Has Anyone Been Dissatisfied With A Pelikan? Why?

[Arkanabar]

 

Let me re-emphasise, then: in my experience, Pelikan gold EF nibs (in my case, specifically two M400 14K gold nibs) write more broadly than Pelikan steel EF nibs (of which I have several) out-of-the-box; in fact even the steel F nib on my first M200 Smoky Quartz, which I love for its nib, wrote more finely and crisply out-of-the-box than the gold EF nibs. The Pelikan gold F nib on my M815 wrote more broadly than the Pelikan steel F nibs. Thus, the Pelikan gold nibs are too broad. That is inconsistency, and I think it is inexcusable. I'm not sure whether you're saying if one did his proper due diligence, then he would know Pelikan always said that's the way it makes its finer nibs, even after the justification given by the company for charging extra for EF nibs.

 

If Pelikan must err and have physical variation from nib to nib, because nib production is not entirely automated and there is manual labour involved in the finishing, then I'd expect the company's policy to err on the side of making the nibs narrower (without making them write more dryly).

 

You're hardly the first to note the issue. Bo Bo Olsen regularly complains that Pelikan's modern gold nibs are blobby nails, especially compared to their steel nibs. My limited experience (I have one Pelikan gold nib) backs this up.

[maclink]

l currently have the M600 and M800. I love the M800 with a F nib. The M600 also has a F nib but I find it a tad too small for my personal taste and there's something boring about writing with it. Can't put a finger on it. I had an M1000 for a couple days before returning it. The EF nib had tines that were a bit out of alignment leading to scratchiness. Though I had the option of having the nib exchanged, I opted for a refund since I found the M1000 too big for me, the M800 being the perfect size.

[prometheus13]

I guess I'm the semi-odd man out. I have more of a love/hate relationship with Pelikans. I rather like the piston fill and their classic good looks so I slowly built up something of a collection (to include a vintage 400nn) but stopped short of the M1000 since the M800 was plenty large enough for even my large hands. They almost all wrote smoothly except for a 400 or two (a bit scratchy).

Now the semi-hate part: 1. The caps on my M600 and M800 don't stay posted so I write with them unposted but they're then a little small for me. 2. As a few others commented, the caps on some tend to too easily unscrew so I have to pay careful attention to what and how I'm carrying a given pen. 3. I was late in coming to the Pelikan steel nibs (200, modern 120) and discovered that they write wonderfully and the pens themselves (aside from being small) see a lot more use than my higher end Pelikans. 4. I find the Souverain nibs, while quite smooth overall, tend to write too broadly for my small hand writing, even in F so I'm forever sending one or another off to be re-ground.

[LeakyLandy]

I guess I'm the semi-odd man out. I have more of a love/hate relationship with Pelikans. I rather like the piston fill and their classic good looks so I slowly built up something of a collection (to include a vintage 400nn) but stopped short of the M1000 since the M800 was plenty large enough for even my large hands. They almost all wrote smoothly except for a 400 or two (a bit scratchy).

Now the semi-hate part: 1. The caps on my M600 and M800 don't stay posted so I write with them unposted but they're then a little small for me. 2. As a few others commented, the caps on some tend to too easily unscrew so I have to pay careful attention to what and how I'm carrying a given pen. 3. I was late in coming to the Pelikan steel nibs (200, modern 120) and discovered that they write wonderfully and the pens themselves (aside from being small) see a lot more use than my higher end Pelikans. 4. I find the Souverain nibs, while quite smooth overall, tend to write too broadly for my small hand writing, even in F so I'm forever sending one or another off to be re-ground.

That pretty much sums it up for me, too.

[N1003U]

I guess I'm the semi-odd man out. I have more of a love/hate relationship with Pelikans. I rather like the piston fill and their classic good looks so I slowly built up something of a collection (to include a vintage 400nn) but stopped short of the M1000 since the M800 was plenty large enough for even my large hands. They almost all wrote smoothly except for a 400 or two (a bit scratchy).

Now the semi-hate part: 1. The caps on my M600 and M800 don't stay posted so I write with them unposted but they're then a little small for me. 2. As a few others commented, the caps on some tend to too easily unscrew so I have to pay careful attention to what and how I'm carrying a given pen. 3. I was late in coming to the Pelikan steel nibs (200, modern 120) and discovered that they write wonderfully and the pens themselves (aside from being small) see a lot more use than my higher end Pelikans. 4. I find the Souverain nibs, while quite smooth overall, tend to write too broadly for my small hand writing, even in F so I'm forever sending one or another off to be re-ground.

