Search the Community

I'm trying to find out more about the difference between a Pelikan EF and F. The pen in question is the M800. The threads I found were all 10 years old or older. Most cited inconsistencies in the nibs. There were mentions of there being no discernible difference between the EF and F and sometimes even the EF writing thicker than the F. Some have stated that the EF nibs are scratchy. Others have cited misaligned tines out-of-the-box. There were suggestions to find and use reputable nib tuners throughout. This thread is intended to document whether that sentiment of inconsistency still holds true or whether it has since been corrected. Was it just a bad time for Pelikan nibs? Have they since tightened up their manufacturing process and quality control, some ten years later? Are both nibs now distinguishable, smooth, and aligned?

Hello Everyone, I have a brief window of opportunity to purchase a new Pelikan Souverän M805 Blue-Black fountain pen at a very favorable price. The question is, which nib to choose? I write in cursive and dabble in calligraphy strictly for pleasure. I am retired, so no writing for business or publication is required. Only letters & notes to friends. I have a few gold nib pens, most custom ground from a “B" to a smooth stub, though I also enjoy writing with a fine or extra-fine nib too. I am aware that I can purchase additional nibs later and easily swap them out on the M805. I am also prepared to send a new nib to a nibmeister for customization. And finally, I have read several reviews of this pen that the nibs tend to run to the broad/wet side of the curve. So, having said all of that, the question is, which nib to start out with since I can only afford one at this time? I realize there are probably many more factors that weigh into this decision, but the purpose of my query is not to wade deeply into the minutiae of choosing this nib, I’m just asking for some general advice and opinions from those more experienced than I with this pen. Are the Extra-Fine & Fine nibs true to their names or do they lean more to one step larger? Same question for the Medium nib. Is it suitable for grinding to a good, all-around every day stub/italic, or would I be better starting with the Broad? And finally, what is the general opinion about the all rhodium nib for the M805, or do you think borrowing the two-toned gold/rhodium nib from the M800 looks better on this pen? Additionally, recommendation for a nibmeister to grind an everyday stub/Italic nib would be appreciated. I have some ideas on this myself, but am always interested in the thoughts of others. Thanks very much for taking the time to read this. Any thoughts you may have will be appreciated.

Is it just me, but I just can’t see a forum regarding Lamy nibs. If there is a forum about Lamy nibs, do me a favour and tell me about it. Back to the main issue. I know that Lamy nibs are interchangeable, but there’s something weird I found. Both my Lamy Safari and AL star are using an EF nib, however my Safari has a thinner stroke than one from my AL star. I just can’t understand why. This particular question left me puzzled for quite a while now. I use the same ink for both pens. Any suggestions?

Good evening! I'm a fountainpen lover. However, I'm seldom satisfied (I feel "heavy" while writing) and my writing can look very confused and messy according to the "instrument" (= pencil, roller, fountain pen with F nib, etc). I discovered two months ago the pleasure of writing with a pen holder...! The nib is so thin, it is a real pleasure. My writing remains clear and elegant, it is just perfect... So perfect that I would like to transport this sensation everywhere with me, and not only at home with my ink bottle!! So I searched if I could find a very very fine nib for my Waterman hemisphere (which has currently a F nib) but reading the comments I see that the Waterman EF nib isn't excessively fine anyway... So I started searching a bit and found this: https://www.rotring.com/fr/stylo-plumes-calligraphiques/9-artpen-4006856250213.html#/largeur_de_la_mine-pointe_extra_fine I definitely prefer pens with a metal body, but I'm afraid I can't spend much money on this little extra fine nib "folie"... My little preoccupation is also that the nib I currently use with my penholder can't be used on every kind of paper - I noticed that on some papers the nib "scratched" it and then... the ink was doing a big mess...! So I'm also looking for a pen I can write with wherever I am (so fountain pen) on whichever paper (during lessons, etc, so a pen I could actually write fastly with without harming the paper)! Please forgive my frenchy english ^^ Thanks for any answer! =)

Hi all, I wonder if one of the nibs is thinner than the other. I have VP with fine nib and Penmanship with extra fine nib. It seems the fine nib of VP is little a bit thicker than the extra fine nib of Penmanship. I like the nib size of extra fine in Penmanship and the retractable mechanism of VP. Thus, I am thinking to purchase extra fine nib for my VP, but I’m not sure if the nib size of VP ef is thinner, thicker, or same compared to the nib size of Penmanship ef. If anyone has both pens with ef nibs or experiences with these nibs, please give me some feedback. Thanks in advance.

