Replacing my 400NN obb,

[penman88]

I am a younger guy, I purchased from a fpn user a beautiful pelikan 400NN OBB not sure if the nn is appropriate, it was the classic green striped barrel, the nib was perfect for my hand writing position, I carelessly left it on my car roof while working inside a leather organizer, and it flew off the roof, I looked for hours, payed 300 in 2019, and for 3 years have been seeking a replacement in vain, I have found obb nib for sale, but I don't want one that isn't origional to the barrel of the pen, I've periodically searches for a replacement from ebay to here only to never find one, I'm desperate for the affordable luxury writing of that 60s 400 obb it just hurts my heart to think it was taken, the obb nib likely sold for gold spot price where I live, any help you can provide would be met with the utmost gratitude, I have another 400 f nib, it's just not the same...😔

[stoen]

2 hours ago, penman88 said:

I don't want one that isn't origional to the barrel of the pen

Sorry for your loss. The next best thing to do is refine your purchasing skills by improving your education. First item on this Pelikan forum is this wonderful and comprehensive thread, which covers literally all Pelikan models, generations and variations since 1929, including 400 (N/NN) and all its nibs.

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/358957-dating-pelikan-fountain-pen/

 

Hope this can help.

[Carrau]

A couple of options for you:

1. Email this website with 400NNs and multiple nib options to see if they have an OBB available-

https://www.thepenguinpen.com/show/product/294

 

2.  There are a number of 400/400NN pens available on eBay with OB nibs that still may approximate your OBB experience.  There are also some with BB nibs that you may be able to have custom ground to OBB.

[carlos.q]

I would suggest you visit Penboard.de for this pen. They frequently post Pelikans with OBB nibs, although they don't seem to have one at this moment. Patience and persistence are key. 

[mana]

4 hours ago, Carrau said:

There are also some with BB nibs that you may be able to have custom ground to OBB.

Ooof, I do hope no-one stoops to that. Those nibs, which are already rare to begin with, are considered by many to be at the very top among vintage Pelikan nibs when it comes to the writing experience. And yes, there is also the fact that their number is finite as they are not made anymore.

 

400NN with factory original OBB nibs, while rare by their nature, are not that uncommon. Like mentioned before, one just needs a bit of patience in their search.

 

Reaching out to penboard.de is a good idea. Hmmm, I think I found something, PM inbound…

[Merrick]

I bought a 400 with OBB nib from Penboard a week ago. They do pop up, as others have said it’s about patience and the diligence to search. 

[carlos.q]

21 hours ago, Merrick said:

I bought a 400 with OBB nib from Penboard a week ago. They do pop up, as others have said it’s about patience and the diligence to search. 

So it was you who bought it!  I do hope you post a writing example so I can properly kick myself for not buying it... 🥲

[Merrick]

31 minutes ago, carlos.q said:

So it was you who bought it!  I do hope you post a writing example so I can properly kick myself for not buying it... 🥲

I will! Although my handwriting is hardly inspiring. 🤣  I'd been lusting after an OB/OBB vintage Pelikan nib for a while and finally was able to pull the trigger. It's supposed to be delivered today but DHL hasn't marked it as out for delivery yet.

[singlechange]

2 hours ago, Merrick said:

I will! Although my handwriting is hardly inspiring. 🤣  I'd been lusting after an OB/OBB vintage Pelikan nib for a while and finally was able to pull the trigger. It's supposed to be delivered today but DHL hasn't marked it as out for delivery yet.

Ditto. I also want to see your writing sample. Lots of pics of your vintage Pelikan please.

[Bo Bo Olson]

500 eyeballed OBBB. 30 degree grind, maxi-semi-flex ..................It's too bad I can't write, or wanted to do something fancy.

Eyeballed in it wasn't until late '54-&55 that Pelikan nib marked the width. Before it was piston cap marked and the 500 was roll gold caped piston cap. I do have two other pens of that era that are OBB, which is why I eyeball it to OBBB.

