Pellikan 120 - Want to change nib

[Marco63]

Hi everyone, I have a Pelikan 120, Type 1, with an EF nib. It feels like I'm writing with a nail. Do you advise / suggest I find a medium nib for this pen so that I can replace it ? The EF nib has no flexibility at all, really a nail. It writes very neatly though but my wrist aches after a while.
Cheers
Marco

 

[tankerjohn]

Sure, Pelikans are easy nibs to change. Any M200/205 nib should fit. Look at Cult Pens or fpnibs for the best prices.

BTW, I have never heard of a hard nib causing wrist pain. Are you sure the problem is the nib and not the ergonomics of the pen body? Do ballpoint pens make your wrist sore?

 

[nemo]

The first gen 120 will accept a newer M2xx steel nib but there could very possibly be a clearance issue with the cap, you may need to reset the nib/feed in a millimeter or two, otherwise you'll ruin the tip when you screw down the top.

That said, steel nibs for Pelikans are not flexible, they can be "springy" but generally the newer ones are pretty firm. If you are needing to press down hard on the EF, mashing it to get it to write then you probably have a semi-clogged or poorly set feed. It should perform well with the lightest touch.

If you are looking for true flexibility I would suggest looking for a vintage gold nib from a 140.

 

[Jut]

Nemo knows about everything there is to know about Pelikans...i would pay attention to his advice [emoji106]

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk

 

[Marco63]

John, Doug thank you for your replies. My wrist pain is caused at the moment by these three pens, Pelikan,Vacumatic and Taperite. I seldomly use a ballpoint. I am left handed and probably this has something to do with it.

Couldn't I use a nib for the 400 model as well? Obviously I'd have to warm up the area where the section and the barrell are screwed together, I guess
Cheers
Marco

 

[nemo]

Couldn't I use a nib for the 400 model as well? Obviously I'd have to warm up the area where the section and the barrell are screwed together, I guess

No, the size of the 400 nib is bigger (same length as M200) and you will again run into the possibility of it hitting the cap.

Don't heat the section and barrel joint, that's permanently joined! You should try unscrewing the nib unit from the section. Cold. It may not come out readily and could need some soaking to clear up ink residue. Be careful when loosening.

Looks like this when it comes out.





You won't be able to find a better deal on a steel nib than here--> Pelikan M215 / M205 Replacement Nib - https://www.cultpens.com/i/q/PK52661/pelikan-m215---m205-replacement-nib

You'll need to check clearances though.

 

[Marco63]

Hi Doug, I know understand why I do not have to warm the section of the pen like normal fountain pens. The nib screws inside the section, the section and barrel are anothe thing
Found this on a youTube video. you saved me from damaging the pen

 

[Marco63]

Doug,
hope you are all keeping safe and are all well.

I finally finshed the ink in the 120 and decided to try and remove the nib.
To my surprise it isn't screwed on, it is pressure fitted.
The feed is made of plastic and the nib is some sort of alloy which is also corroded in some spots.
I now believe that this is not a real Pelikan but a fake cheap one.
Fortunately I didn't buy the nib you mentioned a few posts above to replace this one with.

I've wasted your time and mine as well !!!!
Cheers and keep safe
Marco

 

[strop]

Depending on the size, you may still be able to replace the nib with a M or B from Bock for less money!

 

[nemo]

... I finally finished the ink in the 120 and decided to try and remove the nib.
To my surprise it isn't screwed on, it is pressure fitted.
The feed is made of plastic and the nib is some sort of alloy which is also corroded in some spots.
I now believe that this is not a real Pelikan but a fake cheap one.
Fortunately I didn't buy the nib you mentioned a few posts above to replace this one with.

Marco, sometimes the collar gets stuck in the section and the nib/feed pull out of the unit without unscrewing. It's not uncommon when a pen has been sitting for a long time after ink dries up in there. Not easy to remove if this is the case.

Have you shown a photo of the pen? I'd be interested, fake 120s are something I've not seen. Maybe someone just replaced the nib and feed with a cheapo.

 

[Marco63]

Hi doug, I'm attaching a couple of pictures of what came out of the section.
For me it is a mistery. I don't understand what the round thing in the section is. It has a slot, but what for ?
On the Typ 1 model the feed should be bakelite, this looks and feels liek plastic
The nib is gold plated and the gold is almost gone and if I look ad the nib's surface with a loupe it has mini corrosion craters.

 

[nemo]

.... I don't understand what the round thing in the section is. It has a slot, but what for ?
On the Typ 1 model the feed should be bakelite, this looks and feels liek plastic

The round thing is the nib collar, it seems to be cracked. There was a period when Pelikan tried using clear styrene plastic collars that did not hold up. Luckily they are available now on the aftermarket parts market, I used to have to get a newer M200 nib unit to harvest the one part. Replacements are £2.50 here Pelikan compatible Nib Collar - https://www.custompenparts.co.uk/pelikan/94-pelikan-compatible-connector.html

Your feed looks to be the original hard rubber (ebonite) and the nib doesn't appear too corroded, I've seen worse.

To fix the nib unit securely you'll need to get the broken collar out. It can be tough to do without damaging the threads in the section. A long soak would be a good start.

Here's a pic of a broken collar

 

[Marco63]

so if I remove the broken collar then I'm good to go with a replacement nib ? bookmarked your link for after the removal and these guys are in England, much much quicker shipping
I'll pop the pen in a jar of water to start with and take it from here.
Thank you very much

 

[r0ckrat]

Add a drop or two of dish detergent to that jar, and make it warm water to speed the process a little.

 

[Marco63]

Doug, R0ckrat thank you very much for the hints and suggestions.
To remove the collar I inserted a small screwdriver in the crack, visible in the previuos photo, and it unscrewed nicely after the long soak.
The collar is indeed made of a flimsy plastic material.
I used a pipe cleaner to clean the threads in the section too to get rid of any residue ink.
I don't think I need to buy a new collar either as I'm not going to replace the old nib at all.
I tried the M250 nib on the 120, it fits nicely and it caps well too.
Instead o buying a new nib I might just keep swapping the M250 nib between the two Pelikan 'bodies' hahaha
So at the end of the day it really is a Pelikan although made of cheap plastic, IMHO.


Thank you so much for your help and support.
Marco

 

[nemo]

Happy ending. I would still consider restoring the 120 with the new collar sometime in the future, @Marco63 .

 

[Marco63]

Resuming this thread, May. Wow a lot of time has gone by. I finally ordered the nib that Doug suggested, actually I went for the gold plated one, the M200 nib as it was on offer. I also bought some Diamine Grey ink and the pen is now writing much better than before. I can't screw the cap too tight as I believe it touches the tip of the nib if I tighten it too much.
Thank you guys