Pelikan M1000 - How many drops does your barrel hold?

"j. fabian" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"LarryW" wrote:

What exactly is it that you would have Pelikan do? Number or drops
expelled while (hopefully) holding the pen vertically, tip down,
over
something to catch the ink, is hardly a real-world test. How about
just
writing with your pen? Does it write-out too fast? What nib size are
you
using?

I own 4 Montblanc 149s. Each one expels a different number of drops
after filling. Each one also has a different width nib -- from Extra
Fine to Oblique Double Broad. All hold exactly the same volume of
ink,
however. I have about ten Pelikan 100/100N pens, vintage and
reproduction. The ones with broad or oblique broad nibs produce
larger
drops than the extra fines. Big surprise.

It's simply a matter of physics -- an Oblique Double Broad nib to
fit a
Montblanc 149 (their biggest nib on their biggest pen) has a huge
surface area for the ink/water to stick to before gravity overcomes
surface tension. Would you expect an Extra Fine to be able to hold
the
same size "drop"?

The M1000 and M1050 were introduced ten years ago. Had there been a
groundswell of dissatisfaction with their capacity it would be
common
knowledge by now.

Until you raised the idea of counting drops I had never given any
thought to any of my pens' capacities -- unless they were sorely
lacking
as evidenced by me having to refill too often. I only counted drops
when
following the instructions on filling a piston-fill pen and
expelling
four drops to let a little air back in to combat thermal expansion.

I have been using MBs and Pelikans since the late '70s and have
never
even thought of complaining to either company about _anything_,
including capacity.

And as for your view of Chryslers, a better pen to compare would be
the
Waterman Edson. That huge, obese body has a tiny little Waterman
standard converter rattling around inside it. It's a good thing they
write like crap and easily fall apart or people might start
complaining.

j f

There is no problem now that I realize that the reservoir size has
nothing to do with the amount of ink it should hold. If they will
replace my nib with one that writes to my satifaction, I can live with
the ink capacity. Overall, I think Pelikan is still among the finest
to be had.
-LarryW