Small s on a Pelikan 400 nib

[7is]

Just a quick question. I hope you don't mind. I have a Pelikan 400 with the small letter "S" imprinted on its nib. Small like smaller than the normal Pelikan nib size imprint.

 

It's certainly not a 'lettering' nib. Mine is either OM or OB.

 

I read somewhere on the forums that it may designate Austria (made in or exported to) but I can't find that post or any other reference.

 

However, I found another thread regarding similar nib

Christof mentioned there that he had a similar nib but with "A" instead of "S" on his 100N and that according to Werner Ruettinger the letter "S" may mean Italian made. Could someone confirm that it's true, well, Italy or Austria? Maybe someone knows more of such nibs with additional letter imprints? Thanks!

[A Smug Dill]

1 hour ago, 7is said:

Could someone confirm that it's true, well, Italy or Austria?

 

No, because it's not.

 

1 hour ago, 7is said:

Maybe someone knows more of such nibs with additional letter imprints?

 

“S” is for “Special”.

[carlos.q]

Could you please post a picture?

[Bo Bo Olson]

My post war 100N has a K for Kugal.ball on top of the nib, stubb bottom.

At OM/OB would not be a Steno nib.....so I have no idea.

[Nethermark]

When you say you have a Pelikan 400, I assume it is one from the 1950s. Pelikan Collectibles shows that the "S" on the nib designates a "Scheiben-spitze". That would translate into "Writing point", which does not make things much clearer for me. It does look very round though.

[Bo Bo Olson]

54 minutes ago, Nethermark said:

Scheiben-spitze"

Reminds me of some 'ornamental ' tips I have on a couple dip pen nibs.

I've never seen one, and had forgotten they were ever made.

The right foot obliques I'd forgotten also, again having never seen one.

I only knew Osmia made left and right foot obliques, labeled L and R with width letters.

[jungkind]

Scheiben Spitze = Disk Point, no Idea what it was used for but the tip has the form of a small disk, not really a point.

 

[A Smug Dill]

Sigh. This guessing game is getting silly, in the absence of the O.P. showing a photo of the actual nib he/she has on hand. In my earlier post, I've linked to a page on Pelikan's official web site explaining what S stands for, in addition to spelling it out in the text of the hyperlink. The O.P. has signed in to the forum some two hours ago, long after it was posted; but if he/she wouldn't even confirm here in the thread whether that corresponds to what he/she is seeing, then there isn't much more anyone can do, I'm afraid. 

 

[Paul-in-SF]

People don't always behave on schedule or the way you want them to. Since the OP is the one who asked the question, it is their loss if they don't get the information they were seeking. 

[7is]

12 hours ago, carlos.q said:

Could you please post a picture?

 

I apologise for the delay!

 

Unfortunately, I can't locate my pen at the moment, but have screenshots of similar nibs from online auctions; one with the letter "D", possibly, another with the "S", just like mine, and the last one with the letter "N". All nibs were found on either 100Ns or 400s.

 

[7is]

And two more the small letter "S" type nibs from https://www.penboard.de/shop/hlist/PE/VI50/0

 

I hope that Tom Westerich wouldn't mind his photos being included in this thread for the research purposes.

 

 

 

I'll post the pictures of my nib as soon as I find it.

[7is]

3 hours ago, A Smug Dill said:

Sigh. This guessing game is getting silly, in the absence of the O.P. showing a photo of the actual nib he/she has on hand. In my earlier post, I've linked to a page on Pelikan's official web site explaining what S stands for, in addition to spelling it out in the text of the hyperlink. The O.P. has signed in to the forum some two hours ago, long after it was posted; but if he/she wouldn't even confirm here in the thread whether that corresponds to what he/she is seeing, then there isn't much more anyone can do, I'm afraid. 

 

 

Yes, the Pelikan Make a Wish Nib was my first thought too, but then the nib felt too early.

[A Smug Dill]

7 minutes ago, 7is said:

 

Yes, the Pelikan Make a Wish Nib was my first thought too, but then the nib felt too early.

 

“The 400 and 600 nibs are made of 14 carat gold, while the 800 nib is made of 18 carat gold. Due to an additional rhodium trim, these nibs have the attractive bi-color design. All nibs have the usual Pelikan embossing, but with an additional S (for special nib).”

 

So that nib in the photos you posted isn't one.

[7is]

I think that I've finally found the statement I was looking for, the one linking the "S" with Austria:

 

https://www.pelikan-collectibles.com/en/Pelikan/Nibs/Nib-units-since-1929/index.html#heading_toc_j_4

 

Now, the question is what do the letters "N" and "D" (well, if it's d after all) stand for?

[Bo Bo Olson]

D is a nails nail. There is also an H for not quite as rigid as a D, but still a nail.

Don't know about P.

 

 

S= ornamental writing nib....some what like a lettering nib for ornate writing, though those you have shown appear much smaller disk/dished tips than the link to the old Pelikan poster.

Though they could have been showing their widest nib of that sort.

[carola]

1 hour ago, 7is said:

I think that I've finally found the statement I was looking for, the one linking the "S" with Austria:

 

https://www.pelikan-collectibles.com/en/Pelikan/Nibs/Nib-units-since-1929/index.html#heading_toc_j_4

 

Now, the question is what do the letters "N" and "D" (well, if it's d after all) stand for?

D is for "Durchschreibefeder" and yes, it´s the nail of nails, because Durchschreibefedern were used to write on several layers of paper with carbon paper in between to produce copies, which amounts to a manifold nib.

 

N and Z are for right hand and left hand obliques as the tip of the nib looks like the diagonal part of the letter when seen from above. The picture of the N nib you posted shows this nicely. The right tine is shorter than the left tine.

 

As for the S being linked to Austria, I don´t find anything about that in the link you posted. The link to Austria refers to the double outline of the word "Pelikan" on the nibs, not the letter S.

 

The S means Scheiben-Spitze (disc tipping) as you can see here:

https://www.penexchange.de/forum_neu/viewtopic.php?t=26064

[7is]

Maybe after all these are indeed just nib grind designations. Thank you all!

[nweissma]

4 hours ago, carola said:

As for the S being linked to Austria, I don´t find anything about that in the link you posted. The link to Austria refers to the double outline of the word "Pelikan" on the nibs, not the letter S.

@carola: there is indeed the 's' .. see the attached photos. but i can't speak as to its relevance in that i don't speak German.

Edited July 27, 2021 by nweissma
forgot to include the second photo

[carola]

10 hours ago, nweissma said:

@carola: there is indeed the 's' .. see the attached photos. but i can't speak as to its relevance in that i don't speak German.

 

There is an "S" on four of the nibs in that picture, yes. And also a "Z" on the left hand one. But the "S" and "Z" markings are not the point of the picture. If your read what is written RIGHT BENEATH the picture, you will see it is the word "Pelikan" written with double outlines that the author refers to. That those are one "Z" and four "S" nibs is correct but totally irrelevant. And the "S" is in no way tied to Austria, as far as I know. It´s just a nib style. At least when nibs of that age are concerned.

 

As A Smug Dill pointed out correctly, when you see a modern two-tone nib with an "S" on it, this stands for "Spezial" and means it was manufactured to meet the demands of a specific person who ordered that nib and got it ground to their special liking.

 

But as long as we are talking about vintage nibs, "S" simply means "Scheibenfeder" and the nib should have some disc like grind.