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About three months ago I bought a brand new Pelikan M200 from Jet Pens. I hadn't used a fountain pen in a couple months and it was great to be back to using one. From the get-go, however, the nib's tines seemed a little uneven. The pen is usable, but it can be a little scratchier than it should, the angle of its sweet spot is a little to one side, and the one tine is visibly higher than the other. I was so stoked to be using a fountain pen again (my others were out for repairs at Fountain Pen Hospital in NYC) that I can't tell if the uneven tines have gotten worse or I just overlooked the issue when the pen was new. Needless to say, it's too late to send it back to Jet Pens. Besides, from what I read it sounds like a lot of fountain pens are said to have nib issues right out of the box, even Pelikan! I got my vintage pens back and by comparison I'm definitely noticing the uneven tines on the Pelikan even more. Should I buy a new nib as Pelikan nibs are easily swapped? I also live within an easy distance of the Fountain Pen Shop in Monrovia, California. Do any of you who've had experience with nib repairs there? (I'm a little leery as I had a weird experience there ten years ago trying to buy vintage pens said to be restored but none of which worked properly.) Should I send it out to one of the "nibmeisters" people speak so highly of on the internet? I had a Sailor repaired by Mike Masuyama once and he was great, but his prices and turnaround times seem like a bit much for as seemingly simple (or is it so simple?) an issue as uneven tines. I've been using fountain pens since 2003, but haven't had many repair issues. Apologies if this is a total rookie question, but I'd appreciate any advice. Thanks!

I was thinking to share my happiness with you This summer I bought a Parker 75 and a Parker 65 for a really low price. The seller stated that the pens are broken but I was optimistic. After an inspection they were in a really bad shape, the P65 had a destroyed section and the P75 was not writing at all only when applying a large amount of pressure, the clip was missing, the chrome clutch ring was rotten off, the clutch missing too, it had different tassies (flat at the cap, dished at barrel). It looked like this: I'm not a purist so i started to improvise to make it look reasonable and to make it write without the original parts. I was able to find a clutch spring in an old noname fountainpen which worked well in my case. Because the P65 was hopeless without a new section I took off the clip with the end jewel and mounted it on the P75. After these modifications I was pleased with the pens looks. But it was not functional yet. After reading here that also a piece of 35mm film can be used to spread the tines I tried it. After a few tries and adjustments the nib was functional again smooth and wet, the only thing was that it seemed that it had a much thicker line than an "F" nib. But it is perfect for me. Even like this I'm really happy that I can use it. And this is how it looks with the P65 clip: I know that it is really beaten up and almost every part comes from a different country (cap -USA, barrel+nib -France, clip+convertor -England, clutch spring -China) but it works What do you think about the clip?

while i do not(yet) repair pens myself, i have something that may be useful when adjusting nib tines. The Eye Clops microscope is a handheld digital microscope, and does 100x, 200x, and 400x magnification. it has lights built in to light up the object, a screen showing the magnified object, and can take picture or video, if need be you need to post it somewhere. downside is, im not sure how practical it is, and you dont really need the 200x and 400x for obvious reasons. another downside is the need to hold the pen and the microscope, unless you can figure out a mount for the scope and pen, because its a bit tricky to adjust the pen correctly to the microscope at such high magnifications. a pen mount is optional but will free up both hands and keep you from having to adjust it to keep it a sharp image. i would post samples but im having quite a time finding the usb that plugs into the top...