Pelikan 400 Broken Fins In The Feed

[WJM]

So I've finally aquired some green stripes in form of vintage Pelikan 400.

 

Overall the pen seems to be in a good shape, minus some minor discolorations.

Except the one issue which is the ebonite feed which barely has any fins left. There should be four vertical fins and only one of them is fully in tact. Rest of them are mostly chipped off somewhere about one third the lenght the fins stick ouf of the section.

 

For now I barely tested the pen and it seems to write just fine, but I wonder - should I be worried about this?

 

What if the last fin also chipped off? Not that I plan on this but you never know what may happen...

 

Should I look for a replacement feed? Would I need a vintage one or there would be some easier obtainlable option?

Edited December 14, 2017 by WJM

[Bo Bo Olson]

If bought as OK, return it....you will not get proper ink flow, with broken off combs....even chipped combs/rills.

Otherwise you need a '50-65 feed....and might as well get a nib on it.

[dnic]

The fins are made for holding excess ink e.g. if you're travelling with an airplane or so.

Normally you can use your pen without problems.

Vintage feeds are easier to find as nib collars.... I have some spare parts...

 

Dominic

[WJM]

Thanks for your answers. After couple of pages written it seems to me that the pen works very well.

I definitely won't try any tinkering with it as long as it does however I'd like to keep my options open.

Could you tell me what would I need if I ever needed to replace this feed? From what I've read 400's had different versions of the nib unit, friction fit or screwed in - is there a way to tell which one is it without dissasembling the pen?

According to Richard Binder's site it's even possible to fit modern Pelikan M200 nib unit on some 400's. Provided I could swap the nib to the vintage one I would personally be fine with that if the pen needed a repair.

Would this be all right?

https://www.myuberpens.com/vintage-original-pelikan-models-120-140-400-ebonite-feed-feeder-section-unit-part-spare-repair.html

Mine is, from what I see, a pre-1954 model, without the engraving on the cap ring and with nib without the logo (although I suspect the nib may have been swapped, there's "F" marked on the piston knob which I assume is supposed to be nib size, while the nib is actually OB or something like that)

(sorry for the poor quality, a cellphone is all I have at hand at the moment)

Edited December 15, 2017 by WJM

[dnic]

You can unscrew the nib easily. It's for sure a screwed in nib unit, the friction fit nib units are really rare.

Just keep the pen as is and enjoy.

 

The M200/M400 nib units have the same screw thread, so it'll fit on your 400.

[Chrissy]

I think you should be able to find either another M400 complete nib unit or you could fit a M200 version.

 

You could probably even pull the nib and feed out of a M200 collar and fit your gold nib with the new feed.

[Matlock]

Perhaps its just the angle of the photo, but the filler cap shape makes the pen look more like a 400N than a 400?

[Bo Bo Olson]

The '50-65 era original whole feed is ebonite, is better than the 'modern' '82- now plastic feed, for holding ink....

The ebonite feed, feeds ink at a faster rate than plastic, and semi-flex uses ink at a faster rate than regular flex.

 

You have a semi-flex nib which needs more ink than regular flex '82-97 era....I think it's the same feed in modern.

Penboard de might have have a spare feed.

Edited December 15, 2017 by Bo Bo Olson

[Bo Bo Olson]

On second thought...your feed may now be too fast in there are no or only one comb to really regulate ink flow.

[mitto]

I love that Script OB flexy nib. I have such a nib on one of my 400.

 

Try sourcong the vintage ebonite feed for your pen here.

 

https://www.myuberpens.com/vintage-original-pelikan-models-120-140-400-ebonite-feed-feeder-section-unit-part-spare-repair.html

[WJM]

I love that Script OB flexy nib. I have such a nib on one of my 400.

 

Try sourcong the vintage ebonite feed for your pen here.

 

https://www.myuberpens.com/vintage-original-pelikan-models-120-140-400-ebonite-feed-feeder-section-unit-part-spare-repair.html

 

Thanks, I already looked on this site. For now I'm leaving the pen as it is, it works fine. But I ordered a spare feed anyway, just in case.

 

The nib is great, although I admit I have some trouble adjusting to it. I've never before had an oblique.

Edited December 17, 2017 by WJM

[Bo Bo Olson]

Hold the nib to the light to see if the grind is 15 or 30 degrees. I seem to find about one in four 15 degree grinds to one 30 degree. I have some 16 obliques and 5 of them are 30 degree and all are pure luck.

My 500 has a OBBB, I have 30 degree grinds in OOB, OB, OM & OF......pure luck. The seller don't know that.

 

So if your nib is 15 degrees, you want to cant the nib. Post the cap so the clip aligned is midway between the slit of the nib and the right hand shoulder. Re-grasp your pen off the paper, using just the clip as a guide, don't worry about the cant of the nib. Then place on paper and write.

 

For 30 degree nibs, align the clip so it is in line with the right hand edge of the nib, grasp the pen section off of that, with out looking at the cant....put the nib to paper it will be flat, just like the 15 degree grind....and just write.....................don't try to make the nib do anything....no twisting of fingers or fingers and one don't have to hang off the chandelier.

 

 

I was lucky, way back when I started with a 140 OB and the OB was wide enough I could hold normal and only have a bit of tooth......before I discovered I had to cant it...with help from the com.

.....much later I had my OM Mercedes out....holding regular and was reaching for the micro-mesh before I realized it was an OM ....OM&OF have to be held more precisely canted than an OB. An OB works better canted too.

Edited December 18, 2017 by Bo Bo Olson

[sargetalon]

 

Thanks, I already looked on this site. For now I'm leaving the pen as it is, it works fine. But I ordered a spare feed anyway, just in case.

 

The nib is great, although I admit I have some trouble adjusting to it. I've never before had an oblique.

 

Good thinking. Use it. Enjoy it. Only "fix" it if it starts to give you trouble. I have pens with broken fins (not that many admittedly) that have never been problematic.