Pelikan nibs: In-house or Bock?

[RevAaron]

Quick question! Hoping someone might be able to shed some light on this. In a thread over in the Pelikan forum (Pelikan vs Omas nibs) someone said that Pelikan has moved nib production back from Bock. I can't find much information that actually supports this, other than someone saying they asked Pelikan customer service, which is definately not conclusive.

 

Is that true? If so, when did they move to making their own nibs?

 

I can't help but wonder if Pelikan customer service would've answered that way regardless of where the nibs are made. After all, the nib is still worked on by Pelikan, the extent depending on their arrangement with Bock.

 

Aaron

[hari317]

Not conclusive, but in a recent discussion with the Indian dealer for Pelikan; William Penn, they were adamant that the nibs were now being made by Pelikan themselves, moreover the nib on the M1000 that I was trying out had the pf mark. However none of the nibs on the other Souverans with them had the pf mark and they had received recent stocks of all the pens.

 

I would like a conclusive answer too.

[PigRatAndGoat]

I'm pretty sure that they're Bock,, because of this article. However, it could be old, or not all nibs are being out sourced, etc.

[diplomat]

One of FPN members, Epictete92, is going to have a visit + interview at Pelikan plant this fall.

 

I think this is the better chance we have to have this question answered in a definitve way.

 

I posted in the thread he created in search for question to make while in the visit.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...mp;#entry758783

 

Hopefully we are still on time!

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

[theblackpen]

I can't find much information that actually supports this, other than someone saying they asked Pelikan customer service, which is definately not conclusive.

 

Is that true? If so, when did they move to making their own nibs?

 

Aaron

 

Hello!

 

I have asked Pelikan's Customer Service too if they make their own nibs a few months ago.They replied that they do make their nibs in their factory near Hannover. I would say that this is conclusive as I can't think of any reason why they would give false info.

 

 

[RevAaron]

I don't mean that they'd give out false info, but that when asking customer service they might give the only answer they know. And as far as they know, they're made in their own facility. But, that might just mean final finishing, grinding, assembly of the nib unit, etc.

 

I don't think there's anything dodgy going in, and I don't mean to sound like a conspiracy theorist. IMHO, it wouldn't be false info if they did final assembly and finishing of the nibs in their own facility- even if they didn't handle the complete process in their own factory.

 

*shrug*

[georges zaslavsky]

I have a 1987 m800 and a 1999 m1000, yes both are pre bock Pels and write extremely well out of the box.

[RevAaron]

I believe Pelikan switched to Bock in 1997- does your M1000 have a pf-mark on the nib? Otherwise, methinks it's a Bock nib. Not like there's anything horrible about that, it just is.

[piembi]

I have a 1987 m800 and a 1999 m1000, yes both are pre bock Pels and write extremely well out of the box.

 

So maybe that is why I prefer the pre 97 Pelikans.

Well, beside the fact that I don't like the additional bling of the modern pens of course....

[georges zaslavsky]

I believe Pelikan switched to Bock in 1997- does your M1000 have a pf-mark on the nib? Otherwise, methinks it's a Bock nib. Not like there's anything horrible about that, it just is.

yes, my m1000 has the pf mark on the nib

[daveg]

I don't mean that they'd give out false info, but that when asking customer service they might give the only answer they know.

 

That's a valid concern. Customer service at most companies rarely knows things like this. When they get odd-ball questions, they often search for an answer on the Internet. This sometimes comes full circle: ie guy on the internet calls and asks an obscure question, CSR googles and finds an answer - on the same site that the caller is posting information. Caller posts that the information has been confirmed by the company.

Edited October 6, 2008 by daveg

[Zoe]

I just got off the phone with Chartpak and took the opportunity to ask about sourcing nibs. Their customer service/repair department said, "we get the nibs from Germany directly from Pelikan." She further said, "there may have been a time when Bock made the nibs."

 

One other point is that each nib is custom and therefore not identical or uniform. In fact, the reason I called is because I have a new BB that doesn't appear to be wider than an "M." They are going to check it and probably replace it for a wider writing BB.

 

Zoe

[daveg]

Their customer service/repair department said, "we get the nibs from Germany directly from Pelikan."

 

If "we" means Chartpak, then that would be true regardless of where the nibs are made.

[solitaire]

When a pen manufacturer says it makes its own nibs it doesn't necessarily mean ALL their nibs.

 

I spoke wih a MB saleman who told me that he had watched them making the big 149 nibs in the MB factory in Germany.

I believe that the Pelikan M 1000 nib is made by Pelikan in-house.

 

Both these nibs are hand finished and are said to be tested before leaving the factory.

 

Leaving aside some of the Japanese nibs - eg Nakaya's 'elastic nib' - these two nibs (on the MB 149 and the M1000) are, in my opinon, in a class of their own

 

I have nothing against Bock nibs. Bock is carefuyl to make nibs to the specific order of the pen-maker: different gold alloys, different thickness of gold etc etc.

Just down the road from Bock there is (or was)) Herr Mutschler's nib factory. This is seldom mentioned - has anyone been there?

 

Solitaire

[JJBlanche]

I bought a Pel M600 a few months ago now, as many on this board know. It was tuned by Richard. Doesn't matter to me if the nib was made in Swaziland, the pen writes phenomenally. Notably better, in fact, than any other pen I've used, without exception.

 

Is it a Bock? Maybe. Is it an in-house Pel? Maybe. Does it matter? Nah. Just buy your Pels/nibs from Richard, and forget about where they come from.

Edited October 6, 2008 by JJBlanche

[RevAaron]

Why should we forget where they come from?

 

I'm not of the mind that Bock nibs are inherently inferior to ones made in house by Pelikan. It's a question, maybe a bit acedemic. One could say that it's a bit trivial, but so much of what we discuss is trivia, and much of it much more trivial than this particular question.

 

Perhaps it means that the winds are changing, that we might see a bit of a renaissance of nibs. Or perhaps it means an increase of quality. What's wrong with trying to figure out the answer?

[JJBlanche]

Why should we forget where they come from?

 

I'm not of the mind that Bock nibs are inherently inferior to ones made in house by Pelikan. It's a question, maybe a bit acedemic. One could say that it's a bit trivial, but so much of what we discuss is trivia, and much of it much more trivial than this particular question.

 

Perhaps it means that the winds are changing, that we might see a bit of a renaissance of nibs. Or perhaps it means an increase of quality. What's wrong with trying to figure out the answer?

 

I wasn't trying to imply that one should avoid investigating such things. There's just a consistent intimation that Bock nibs are inferior to in-house Pelikans, in terms of quality -- and this thread is no exception. All I suggested was, if you want a really great writer, pick up one from Richard, and be assured that you'll get one of top quality, regardless of its origins.

Edited October 7, 2008 by JJBlanche

[FrankB]

I agree this question can be considered academic, but it is interesting to me. I am always curious about who makes their own nibs and I enjoy threads like this one.

 

Regarding Bock vs. house-made Pelikan nibs, I will also agree there is not a difference in "quality." I like Bock nibs very much as Bock makes some of my favorite nibs, like Danitrio, Taccia and Bexley. Yet, I do think there is a difference in "character." My experience has been that the Bock/Pel nibs are a bit stiffer than house-made Pel nibs, which tend to have more vintage style spring. I like that springy character. If I buy more Pel nibs (to fit my existing pens) I am inclined to seek out the more springy nibs and I need to know what to look for.

[daveg]

That might be part of the reason for the switch: ie marketing wants stiffer nibs since that seems to be the modern thing. This might have required some retooling. Company decides to send the work to a vendor that is already set up for a variety of sizes and stiffnesses. Or maybe not.

[BearsPaw]

Pardon my ignorance, but what is the "pf" on the nib that you folks are talking about?