How are Pelikan fountain pens and nibs to write with?

[PhiloPlume]

I only have a model 200 Orange Delight fine point and I do not think it writes smooth at all, sort of scratchy.  I only write with fine, extra-fine, and same with italic nibs but I saw a good looking Pelikan 400 in Fahrney's catalog that caught my eye for some reason.  I think the Orange Delight is more of a novelty pen?  I guess, not at that price.

 

Not sure I will buy that model or another Pelikan, but just curious about Pelikans as I have heard so much about them..  Probably my two favorites are Pilots - Custom 823 fine point and Pilot Metal Falcon SEF flex.  Is a Pelikan FP really a FP or is it more like a needlepoint nib?

 

-PP

 

 

[davisgt]

I have the Pelikan M600, medium nib, and the M800, fine nib. They both write a little wider than I first imagined.  The medium writes closer to a broad and the fine writes closer to a medium. They are both ultra smooth, but I love the length and heft of the M800. It was the pen I was using today. I also have the Custom 823, and I love that pen. A smooth medium that writes like a medium. 

[PhiloPlume]

1 hour ago, davisgt said:

They both write a little wider than I first imagined. 

Thank you!  I already have too many fine point pens that write like a medium or even a broad so I am going to pass.  They are probably so smooth because of the more ink the nibs are putting out.

 

[davisgt]

You might like to try a Platinum President EF. Very fine line with a lovely feedback, but it isn't scratchy.  It feels similar in my hand to the Custom 823. I'm also particularly fond of my Sailor 1911L with a fine nib.  Both are excellent.  Just a thought. 

[PhiloPlume]

13 minutes ago, davisgt said:

You might like to try a Platinum President EF. Very fine line with a lovely feedback, but it isn't scratchy.  It feels similar in my hand to the Custom 823. I'm also particularly fond of my Sailor 1911L with a fine nib.  Both are excellent.  Just a thought. 

 

Good thoughts!  Who makes a Platinum President?  I have a Sailor 1911 and like it.  I think that is the brand.  Sailor's Pen of the Year from a couple years ago.  I also bought a Sailor EF of some sort and it writes like a needlepoint.  Barely writes.  Can't use it.

 

Just looked at the pen.  Sailor 1911 2023.  It is really smooth.  I bought another one but a demo with a flex nib.  Doesn't flex yet.  No line variance.  Just tested it again.

[USG]

1 hour ago, PhiloPlume said:

Thank you!  I already have too many fine point pens that write like a medium or even a broad so I am going to pass.  They are probably so smooth because of the more ink the nibs are putting out.

 

 

I have some experience with a Kaigelu 316A and Jinhao X159s in EF. These EFs are very fine and very smooth.  They're not expensive pens, but if you've never experienced a Jinaho X159 you owe it to yourself to try one.😀

 

CLICK TO ENLARGE

[davisgt]

9 hours ago, PhiloPlume said:

 

Good thoughts!  Who makes a Platinum President? 

Platinum is the brand (like Sailor or Pilot) and President is the model. You can find some really good prices online for these pens. Definitely cheaper than my beloved Pelikans. 😁

[PhiloPlume]

10 hours ago, USG said:

 

I have some experience with a Kaigelu 316A and Jinhao X159s in EF. These EFs are very fine and very smooth.  They're not expensive pens, but if you've never experienced a Jinaho X159 you owe it to yourself to try one

I never heard of them!  I will try and find them both.  Thank you for the writing samples!

 

I ordered one of each from Amazon.  The Jinhao in EF and the Kaigelu in Fine.  Great review here: https://rupertarzeian.com/2023/01/21/early-thoughts-on-the-jinhao-x159-fountain-pen/

 

[PhiloPlume]

11 hours ago, davisgt said:

You might like to try a Platinum President EF

 

Just ordered one from Amazon.  Fantastic reviews!  I am excited about trying these new brands that I have never heard of.

[Mercian]

14 hours ago, PhiloPlume said:

Not sure I will buy that model or another Pelikan, but just curious about Pelikans as I have heard so much about them..  Probably my two favorites are Pilots - Custom 823 fine point and Pilot Metal Falcon SEF flex.  Is a Pelikan FP really a FP or is it more like a needlepoint nib?

 

In my experience, modern Pelikan nibs write very smoothly, and they write 'wet' (this is to make the pens work well with Pelikan's own inks, which tend to write 'dry').

But you also need to know that they write 'wide' in comparison to a lot of other pens - and certainly in comparison to Japanese nibs!

 

If your favourite nibs are a Japanese 'F' and 'SEF', I would expect that you would not want any Pelikan that is marked wider than 'EF'!

