First ever Pelikan M800...Very disappointed! Is my pen faulty?

[TheVanguard]

Hi

 

First post, Ive been using a Lamy 2000 and its superb, but I was updating my home office and thought I'd splash out on something even better...so I opted for a new Pelikan M800 with a medium nib.

 

I ordered some Aurora black especially, and as luck would have it they both arrived on the same day at the same time!

 

From there it went down hill...the pen skips, the pens skips a lot!

 

The downstroke appears to be fine, but the cross stroke is terrible...I'm not normally one to return things but I think a pen at this price point should do better?

 

PS apologies for my terrible handwriting!

 

 

 

 

[carola]

You are absolutely right. This is definitely NOT what a Pelikan should do.

 

I have never used Aurora Black, maybe your pen simply doesn´t like this ink.

I would recommend you to purchase a bottle of Pelikan 4001 Black, which is a very inexpensive ink, and test it again as Pelikan pens and inks are made for each other.

Also I would recommend you to soak and flush your nib thoroughly and repeatedly with warm (but not hot) water before filling it a second time.

Last but not least: What kind of paper are you using? As your Parker is doing well on it, the paper is probably not the cause for your problem, but I have a pen that absolutely hates my smooth high quality paper and behaves perfectly on the cheapest and crappiest of paper I could lay my hands on.

 

If all of this doesn´t get you any closer to a satisfying experience with your M800, there is something at fault with your nib and Pelikan will swap your nib for a new one. Ask your retailer to send it back for Pelikan to fix it, this shouldn´t cost you anything if you do it in time (at least that´s my experience here in Europe, I have no idea where you are located).

[Karmachanic]

Did you flush it before use?

[TheVanguard]

6 minutes ago, Karmachanic said:

Did you flush it before use?

 

No I didn't,

 

Although TBF nothing in the packaging indicated this would be required?

[TheVanguard]

15 minutes ago, carola said:

You are absolutely right. This is definitely NOT what a Pelikan should do.

 

I have never used Aurora Black, maybe your pen simply doesn´t like this ink.

I would recommend you to purchase a bottle of Pelikan 4001 Black, which is a very inexpensive ink, and test it again as Pelikan pens and inks are made for each other.

Also I would recommend you to soak and flush your nib thoroughly and repeatedly with warm (but not hot) water before filling it a second time.

Last but not least: What kind of paper are you using? As your Parker is doing well on it, the paper is probably not the cause for your problem, but I have a pen that absolutely hates my smooth high quality paper and behaves perfectly on the cheapest and crappiest of paper I could lay my hands on.

 

If all of this doesn´t get you any closer to a satisfying experience with your M800, there is something at fault with your nib and Pelikan will swap your nib for a new one. Ask your retailer to send it back for Pelikan to fix it, this shouldn´t cost you anything if you do it in time (at least that´s my experience here in Europe, I have no idea where you are located).

Thanks it was Amazon (and Amazon Direct not a 3rd)...so I suspect they won't be able to sort a replacement nib.

 

Lesson learned maybe I should have bought from a uk pen supplier!

[TheVanguard]

I thinking I'm leaning more and more to something isn't right...a couple of times now there has been ink on the barrel as per the pic when I've taken the lid off....I kind of dismissed this the fist couple of times, but I guess this isn't normal either?

 

Thanks for all the kind help and replies  

[carola]

Flushing a new pen before using it is always a good idea.

 

Ink on the barrel may happen when you have got some ink in your cap. Flush your cap, too. This will happen now and again but shouldn´t happen on a regular basis.

 

Place a complaint with Amazon if flushing and changing ink doesn´t help. I have never bought a pen off Amazon, but let´s see what happens. And if Amazon won´t help you, write directly to Pelikan.

[TheVanguard]

I think I have located the problem, under loupe magnification I can see the nib looks uneven with the left side slightly higher than the right.

 

I think this is why the down stoke isn't too bad, but the left to right stoke really poor.

 

Think I'm going to return and perhaps choose a specialist pen supplier..If anyone has any good recommendations I'd love to hear them! 

 

Thanks 

 

 

[Karmachanic]

Flushing a pen prior to first use is always a good idea, as it will remove any residual, oils/impurities. Drop of liquid detergent in a cup of water; flush 2/3 times and repeat with water only to remove the soap.

