M800 "pf" Nib

[1962falcon]

This is my first post....

 

I recently acquired a third M800 with a Broad nib in a trade with a colleague..... It had been a gift and had been in his sole ownership for more than 10 years, he had never inked it. After flushing and lubricating the piston it went into immediate service.....Comparing and contrasting with my other pair of M800s', both fitted with Broad nibs and of more recent vintage, the new [old] pen turned out to be a very smooth writer and it seemed, at least to me, that its nib was 'softer' ..... Closer inspection revealed the new to me pen's nib was inscribed 'pf' .....

 

Could this nib engraving offer an explanation for its writing quality compared? Can anyone offer an explaination of 'pf' and what its significance is/was..... thanks

[osrever]

This is my first post....

 

I recently acquired a third M800 with a Broad nib in a trade with a colleague..... It had been a gift and had been in his sole ownership for more than 10 years, he had never inked it. After flushing and lubricating the piston it went into immediate service.....Comparing and contrasting with my other pair of M800s', both fitted with Broad nibs and of more recent vintage, the new [old] pen turned out to be a very smooth writer and it seemed, at least to me, that its nib was 'softer' ..... Closer inspection revealed the new to me pen's nib was inscribed 'pf' .....

 

Could this nib engraving offer an explanation for its writing quality compared? Can anyone offer an explaination of 'pf' and what its significance is/was..... thanks

.

 

There is a old conversation about that in this forum:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/91962-pelikan-nib-pf-signature/

Edited January 16, 2012 by osrever

[mori45]

According to Rick, PF is a Swiss tax stamp. I too have a "PF" nib that feels softer, but I think it's generally true of the 1980s-early 1990s Pelikan 18k nibs and not related to the PF stamping.

[Rick Propas]

As I have noted, I have spread some of the false information regarding pf, for I speculated (based on what I no longer recall) that pf meant Pelikan Fabrik. I was wrong! And I want to reiterate that. pf has nothing to do with the date or production source of the Pelikan nibs!

 

In April 2009, when I was at the Pelikan factory I asked Christian Ehlers, who is the production manager and who was touring me, about the mark and he explained that pf is a Swiss customs stamp. I regard that as the final, definitive answer unless I hear otherwise from someone who seems a better source (not that I can imagine one).

 

Now that I have looked for it I have seen the pf stamp on other European goods, not just pens and not just Pelikans.

Edited January 16, 2012 by Rick Propas

[hari317]

can we pls pin this topic? this seems to be a very often asked question.

[Rick Propas]

Hari, I agree. Since I just asked Bill Dodson, our moderator, to pin the Toledo thread I'll leave it to you, hari, to make the request. Just pm him.

[leod]

nice first post and pinned

[1962falcon]

..... Thanks to all the respondees for gerously sharing their knowledge and experience..... I was quite surprised to learn that 'pf' was a Swiss Customs Stamp. I asked another friend to look at his nibs and he found the stamp on a couple of M1000 nibs but it was not present on the other two M800s he owns.

 

I guess the softer feel I have noted on the nib is down to the fact that it was made in the 90's.... To try and get a better handle on a production date I asked my colleague if he could be more precise about the date the pen was gifted to him. He did a bit of checking and he now thinks it was 95 or 96; he seemed a bit embarrased that the pen was 'older' than he has first stated; I assured him it was not a problem as it would seem older, in the nib scene, is often better!

 

Thanks again.

[Hasuran]

As I have noted, I have spread some of the false information regarding pf, for I speculated (based on what I no longer recall) that pf meant Pelikan Fabrik. I was wrong! And I want to reiterate that. pf has nothing to do with the date or production source of the Pelikan nibs!

 

In April 2009, when I was at the Pelikan factory I asked Christian Ehlers, who is the production manager and who was touring me, about the mark and he explained that pf is a Swiss customs stamp. I regard that as the final, definitive answer unless I hear otherwise from someone who seems a better source (not that I can imagine one).

 

Now that I have looked for it I have seen the pf stamp on other European goods, not just pens and not just Pelikans.

 

Then how about the EN mark? What does that mean?

[Joker]

Great nib ！

I wish for a "pf" nib, too.

[Nibwitz]

To add my most recent info on this subject, I send an e-mail to Pelikan, and received this answer;

 

 

Dear Sir,

 

Please note that " PF" is a customs note which was necessary for some countries.

 

Thanks,

 

Freundliche Gruesse / Best regards

 

Christiane Witt

Group Intercompany Order Management

Customer Service Export

[Pufferfish]

Good, an official answer from Pelikan. I have one M1000 and 2 M 800 nib. However, how about EN Mark?

 

TKS

 

Brian

To add my most recent info on this subject, I send an e-mail to Pelikan, and received this answer;

 

 

Dear Sir,

 

Please note that " PF" is a customs note which was necessary for some countries.

 

Thanks,

 

Freundliche Gruesse / Best regards

 

Christiane Witt

Group Intercompany Order Management

Customer Service Export

[whych]

To complete the topic, what does the PF stand for on the steel nib and how do these nibs differ from the normal F (fine) nibs?

[hari317]

To complete the topic, what does the PF stand for on the steel nib and how do these nibs differ from the normal F (fine) nibs?

Can you pls show a pelikan steel nib with the PF imprint? never seen one before.

[whych]

The most common one you see nowadays is the Brause PF dip pen nib, but most manufacturers used to make a PF nib.

 

The nib is from an old style 120 I should imagine.

I have also seen them in the type 1 Pelikanos.

[hari317]

Thanks for sharing Whych. This PF appears to be a nib type designation and is different from the additional pf mark being discussed in this thread. However I have no idea what the PF on the nibs you show mean, thanks! i have learnt something new today. hopefully, someone who knows more will chime in.

 

Best

Hari

[GTOZack]

this is also a great indicator whichever the pen as a whole are faked or not. Vintage pelikan with 'PF' or 'E|N' or something like that ( someone correct me) , would make it a legitimate pelikan.

[Poeticnook]

For the m120 and pelikano PF mark,

 

PF : Pfannenfeder für Schulanfänger, wird nur für Schulfüller geliefert

 

From this post: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/143598-fabled-pelikan-nib-pf/?p=1426160

 

 

The most common one you see nowadays is the Brause PF dip pen nib, but most manufacturers used to make a PF nib.

 

The nib is from an old style 120 I should imagine.

I have also seen them in the type 1 Pelikanos.

[chainwhip]

Is Pelikan (or whoever is making their nibs for them) still making Pelikan nibs with the PF mark?

Edited November 3, 2015 by chainwhip

[sargetalon]

Is Pelikan (or whoever is making their nibs for them) still making Pelikan nibs with the PF mark?

Pelikan is making their nibs in-house and they are not using the PF mark with current production nibs.