Individualized Nibs By Pelikan

[proton007]

 

There are still the regular nibs that can be bought (M B F ...) They are as bad or as good as always, no changes about that. But if you want a custom ground nib, you need to take the new S (Pelikan's foremost aim is to make money and this way they can sell some more nibs...).

 

How this S nib is looking like - no idea so far. My guess: it's just a huge blob of tipping, something like a BBBB, because they need to be able to get every possible tip out of that (including OBB, stubs, italics,...)

How good one can write with an untreated S nib - no idea so far. My guess: not very well, because it's meant to be ground before writing. I even doubt that the S nibs are widely available at shops.

 

So - you still can get a nice, good M400 like you had always wanted :-)

 

Well, given the amount of blob-tipping on their regular nib, I think they can start with any size and still achieve the desired tip shape.

[Tombstone]

To clean a little bit up with guessing:

 

- yes, it will just be done in combination with the factory trip - you can (until now) not order a box of "S"-nibs for doing your own nibbing...

 

- yes, Pelikan wants to earn money - which is understandable from my point of view, because we are not talking about The Salvation Army. But instead of buying the nib at Pelikan with the result of having an additional nib, you can also buy a new pen (including the nib) and have the installed nib changed to the "S" type (a free service during the first two weeks of ownership). This results in additional costs of 25,- Euro, which from my point of view is near to nothing. From this point of view Pelikan seems to be a member of The Salvation Army...

 

- how the S-nib looks is not known until today - so every guess is still a guess...

 

Oh, and regarding the flex: a couple of days ago I had an M1000 by accident... it's been a while since I used the ones I already have... I need to use them more, the B handles like a dream...

 

@ Azeem: I look forward to meet you in Deutschland!

 

@ Proton regarding the actually all useless Pelikan nibs: I have a whole bunch of them, and they all work as I want them to work...

Edited January 15, 2014 by Tombstone

[Pelikan Vera]

So do I understand you correctly Tombstone; if I buy lets say the new 2014 tortoise I can get the S-nib put on it by the retailer for an additional 25 euros or whatever that is in pounds? that would be cool.

[Tombstone]

Nope, not totally:

 

- you make a prenotation for a date, when you want to do the trip to Hannover

- in between two weeks befor the date, you buy a new whateveryouwant with whateverkindofnib

- you go to Hannover with your new pen, inluding paperwork (to verify it's new and you have the right to do the nib change free of charge)

- you get your nib changed to "S" and get it grind the way you want it

 

I hope it's clear...

 

Ciao - Peter

 

PS: it's bad that the Factory shop is closed on Fridays - that would also be a good point...

Edited January 15, 2014 by Tombstone

[mirosc]

plus:

- I doubt it very much that you can get the S nib from retailers; at the moment it seems that they are available only at the factory

- the Tortoise is not eligible for this kind of work (that is, if you are talking about the upcoming M100N and if it has the "historical" nib like the others), only 400/600/800 nibs

[Tombstone]

 

- the Tortoise is not eligible for this kind of work (that is, if you are talking about the upcoming M100N and if it has the "historical" nib like the others), only 400/600/800 nibs

 

Ah, Michael, you are right - I completely missed that point...

[Bo Bo Olson]

 

PS: it's bad that the Factory shop is closed on Fridays - that would also be a good point...

Appointment only,if some local holiday is on a Friday, they will tell you. Though hanging around Germany for a month will be expensive. I can fly to Turkey for a full week all inclusive, for less than a weekend Turing Germany. Gas is $9 a gallon.

[Guy007]

A similar message was posted on Facebook on the page for DC Supershow.

Does this mean that the nibs will be junk unless and until one can afford the airfare to Germany along with affording a pen?

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

Ruth, I am signed up to the Pelikan (Chartpak) annoucements, that's how I received the info - a straight cut and paste [ I got something similar regarding the chance to mix the 2015 ink for them - you might be interested - http://www.pelikan.com/color2015 :-) ]

 

I think all nibs are 'standard', but in the same way people send nibs to folks to get tuned to their specific hand writing style/nib pressure/angle, this is what Pelikan are offering, but you have to be there in person, but you get the bonus of the 'S' nib imprint. I see this as a similar service to those who get their nibs tuned at pen shows, so you have instant feedback. Just you get the satisfaction of having it done at the pen factory, a truly special experience. But you are also paying full price for the nib and obviously getting to the factory.

 

If I was in Europe it would certainly be easier to do, but this side of the pond, a little trickier, but if you were planning a European vacation....

[Tombstone]

 

Though hanging around Germany for a month will be expensive. I can fly to Turkey for a full week all inclusive, for less than a weekend Turing Germany. Gas is $9 a gallon.

 

Let's define it like this: it's worth the money...

 

[Pelikan Vera]

Don't you guys feel that this is a little sad for all the foreigners buying the brand? Having said that I am from Germany and my roots are in Osnabruck, not that far from Hannover. So for me it would be possible to do this on a regular trip to Germany. I just can't imagine that people from over the pond will be happy with this and it seems unfair on them. Here the Montblanc point of view is much better when you send your pen to them and it comes back with an OB grind if you wish. wonder how this will develop. Vera

[mirosc]

Don't you guys feel that this is a little sad for all the foreigners buying the brand?

Well, others have Mottishaw, Binder or Sorowka to go to. So at least we have Pelikan :-)

 

Pelikan said that if it's well accepted they might expand it (don't know yet in which ways).

[proton007]

Well, others have Mottishaw, Binder or Sorowka to go to. So at least we have Pelikan :-)

 

Pelikan said that if it's well accepted they might expand it (don't know yet in which ways).

Yep.

