M800 nib delima

[Wrathen]

So I have a Pelikan M800 fine that I sent to Pendleton Brown a while back to have his BLS treatment done to it... and while its nice its only OK I have a Franklin-Christoph with a Masuyama cursive italic that I enjoy so very much more. I have just gotten a Pilot 912 with FA nib that I want turned into a needlepoint and was thinking about sending my Fine M800 along with it to have him touch it up so I might enjoy it as much as the F-C italic I have. Then it struck me maybe instead I could trade my BLS M800 nib to someone for their M800 normal nib plus maybe some cash to cover some of the BLS grind. Does this sound like a good idea or should I just send it along as it is?

[mhosea]

That is a dilemma, and I'm not sure either path is the clear winner.

Pelikan nibs are not much like FC nibs to begin with, and it isn't clear what you like so much better about the FC-Masuyama nib. Consequently, having so little information, I wouldn't bet much on you liking the Pelikan nib as much as the FC nib when it comes back just because it was Masuyama who did it--too many other variables. Personally, I've had Masuyama grind an M1000 B nib, and I've had Pendleton grind a Montblanc 149 B nib. Now, I like the Montblanc 149 nib infinitely better. Do I like Pendleton's work better than Masuyama's? Maybe. Maybe not. The nibs are just too different in performance characteristics unrelated to the grinds to make a valid comparison. I think I might prefer a relatively stiff nib for CI grinds, which could be biasing me towards the 149 in the matter.

As for trading, testing the waters is free around here. I have no idea whether a potential trader would regard the BLS grind as adding more value. Many wouldn't, but some might. How long will it take you to hook up with one who does? Hard to guess.

[pajaro]

You had a nib given this BLS treatment, and you don't like it and want to palm it off on someone in exchange for a standard nib. Frankly I wouldn't be inclined to do this, unless I had your nib on approval to try it and then send you either yours back or the normal nib.

[Laura N]

I've had pens with nibs (including stubs) that didn't suit me, and I've always found that a nibmeister could adjust them to my liking if I explained what I wanted. Mike does excellent work; I'd email him and ask him. The fact that it's a fine nib is a little concerning, because there's not much to work with. But it's a Pelikan, and their fines can be fairly wide.

[jbat]

You had a nib given this BLS treatment, and you don't like it and want to palm it off on someone in exchange for a standard nib. Frankly I wouldn't be inclined to do this, unless I had your nib on approval to try it and then send you either yours back or the normal nib.

Why is it "palming it off?" Just because he doesn't like it doesn't mean someone else won't like it. You make it sound like a nefarious plot.