 

For me, my preferred Pelikan nib sizes are Gold F and Stainless steel M, which for most of my Pelikan pens, these two nib sizes generate essentially the same line width.

Edited October 5, 2017 by alwayssunnyalwaysreal

[george c]

Hi Dave,

 

Got my first M800 a couple of weeks ago. It's an Xfine bought to be used in writing postcards. I bought it from nibs.com and they "check out" the pens before shipping. It writes perfectly.

Did you know that at no charge Pelikan will swap a nib for you? It might be up to 30 days after purchase.

Regards and enjoy your new pen....

 

George

[Driften]

Hi Dave,

 

Got my first M800 a couple of weeks ago. It's an Xfine bought to be used in writing postcards. I bought it from nibs.com and they "check out" the pens before shipping. It writes perfectly.

 

Did you know that at no charge Pelikan will swap a nib for you? It might be up to 30 days after purchase.

 

Regards and enjoy your new pen....

 

George

 

 

As long as you buy from a US dealer the US distributor will do the swap, but its my understanding buying from an authorized dealer from Europe has to go back to Europe.. if you buy from a German dealer like I did I would have to send it back to dealer. In my case I am fine with the M I got but might pick up a B to go with it. FYI the German dealer I used would be happy to do a nib swap if I wanted it. It would just cost me shipping.

[torstar]

 

My experiences is that Pelikan vs. Montblanc the nib sizes are fairly comparable (F & M, gold nibs only). However comparing Pelikan gold nibs and stainless steel nibs, the gold nibs run one grade broader, at least with my pens.

 

writing with the Pelkian is like writing with a nail for me, and I like writing with a nail quite often

[minddance]

I have the same question too. I have 2 m800 mediums and they are certainly nothing like the m200 med, which I also have 2. I have 2 m800 mediums because i liked one of them OOTB and the other adjusted to be real wet. They write very differently, like 2 totally different pens! M800m is alot of fun, with slight line variations (happens with pen rotation and writing angles).

 

I feel m200m might be an ideal writing line width for fitting content into small spaces (although both my m800m reverse nib, which are stubs can do so surprisingly smoothly and, stubbishly.)

 

I, too, find m200's section girth a tad slender and prefer m800 girth and balance.

 

Maybe I should be looking at m800f or ef in my next pen.

 

How would m800ef adjusted wet (saturated lines that glisten for more than at least 30seconds possible?) compare to a fine unadjusted OOTB?

Edited November 2, 2017 by minddance