My take:

 

1. The only Pelikan pens I have ever had posting issues with are the white pens, and so far, under a preponderance of evidence standard, I attribute it to problems with the white resin, and rather with the caps than with the bodies, which are in general machined to tight tolerances. I have never had a posting issue with a regular production Pelikan. That said, I am sure problems sometimes occur.

 

2. Loosening caps are occasionally an issue, but for me no more so than other multi-lead threaded resin caps. In my experience this is a design issue that is independent of manufacturer. I agree it is a fine balance between making sure a pen is firmly capped, and over torqued, which can under some circumstances lead to damage. Thread design is always a bit of a trade-off between security and ease of removal, and plastic threads are particularly tricky.

 

3. The M200 steel nibs are lovely, and a fine example of why gold is not necessarily better. Pelikans Souverän gold nibs (excluding the M100x nibs) are beautiful and well finished, but otherwise lacking in character, and maybe too stiff. For some, that may be a good thing. For me it is a slight negative but does not outweigh other positive aspects of the Pelikan design features and general quality control. The M100x nibs are lovely and bouncy, but I personally find the feeds in general too wet. Most of my Pelikans are in general wet-flowing pens, but the M100x pens are almost ridiculous.

 

4. Yes, especially compared to Asian nibs, Pelikan gold nibs run wide to crazy wide, but I see that more as a design feature than a defect. I do find the upcharge for EF nibs irritating.

[Joe in Seattle]

Bear in mind: for every vocal dissatisfied customer there may be a dozen or more happy ones. They just have no reason to write about it.

[carlos.q]

Bear in mind: for every vocal dissatisfied customer there may be a dozen or more happy ones. They just have no reason to write about it.

That is very true.

[Mercian]

Bear in mind: for every vocal dissatisfied customer there may be a dozen or more happy ones. They just have no reason to write about it.

That is true

But threads like this one are still useful (as long as they are conducted as civilly as this one has been).

 

Why? Because if one reads through the complaints about the pens, one can learn useful information about the brand’s ‘quirks’ or ‘standard features’.

 

In this instance, the reader can see that the most-common complaints are:

1) this brand’s gold nibs tend to be rather wider than other manufacturers’ nibs of the same marked grade (& wider than this brand’s steel nibs) do;

2) their pens’ flow tends to be very ‘wet’ - which users have explained is because the manufacturer’s own inks are ‘dry’ inks;

3) the company’s modern gold nibs are all very stiff.

 

All of those are useful pieces of information for prospective purchasers of this brand’s pens, and its inks. They may be useful to warn-off prospective owners who dislike wide nibs or stiff nibs or wet feeds or dry inks.

E.g. a few years ago I thought about buying a TWSBI 580, but I saw enough complaints on here about those pens cracking that it put me off buying one. I am grateful to have found this out before I bought one.

 

One can also see that some owners have had problems with Pelikan caps unscrewing, while other owners have not.

This may hint at variable q/c, or that some users are nervous about over-tightening the caps on their pens. But that, in itself, is also useful to know, because it, like the remarks about the pens’ weight/balance, and the remarks from people who (like I do) love their Pelikans, reinforces the need to try the pens out in one’s hand before one buys them. Especially at these price points!

 

There was also at least one complaint about the trim ring around the nib collar corroding - which is a complaint that I have seen made about the trim-rings around other brands’ pens too. This is another useful warning if one is considering the purchase of any pen that has such a trim ring.

I’d never seen such warnings before I bought my M805. The nib-collar trim ring around mine is still flawless, and since starting to look out for such complaints on FPN I have found many users commenting that the trim rings on their Pelikans are still flawless after years of use. But I will confess to now feeling worried that this problem might occur on my pen.

 

So, as long as one keeps in mind the fact that customers who want to complain are always going to be more vocal than customers who are happy, I think that threads like this are useful sources of information for prospective purchasers.

Edited September 25, 2020 by Mercian

[A Smug Dill]

4. Yes, especially compared to Asian nibs, Pelikan gold nibs run wide to crazy wide, but I see that more as a design feature than a defect. I do find the upcharge for EF nibs irritating.

