Pelikan M1000 Buying Advice - Humidity Problems?

[dinupravin]

Hi,

I am Dinesh.

I am using a Lamy Safari in Extra Fine nib from February 2018. Till then used Camlin 36 Fountain Pen which i am having as a treasure from the past as it gave me many memories.

Now i am planning to purchase a Pelikan M1000 as i am exposed to many brands of fountain pen in our forum.

I am from chennai and i have inquired WilliamPenn store at VR Mall, Chennai and got a quote of Rs.46000/- for M1000.

Now chennai has around 70-75% humidity and it is just start of summer. It will increase as summer progresses.

I am worried about buying Pelikan as i read a post which is way back in 2008 about barrel rupture may be due to humidity issues in our forum here. Ambient temperature will reach 40 ^oC.

I plan to use it as a daily driver.

Can i be confident about the pen holding up in a hot and humid chennai. It is going to be big chunk of money invested in a pen, i am worried since i like M1000 very much as it is highly praised in our forum.

Is it ok to leap to M1000 which i think is a top of the line luxury pen?

Your suggestions please.

[hari317]

Enquire price from asa pens also. He is in mylapore.

 

I live in mumbai. It has similar level of humidity. I have had defective Pelikan s. But Pelikan repaired them free. I have Pelikans which never developed a defect. So I think it is a material problem rather than humidity induced. If you really want to play safe buy the black body ones. They have no binde which can swell crack or delaminate.

[dinupravin]

Enquire price from asa pens also. He is in mylapore.

 

I live in mumbai. It has similar level of humidity. I have had defective Pelikan s. But Pelikan repaired them free. I have Pelikans which never developed a defect. So I think it is a material problem rather than humidity induced. If you really want to play safe buy the black body ones. They have no binde which can swell crack or delaminate.

Thank you for your reply.

[Bo Bo Olson]

WoW.....somewhere that makes Mississippi look cool and dry.****

 

Hari, thanks for the info....So much for my someday plan of getting a fancy binde for my black 1005.

 

 

****I've been in Germany way too long. We think 30 C. is hot.....86F.........even the Americans who complain about the cold German summers wouldn't in Southern India.

 

I was in Mississippi pre AC....back when the south was too hot to Rise Again.

Edited March 10, 2019 by Bo Bo Olson

[fountainpen51]

I live in a place with the same humidity, I have Pelikan M1000 green striated. Simply, if you like to use it, it is a great pen. I think that this type of celluloid would only have serious humidity problems if it were immersed in water constantly in years. I do not think that anything will happen to him taking care of it in a normal way, advisable to keep it when it is not in use in a wine cooler for example, although I do not have it. (They are only thoughts)

I have some celluloids like Parkers Vacumatics and MontBlanc striated with more than 30 years in this climate, all perfect.

[dinupravin]

 

I live in a place with the same humidity, I have Pelikan M1000 green striated. Simply, if you like to use it, it is a great pen. I think that this type of celluloid would only have serious humidity problems if it were immersed in water constantly in years. I do not think that anything will happen to him taking care of it in a normal way, advisable to keep it when it is not in use in a wine cooler for example, although I do not have it. (They are only thoughts)

I have some celluloids like Parkers Vacumatics and MontBlanc striated with more than 30 years in this climate, all perfect.

 

Thanks for your reassuring thoughts about quality of Pelikan M1000. May i ask you a question about the quality of nibs in Pelikan M1000. I am reading in our forum about nib problems like tine misalignment and baby bottoms in medium nibbed pelikan M1000. How is your experience in this regard. Is your pen a smooth writer right out of the box or do it need to go to a nibmeister for flawless writing.

[fountainpen51]

Thanks for your reassuring thoughts about quality of Pelikan M1000. May i ask you a question about the quality of nibs in Pelikan M1000. I am reading in our forum about nib problems like tine misalignment and baby bottoms in medium nibbed pelikan M1000. How is your experience in this regard. Is your pen a smooth writer right out of the box or do it need to go to a nibmeister for flawless writing.

Without problems with the nib, the only thing to keep in mind is that it is very wet.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Modern 1005 in my case, is a spring regular flex nib (Japanese 'soft')....so wetter than a nail 800. The nib is blobby and fat. The 1000's OBB's nib is 1/2 a width wider than a W.Germany 600's OBB.

 

There are Bock made semi-flex nib for the 1000***.............I tested one a decade ago, at my B&M vs a semi-flex nib. In there was folks saying it was semi-flex others saying it was a springy regular flex.

