I'm Not Sure What To Do With My Pelikan

[pyotr]

I bought my pelikan m200 from a seller in Germany. I only got the pen (no case). I cleaned it and then I let it dry a bit. I inked it, and it started to skip! I tried to fix it and it sort of worked (doesn't skip anymore), but I may have grinded it a little too much and I turned it into a broad nib (from a medium nib).

Now I'm not sure if I want to sell it or just buy a new nib. I sort of want to sell it because I don't really have any use for the broad nib, but I like the feel of the pelikan.

Any recommendations?

 

Here's a writing sample. Is my nib supposed to flex that much? Or did I just tamper with it too much. Would anyone actually buy this?

The Rhodia pad is the before the grinding, and the nondescript paper is after the grinding.

 

http://i.imgur.com/Mt6bJku.jpg

Edited May 27, 2013 by pyotr

[Mafia Geek]

Well a new M200 nib is around 20 GBP and you can pick whichever tip you want and I expect the loss you'd take on selling the used pen would be much greater than 20 GBP, so I would suggest that if you like the pen, just get a new nib for the pen and carry on using the pen. If the new nib is scratchy still and you got it from a good retailer, you likely can exchange it for another and pay shipping rather than fixing it yourself and risking damaging the nib.

 

Hope that helps.

[rushabhshah]

I agree with Mafia. You should keep the pen and by a new nib.

[OldGriz]

First of all grinding a nib IS NOT what you do to stop a pen from skipping....

The tines might have been slightly out of alignment or in need of flossing... that is what you look for first

I would purchase a new nib from someone like Richard Binder who makes sure all nibs write as they should before being sold.

[pyotr]

Thanks for the help guys! I think I'm going to get a new nib from Richard then.

Also, the pen had trouble starting, so I thought it had a baby bottom. That's why I grinded it. Lesson learned :{

[humsin]

Picture of the nib?

[dduran]

Why not make the most out of it and try to grind it to a smaller size

[GabrielleDuVent]

Buy a new nib, if you like the feel of the barrel. Nibs are replaceable. Barrels... not so much.

 

If you live in an area where there's a brick and mortar shop (I'm not talking about places like Paradise Pens, I'm talking about those really old-looking shops managed by a very obstinate old man who seems to have dedicated his life to pens), I also suggest taking your pen to that guy. They seem to know exactly what's wrong with the pen (or in my case, with me), and would give you commands suggestions on what to do (they also seem to find recruitment to the cult of pens first and profit second, so their opinions are quite trustworthy).

[Pennata Penna]

Also, the pen had trouble starting, so I thought it had a baby bottom. That's why I grinded it. Lesson learned :{

That baby bottom was actually a thin film of coating to protect the steel nib on M200 series from corrosion. Just like the protection on the dip pen nibs. You don't even need to flush it, just do the brown paper bag trick, or put a paper on top of tea towel then write a hundred or so zeros or loopdeloops. That's it. No abrasives!

 

Tony

 

PS. I bought an M200 recently just to test it. The Broad nib on it was just slightly wider than a Fine 14C. Go figure.

[Runnin_Ute]

When I first saw the title of your post, my first thought was "why write with it silly".

Like others if you otherwise like the pen, just get a replacement nib. Seems like the most prudent, cost effective course of action.

[MartDL]

I'd agree with other's. M200 nibs are very cheap, and yet still write very smoothly. Some people prefer the M200 steel nibs to the equivalent gold ones.

 

I'd also agree with the idea of letting a skilled pen nut have a go at your nib (once it's your spare). It's taken me a while, but I've found that there are some very friendly pen restorers and repairers who love pens, and pen users. If you've used them before, or are just plain pleasant with them, they may just suggest you pop your nib in the post, they'll have a play, and return it, for minimal cost, or none at all if you're having something else done at the same time. That's assuming it's a nib they already know really well, and is not hugely expensive.

 

Alternatively, buy a new nib, and have play with the one you have now. If it helps, one of my smoothest nibs is an italic nib from a small UK company who simply take a bog standard medium nib, and then grind it it down to the various sizes and shapes they offer with their pens. Mine has not a single piece of Iridium left on it. It was just ground from a medium nib, and turned into an ultra-smooth 1.3 mm italic, made solely of the remaining steel. It's brilliant.