 

I'm hoping Pelikan can get some firsthand feedback on what kind of nibs their users like, and use this information improve their nib grinding process.

I tried the M800 F nib yesterday. It's smooth, yes, but wasn't able to create a line with sharp edges. The edges are fuzzy, based on the texture of the paper. This tells me the contact area is too big. Using a wetter ink (namiki black) helps, but then there's nothing special about the line (not even minor line variations). I'm sure it can be corrected with a better grind.

Edited January 16, 2014 by proton007

[Tombstone]

Don't you guys feel that this is a little sad for all the foreigners buying the brand?

 

Don't you think, Vera, that this is a very "german" way of thinking?

 

We should be happy to start this project - it may in the first step give an idea to Pelikan how writers write and how (based on this) the future of the nib sizes may become.

 

At the end it might be something they would spread over the world.

 

Don't see the disadvantages - see the possibilities!

[Sach]

I think this is great news. After the whole reduction of the standard nib range which I discussed in my thread last year, this at least means that Pelikan are aware that there exists a need to satisfy the "enthusiast market". I feel that it only makes sense that in time, this service will be expanded to mean that these same nibmeisters who grind these "special Friday" nibs, will also start grinding these same nibs on a ground to request basis.

 

There was a standard BB, 3B, and the obliques which had a fairly, if not exactly standard specification, and I don't see why they couldn't grind this S nib to that same standard requirement should a customer want such a nib. This would also apply to the to IB nib.

 

I'm not sure if the grinding to oblique and IB specification was done by Bock after they manufactured the nibs, or if this was completed by Pelikan in house. Either way, it makes perfect business sense for Pelikan to standardise the order from Bock, thereby minimising their unit cost, and also reduce their imperative costs in inventory terms.

 

Pelikan are in the business to make money, and not taking such a step wouldn't be good for them.

[DrCodfish]

Yes, for me it is only a dream. I suppose if I won the lottery, but that would mean I would have to buy a lottery ticket, right? Here is another concern:

 

Currently, if I desire a wide custom CI, or stub there are retailers that have some of the nibs in stock to custromize to my specifications. It is obvious that within a few years time all those excss stock nibs will be used and all the retailer will have to work with will be the standard width nibs up to B. Means that getting a OBB nib in the future will require a re-tip by an expert which is a lot more expensive than a regrind of an already BB nib.

[jgrasty]

Getting a custom ground nib at the Pelikan factory in Germany is a very cool idea. I'm considering European delivery of my next BMW and it would be really neat to drive up to the Pelikan factory, take a tour and get a custom ground nib.

 

For me, the nib would be a cursive italic as wide as they could make it.

[MarkTrain]

Means that getting a OBB nib in the future will require a re-tip by an expert which is a lot more expensive than a regrind of an already BB nib.

Not sure whether people like Mottishaw and Binder start with a stock straight cut nib or a stock oblique nib to make their oblique italic/stub nibs. If it is the former than it should be no problem to get an oblique in the future.

 

 

[agchristie]

I personally think its a cool idea and just hope enough people do it so that pelikan keeps it up and even expands it. Especially if one is anyway buying a pelikan pen to have pay only 25 euros on top for a personalized nib grind by someone who looks at how you write and hold the pen is a treat especially for us europeans. Unfortunately due to health reasons I will not be able to do this atm but hoping to treat myself towards the end of the year.

 

And I think that even though it would have been nice to offer this service worldwide their nib factory is in hannover so it certainly makes sense to only offer it there in the beginning. Elsewhere would prob be more expensive.

Edited January 17, 2014 by agchristie

[DrCodfish]

Not sure whether people like Mottishaw and Binder start with a stock straight cut nib or a stock oblique nib to make their oblique italic/stub nibs. If it is the former than it should be no problem to get an oblique in the future.

 

 

I have had Motishaw customize a number of nibs for me, mostly new Pelikan nibs from B or BB to stub and CI. This is essentially a matter of cutting (grinding) down a larger to a smaller and more precise nib. But I also had him retip a vintage Parker Vaculmatic from a F/M to a 0.8mm CI. I have a pretty good understanding of how this is done, I can tell you the retip was much more expensive. Thus my concern for when these resellers run out of thier stock of existing BB nibs, They'll still be able to create whatever profile you want, because they have magical powers, but it won't be as easy, or as cheap.

 

Clearly something big is happening at Pelikan. In the future we will look back and say 'that was when they made all those big changes'. I wonder how much more big change we we are in for during this round of Pelikan transformation.

 

Don't get me wrong, I an not opposed to innovation, and I hope that this is the result of sound market analysis that makes them a stronger company. Changes at Pelikan are certainly preferrable to Pelikan being bought out by soms large multi national brand name holding Co. The Costco version of the Schwinn bicycle. You know, three different Pelikan models, in three different colors, each with three different nibs - kow, red, blue, green, small, med, large, F, M, B. Oh boy, I'm getting a stomach ache at just the thought.

[Pelikan Vera]

 

Don't you think, Vera, that this is a very "german" way of thinking?

 

We should be happy to start this project - it may in the first step give an idea to Pelikan how writers write and how (based on this) the future of the nib sizes may become.

 

At the end it might be something they would spread over the world.

 

Don't see the disadvantages - see the possibilities!

yes it is. I am happy that they are doing something for catering to us enthusiasts that have discovered the comfort and joy of using their OB/OBB or stub nibs. Of course for me personally this will come at a considerable cost as I live in Wales. I am curious to participate but would await some feedback from the first test objects going down this route and reporting back to this board. are you in line to test it out? A report of the experience would be much appreciated by quite a few people here I assume. That would be awesome. Vera