****Bock made Pelikan nibs from @ 1998 to a bit past 2010...some 15 years. Folks complained about Bock....and Pelikan took the nibs gradually back In-House, the 1000 was the last nib taken In-House. The exact same problems occurred In-House as with Bock.

IMO mailing causes nibs to be knocked out of alignment. Over polishing fat blobby nibs causes Baby Bottom..............many don't have baby bottom. I did in my 605, but I was getting that BB nib made a stub or CI from the get go, even before I got that nib when I swapped the M in for the BB. My M had no problems.

 

All the fat blobby modern Pelikan nibs....400/600/800/1000 can have baby bottom in they are over polished to get 'butter smooth'. Those nibs are all round double ball/top and bottom of the nib, thick tipped nibs. (The 200 is not, it is like the '82-97 nib.)

That is covered under your warrantee...so just keep sending back to whom you bought it from........you do have 5 weeks to exchange nibs if you don't like the size but baby bottom is a fault so it should be repairable under warrantee.

Don't hesitate to send it back.....hard start = baby bottom....no need to even check here.

 

I like my 600's (well the old one don't count it is 400 size) I can replace the nib with either a gold '82-97 springy regular flex 400's nib, a gold plated or steel 200 of the same flex............or a vintage stubbed semi-flex '50-65 gold nib of the 400/400nn era. The 600 is a much more universal pen. Even if the modern nib is a semi-nail.

 

I had a semi-flex B on my 605 for a few years.

 

The 1000 will only take 1000's nibs, just like an 800 will only take 800's nibs.

 

There are very many beautiful 600's....it is a light and nimble medium-large pen....a tad smaller than your Large Safari. Posted it has great balance and a fair girth.

 

My 1005 does not have great balance.

 

Last question, why do you want the 1000? Is it status bling? In you are jumping directly from Safari to the Big Boy.

 

It is a big pen....but you being from India would be use to your native big pens.

[dinupravin]

Modern 1005 in my case, is a spring regular flex nib (Japanese 'soft')....so wetter than a nail 800. The nib is blobby and fat. The 1000's OBB's nib is 1/2 a width wider than a W.Germany 600's OBB.

 

There are Bock made semi-flex nib for the 1000***.............I tested one a decade ago, at my B&M vs a semi-flex nib. In there was folks saying it was semi-flex others saying it was a springy regular flex.

****Bock made Pelikan nibs from @ 1998 to a bit past 2010...some 15 years. Folks complained about Bock....and Pelikan took the nibs gradually back In-House, the 1000 was the last nib taken In-House. The exact same problems occurred In-House as with Bock.

IMO mailing causes nibs to be knocked out of alignment. Over polishing fat blobby nibs causes Baby Bottom..............many don't have baby bottom. I did in my 605, but I was getting that BB nib made a stub or CI from the get go, even before I got that nib when I swapped the M in for the BB. My M had no problems.

 

All the fat blobby modern Pelikan nibs....400/600/800/1000 can have baby bottom in they are over polished to get 'butter smooth'. Those nibs are all round double ball/top and bottom of the nib, thick tipped nibs. (The 200 is not, it is like the '82-97 nib.)

That is covered under your warrantee...so just keep sending back to whom you bought it from........you do have 5 weeks to exchange nibs if you don't like the size but baby bottom is a fault so it should be repairable under warrantee.

Don't hesitate to send it back.....hard start = baby bottom....no need to even check here.

 

I like my 600's (well the old one don't count it is 400 size) I can replace the nib with either a gold '82-97 springy regular flex 400's nib, a gold plated or steel 200 of the same flex............or a vintage stubbed semi-flex '50-65 gold nib of the 400/400nn era. The 600 is a much more universal pen. Even if the modern nib is a semi-nail.

 

I had a semi-flex B on my 605 for a few years.

 

The 1000 will only take 1000's nibs, just like an 800 will only take 800's nibs.

 

There are very many beautiful 600's....it is a light and nimble medium-large pen....a tad smaller than your Large Safari. Posted it has great balance and a fair girth.

 

My 1005 does not have great balance.

 

Last question, why do you want the 1000? Is it status bling? In you are jumping directly from Safari to the Big Boy.

 

It is a big pen....but you being from India would be use to your native big pens.

 

Thank you for your kind reply.

 

As you asked, i am used to big pens from my school days.

 

I read in our forum about various pens and comparison between Steel and Gold nibs.