 

[carola]

3 minutes ago, TheVanguard said:

I think I have located the problem, under loupe magnification I can see the nib looks uneven with the left side slightly higher than the right.

 

I think this is why the down stoke isn't too bad, but the left to right stoke really poor.

 

Think I'm going to return and perhaps choose a specialist pen supplier..If anyone has any good recommendations I'd love to hear them! 

 

Thanks 

 

 

 

In the UK? Umm... this hasn´t gotten easier since Brexit...

 

[Karmachanic]

Pens sometime arrive with misaligned tines, no matter the merchant.  Knowing how to adjust them is an essential skill:

 

 

[carola]

If TheVanguard wants to return the pen, (inexperienced) tampering with the nib might be questionable...

[TheVanguard]

1 minute ago, carola said:

If TheVanguard wants to return the pen, (inexperienced) tampering with the nib might be questionable...

Thats my thoughts.. if I bought second hand or had given it a lot of use then maybe..but I think brand new its not an overly high expectation to work as supplied. 

 

From what I have read Aurora black should be fine (if anything people thought it was too wet) 

 

I don't want to damage it so void my return,

 

Hopefully I'll be back in a couple of weeks with a happy ending after buying from elsewhere..although the first couple of places of tried online don't appear to have any stock!

 

 

 

 

[carola]

31 minutes ago, TheVanguard said:

Hopefully I'll be back in a couple of weeks with a happy ending after buying from elsewhere..although the first couple of places of tried online don't appear to have any stock!

 

 

Is there Appelboom UK? Because Appelboom seems to have your pen in stock.

[Karmachanic]

UK has a Cult Pens 😁

Good luck!

[nibtip]

Pelikan M800/805 nib problems have been recurrent. Especially with amazon.

Oddly not with M101 or 1005. (one exception, see bellow).

In house QC defaults caused by profitability/costeffectiveness maximisation. My fixed opinion.

This is based on my very long obstinate and disillusioned experience with M805s (probably bought over a dozen times from amazon and also elsewhere. Most were sent back for refund.

But i kept pugnaciously going back. Why? Because it remains my favorite pen.

 

My solution holds in one word: NIBMEISTER. They can perform miracles. (that subject is for another chapter).

 

P.S My last purchase: An M1000 Raden white ray medium nib. You know a cheap 2.5-3K pen.

And you know what? it refused to write with any ink on any paper (a have a dozen sorts, most Japanese).

Oh yes it has the smoothest nib you can imagine. So smooth ah you don't feel the paper. No bloody ink came out of the soaked nib/feed. Super baby buttock.

Now after my intervention, it only skips episodically. 

But since the line is only good for tracing dividing roadways strips, or more exactly flooding them, it is taking a nap in one of my beautiful pen cases.

Do I regret my purchase? not the least. It is a stunning  and unique pen. It desperately need a Nibmeister. Well, we'll see that later. I need a break.

[christam]

Cult Pens has got the blue stripe M800 in stock with M nib but doesn't seem to have the green stripe M in stock at the moment.  Their customer service is exceptional in my experience - if you were unlucky enough to get another bad nib there would be no problem with exchanging it because they also sell replacement nib units.  Their Pelikan prices are also amongst the best anywhere, with currently 10% off if the spend is over £40 (but I think that ends tomorrow).

 

Return your faulty pen to Amazon for a refund. 

[Karmachanic]

Or fix the common minor problem with a thumbnail in under a minute.

[mizgeorge]

1 hour ago, Karmachanic said:

Or fix the common minor problem with a thumbnail in under a minute.

I too would go down this route first. If you just work with your thumbnail, you won't do any damage, and this is a really simple fix - certainly not something that needs to be tackled by a so-called nibmeister. 

 

If you still aren't happy, return it to Amazon. If it was a prime purchase they won't even inspect it, they'll just refund you as soon as they have proof of return. Be wary though, if it came through their EU import programme, it may take longer to return and you MUST have the right documentation from them, including the IOSS number, or it will simply be refused by them at the border.

 

 

[halffriedchicken]

Your barrel looks scratched when I look at the picture closely. If I got that pen from Amazon, I would return it and get a new one.