 

If brands like Pelikan and (heaven forbid!) Parker could and will deliver a generic needlepoint nib — irrespective of whether they choose to designate it EEF, UEF, XF, XXF, etc. to distinguish it from a regular EF by the brands' "design" — as a factory option, for a premium of, say, no more than €10 for steel nibs and €25 for gold nibs^†, that the company promises will consistently put down crisp (or well-defined) lines strictly tighter than 0.3mm^‡, I'd probably be "happy" and not all disgruntled to pay it.

 

I want them to show me that they have the capability to produce at scale what the Japanese Big Three can do "as a matter of course" with narrow nibs — especially when there is very clearly a significant segment of fountain pen buyers and users worldwide that prefer such nibs — while, if the Western brands so choose, they still have their own writing character in terms of "wetness", "softness", "feedback", all-round smoothness or faceted line variation, and so on. I think it makes perfect sense for Pelikan to want the nibs it sells to "write like a Pelikan", no matter the nib width grade, even when the nib is dimensioned to be fit for purpose writing in Chinese to fit a 5mm grid. If Pelikan nibs write wet, then "be" wet while still leaving crisp outlines on narrow lines; if they are soft, then "be" soft without compromising the tightness of the line when the pen is used with little downward pressure; and if they are finished smooth, then "be" smooth, without emulating the faceted grind and feedback typical of Sailor nibs.

 

 

^† €40 was "roughly" what Pelikan charged in 2019 for individualisation of gold nibs for its Souverän series, in its Make-A-Wish-Nib programme. Considering that there is no need to use nib stock with especially wide iridium tips to craft needlepoint nibs, no time spent consulting before and confirming after with the customer, and no need to entertain unusual or difficult requests, the premium for making (or hand-finishing) a generic needlepoint nib with Pelikan's writing character ought to be significantly lower than that amount. Whereas €10 is about the premium Pelikan charges for factory-fitted steel EF nibs on the M20x now, when I see it (which isn't always there) on retailer listings of certain models.

 

^‡ When writing with the pen held at a particular angle (or narrow range of angles) to the paper, and with a set amount (or narrow range) of downward pressure, using the brand's "standard" ink and on some "standard" type of writing paper. For example, Platinum Pen's marketing collateral stated that its Extra Fine nibs will put down lines with widths in the range of 0.24–0.28mm, with the pen held at 60° with downward pressure of 50g, presumably tested using its standard cartridge ink ("カートリッジ1本あたり" means "per cartridge").

[max dog]

Bear in mind: for every vocal dissatisfied customer there may be a dozen or more happy ones. They just have no reason to write about it.

Agree. It seems some here project the characteristics of Japanese pens with their finer lines on Pelikans and fault them for not being like Japanese pens. While I've come to enjoy the very fine line of an Asian F, I also enjoy a broader wet line Pelikan gold nibs are known for. They bring out the richness of inks better. I wish Pelikan brought back the obliques and stubs. I enjoy the factory M200 steel italic nibs very much and usually have it fitted in my M200. If you want a finer springier nib, the steel M200 nibs are the way to go. BTW, I think Pelkan make the best integrated piston fillers on the planet.

Edited September 26, 2020 by max dog

[A Smug Dill]

It seems some here project the characteristics of Japanese pens with their finer lines on Pelikans and fault them for not being like Japanese pens. While I've come to enjoy the very fine line of an Asian F, I also enjoy a broader wet line Pelikan gold nibs are known for.

I'm afraid you're missing the point. I don't want Pelikan pens or nibs to be like Japanese pens. I want Pelikan to make its Extra Fine nibs write extra fine (always finer than any nib it offers as Fine in its product range), and also offer a nib width grade (which should be within its capability to make) that can either be seen as rivalling Japanese pens for crispness and fineness (or even "beating" Japanese pens at that), or conform to strict objective measures of line/nib width that is the same in anyone's language, without losing what is "unique" or characteristic of Pelikan nibs. You can't reasonably tell me all Pelikan nibs write broadly as a trait, as if Pelikan cannot make needlepoint nibs that write finer than 0.3mm, while still feeling like a Pelikan nib to the user and showing the characteristics in the writing output, even if it takes a loupe to see them.