The semi-flex Geha 790 in small print is probably a M.

[stoen]

I agree that OBB can deliver some very special writing experience, especially if fine-tuned for good ink flow control. I prefer it to stay on the drier side, so a wide variety of line thickness can be produced delicately, depending on the writing angle. I had one 400 OBB once. It was a remarkable pen.

 

My OBB nowadays is a (30 degree) Pelikan 100:

It is one of the finest writers I’ve ever had.

 

Yet, OBBs are somewhat scarce. I wish you good luck. Please, keep posted!

[Merrick]

On 10/28/2024 at 9:01 AM, carlos.q said:

So it was you who bought it!  I do hope you post a writing example so I can properly kick myself for not buying it... 🥲

 

22 hours ago, singlechange said:

Ditto. I also want to see your writing sample. Lots of pics of your vintage Pelikan please.

I received the pen from Tom last night. Unfortunately after inking it, when taking pictures specifically to post here, I discovered the nib is stamped OM, not OBB. I had specifically requested the item listed as OBB so I’m not sure if he grabbed the wrong one or he misread the grind engraving on the nib when he listed it. I’ve emailed him to ask what we can do about the situation. 

[Merrick]

Tom got back to me, said he did in fact list the pen incorrectly as it had an OM nib from the start. Unfortunately the pictures he provides weren’t hi-res enough for me to see the faintly stamped nib grind marking otherwise I would have caught it myself. 
 

Tom said he has a nice soft OB nib and he is going to send it to me to swap into the pen. I had hoped for an OBB but the OB is an acceptable compromise, and it does match the nib grind marking on the piston knob of the pen so it’s only fitting. The pen itself is in stellar shape. 

[Merrick]

In the meantime, here are a few pics of the 400 with its OM nib, no pics of a writing sample at the moment, I'll see if I can get one later. I also include a few comparison shots with my 400NN.

 

 

[Bo Bo Olson]

I only have 2-3 semi-flex OM's, having more OB and OBB's.

 

There is a bit more line variation with oblique from that era than straight nibs.

 

I once bought a OEF Ghea 790, that had instead OEF marked on the piston cap, had a maxi-semi-flex F...the nibs screw out like a Pelikan. Because it was a maxi-semi-flex, I kept it, and in the meanwhile, think an OEF too narrow to really see much...or at least for me, who writes large. So I stopped chasing them.

 

I now find semi-flex M or OM from that era quite nice.

[Merrick]

Don’t get me wrong, I do like the OM and how it writes, I just was specifically seeking out an OB/OBB. 

[Bo Bo Olson]

I don't use my OBB's any more....or didn't until just recently, when I found some BB's instead of B's I'd been looking for.

BB/OBB will do for B/OB when I'm not persnickety.

[Merrick]

Writing more with the OM nib, I can see why Tom would have marked it as a BB, it puts down a VERY thick line, even with a drier ink. I’m curious to compare it to the OB nib and see how the two look side by side. 

[Bo Bo Olson]

Thicker lines in semi-flex is normal. Semi-flex is a wetter nib; often swallowing two toned shading, because of the ease of tine spread = more ink laid down.

[stoen]

22 hours ago, Bo Bo Olson said:

ease of tine spread = more ink laid down

With due respect, this is only partly so. The other part depends on the ink flow adjustment, a micromechanical matching issue I’m essentially acquainted with, but still don’t fully understand. It has to do with capillary flow, air pressure variation and adhesion depending on:

 

- feed construction (post WWII feeds in a 100N are drier than the pre-war ones, they have more elaborate compensation chambers)

- feed cleanliness and form (often used, slightly warped feeds are sometimes getting service-installed, without having priorly been “rectified” by gentle heat and ultrasound cleaned).

- nib/feed mating (a process being thoroughly described in some other threads).

 

An ideal pen lays down only as much or as little ink as needed, doesn’t run dry and easily “recovers” back to  “normal flow”, after tine spread thick line.

🙂