 

I do not have a gold nib pen. So i started for brands selling gold nib pens and i stumbled upon pelikan.

 

As i already have a Lamy which is german. I wanted a different brand from germany.

 

Yes, I am a mechanical engineer and i am fond of (obsessed with) german engineering. I don't want any other country's brand even my own.

 

With this mindset, I selected M600 as my next pen with gold nib. But later through forums found out that

14K nibs are stiff.

 

Then i selected M800 as my next pen which has 18K gold nib. but again in forums read about it being a nail.

 

Finally, i selected M1000 as my next pen as it has been reported in forums that the nib is springy.

 

In India especially in Chennai, no store has M800 or M1000 in stock for me to try on atleast as far as i know.

 

That's why i rely upon the knowledge in our forum to select the pen.

 

If it is a status bling, i would have selected MB149 which has nail like nib as per forum posts.

 

This is my journey of selecting a pen. I may be wrong. With your wise advice from fellow members, i can select a pen to my liking.

[ShneaSIG]

If you buy enough modern Pelikans, sooner or later, you'll encounter a nib with enough of a case of baby's bottom to suffer from hard starts. I think that, of the 8 modern Pelikan m800s and m1000s I have purchased, half have had some level of baby's bottom, with it happening most frequently in M and B sized nibs. However, in every case, it was nothing a little gentle work with some micro mesh pads couldn't fix. Frustrating, but it seems to be the norm in the fountain pen world that new manufactured nibs tend to frequently have baby's bottom. It's really not a big deal to fix. Get a decent loupe and some micro mesh, and you can cure most any case of baby's bottom in minutes. Just go slow - you can always polish more material off the nib, but you can't easily put material back on!

[dinupravin]

If you buy enough modern Pelikans, sooner or later, you'll encounter a nib with enough of a case of baby's bottom to suffer from hard starts. I think that, of the 8 modern Pelikan m800s and m1000s I have purchased, half have had some level of baby's bottom, with it happening most frequently in M and B sized nibs. However, in every case, it was nothing a little gentle work with some micro mesh pads couldn't fix. Frustrating, but it seems to be the norm in the fountain pen world that new manufactured nibs tend to frequently have baby's bottom. It's really not a big deal to fix. Get a decent loupe and some micro mesh, and you can cure most any case of baby's bottom in minutes. Just go slow - you can always polish more material off the nib, but you can't easily put material back on!

Thank you for your suggestion

[pankaj]

First of all the humidity issue :

 

I'm not a pen technician, but out of experience for more than 4 decades of using fountain pens in general, and 20 years of prolifically using Pelikans , I can confidently say ' humidity doesn't affect '.

 

I think Mumbai sportively compete with Chennai in 70 - 75% humidity. Wet hand or sweat hand is a different story.

 

Anyway, I rotate 5 M 1 k and 7 M 800 at frequent intervals : different ink and variable visual pleasure. And Summer or Rains, no issues at all.

 

Anticipated fear is worse than real !

 

Next, weight balance and grip comfort :

 

M1k is a big pen, substantial in hand - you feel the intrinsic value - one of the best in German tech - BIG nib. You don't want to post it tho' : length and balance throws challenge writing posted.

 

I prefer 800 and 600 more for longer writing . And I rarely write long .

 

Its all personal choice and sentiment . But I would be discrete and go for a hands on before buying one 1k cuz its high value , really HIGH with its strongly divided world of fans and critics .

 

Humidity is just a humble creature in the face of the price !

[dinupravin]

First of all the humidity issue :

 

I'm not a pen technician, but out of experience for more than 4 decades of using fountain pens in general, and 20 years of prolifically using Pelikans , I can confidently say ' humidity doesn't affect '.

 

I think Mumbai sportively compete with Chennai in 70 - 75% humidity. Wet hand or sweat hand is a different story.

 

Anyway, I rotate 5 M 1 k and 7 M 800 at frequent intervals : different ink and variable visual pleasure. And Summer or Rains, no issues at all.

 

Anticipated fear is worse than real !

 

Next, weight balance and grip comfort :

 

M1k is a big pen, substantial in hand - you feel the intrinsic value - one of the best in German tech - BIG nib. You don't want to post it tho' : length and balance throws challenge writing posted.

 

I prefer 800 and 600 more for longer writing . And I rarely write long .

 

Its all personal choice and sentiment . But I would be discrete and go for a hands on before buying one 1k cuz its high value , really HIGH with its strongly divided world of fans and critics .

 

Humidity is just a humble creature in the face of the price !