 

If Pelikan's (steel and gold) F nibs all write more broadly than 0.55mm, and its EF nibs write between 0.45–0.55mm, that's OK, so offer an EEF that writes at 0.35–0.45mm, EEEF at 0.28–0.35mm, EEEEF at 0.24–0.28mm, and charge extra for it for the hand-finishing required (as Pelikan is already doing for some of its EF nibs anyway).

Edited September 26, 2020 by A Smug Dill

[Daosus]

I'll agree with A Smug Dill here. It would be nice to get factory options in the finer grades. When I first got my M600, the "Extra Fine" nib was more or less a European Fine or Japanese Medium. Now that I've had it ground down to a needlepoint, I'm quite happy with it. I would love to get it from the factory.

 

Opening another can of worms, I do think Pels are a bit overpriced in the US. I got one, and the experience of that one has convinced me that while the quality is excellent, there is no reason for me to spend $500 on a Pelikan when I can spend $300 on a Pilot.

[Thymen]

I purchased a Pelikan M1000 with an F nib a couple of months ago. And even though it took quite some tinkering to get the nib to write properly (mis-aligned tines, a bit scratchy) and to find the proper ink, it's the pen I pick up the most.

 

I paired the pen with several inks, but Pelikan 4001 Blau-Schwartz (Blue-Black) is now the standard ink I use almost exclusively. On Rhodia paper pads I get a consistent fine to medium, on Tomoe paper a broad line.

 

Took a while to find the sweet spot of pen, ink and paper, but .... I am happy to own this pen!

[Mercian]

If brands like Pelikan and (heaven forbid!) Parker could and will deliver a generic needlepoint nib — irrespective of whether they choose to designate it EEF, UEF, XF, XXF, etc. to distinguish it from a regular EF by the brands' "design" — as a factory option, for a premium of, say, no more than €10 for steel nibs and €25 for gold nibs^†, that the company promises will consistently put down crisp (or well-defined) lines strictly tighter than 0.3mm^‡, I'd probably be "happy" and not all disgruntled to pay it.

 

I want them to show me that they have the capability to produce at scale what the Japanese Big Three can do "as a matter of course" with narrow nibs — especially when there is very clearly a significant segment of fountain pen buyers and users worldwide that prefer such nibs — while, if the Western brands so choose, they still have their own writing character in terms of "wetness", "softness", "feedback", all-round smoothness or faceted line variation, and so on. I think it makes perfect sense for Pelikan to want the nibs it sells to "write like a Pelikan", no matter the nib width grade, even when the nib is dimensioned to be fit for purpose writing in Chinese to fit a 5mm grid. If Pelikan nibs write wet, then "be" wet while still leaving crisp outlines on narrow lines; if they are soft, then "be" soft without compromising the tightness of the line when the pen is used with little downward pressure; and if they are finished smooth, then "be" smooth, without emulating the faceted grind and feedback typical of Sailor nibs.

 

I think that your desire is by no mean an 'unreasonable' one. It's even one that I share. But...

 

I suspect that the main obstacle to this occurring is the same one that explains why Parker no longer make many pens with 'needlepoint' nibs, why Pelikan no longer make 3B or OBB nibs - and why Sailor, Platinum, and Pilot don't make nibs that are as broad as a Pelikan BB, OBB, or 3B nib.

None of these things is 'beyond the capabilities' of any of the companies in question.

 

Such nibs don't get made because the companies do not perceive enough demand for such nibs to justify the costs of making them.

 

These companies all exist in order to make the same thing, and that thing is Profit for their shareholders.

Their purpose is not to cater to the wishes of a small number of enthusiasts for niche products.

Which is, after all, what we on FPN are

 

If anyone doubts this, they ought to look at the thread Annual Revenue Of Major Pen Brands Today.

The figures listed are not large amounts of money for 'global scale' companies.

What would you expect the annual revenue of e.g. Exxon or Apple to be? How about Toyota, or Volkswagen, or Ford? What about the annual revenue of entertainment companies such as Real Madrid or Manchester United or the New York Yankees?

And most of the income for e.g. Pilot & Pelikan will be generated by office equipment such as toner, ballpoints, gel pens, etc. The majority of their income does not derive from fountain pens.

 

Parker (& the other western companies) made 'needlepoint' nibs as a matter of routine in the days when accountancy ledgers were filled-in by hand. That task has, for decades now, been performed by typing in to spreadsheets on computers. There is no longer much demand for NP nibs. So Parker stopped making NP nibs for most of their pens (although one can still get them for the top-of-the-range Duofold models, and even without having to pay any 'premium' for the NP nib, e.g. here).

