Help with a vintage pelikan

[Empty_of_Clouds]

Okay, I have this poor old pen:



and it is unfortunately fitted with this:




Are other nibs and feeds (or whole sections perhaps) available anywhere that I can buy and swap for this bad nib? I'm not having much luck finding a source (nothing really new there i guess).

[franzdimson]

Hi there! Not really sure if I’m missing anything here. I can see that you have an early version of a Pelikan 400 Tortoiseshell with a BB nib.

Unless this is an April Fools’ joke, I think that this is a very desirable pen.

Is the nib too wide for you?


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[Empty_of_Clouds]

Yes, it is an old Pelikan. That's why i don't know if i can still get a replacement nib for it.

[Pelikan-Vera2]

Dear Empty of Cloud you can fit any modern Pelikan nib on an old 400 Pelikan if you so desire. i would be glad to have that nib though, as these can be enormous fun. what is wrong with it? It is quite a rare BB nib. Vera
PS: Pelikanpens.co.uk sells spare nib units (modern)

[Empty_of_Clouds]

Just had a look on ebay at sold listings and didn't really see any broad nibs, so I guess they are not that popular.

I wouldn't want to fit a modern Pelikan nib, as reviews say that they're rather bland, but vintage nibs are generally held to be nicer to use?

[franzdimson]

Ha! Pelikan-Vera2 beat me to it. =) A BB nib isn’t “necessarily” rare but it is desirable for collectors and/or writers with a bigger handstroke.

You can’t really get a nib exchanged from any modern retailer. But you can buy a stainless steel nib for a M200 or a gold nib for a M400 from Pelikan retailers. Both of these don’t really have the flex/bounce of that vintage nib you have.

The vintage pen dealers in the pen community will probably be able to exchange your nib for a line width you desire and it would still be a vintage nib that has some flex/bounce to the writing.

[Empty_of_Clouds]

Ah, of course. You have me at a disadvantage as I don't have access to any pen community of vintage dealers. Had a look at a couple of online places though, nothing doing.

[Chrissy]

It's actually a nice vintage Pelikan pen with a fairly unusual BB nib.

If you don't like the BB nib then your choices are to buy another nib unit that will probably be modern, but at least it will still fit into your pen and you might like it more. Or sell the "poor old pen" with that "bad nib" and buy one with a different nib that you might like better.

If you buy another nib unit, then you could sell the BB nib to help you recoup your expenditure.

[catbert]

Just had a look on ebay at sold listings and didn't really see any broad nibs, so I guess they are not that popular.

Actually, vintage B/BB/OB/OBB Pelikans seem to command a premium when they come up. I've been watching quite a few auctions recently, looking for something broader to complement my HEF 400NN and EF P1.

It's actually a nice vintage Pelikan pen with a fairly unusual BB nib.

If you don't like the BB nib then your choices are to buy another nib unit that will probably be modern, but at least it will still fit into your pen and you might like it more. Or sell the "poor old pen" with that "bad nib" and buy one with a different nib that you might like better.

If you buy another nib unit, then you could sell the BB nib to help you recoup your expenditure.

[carlos.q]

What is bad with the nib?

What nib do you want?

[Pterodactylus]

A vintage Pelikan 400N is never a poor one !!!

I consider the 50s 400s as some of the best pens ever made.

Great design, very reliable, good for several lifetimes, awesome handling and materials , better than everything what is currently made.

You are lucky to have an early BB nib.

The nibs from that period are awesome, they easily outperform anything what is currently produced in modern pens with their semi-flex stubby character.

You should be happy to have such an awesome BB nib, they are as said quite rare compared to the smaller ones.

Imo it would be a sacrilege to replace this nib with a boring modern one (no matter which).

If you can not admire your great tortoise for unknown reason I would suggest to sell it to somebody who can instead of mutilating it by installing a boring modern nib.

[Empty_of_Clouds]

Far as I know it's just a plain 400, not 400N. Though what the precise difference is I dunno. Mostly I use fine or extra fine nibs, and if I go wider then I go for sharp italics. I don't feel all that lucky to have a nib that I don't use. That's why i am considering changing it for something that will make the pen worth having.

edit: as already noted, I don't want to buy a modern nib unit as they generally have uninspiring reviews. was hoping that there may have been dealers out there with vintage nib units on hand. Just a thought.

[Pterodactylus]

From above:

400
400N (1955 - 1957)
400NN

Couldn’t see the turning knob clear enough in your picture to see it it is a 400 or 400N

Even you write normally with a fine you should give it a try.
This BB isn‘t like a modern Blob nib, it has a stubby character, the horizontal line is much finer than the vertical.
And additionally you can use the semi-flex to pronounce the line variation even more.

[fqgouvea]

One person to contact if you want to buy a vintage Pelikan nib is Rick Propas. His web site is http://www.thepenguinpen.com/

[carlos.q]

I don't want to buy a modern nib unit as they generally have uninspiring reviews. was hoping that there may have been dealers out there with vintage nib units on hand. Just a thought.

If you want to go the dealer route you can look at the martiniauctions or penboard site.
Another alternative would be to trade your nib for another one more to your liking.

[jar]

While the nib and feed in the 400/400n/400nn were threaded there were at least two different and incompatible designs depending on whether it is a Pelikan or Merz & Krell unit.

[Chrissy]

Far as I know it's just a plain 400, not 400N. Though what the precise difference is I dunno. Mostly I use fine or extra fine nibs, and if I go wider then I go for sharp italics. I don't feel all that lucky to have a nib that I don't use. That's why i am considering changing it for something that will make the pen worth having.

edit: as already noted, I don't want to buy a modern nib unit as they generally have uninspiring reviews. was hoping that there may have been dealers out there with vintage nib units on hand. Just a thought.

If you don't want to buy another nib unit because it might be more modern, then you might be either stuck with what you have, or you can sell it and start again.

[oldstoat]

Why not sell the pen for the very decent price they fetch and buy something more to your taste?

[Empty_of_Clouds]

I actually like the overall pen well enough. The nib not so much.

[fountainpenkid]

Oldsoat I think has it right--unless you really like the specific binde pattern on your pen, your best option is probably to sell it--possibly for a profit--and buy another vintage 400 tortoise with a finer nib, which are quite easy to find. Or you could see if Rick Propas has any early nib units (my guess is yes).