Pelikan 400, Friction Fit Nib Unit

[christof]

In this forum can be read a lot about pelikan with friction fit nib units. Several theories are written down, some correct, some not.

 

For those who are not familiar with this little detail of construction I did some pictures of it.

 

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5174/5473344544_2ebaedfd01_b.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5011/5472750263_7d70aba431_b.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5140/5472750205_73f615cb95_b.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5012/5472750163_81f15d9d02_b.jpg

 

What you see is the nib unit of an early Pelikan 400 made in the first two months of production. (To be exact: from may 25. to august 1950)

 

The three main differences can be seen on the pictures:

 

_there are no threads on the collar.

_the feed has a slit at its backside. (This makes it springy to keep the nib unit in place.)

_inside of the section are also no threads.

 

This type is the one and only Pelikan 400 with a friction fit nib unit. I have never heard of a later one.

 

Now, it seems that Pelikan did the same experiment again in 1982 when they introduced the new M400. This can be read in THIS thread.

 

Hope this helps to clarify this theme...

Edited February 24, 2011 by christof

[fountainbel]

Thanks for shearing, never encountered a friction fit nib on vintage Pelikan's

Francis

[Rick Propas]

These pens are also identifiable by the old DRP stamping on the barrels.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Rudi ID's my 400NN friction feed as a '56.

 

I bought the pen to swap out the 'semi-flex' nib to my '90 Tortoise. I was for a while disappointed.

 

Now I'm glad, the nib is a slightly flexible/'flexi' OF and the 400NN holds more ink than an 800 or 1000.

 

It is currently my number 2 nib and pen.

 

Now, I'm also 'now' quite satisfied with the '80's nib of my 400 Sovereign tortoise (83-97 for regular pens, 84-96 for tortoise). Mine is made '90-96, because it says Germany and not W. Germany.

 

I have many more semi/slightly flex nibs and have relaxed and can and do enjoy my '80's nib.

[christof]

These pens are also identifiable by the old DRP stamping on the barrels.

 

thank you Rick.

just had a look to the barrel but there is no DRP stamp...

just the usual: GÜNTHER WAGNER PELIKAN .

[1000km]

Very interesting - thanks for sharing

[hari317]

How does one remove the nib unit from these pens, is it just a sliding fit? I understand one has to remove the nib unit in order to knock the filling unit out.

[fountainbel]

Good question !

I expect it effectively is a sliding fit, and the collar is to be sealed with shellac.

Can anyone confirm this please?

Francis

 

How does one remove the nib unit from these pens, is it just a sliding fit? I understand one has to remove the nib unit in order to knock the filling unit out.

 

d

[Giorgio75]

Hello all, i write from Italy. My father gave me this pen with a friction nib like yours. Mine is a little bit broken and im interested too in this pen. Actualy my nib is a little bit broken so i was looking for a new one, seems is impossible to find a new friction nib (mine is EF)

[christof]

Good question !

I expect it effectively is a sliding fit, and the collar is to be sealed with shellac.

Can anyone confirm this please?

Francis

 

How does one remove the nib unit from these pens, is it just a sliding fit? I understand one has to remove the nib unit in order to knock the filling unit out.

 

d

 

Francis

 

As far as I understand that is it just sliding fit and kept in place trough the springy (and a bit broader) and of the feeder. When I disassembled the pen I didn't find any signs of shellac. I think that a sealant isn't necessary.

[christof]

Hello all, i write from Italy. My father gave me this pen with a friction nib like yours. Mine is a little bit broken and im interested too in this pen. Actualy my nib is a little bit broken so i was looking for a new one, seems is impossible to find a new friction nib (mine is EF)

 

If your nib is broken, you can take any Pelikan 400 nib as replacement.

If your collar is broken, a replacement with therads will probably also fit.

If your feeder is broken, you probably have a problem...

[watch_art]

Does anybody think they MEANT to make this setup for a whole TWO months? My guess in a Back to the Future silly sort of way, is that somebody made something like this as a prototype and only meant for a few dozen or few hundred to be made. Then somebody got fired and the person who got fired was never able to tell the factory to stop production and by the time somebody found out what a weird concept this is they had already made several thousand. And then in the early 80s, somebody else thought it would be cool to bring back a prototype, like an homage to the original, and they made it again. I bet the fact that anybody ever got one in their hands was a total fluke. I mean, look at Parker, they've got drawers and drawers full of concept and prototype pens in their vaults (I saw it on FPN/the internet) that were never MEANT to be made to sell...

 

So...

 

Just my silly guess.

[Bo Bo Olson]

I think some one got stupid and tried to save a few pennies.

[christof]

Wait, wait...

 

this construction isn't as bad as you think! After soaking the pen a few hours, the nib unit could easily be removed. When I think of all the screwed in nib units in the past wich made me a lot of problems by removing, I do not think as bad about this design.

 

...and nibs are still interchangeable, if you have a second first two months pen, haha.

[piembi]

Wait, wait...

 

this construction isn't as bad as you think! After soaking the pen a few hours, the nib unit could easily be removed. When I think of all the screwed in nib units in the past wich made me a lot of problems by removing, I do not think as bad about this design.

 

...and nibs are still interchangeable, if you have a second first two months pen, haha.

 

... or a vintage one .... :ltcapd:

[rhr2010]

Do you know if a pressure fit nib unit was ever used in early Pelikan 100? I have several 100s and for a couple of them I have never been able to unscrew the nib unit. Soaked for days in water and soap, soaked in very warm water, blew hot air in it...nothing...it didn't give at all. In one case, I needed to reset the nib and I undid the back knob filler unit, knocked the nib from the end of the barrel and the nib and feed came out, but the collar stayed in, then I reset nib and feed by pushing them in as you would do in any pen with no collar or screw in unit. I still wonder if that collar is glued in or got glued by some crazy ink or was pressure fit or whatever...nothing worked on making the unit turn!

[Bo Bo Olson]

I had no problem once I found out it didn't unscrew but just went around. A few wiggles and out it was and I was PO'ed in I'd wanted that nib for my '90 tortoise.

 

Now, I'm very happy with my 400NN OF pen....second best pen I got..right now. That slightly flexible/'flexi' nib is great.

 

Mine has no old DRP stamping or marking of any kind. Other than the regular cap ring markings.

Edited March 1, 2011 by Bo Bo Olson

[penspouse]

These pens are also identifiable by the old DRP stamping on the barrels.

 

Would all pens with DRP have friction fit nibs? If they don't have DRP would they NOT have friction fit nibs? How would you know before taking the nib out?

[christof]

These pens are also identifiable by the old DRP stamping on the barrels.

 

Here is one with D.R.P. stamp on the barrel on ebay

Edited March 14, 2011 by christof