 

Pelikan obviously do not perceive that there is enough demand within East Asian markets for them to justify them offering their fountain pens with nibs that are optimised for the writing of Chinese characters within a 5mm grid.

I would like to think that the company is mistaken about that; that people would buy Pelikans with nibs in the same widths as those routinely made by Pilot, Platinum, and Sailor, and by all the manufacturers in China. But I have to allow for the fact that Pelikan would also need to spend large sums of money on marketing in order to get a decent foothold in those markets - after all, why should anyone in East Asia wish to 'gamble' on buying a Pelikan pen instead of a Pilot, Platinum, or Sailor?

 

I would also like to think that there is enough demand in the western markets for Pelikans with nibs that are 'EF' nibs.

But I don't have access to their historical & current sales data for narrow nibs. Pelikan's accountants and other senior officers do have access to that data.

I suspect that only a general resurgence in the use of fountain pens would result in enough demand to encourage the manufacture of these nibs. Sadly, with almost everyone now (even schoolchildren) voluntarily-chained to a touch-screen phone, touch-screen tablet, or laptop, I don't expect one to occur any time soon

[N1003U]

That is very true.

 

 

Bear in mind: for every vocal dissatisfied customer there may be a dozen or more happy ones. They just have no reason to write about it.

 

I am fully in agreement.

 

That said, this thread was specifically started for whining about Pelikans, and it is fairly advertised in the title as such a thread for whiners (and, it seems, the thread is, so far, pretty tame and polite, even by FPN standards).

 

I am about as big a Pelikan fanboi as one can maybe get (well there is sargetalon, but even there, I subscribe to and support his blog), but if I try a little, even I can find things to complain about. Are they small, even petty things? To me, for the most part, yea, but not always (e.g., the mechanical performance of the white M600s seem to be an almost unmitigated disaster, perhaps a major error in material selection, but gosh, those pens are attractive!), and there are a few features in Pelikan designs that leave me expecting more (see my comments above).

 

As Merican points out below, one can learn things from complaints, both about the pens themselves (especially as a prospective customer who want to know both the bad and the good), as well as about the user expectations that some folks have for their writing instruments. Even comparing one's own experiences to those here can cause one to maybe take a more critical look at something that never seemed important, or to compare and contrast experiences against one's own.

 

Whether or not particular expectations are reasonable or not is a very individual thing, and I leave it to other posters in the thread to hash out the particulars, but I for one enjoy, reasoned, thoughtful criticisms, large and small, as it forces me to think more about my own views.

 

That is true

But threads like this one are still useful (as long as they are conducted as civilly as this one has been).

 

Why? Because if one reads through the complaints about the pens, one can learn useful information about the brand’s ‘quirks’ or ‘standard features’.

 

In this instance, the reader can see that the most-common complaints are:

1) this brand’s gold nibs tend to be rather wider than other manufacturers’ nibs of the same marked grade (& wider than this brand’s steel nibs) do;

2) their pens’ flow tends to be very ‘wet’ - which users have explained is because the manufacturer’s own inks are ‘dry’ inks;

3) the company’s modern gold nibs are all very stiff.

 

All of those are useful pieces of information for prospective purchasers of this brand’s pens, and its inks. They may be useful to warn-off prospective owners who dislike wide nibs or stiff nibs or wet feeds or dry inks.

E.g. a few years ago I thought about buying a TWSBI 580, but I saw enough complaints on here about those pens cracking that it put me off buying one. I am grateful to have found this out before I bought one.

 

One can also see that some owners have had problems with Pelikan caps unscrewing, while other owners have not.

This may hint at variable q/c, or that some users are nervous about over-tightening the caps on their pens. But that, in itself, is also useful to know, because it, like the remarks about the pens’ weight/balance, and the remarks from people who (like I do) love their Pelikans, reinforces the need to try the pens out in one’s hand before one buys them. Especially at these price points!

 

There was also at least one complaint about the trim ring around the nib collar corroding - which is a complaint that I have seen made about the trim-rings around other brands’ pens too. This is another useful warning if one is considering the purchase of any pen that has such a trim ring.