Last January the Sheaffer Imperial with which I am writing in the profile photo felt from my hand to the street and the nib was awfully damaged. I had always loved fountain pens, but could not consider myself a collector: I had just been looking for years for some good extra fine nib to fit my small handwriting. Really extra fine nibs (I mean, not Lamy's or Pelikan's) have always been very scarce or even non-existant in Mexico. I got this sort of vintage Sheaffer last year in the repair shop of Julia Gusano, in Madrid, and it wrote really fine (something in between a Nakaya Extra Fine and a Nakaya Super Extra Fine), and as smooth as you could posible desire, so I was more than happy with this pen. But, alas, now it is lost! And since then I am in the obsessive search for a nib to replace the lost one, and as far as I can see, perhaps I will need to go again to Madrid (I live in Mexico) to see if Mrs. Gusano can find another inlaid nib like that marvel among her many many drawers and bags of pens and nibs. Meanwhile, this tragedy has really injected or infused myself with something like the spirit or the madness of a collector... And that's the reason why I am here among you friends.

Hello, everyone. I've been using fountain pens for about a year now and I'm at the point where I'm trying to find my ideal pen. It's more challenging than I thought it would be; apparently I'm a bit of an oddball. Basically, I'm looking for a nice, slim pen with an extra fine nib. By extra fine, I mean XF/EF by Japanese standards - what most westerners would consider a needlepoint nib. I found a chart a few weeks ago with information on nib tipping sizes; Japanese EF/XF nibs are anywhere from .18mm to .23 mm, which is what I'm aiming for. The problem is, aside from the Chalana, which seems a bit too thin and too expensive for me, I can't really find a lot that fit my specs. I was wondering if you guys had any suggestions. I'm thinking of a Pilot Cavalier, but the nib is just a fine. Is it possible to replace the Cavalier nib with one from a Pilot Penmanship, or is there any way I can buy one with an extra fine nib? Are there any other options I'm overlooking? Any feedback would be appreciated. SJ84

Ive been posting lately about an ink for me. I have discovered that Parker Black behaves well enough for me on my cheap notebook paper. Does Noodler's have a dark blue/blue ink that behaves without woolly lines, bleed through and see through? I am using an extra fine Safari. I need some advice, please!!!!

I like my Vanishing Points, but they tend to feel heavy! So, for taking notes (and doodles when I'm not writing) I want an extra fine nib that will not feather on cheap paper, and on a pen that feels light and has good balance. So far, my contenders are the Pilot Prera (the solid colored ones) and the new Platinum Cool (aka Balance), both with fine nibs. Argh, I just can't decide!! This is what I'm not liking from each of the pens: Pilot Prera: -Too small (I guess even for my petite girl hands) -I worry that posting the pen will scratch the plastic, and that with the cap's clip, posting will add weight & may not be balanced Platinum Cool: -Don't like that they're demonstrators and have limited colors to choose -Doesn't have interchangeable nibs like the cheaper Pilot pens Like I said about the Prera, I worry about how the pen will feel when posted. I used to own the TWSBI Mini, and I disliked posting because I felt that the clip made it a tad heavier and it felt unbalanced to me, especially as I'm an overwriter and tend to write from different angles. I love the design of the Prera, but I'm hating how similar it is to the TWSBI Mini size-wise (using the Goulet's Pen Plaza tool). If I saw either the Prera or Platinum Cool offered used at a lesser price, I wouldn't mind buying one of them for the sake of trying them out, but no such luck. I'll have to pay the full price, and that's what scares me too, since I'm looking for an inexpensive pen to take to the university (and possibly hospital rounds) By the way, I used to have the Noodler's Ahab (another cheap pen with nice nib), and I didn't like it, despite the size and clever filling system. The reason why I mention the Ahab is because it's an expensive pen of a good size and has a fine nib, but not as fine as I'd like it to be. I'm contemplating the brands Pilot and Platinum, since they offer good converters and cartridges (the type with a ball inside; these are awesome for refilling if I need more capacity). I've exhausted my Google-ing powers. Can you help alleviate my doubts and give me ideas, my FPN friends? EDITED: for reading purposes

Hey guys! So I'm looking for a second pen, I'm a newbie, I know. I'm looking for a nicer pen (I have a Lamy Safari XF now), and I want one with a bit of heft, a good FINE nib, and a nice sleek design. It can't be that flashy, I'm going to bring it with me back to college, but a nice pen between 100-150 would be great. Below 100 would be ideal, but I'm willing to pay more. The only requirement I have, and this is why I need all of your help, is that the nib has to write REALLY finely. I know those can be a tad scratchy, but I just need a really fine nib. Finer than a Lamy XF, if that helps. My handwriting just cannot take even medium nibs and still be legible, so please help guys! Thank you!