Number one: Pelikan M1000 (M800) "Oh yeah, you should get a Pelikan". You hear it all the time, when someone asks about finding a pen with a "flexible nib". The Pelikan M800 is almost always the first pen mentioned in this circumstance. Of course, a couple of years ago, the introduction of the M1000 has put the M800 into second place in the Pelikan lineup, but the principle is the same, it's just a matter of degree. The famous Pelikan nib is as flexible as you will find on a modern pen. Not just flexible, but just plain good, as well! Some of the best modern pen nibs, in terms of finish, quality, and the range of sizes available, all come from Pelikan. The M800 is good, in terms of flex, it has the springy give that makes writing with it fun. The M1000 has a larger nib, and the geometry of the nib shape is enough changed to make it even more flexible than the M800. No, you still won't see the kind of flex effect that you get from a vintage flex nib, but it's a very nice writing experience altogether. The Pelikan M800 or M1000 both share the Pelikan characteristic of having very "wet" feeds. In other words, you will be putting a lot of ink down with these pens, if you're using anything other than a fine, or extra fine nib! This wet line makes it hard to see any variation in the line width when using the Medium or Broad nibs, not to mention my personal favorites, the BB and OBB size.

Despite this wet line, the Pelikan nib does get my vote as the best currently available "flex" nib. You won't see the kind of flex you might with a little digging into the world of vintage pens, but then again, I haven't found a Waterman's 54 with a factory warrantee and a nib exchange program, either! Pelikan has excellent service, and in my experience has been one of the best "out of the box" performers in modern pens. I have no hesitation in recommending the M1000 to someone who wants what passes for flex today. The only real drawback to the M1000 is it's sheer size, it's definitely an oversize pen, although still fairly light in weight. If you just need something thinner, try the M800.

So, to sum it all up, there's a lot of really great nibs being made today. If none of them happen to live up to the great flexible nibs of seventy years ago, well..... In fact, until I bought a few vintage Waterman's Pelikans, and Montblancs, with "real" flex nibs, I was thrilled with my 14K nib OMAS and Pelikan M800. They were what I thought of as flexible nibs. It's really not fair to hold them up to old style flex nibs, and when you examine them side by side with each other, and against other modern nibs, these are truly flex nibs!

For questions or additions please write to:  dethardt.baumann@mus.ch