I’d never seen such warnings before I bought my M805. The nib-collar trim ring around mine is still flawless, and since starting to look out for such complaints on FPN I have found many users commenting that the trim rings on their Pelikans are still flawless after years of use. But I will confess to now feeling worried that this problem might occur on my pen.

 

So, as long as one keeps in mind the fact that customers who want to complain are always going to be more vocal than customers who are happy, I think that threads like this are useful sources of information for prospective purchasers.

 

Thanks for this, Merican! Excellent points. I hope the rest keep on expressing dissatisfactions and criticisms! Some of us enjoy reading them--and as long as things remain civilized, even the critics of the critics make good contributions.

 

I look forward to reading more...keep those letters coming...

[A Smug Dill]

I suspect that the main obstacle to this occurring is the same one that explains why Parker no longer make many pens with 'needlepoint' nibs, why Pelikan no longer make 3B or OBB nibs - and why Sailor, Platinum, and Pilot don't make nibs that are as broad as a Pelikan BB, OBB, or 3B nib.

 

How does a Coarse nib — which is one of the standard nib options for the 'entry-level' gold-nibbed Platinum #3776 Century — compare with a Pelikan BB or 3B in terms of broadness? (I don't believe a Pelikan OBB would be physically broader than a regular BB just by virtue of being cut obliquely; but I could be wrong.) What about a Sailor Zoom or Music nib, which are standard nib options for its 'entry-level' gold-nibbed Profit Standard models? I have no idea, since I never took any interest in round-tipped broad nibs, although I do have a Sailor (gold) Zoom nib, and a Sailor (steel) Music nib that I worked on to make it write narrower.

 

None of these things is 'beyond the capabilities' of any of the companies in question.

 

Having had a 'modern'/recent Parker 18K gold needlepoint nib, which I requested through its nib exchange programme, and was sorely disappointed by it, I'd actually say it's beyond the capabilities of Parker today to make such a nib. I'll leave that topic at that.

 

Such nibs don't get made because the companies do not perceive enough demand for such nibs to justify the costs of making them.

 

These companies all exist in order to make the same thing, and that thing is Profit for their shareholders.

Their purpose is not to cater to the wishes of a small number of enthusiasts for niche products.

Which is, after all, what we on FPN are

I agree with all that, but that was why I thought Pelikan already charges a premium for its Extra Fine nibs, on account of it taking more work to expertly finish by hand, because it isn't a staple product the company needed to secure market share of its target customer bases. I'm happy to pay extra if Pelikan will deliver; otherwise, it's just an opportunistic revenue grab, and I don't blame @N1003U for being irritated by it.

 

Pelikan obviously do not perceive that there is enough demand within East Asian markets for them to justify them offering their fountain pens with nibs that are optimised for the writing of Chinese characters within a 5mm grid.

I would like to think that the company is mistaken about that;

#metoo

 

that people would buy Pelikans with nibs in the same widths as those routinely made by Pilot, Platinum, and Sailor, and by all the manufacturers in China. But I have to allow for the fact that Pelikan would also need to spend large sums of money on marketing in order to get a decent foothold in those markets - after all, why should anyone in East Asia wish to 'gamble' on buying a Pelikan pen instead of a Pilot, Platinum, or Sailor?

Because Pelikan is still regarded as a luxury brand over domestic brands, simply by virtue by being Western brand with a long history and still entirely of German manufacture. However, for that very reason and the consequent price positioning in those regional markets, volume of sales will be low.

 

...

 

I just inked up my new Pelikan M120 Iconic Blue pen, which is factory-fitted with an EF nib, with Diamine Pelham Blue. It's not a bad pen — my wife seems to really like it — but it writes wetter and broader, even when very little downward pressure is applied, than my F-nibbed M200 Smoky Quartz (although, to be fair, I'm not comparing them using the same ink). So now it has promptly joined my wife's fleet of pens.

 

Gimme tight, crisp wet lines (and Japanese pens with Fine nibs don't typically write wet, even though the line widths are suitably narrow, in case someone wants to claim I'm 'projecting' the qualities of Japanese pens onto my expectations of Pelikan pens) to show the richness the inks while putting down plenty of pen strokes within a confined space, or medium-to-dry-flowing broad-edged nibs (with crisp line edges) to really spread ink out when writing large in an Italic hand and display shading potential of the ink in all its glory.

