m400 frankenpen?

[ChrisV]

Anyone tried replacing an m400 nib with a vintage waterman #2 or other similar nib? Just tested out my new m400 and found the nib to be... well, I really like the body.

[RevAaron]

Heh. I can sympathize.

 

Never swapped nibs though, because it's a pain to get a nib in and out of the collar. If you're good with that sort of thing you can take a whack, but if I were set on it I'd send it to someone else- repairfolk likely have spare collars, whereas I'd need to buy an M200 nib and knock the nib out.

 

For bonus points, use an ebonite feed!

 

I've read about Richard Binder doing vaguely similar things, and I'm sure a lot of other folks have the ability and the parts to do it.

[gyasko]

I don't think it's that hard. I've knocked a couple nibs out of the Pelikan nib units. It's pretty much the same operation as knocking a nib out of a section. It's a lot easier with the right tools.

 

Are you sure an old #2 is going to fit? I had the same idea once, but none of my spare nibs fit right.

[Joe in Seattle]

Might be easier to replace the entire nib unit with another Pelikan unit you like? You can try gold-plated steel nibs for cheap. I have an F that writes very well. My 400 came with a monotone 14K M and I bought a two-tone binderized F to replace it and it writes like a dream. Just my 2 cents.

[penspouse]

I'd try for a new Pelikan nib. All mine are great. Maybe a slight adjustment in yours would do the trick.

[jean]

Anyone tried replacing an m400 nib with a vintage waterman #2 or other similar nib? Just tested out my new m400 and found the nib to be... well, I really like the body.

 

Hello everybody,

 

First sorry for my poor English.

 

Yes I did it 4 years ago. It's an odd job -need patience and adjustements- but it works. The Waterman's nib came from an eyedropper 12 1/2 safety pen with a broken mechanism. In a same way I put a Wahleversharp nib on a m600. The 2 pens are my daily writters. This is my recipe.

 

• Photo 1+2+3. Results.
• Photo 4. Original m400.
• Photo 5. Disassembled unit. I unscrew the unit from the body and remove the nib (I did it with my fingers ! I take the nib beetwen thumb and forefinger and move left and right...in same time pull it...very carefully to avoid to destroy the nib). Or use the rigt tools, (or buy am m215 unit and pull the nib with pliers, the nib will be destroy).
• Photo 6. Job on half way. I roll up a teflon band (use for "waterproofness" screw pipes) on the nib and feed. The teflon must be have the same (+-) thickness around. If not the pression from the ring can misaligned the tines (look with a 10X loupe). Too thin the ink goes through and the feed doesn't keep the ring. So it's not possible to screw (unscrew) the unit in the body. It must be possible to insert feed and nib in the ring with not to makes too big efforts. Its also possible to adjust the ink flow, simply you cover the chanel's feed with teflon band (bullet proof ink 100% cover, pelikan blue-black cut a window).
• Photo 7. Unscrew units (the ink color teflon after 4 years).

 

I hope this work inspire somebody... .

 

[Bill D]

Jean, that is VERY impressive! Thank you for sharing it with us with your good pictures and write-up, and welcome to the Fountain Pen Network

 

Bill

[diplomat]

Jean,

 

first of all, your English is more than great to me. Second, welcome to FPN. Third: what a stunning contribution! Thanks for detailed story and pics.

I have a curiosity: why did you attempt to such endeavour? You wanted a flex Pelikan piston pen?

 

I wonder then if it's possible to purchase the screw-in unit (third part of the 5th picture) alone?

 

Again, great contribution, thanks.

[ChrisV]

Nice work, just what I had in mind. Would it be possible to set one for me?

[jean]

Nice work, just what I had in mind. Would it be possible to set one for me?

 

 

Hello everybody,

 

Thank you for the welcome Bill.

 

Pens are personal, so I can't set for you ....sorry ChrisV. You can't test the franken pen in real life, and modify if it isn't suitable for your writting, taste, etc. It's not possible to do it...away 8000 km distant (if I'm not wrong)! and this job it's not my job. May be try to do it ?

 

 

For diplomat. Well, I did it after I was looking for a writter like the Waterman no 2 (fine, precise and sharp line) when it broke. I didn't find new writter like this, (modern gold nib I try, test writte like a rail -railway- on ice), and vintage pens are extremly rare in the region (Geneva Switzerland). Years before, I was written with an old Pelikan m600 ef nib, and naturally it cames in my mind to marry Pelikan and Waterman. So I try with my old m600 Pel and after I buy m400 and m600 to do the franken pen. Since that, I never used my old m600.

For the units, I think it's possible to buy by a Pelikan retailer, but I didn't. If you want to have 2 units for one pen, it is a problem for the retailer ? I don't know.

 

Have a nice day.

[diplomat]

Thank you for your reply. It's always interesting to read good stories about pens!

You live in a beautiful country and if you will be regular in this forum you'll learn that distance it's not a problem and that literally thousands of nice vintage pens are at reach!

 

Cheers,

[Peter from Sherwood Park]

Anyone tried replacing an m400 nib with a vintage waterman #2 or other similar nib? Just tested out my new m400 and found the nib to be... well, I really like the body.

 

Hello everybody,

 

First sorry for my poor English.

 

Yes I did it 4 years ago. It's an odd job -need patience and adjustements- but it works. The Waterman's nib came from an eyedropper 12 1/2 safety pen with a broken mechanism. In a same way I put a Wahleversharp nib on a m600. The 2 pens are my daily writters. This is my recipe.

 

• Photo 1+2+3. Results.
• Photo 4. Original m400.
• Photo 5. Disassembled unit. I unscrew the unit from the body and remove the nib (I did it with my fingers ! I take the nib beetwen thumb and forefinger and move left and right...in same time pull it...very carefully to avoid to destroy the nib). Or use the rigt tools, (or buy am m215 unit and pull the nib with pliers, the nib will be destroy).
• Photo 6. Job on half way. I roll up a teflon band (use for "waterproofness" screw pipes) on the nib and feed. The teflon must be have the same (+-) thickness around. If not the pression from the ring can misaligned the tines (look with a 10X loupe). Too thin the ink goes through and the feed doesn't keep the ring. So it's not possible to screw (unscrew) the unit in the body. It must be possible to insert feed and nib in the ring with not to makes too big efforts. Its also possible to adjust the ink flow, simply you cover the chanel's feed with teflon band (bullet proof ink 100% cover, pelikan blue-black cut a window).
• Photo 7. Unscrew units (the ink color teflon after 4 years).

 

I hope this work inspire somebody... .

 

 

Jean, beautiful results and some serious food for thought.