Replacement Nibs

[99bignick99]

Hello Everyone

 

I am a relatively new member (joined a few months ago) but this is my first posting. I have only recently started to take an interest in fountain pens and like all beginners, have rushed in and bought some pens that I should not have. I think that this is an inevitable price that one pays as part of their learning.

 

I think this forum is fantastic and have learned a lot by reading the postings and articles. Seems like there are many very committed members who are very helpful.

 

Anyway, the reason for my posting is to seek some advice on the purchase of replacement nibs. I purchased a few quite nice and relatively cheap old fountain pens from Hungary that have been refurbished with more or less success. All are relatively old (perhaps 30’s to 50’s) and all have replacement steel nibs. You know the generic types that say Iridium Point etc – 2 of them have Signature 4 stamped on them. The nibs that came with the pens are all used (reclaimed from other pens?) and of varying quality and condition. A couple are really scratchy and one is so bad that it won’t write at all – just gouges the paper. I quite like these quirky old pens and would like to make them more usable by replacing the nibs. All of the nibs and feeds are quite easy to remove and replace as they seem to be ebonite and are friction fitted into the sections.

 

My questions are

 

1. Are these nibs a standard size or do I have to purchase a few and test which one fits?

 

2. I have noticed a lot of pen nibs on eBay but I am not really sure how to tell the difference between nibs that are intended for fountain pens and those that are designed for dip pens. Some nibs for dip pens are quite obvious with different shapes and ridges what prevent the nib being pushed in too far, however, others look quite similar to fountain pen nibs. Is there any way for a novice to tell the difference? Or are dip pen nibs usable in fountain pens?

 

3. Can anyone recommend a reliable source where I can purchase some cheap steel nibs – perhaps the older style with gold plating and iridium points or should I just buy a few on eBay and test them out.

 

Thanks for all of your assistance.

[pathobby]

Before you start buying replacement nibs you really need to establish the make and model of the pens you have.

 

There are usually makers names or clues to the makers on the pens. Once you establish what you have then you can set about buying appropriate replacement nibs. It may also be the case of course that some of your old pens can be made to work better or well by cleaning or tweaking the nibs you already have... getting the tines lined up is the first thing you need to do.

 

If you could post pictures here there are plenty of folks who could help you identify the pens and perhaps set you on the right track for replacement parts.

 

Welome to a very satisfying hobby.

 

PH

[Bo Bo Olson]

""""getting the tines lined up is the first thing you need to do.""""

You should buy a good 10-15 X loupe; a once in a life time buy...good for looking at gold and silver hall marks, coins and stamps.

Buy a good one, with good glass and coatings.

 

Check to see if your scratchy nib, is not an oblique. I had a nib that was scratchy, then I found out it was a 30 degree semi-flex M oblique so of course it was scratchy when I held it normal instead of oblique.

 

All old pens I've bought have sat a long time. The nibs were a bit scratchy, because the 'iridium' had micro corrosion. Check out "Brown Paper Bag trick".

 

That can solve some problems.

[BlotBot]

I am reviving this thread as there wasn't really an answer. I have several old third tier pens with nice bodies. Scout, Morris and Contessa, for example. The Scout nib is corroded and I don't think can be salvaged. The Morris nib has no tipping left. In any case, are there any places that make generic new nibs for these sorts of pens? Maybe India?

[kidde]

Length, width, curvature, thickness. Unless you luck into an exact match you will have to fit the new nib. With modern pens it isn't as bad, most nibs are outsourced from a small group of nib makers. Vintage pens could be sourced or made in house. Then you deal with a numbering system that doesnt match from maker to maker. One guys #2 equals anothers #4. So patience, skill and luck are needed to do it. Not impossible, but definitely not simple.

 

Paul

[Hooker56]

Ellen,

 

Everything Paul said. But...

 

You can look on Fivestarpens.com or nibs.com (under nibs for sale/vintage). They sometimes have nibs like those you need. If they don't have them at the moment, contact them and let them know what you need. The specific pen, model, and size will be helpful here.

 

Another option is to attend a pen show if there's one in your area. Take the problem pens with you and you may be able to get them repaired or find replacements, It always helps when you have pen in hand to match nibs.

 

On your Morris pen, if it's gold, you can have someone like Greg Minuskin (gregminuskin.com) re-tip it for you. If it's steel, you can grind and smooth to a stub nib pretty easily yourself with some high grit emory paper and a nail buffing stick (the gray padded ones).

 

Search nib grinding- nib smoothing here.

 

Good luck!

 

Clayton

Edited July 22, 2014 by Hooker56