 

Thank you for your reassuring words.

 

I am going to buy a vintage pelikan 400 and a M800/600.

 

Have a nice day.

[Bo Bo Olson]

For a 600, the nibs of vintage 400's, '50-65 are semi-flex.....soft ++, stub.

The nibs from '82-90 are springy regular flex. '90-97 are nice regular flex a slight tad not so springy as the W.Germany nibs.

 

The 200's nibs be that plain steel or gold plated are nice regular flex nibs (Japanese soft) They like the '82-97 nibs have a somewhat oblong teardrop nib tipping, that are 1/2 a width narrower than the double ball semi-nail modern 600.

The vintage 600....and mine is a W.Germany one, is the same size as the 400, just a 18 c nib, and for then a gold piston ring. A deluxe 400.

 

I had a stub semi-flex '50-54 B nib I put on my 605.....

 

And the 600 is a medium girthed, light and nimble pen that is very well balanced posted.

There are a number of beautiful 600's that I can not afford. .....unless I want to go over to buying one pen a year ...............that is an option.

[dinupravin]

For a 600, the nibs of vintage 400's, '50-65 are semi-flex.....soft ++, stub.

The nibs from '82-90 are springy regular flex. '90-97 are nice regular flex a slight tad not so springy as the W.Germany nibs.

 

The 200's nibs be that plain steel or gold plated are nice regular flex nibs (Japanese soft) They like the '82-97 nibs have a somewhat oblong teardrop nib tipping, that are 1/2 a width narrower than the double ball semi-nail modern 600.

The vintage 600....and mine is a W.Germany one, is the same size as the 400, just a 18 c nib, and for then a gold piston ring. A deluxe 400.

 

I had a stub semi-flex '50-54 B nib I put on my 605.....

 

And the 600 is a medium girthed, light and nimble pen that is very well balanced posted.

There are a number of beautiful 600's that I can not afford. .....unless I want to go over to buying one pen a year ...............that is an option.

Thumbs up for the detailed information.

[farazqamar]

I would suggest you check the prices on cultpens.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Do learn how to adjust a misaligned nib....you need either a good coated glass 10 X loupe or a cheap Chinese 40X loupe (same strength).

 

Pressing with one's thumbnail, from the breathing hole.....Press the up tine down under the low tine, for about two seconds. Do that twice then check with the loupe....might have to do that a couple more times.

If not straight then, look to lift the down nib...up...............for that look in the Repair Section. I don't have that problem. The first time one does that one sweats bullets....by the third time....ho hum.

 

IMO the tines get knocked out of alignment in small package mailing. If the company selling the pens have a shipment in a larger box (or small pallet) it don't get knocked around like a pen packed in a display box.

A display box is not really a transport box in our modern kicking robot or soccer player mail man.

If you buy in a shop that will be put right, right there.

Out the (mailed) box....is where problems of misalignment occur....not bought and tested in the shop and put in your shopping bag.

 

It is easy enough to bang a nib on the table or even on a pad of paper at a slight angle and miss-align the nib. It is a basic skill of fountain pens.

[dinupravin]

Do learn how to adjust a misaligned nib....you need either a good coated glass 10 X loupe or a cheap Chinese 40X loupe (same strength).

 

Pressing with one's thumbnail, from the breathing hole.....Press the up tine down under the low tine, for about two seconds. Do that twice then check with the loupe....might have to do that a couple more times.

If not straight then, look to lift the down nib...up...............for that look in the Repair Section. I don't have that problem. The first time one does that one sweats bullets....by the third time....ho hum.

 

IMO the tines get knocked out of alignment in small package mailing. If the company selling the pens have a shipment in a larger box (or small pallet) it don't get knocked around like a pen packed in a display box.

A display box is not really a transport box in our modern kicking robot or soccer player mail man.

If you buy in a shop that will be put right, right there.

Out the (mailed) box....is where problems of misalignment occur....not bought and tested in the shop and put in your shopping bag.

 

It is easy enough to bang a nib on the table or even on a pad of paper at a slight angle and miss-align the nib. It is a basic skill of fountain pens.

I must learn to align nibs as i am a DIY guy. Now looking for a 10x loupe. Thanks for your advice.

[dinupravin]

Any suggestions from India for buying 10x loupe online. Links please. Also send addresses of shops if possible. I am from Chennai.

[BaronWulfraed]

Try a search on the name BelOMO

 

Or simple "10x triplet" (though you might encounter some low quality units under that description)