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Moxoftritonytes
October 16th, 2013, 10:04 AM
A few days ago I traded my new black M200 for an old black P30 with rolled gold cap and 14ct gold OB nib which, according to the preowner, didn`t write properly. When the P30 arrived I put the nib section in the ultrasonic cleaner for five minutes before I flushed the pen and loaded it with 4001 royal blue cartridges.
Then I tried to write with it. It skipped a lot and I asked myself why this could still happen after such a thorough cleaning. I took my magnifier and looked at the writing tip which was my biggest suspect. And I was right - the iridium tip had a big baby bottom. So I cured the nib with the japanese fine wetstone and a glass surface from the baby bottom disease and finally had what appeared to be a superbly smooth and medium wet writing OB nib.
Now I know why this old fountain pen still looks like brandnew, because nobody could really write with it.
Sometimes it is the details that can turn a real lemon into a nice writer.
I`m now using the P30 as my main workhorse fountain pen. Because it was truly designed after the cheap but reliable Pelikano school pens with the same ink feed and nib shape it is as easy to maintain and operate as these. It just looks way more elegant with all the gold around. I`m happy to finally having found the reliable, hassle-free c/c filler with gold nib I`ve been after for almost a decade.

tandaina
October 16th, 2013, 10:07 AM
Oh those pends are NICE. I have the P1 with a chrome cap and OBB nib. it is just divine! :)

Ernst Bitterman
October 16th, 2013, 01:57 PM
I recently got an M30 with a BB and a little bit of a splay in the tipping; as in your case, a very little effort has produced a magnificent writing experience. I'm astonished that this era of Pelikans isn't better known and more chased-after.

Jeph
October 16th, 2013, 02:18 PM
That is good that you were able to save it.
I would be interested to hear more details on how to cure baby bottom. I don't have one with that problem but it is only a matter of time.
I think a lot of the nicer modern non-Souverän Pelikans get overlooked becase it is so confusing to keep track of all the the different models.
Here in Germany I keep thinking that I will be able to snag some nice undervalued ones but there is always at least one other person paying attention :(

Moxoftritonytes
October 16th, 2013, 11:25 PM
To cure baby bottom I carefulle write with the inked pen on the surface of a fine grit wetstone, just a few O and 8 shapes the size and slight pressure of my normal handwriting. Then I control the writing tip under a magnifier. For this pen I had to repeat the process several times, for others one or two times may be enough. I also try to write with the pen on paper after looking through the magnifier to see how it works. As soon as I`m satisfied with the result I use a glass surface to give the iridium tip a highgloss polish so it runs smooth again. An effect that I have found is that some of the treated nibs are noisier than they were before where they were almost noiseless due to the missing grip on the paper.