The widest-writing Pelikans that I have are on my P480 Pelikanos from 2012. Both are marked 'F', but they are at least as wide as the nib on my 1990/91 M800 'M'.

 

I have also seen it said that the gold nibs on the modern Souverän pens are wider than the steel nibs of the same marked grades on the M200/205/215.

 

Older Pelikans had narrower nibs; my pre-1997 M400 'M' is a similar width to the 'F' nib on my M205 from 2012.

And the 'M' nib on my 1990/91 M800 is of a similar width to the 'F' nib on my M805 from 2020.

 

I hope that this is useful to you.
Slàinte,
M.

[Penguincollector]

  For me, when I think of Pelikan, I think smooth, like Pilot. I have to say that my favorite is a custom needlepoint grind made from a 1990 or 91  14k M. It’s both tiny and smooth. I also think that for their regular sizes, an EF steel is truly a Western EF. I have a 140 with an EF replacement nib from a 120 done long before I was born that I originally meant to buy the correct nib for, but I like the EF so much I decided not to. The one thing about Pelikans, is that you end up with a nest full in short order.

[inkstainedruth]

@PhiloPlume -- All my Pelikans are good writers, albeit on the wet side.  I have nibs ranging from EF to B,  and while I need to use a drier ink in them I've never found any of them to be scratchy -- even the cheapie P1 Twist that was swag from last year's Pelikan Hub.  Or the 1980s era Pelikano I got at a pen show for five bucks, which sadly broke at the join between the barrel and ink window (the nib itself wrote quite well).  Never had problems with ANY of them being scratchy writers or having bad nibs, so I'm surprised that you did.

Did you get the pen new or used?  Because I'm wondering if somehow the tines got misaligned.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

ETA: Have you contacted Fahrney's about the pen?  And if so, what did they say?  (I've never shopped there -- I've looked at their website and they always seemed kinda pricy compared to other online businesses).

[Penguincollector]

 @inkstainedruth, Fahrney’s is a treasure. I love getting their catalogs in the mail. The good thing about them is that they keep things in their inventory until they sell, so you can find obsolete items there. I found new old stock Sailor Chalana cartridges and converters there a couple of years ago when they were gone from other stores. 

[Merrick]

17 hours ago, PhiloPlume said:

I only have a model 200 Orange Delight fine point and I do not think it writes smooth at all, sort of scratchy.  I only write with fine, extra-fine, and same with italic nibs but I saw a good looking Pelikan 400 in Fahrney's catalog that caught my eye for some reason.  I think the Orange Delight is more of a novelty pen?  I guess, not at that price.

 

Not sure I will buy that model or another Pelikan, but just curious about Pelikans as I have heard so much about them..  Probably my two favorites are Pilots - Custom 823 fine point and Pilot Metal Falcon SEF flex.  Is a Pelikan FP really a FP or is it more like a needlepoint nib?

 

-PP

 

 

As many others have said, Pelikan nibs tend to be smooth and wide writers. On top of already writing wider than many other manufacturers, modern Pelikan nibs have ball-like tipping that make it easier for ballpoint users. If your favorite nibs are Japanese fines/extra fines, Pelikan is not the right brand for you. I have an M800 EF that writes like a Japanese medium. Even my vintage Pelikan pens from the 1950s write wider than most of my other pens. I had to get a Pelikan 140 F ground to an EEF to write as thinly as I wanted for that particular pen. A Sailor F will write thinner than the thinnest Pelikan EF.

 

I recommend checking out Platinum's selection of finer nibs. They go down to ultra extra fine. The M nib on my Procyon writes thinner than many of my EF nibs from western companies. They are generally not scratchy but do have more feedback than Pilot. Of course if you're writing with EF and UEF nibs from Japanese makers they may end up feeling scratchy just due to the fineness of the nib, especially on paper with more tooth. 

[Zdenek]

I have got M800 (2000) and M1000 (2003), equipped with F nibs. Both nibs are very smooth and soft. Writing with them is a very pleasant experience. The writing sample bellow

is on Leuchtturm1917 120 gms paper. 

[Penguincollector]

3 hours ago, Merrick said:

I recommend checking out Platinum's selection of finer nibs. They go down to ultra extra fine.

 I absolutely adore my Platinum UEF. It’s definitely worth a try if thin lines are your jam. 

[USG]

6 hours ago, Mercian said:

 

In my experience, modern Pelikan nibs write very smoothly, and they write 'wet' (this is to make the pens work well with Pelikan's own inks, which tend to write 'dry').

But you also need to know that they write 'wide' in comparison to a lot of other pens - and certainly in comparison to Japanese nibs!

 

If your favourite nibs are a Japanese 'F' and 'SEF', I would expect that you would not want any Pelikan that is marked wider than 'EF'!

The widest-writing Pelikans that I have are on my P480 Pelikanos from 2012. Both are marked 'F', but they are at least as wide as the nib on my 1990/91 M800 'M'.

 

I have also seen it said that the gold nibs on the modern Souverän pens are wider than the steel nibs of the same marked grades on the M200/205/215.

 

Older Pelikans had narrower nibs; my pre-1997 M400 'M' is a similar width to the 'F' nib on my M205 from 2012.

And the 'M' nib on my 1990/91 M800 is of a similar width to the 'F' nib on my M805 from 2020.

 

I hope that this is useful to you.
Slàinte,
M.

 

+1 on what Mercian said.  My first M800 was a Medium that wrote like a Broad. 😀

 

5 hours ago, Penguincollector said:

  For me, when I think of Pelikan, I think smooth, like Pilot. I have to say that my favorite is a custom needlepoint grind made from a 1990 or 91  14k M. It’s both tiny and smooth. I also think that for their regular sizes, an EF steel is truly a Western EF. I have a 140 with an EF replacement nib from a 120 done long before I was born that I originally meant to buy the correct nib for, but I like the EF so much I decided not to. The one thing about Pelikans, is that you end up with a nest full in short order.

 

You always have the coolest pens....😀👍

 

5 hours ago, inkstainedruth said:

@PhiloPlume -- All my Pelikans are good writers, albeit on the wet side.  I have nibs ranging from EF to B,  and while I need to use a drier ink in them I've never found any of them to be scratchy -- even the cheapie P1 Twist that was swag from last year's Pelikan Hub.  Or the 1980s era Pelikano I got at a pen show for five bucks, which sadly broke at the join between the barrel and ink window (the nib itself wrote quite well).  Never had problems with ANY of them being scratchy writers or having bad nibs, so I'm surprised that you did.

Did you get the pen new or used?  Because I'm wondering if somehow the tines got misaligned.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

ETA: Have you contacted Fahrney's about the pen?  And if so, what did they say?  (I've never shopped there -- I've looked at their website and they always seemed kinda pricy compared to other online businesses).

 

I agree with ESR and Merrick, all my Pelikans are smooth wet writers that write wider than their designations. 

What does Farney's say?

Btw, you didn't mention if you took a look at the tines.  Maybe a slight re-allignment is all that's needed to bring the pen into spec?

 

1 hour ago, Zdenek said:

I have got M800 (2000) and M1000 (2003), equipped with F nibs. Both nibs are very smooth and soft. Writing with them is a very pleasant experience. The writing sample bellow

is on Leuchtturm1917 120 gms paper. 

 

+1- thank you for the writing samples.👍😀  I love seeing various pens and inks on paper.😀  Keep it up !!!👍

Do you have each one of those pens inked with the inks shown?

 

[Christopher Godfrey]

OP wrote: <Sailor 1911 2023.  It is really smooth.  I bought another one but a demo with a flex nib.  Doesn't flex yet>

 

Really?  I didn't know that Sailor made anything flexible...?  (Perhaps I have it all wrong?)

[Sailor Kenshin]

I have one Sailor (forgot whether it's a 1911 or Sapporo) with an EF nib.  Writes smooth as silk.  You are making me want to load it again!

 

(Maybe when the Pilot Penmanship's empty…now THAT is a fine nib).

 

I did buy a Sailor Tuzu F.  Unbearably scratchy, returned, because I have one or two other F-nib Sailors that are pleasantly smooth.  It could just be the luck of the draw.

[PhiloPlume]

12 hours ago, Christopher Godfrey said:

Really?  I didn't know that Sailor made anything flexible...?  (Perhaps I have it all wrong?)

 

I am looking at the box.  The lady from Fahrney's told me it is a flex nib but Sailor's don't flex much when I "complained" about it: 1911S GT Transparent Medium (no wonder I don't like it much 🙂 194412-DEM-M

 

The Sailor that I love (but which it wrote a little finer) is 1911L fPOTY 2023 FP 21k(MF).   Forget the color, but it is nice. Some type of see through green with gold trim.  It is a medium-fine nib which I like but I was afraid to get a fine point because it is a Japanese nib and didn't want a needlepoint.

 

The one that I hate and don't use is because it literally writes like a needle on paper and hardly any ink shows up on the paper: 1911S Wicked Witch of the West F.  So I was correct in being reluctant to buy a fine point nib with a Sailor. And it is sort of tiny.