Edited September 27, 2020 by A Smug Dill

[N1003U]

An example of my personal extremes in Pelikan nibs: the titles on the list below are written with an M1005 B nib (Edelstein Tanzanite ink), using as little pressure as I was able to use and still maintain consistent contact with the paper. The individual list items are written with an M205 F nib (4001 Brilliant Black), using my normal pressure. This 205 F is the narrowest Pelikan nib I own (I have an M600 14k EF and an M400 14k EF, but they both lay down a broader line than this M205 steel F).

The paper is ordinary 80g Rhodia 5mm grid paper.

With no pressing of the nib, the width difference looks to be maybe 4x (compare the underlines on the titles).

 

If I want to be honest, this M1005 B nib is for me too wet and blobby to be practical. The nib is great fun if I want to decorate a page with a giant signature, or scribble indiscriminately, but I find the thing very hard to control for serious writing. The M and F nibs are better, if still rather broad. I am sure there are folks with a steadier hand than mine who can better enjoy this B nib, but for me the 1005 B is usually a desk jockey for jotting quick notes. For EDC, I use finer and/or lower-flow nibs.

 

The M205 F nib is very clean and no-nonsense, with a bit of a spring that makes it lively in the hand, and gives me just enough feedback from the paper and tells me how hard I am pressing and where the nib is on the paper. It for me the essence of an EDC pen--not exciting, but reliable and easy to control.

 

 

[Mercian]

How does a Coarse nib — which is one of the standard nib options for the 'entry-level' gold-nibbed Platinum #3776 Century — compare with a Pelikan BB or 3B in terms of broadness? (I don't believe a Pelikan OBB would be physically broader than a regular BB just by virtue of being cut obliquely; but I could be wrong.) What about a Sailor Zoom or Music nib, which are standard nib options for its 'entry-level' gold-nibbed Profit Standard models? I have no idea, since I never took any interest in round-tipped broad nibs, although I do have a Sailor (gold) Zoom nib, and a Sailor (steel) Music nib that I worked on to make it write narrower.

To be fair, I have zero idea about that - all my nibs are western ‘F’ or ‘M’ (my M805 ‘F’ nib is equivalent to a wide-ish western ‘M’ imo).

I have one pen that ‘wears’ an ‘M’ nib from a Pilot Metropolitan, and my handwriting suits that nib

 

Having had a 'modern'/recent Parker 18K gold needlepoint nib, which I requested through its nib exchange programme, and was sorely disappointed by it, I'd actually say it's beyond the capabilities of Parker today to make such a nib. I'll leave that topic at that.

Oh, man! That sounds horrible!

Reading your experience with them is a valuable Cautionary Tale.

 

Gimme tight, crisp wet lines (and Japanese pens with Fine nibs don't typically write wet, even though the line widths are suitably narrow, in case someone wants to claim I'm 'projecting' the qualities of Japanese pens onto my expectations of Pelikan pens) to show the richness the inks while putting down plenty of pen strokes within a confined space

That’s a good description of my ideal nib too

Luckily for me, I don’t need it to be as narrow as yours - Parker’s version of ‘F’ is, like Pilot’s ‘M’, about right for my own everyday uses.

My handwriting is simultaneously cramped, rushed, and scrawly. The ‘unseelie’ outcome of my brain’s ‘witches’ brew’ of the personality-traits ‘impatient’ and ‘lazy’

[Mercian]

The M205 F nib is very clean and no-nonsense, with a bit of a spring that makes it lively in the hand, and gives me just enough feedback from the paper and tells me how hard I am pressing and where the nib is on the paper. It for me the essence of an EDC pen--not exciting, but reliable and easy to control.

 

 

I also have an M205 ‘F’.

I think that your description is a very good characterisation of the nib on my pen too

 

The Souverän gold nib on my M805 ‘F’ is far wider. I tried it out before I bought the pen, so that I knew what I was getting, and I do love it. But it’s certainly not as ‘F’ as the steel nib on my M205.

[Daosus]

This 205 F is the narrowest Pelikan nib I own (I have an M600 14k EF and an M400 14k EF, but they both lay down a broader line than this M205 steel F).

 

 

I think this statement right here is a problem with Pelikan. They either have different standards for their gold and steel nibs (probable), or they completely lack adequate quality control. Sadly, this was my experience with an M200 and M600 as well. I gave away the M200, and the M600 will probably be the only Pelikan I'm going to have for the rest of my life, because the nibs just do not write fine enough.