Pelikan nibs: In-house or Bock?

[diplomat]

Pardon my ignorance, but what is the "pf" on the nib that you folks are talking about?

 

The "PF" mark is a sign for "Pelikan made". I'm not familiar with German language so I don't really know what the "F" is for (or maybe is the english Pelikan Factory?).

 

Cheers,

[RevAaron]

I wasn't trying to imply that one should avoid investigating such things. There's just a consistent intimation that Bock nibs are inferior to in-house Pelikans, in terms of quality -- and this thread is no exception. All I suggested was, if you want a really great writer, pick up one from Richard, and be assured that you'll get one of top quality, regardless of its origins.

 

I totally agree.

 

I think you could send just about any $10 pen to someone like Richard and end up with a pen that writes better than most $200 pens do out of the box. IMHO, that says a lot about the state of the pen industry. :/

[RevAaron]

Regarding Bock vs. house-made Pelikan nibs, I will also agree there is not a difference in "quality." I like Bock nibs very much as Bock makes some of my favorite nibs, like Danitrio, Taccia and Bexley. Yet, I do think there is a difference in "character." My experience has been that the Bock/Pel nibs are a bit stiffer than house-made Pel nibs, which tend to have more vintage style spring. I like that springy character. If I buy more Pel nibs (to fit my existing pens) I am inclined to seek out the more springy nibs and I need to know what to look for.

 

Have you found that to be the case for the newer in-house nibs? All of the 14k Pelikan nibs I've used from the 1990s were really stiff, about the same stiffness as my modern Bock-made Pelikan M250's nib, maybe even a bit firmer. Though, maybe they had manifold and semi-flex nibs back then, rather than no choice in the matter.

 

Aaron

[RevAaron]

Pardon my ignorance, but what is the "pf" on the nib that you folks are talking about?

 

The "PF" mark is a sign for "Pelikan made". I'm not familiar with German language so I don't really know what the "F" is for (or maybe is the english Pelikan Factory?).

 

Cheers,

 

My guess is that it means Pelikan Fabrik, or something like that. Click here for an exampe of what it looks like.

 

Aaron

[David Cohen]

This is an interesting thread.

 

My 1000 has the PF, but the 800 demo I just bought does not. My M805 has been customized with one of the 14k nib units from the first year M800's -- it presumably is a Bock, no mark. (The M805 nib was tuned by Richard and it is wonderful...)

 

That's all the Pelikans in my desk at work except for a Chicago with a 1990's monotone 14k nib. Unlike the prior poster, I really like these nibs. This one is a B that writes like a stub.

[BearsPaw]

Pardon my ignorance, but what is the "pf" on the nib that you folks are talking about?

 

The "PF" mark is a sign for "Pelikan made". I'm not familiar with German language so I don't really know what the "F" is for (or maybe is the english Pelikan Factory?).

 

Cheers,

 

My guess is that it means Pelikan Fabrik, or something like that. Click here for an exampe of what it looks like.

 

Aaron

 

Now I'm even more confused. That is what the in-house nibs look like? I only own one Pelikan, an Athens from the City Series that I bought used. My nib is like the one you linked to, but I assumed it had a Bock nib. It is a nice writer, but Richard Binder worked on it, so I don't know how much is the nib, and how much is Richard.

[georges zaslavsky]

pf= pelikan feder which means the nib is made by Pelikan and therefor inhouse

[RevAaron]

Now I'm even more confused. That is what the in-house nibs look like? I only own one Pelikan, an Athens from the City Series that I bought used. My nib is like the one you linked to, but I assumed it had a Bock nib. It is a nice writer, but Richard Binder worked on it, so I don't know how much is the nib, and how much is Richard.

 

The visual appearance is the same- it just has the little "pf" in a circle at the bottom of the nib. Most (or all) of its smoothness is Binder. I'm not sure there are many differences between modern Pelikan/Bock and in-house Pelikan nibs; there isn't anything consistent like flex we can point at.

 

Aaron