Pelikan 400 And Pelikan M400. What Are The Differences.

A great post, this should help out anyone that was uncertain. It can also tell you if you have a married pen (parts from all eras). Thanks for sharing.

May 22, 2012

Thank you for the time and effort you put in making this post. Any post that educates me about Vintage Pelikans is much appreciated.

Those brown tortoise pens are indeed gorgeous.

May 22, 2012

400 has a 14 c nib and is more flexible.

I don't have a 400. I do have a M400, which has a 14 K regular flex nib.

That C and K can make a difference in flexibility.

I do have a 400NN which is a maxi-semi-flex/'flexi' nib.

It is my understanding from reading what Rick said, most all the '50-65 400's had a 'flexi' nib.

Even as pretty as my M400 ('90-96) tortoise is, and it does have a nice '90's 14 K nib with a bit more spring to it and a tad narrower than todays' wide stiffer nib, my 400NN beat it out for my favorite 400.

Reading about various era's of the MB and Pelikan before '66, the "C" be it 18 or 14 seemed a nib with more spring or flex to it than the "K".

September 11, 2014

dbl post

Edited September 11, 2014 by benincanada

September 11, 2014

Pelikan 400, Pelikan 500NN, Pelikan 400NN.
http://images10.fotosik.pl/1583/09df4575dca33005.jpg

That 500 is hot

September 11, 2014

Since I answered this thread last time.

(I believe the 400 was produced in 1950 as a start year?)

I have added a 500 (fancy400 with gold sided piston cap) ('51-54) 'flexi'/maxi-semi-flex OBB 30 degree grind, and a 400N, semi-flex B. Both are matching and lighter than your 500nn, a bit lighter than your 400nn

I also have a darker '90's M400 tortoise. Oddly the gold cap, looks much better on the lighter tortoise to me, in the darker M400 looks murky in comparison, with the gold cap.

Have you tried your 500nn's cap on the 400nn?

Edited September 11, 2014 by Bo Bo Olson

September 17, 2014

Just add a little bit more information here.

In addition to the differences mentioned by knois, there're several other distinctions:

1) The typeface of the nib size imprint is italic on M400, but 400 used a typeface like Helvetica.

2) The inner cap of M400 was made of plastic (likely), but the inner cap of 400 was made of steel tube.

3) The design of the connection between clip and cap is different. As we can see from knois's pictures, there's an obvious indentation on M400, but not on 400.

4) When the knob is twisted out, there's a thread visible on 400, but not on M400.

Hope this will help.

- L

May 16, 2016

Thanks a lot.

I found out i inherrited a pelikan 400 with a SB nib last weekend.

Kind regards

JPM

Edited May 16, 2016 by JPM-10

May 17, 2016

W

Thanks a lot.
I found out i inherrited a pelikan 400 with a SB nib last weekend.

Kind regards
JPM

What's an SB nib? I don't think I've run across that designation before. (I have a 400 with an OB nib, but it is -- sadly -- not a tortoise....)

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

May 17, 2016

W

What's an SB nib? I don't think I've run across that designation before. (I have a 400 with an OB nib, but it is -- sadly -- not a tortoise....)
Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

SB (Scheiben Breit) - Disk top broad. A very scarce disk-top series of nibs found on early Pelikans, usually the script nibs. Characterized by an angled nib that is flat on the end. Known to write smoothly and lay down a significant amount of ink. Used for lettering and producing round end lines. Edited May 17, 2016 by sargetalon

May 19, 2016

In the nibs there is also another difference:

- 400: Lines reach the central cut

- M400: Lines do not reach the central cut:

(Picture from https://www.pelikan-collectibles.de/de/Pelikan/Federn/Federn/index.html)

May 19, 2016

SB (Scheiben Breit) - Disk top broad. A very scarce disk-top series of nibs found on early Pelikans, usually the script nibs. Characterized by an angled nib that is flat on the end. Known to write smoothly and lay down a significant amount of ink. Used for lettering and producing round end lines.

Is that sort of like this?

http://www.staples.com/Speedball-Round-Pen-Nibs-B-5-1-2-box-of-12/product_1722469?cid=PS:GooglePLAs:1722469&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=1722469&KPID=1722469&lsft=cid:PS-_-GooglePLAs-_-1722469,kpid:1722469,adtype:pla,channel:online&gclid=CKz-gdj-5swCFRFahgodHLgJdQ?

(Yes, I know these are Speedball nibs, but I'm guessing that they're a similar concept.)

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth