Pelikan Graphos Dip Pen Set

[cooltouch]

I debated whether to list this post here or in the Pelikan sub-forum, but since I'm asking about how one uses these nibs, I figured I should post it here.

 

I picked up two Pelikan Graphos sets within a month or two of each other about 12 years ago, and haven't done much with them at all. Mostly because I've never been able to figure out how to comfortably use the thinner nibs. Okay, maybe I should back up here, and in case you're not familiar with the Graphos dip nibs, here are a few pics:

 

The nice box the set comes in:

http://michaelmcbroom.com/images/pelikangraphosbox.jpg

 

The nibs and the nib holder:

http://michaelmcbroom.com/images/pelikangraphos1.jpg

 

A close up of the 2.5 nib attached to the nib holder. The cap with clip unscrews from the nib holder, revealing the section to which the nib attaches. Then the cap screws on to the end of the holder for the post position.

http://michaelmcbroom.com/images/pelikangraphos2.jpg

 

So if you take a look at the nibs on the left in the second photo, you'll see that they are bevel ground to a knife edge. Okay, so maybe you can't see the knife edge part, but hopefully you can see the bevel grinding at least. This results in two very thin blades that come to a point with ink trapped between. As near as I can determine the correct way to hold the nib holder is straight up and down. The tip is moderately scratchy in this position, but it gets worse if I begin to lean it over at all.

 

So is this the proper way to hold this tool? For sure, when holding it this way, these thin nibs produce extremely fine lines. The finest nib in this set is imprinted 0.1, which I'm pretty sure refers to its width in millimeters. It feels awkward holding the tool in this position, but I guess I can get used to it. I've done a bit of googling on the Graphos sets and have found that they were intended primarily for technicall drawing and drafting purposes. Makes sense. But after playing around with some of the wider nibs, it also seems that they will do a good job at calligraphic writing also. And I'm thinking that the very thin nibs can be useful for fine pen-and-ink work, if I can ever get used to holding the nib holder straight up and down.

 

If you have any experience using them, I'd be happy to hear from you. I did try doing a search here on pelikan graphos and then just graphos and got no hits, which I found surprising.

[beak]

HI

I'm no expert but I'll get the ball rolling. As far as I know these pens are a forerunner of modern tubular 'technical' pens as used in draughting. I have used them fairly successfully as such by running them along a ruler, as you say, fairly upright. They may too be usable free-hand. Let's hope to hear from someone of an age that he or she used these professionally - for draughting would be my guess.

 

The above applies to the thinner widths, the thicker may be for calligraphy, but I tend to think them just another line width as required for technical drawing. Beak.

Edited December 22, 2010 by beak

[alexander_k]

The Graphos was intended for technical drafting. The idea is to hold them perpendicular to the writing surface and draw lines in long, smooth movements following a ruler or a similar guide. From experience I don't find the Graphos easy to write with, except for printing the occasional letter in a drawing: the perpendicular position is probably not the best for writing long texts. On the other hand, it is the smoothest and fastest pen I've ever used for drafting. I've had some calligraphy nibs too but found them nearly impossible to write with.

 

A couple of notes on filling and maintenance: the handiest way of inking a Graphos is to let a couple of ink drops fall into the groove on the underside of the steel nib holder (we used to do that with indian ink eydropper bottles). It makes cleaning the Graphos much easier. Secondly, after using a nib take care to wipe it clean thoroughly, i.e. also under the upper nib blade (just swivel it by 90 degrees to reveal the ink underneath). That's why draftspeople used to have black fingertips and fingernails.

[wykeite]

I bought one of these sets a few weeks ago and have yet to use it. Searching the web, I forget the website, I found the instructions for filling the Graphos.

 

If you look on the underside of the pen there is a third hole, this is where the ink is filled. The old style Pelikan drawing ink bottles had a slender spout that fitted. Seems the only way now will be with a syringe.

[beak]

I bought one of these sets a few weeks ago and have yet to use it. Searching the web, I forget the website, I found the instructions for filling the Graphos.

 

If you look on the underside of the pen there is a third hole, this is where the ink is filled. The old style Pelikan drawing ink bottles had a slender spout that fitted. Seems the only way now will be with a syringe.

 

I have used Rotring drawing ink (the sort for modern tech pens) and the bottle has a snout that you can fill from, if careful.

[wykeite]

I bought one of these sets a few weeks ago and have yet to use it. Searching the web, I forget the website, I found the instructions for filling the Graphos.

 

If you look on the underside of the pen there is a third hole, this is where the ink is filled. The old style Pelikan drawing ink bottles had a slender spout that fitted. Seems the only way now will be with a syringe.

 

I have used Rotring drawing ink (the sort for modern tech pens) and the bottle has a snout that you can fill from, if careful.

 

I've got a bottle, didn't even cross my mind to have a look. Thanks.

[Apotheosis]

interesting..i've never seen this set before this post. how about a few more pics of writing samples and even how its filled ?

 

rgds

leo

[wykeite]

My Rotring ink seems to be the consistency of mud and doesn't want to play in my pen. I managed to get some into the pen and much more on my fingers but didn't get it to write. Initially I was under the impression that the barrel is hollow and therefore the ink reservoir. Now looking at it more closely I think the stainless collar encloses the reservoir.

 

Mainly it's a pen for engineering/technical drawing in that most nibs are for straight lines with either sharp or round ends, there are nibs for letter templates similar to modern technical pens, i.e. tube and pin. My set should have 24 nibs but 2 are missing, I believe the largest set has 96. In all I believe there are over 100 different nibs.

 

There are 2 nibs in my set which are long and marked 'S' over 'B' and 'HB', these have significant flex, I believe there are 4 in the 'S' series with different amounts of flex. (Calm down Bo Bo :roflmho: )

 

As a pen it's small, 10mm x 110mm and can't be capped with a nib fitted

[cooltouch]

Thanks for the feedback guys and for confirming my suspicions as far as holding the pens goes. And thanks for the tip on rotating that top piece. Just tried it on one of the nibs I was playing with yesterday and there was still wet ink in there.

 

I found this site, which shows the nibs available for the Graphos set and gives the markings, etc. It might help you out some wykeite.

 

http://hans.presto.t...an/graphos.html

 

Apotheosis, the above site also has some pics showing how the Graphos are filled. Heh. I've just been dipping mine. Definitely messier.

 

Here's a rather crude writing sample. Just Quink on spiral bound notebook paper. As you can tell by the left margin, sometimes the nibs require a bit of coaxing before they lay down ink. Some feathering, but that's the paper's fault. The switch from A nibs to T nibs occurs from 0.6mm to 0.8mm. The 0.16mm nib was dry so came out looking thinner than the 0.1mm nib. Once the switch to T nibs occurs, the Graphos writes much like a calligraphy pen. Reasonably smooth.

 

http://michaelmcbroom.com/images/pelikangraphos3.jpg

[wykeite]

Thanks for that link, it was one of the ones I found originally, there are a few more and new nibs are available cheaper than that auction site.

 

I have in my set some O series nibs, assuming the writing surface should be flat these nibs suggest an angle of 30 degrees from vertical for the pen.

 

I thought dipping would be messy, which was why I left that to someone else . Attempting a proper fill won't be washed off for a couple of days.

 

I'll have some serious attempts after the Festering season and hopefully include some pictures.

[Pete Underhill]

To resurrect this thread, with the 'S' nibs for the Graphos, S stands for sketch, though the nibs from new snag in most directions apart from the draw stroke. On the right paper and with practice and experimentation, lifting the pressure to the lightest contact can provide an exquisite line on the push stroke allowing for some agreeable results. The B grade has the most flex, the K the least. When I first used the Graphos, I hated it, not least because I was searching for a reliable alternative to vintage steel for drawing in Indian ink. However, I kept coming back to it. The pen/system has a good reputation in graphics circles, so I needed to discover the goodness in it. I favour the S - B or HB for copperplate text, but this isn't a very forgiving tool, yet responds well to a delicate touch. Not for the ham-fisted or the impatient.

[gollumses]

I just posted in another thread about this.

 

COOLTOUCH,

 

While I am no expert, I can tell you what I have found with mine; the "A" nibs (with coil wires) work best just like other drafting pens, in a vertical writing position (tube vertical, not pen). The "O" and "Z" nibs work well at about a 30° writing angle. Can't say for the others yet.

 

Pete Underhill,

 

You are exactly correct. I have a few sets of Graphos pens/nibs (2 twelve nib sets, and a large 60 nib set). The pen itself is quite small for me (6'4" 260lbs), but with the "Z" (I'm a lefty) nibs and almost zero pressure, it makes perfect lines, and is silky smooth (pushing and pulling). The 60 nib set has a more modern (?) pen with a screw out nib holder. I think I will make something more comfortable to hold out of one of those.

 

Even with the lowest volume feed channel (1), it still writes very wet and smooth.

 

Mike

Edited September 10, 2016 by gollumses