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Feasible Uber-Flex?


six3oo

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We've all watched Stephen Brown's video showing how a Brause Rose nib combined with an Ahab can spawn the most ridiculously flexy of fountain pens. However, there is one huge pitfall to this - since the Rose is a dip nib, it is carbon steel, which rusts. This is obviously not desirable since the nib is in constant contact with ink in a fountain pen application.

What I have been wondering is - would a light heat treatment (bluing) of the Brause Rose nib make this uber-flex pen feasible? I heated my nib briefly to burn off the packaging oils and noticed a slight bit of bluing, right at the very tip. The nib functions and flexes perfectly fine.

I have heard that bluing lends some rust-resistant properties to steel, and I do know that heating a steel nib excessively can "cook" it and cause it to become brittle, killing its flex.

Is it possible to, via brief, spaced out exposure to flame, gradually "blue" the nib without cooking it? This would make an ideal swap-in for the Ahab.

Please share your thoughts - it really seems like an interesting prospect.

(By the way, this is my first time posting a thread here on FPN. Please excuse me if I'm doing it wrong, or if I posted in the wrong subforum.)

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Try Zebra G nibs, they are more resilient against rust and they do flex almost as wide. They do need some more pressure however.

I've given up on modding the Rose nibs into my TWSBI because of them breaking pretty fast and the effort to create a mod. Since the Ahab would probably be able to swallow the rose nib as is, I'm not sure if any modification would be necessary, write with it as long as it keeps up and swap it out once it begins to rust/crack.

Edited by bardiir

My Pens/Nibs (inked/active): Lamy Studio/Vista/Joy (XXF slight-flex custom | 14k EF | EF | F | 14k M | M | B | 14k 1.1 custom | 1.1 | 1.5 | 1.9), TWSBI Diamond 580 (F | Pendleton BadBoy | Zebra G | F.P.R. semi-flex), Pilot Falcon EF, Penkala Vintage 14k semi-flex, Pilot Parallel (2.4 | 3.8 | 6.0)

http://www.fp-ink.info/img/button.pngI'm still looking for help/data/supporters/sponsors for my Ink Database - It already contains over 900 Inks but is still low on data about the inks except on the Inks I got myself or where I found nice data sheets. So Im looking for these: InkSamples mailed to me, Permissions to use InkReviews - preferable by people who have a lot of InkReviews online, InkReviews mailed to me so I can scan them, Sponsors that will help me to finance InkSamples, People willing to trade InkSamples (list of available Inks from me is available via PM request - please include available Inks)

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the Zebra Tachikawa G nibs line are your best candidate HOWEVER HOWEVER THESE NIBS WILL NOT FIT THE AHAB!! please refer to this thread
https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/268840-modded-noodlers-konrad/

Nikko

Zebra

Tachikawa

are the nibs are are resistant to corrosion as their Chrome plating makes them well what it is and the fact they are harder makes it a good candidate for a beginner

Edited by Algester
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Bluing is a heat and chemical process. It is also meant to be kept lightly oiled. I would say you are better off with a plated nib. A good cleaning and being stored dry will prolong your point until it is worn out. Dip nibs are designed and made to be replaced often. I'd suggest buying several of your favorite(s), keep them clean and dry and enjoy their use.

 

Paul

"Nothing is impossible, even the word says 'I'm Possible!'" Audrey Hepburn

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It's an Ahab; just replace the nib as often as you need...you will have to with a dip pen nib as is, in it will wear quicker than even a rolled steel nib.

Edited by Bo Bo Olson

In reference to P. T. Barnum; to advise for free is foolish, ........busybodies are ill liked by both factions.

 

 

The cheapest lessons are from those who learned expensive lessons. Ignorance is best for learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

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Having read this thread, I decided to try and put a Brause Rose nib in one of my Ahabs. I'm happy to say it works, just like in Stephen Brown's video. If you're going to be doing a lot of flex work in your writing, the ink will be used up fairly quickly. It's entirely possible to sit down and write all the ink out of the pen in one go, say, if you were writing a letter or many notes or pages in a journal. So you could easily clean it up after using all the ink (or even just dump the ink out when you're done) and clean the pen in one day. That way, you get your uber flex and are able to clean and dry the dip nib without too much hassle.

 

As an example, I've only been testing the nib and ink on a couple different sheets of paper today, not doing all that much writing but quite a bit of flex, and have used up half of a full converter.

 

Now I just need to get a bunch of different G nibs to try. I see mentioned that they don't fit, but I imagine a dremel tool could make them fit. Might compromise the plating, though.

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Hey, TeaHive,

 

Have you seen Brian Goulet's video on changing nibs in the Konrad and Ahab pens? He shows that the nib can be pulled and the feed may remain in the pen. You could store your (cleaned) Brause Rose nibs in a dry spot and put the Ahab in a cup, feed-end up. Be a quick, easy process.

 

Best of luck with your Brause Rose nibs. They are great nibs but a bit finicky to start.

 

Enjoy,

Yours,
Randal

From a person's actions, we may infer attitudes, beliefs, --- and values. We do not know these characteristics outright. The human dichotomies of trust and distrust, honor and duplicity, love and hate --- all depend on internal states we cannot directly experience. Isn't this what adds zest to our life?

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Hey, TeaHive,

 

Have you seen Brian Goulet's video on changing nibs in the Konrad and Ahab pens? He shows that the nib can be pulled and the feed may remain in the pen. You could store your (cleaned) Brause Rose nibs in a dry spot and put the Ahab in a cup, feed-end up. Be a quick, easy process.

 

Best of luck with your Brause Rose nibs. They are great nibs but a bit finicky to start.

 

Enjoy,

 

Hiya!

 

The Brause nib is quite tight in the Ahab's section. I've tried, unsuccessfully, to get just the nib itself out. That's not to say one couldn't carefully remove both feed and nib and leave the pen stored pointing up.

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Having read this thread, I decided to try and put a Brause Rose nib in one of my Ahabs. I'm happy to say it works, just like in Stephen Brown's video. If you're going to be doing a lot of flex work in your writing, the ink will be used up fairly quickly. It's entirely possible to sit down and write all the ink out of the pen in one go, say, if you were writing a letter or many notes or pages in a journal. So you could easily clean it up after using all the ink (or even just dump the ink out when you're done) and clean the pen in one day. That way, you get your uber flex and are able to clean and dry the dip nib without too much hassle.

 

As an example, I've only been testing the nib and ink on a couple different sheets of paper today, not doing all that much writing but quite a bit of flex, and have used up half of a full converter.

 

Now I just need to get a bunch of different G nibs to try. I see mentioned that they don't fit, but I imagine a dremel tool could make them fit. Might compromise the plating, though.

you can't dremel them to make them fit either... the problem remains is the nib's curvature is different you either have to hack the feed to make them fit into the ahab or find a way to change the curvature of the nib this or that your guess is good as mine and no it's not about shaving of the tail of the nib

Edited by Algester
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Hiya!

 

The Brause nib is quite tight in the Ahab's section. I've tried, unsuccessfully, to get just the nib itself out. That's not to say one couldn't carefully remove both feed and nib and leave the pen stored pointing up.

I suggest use the Esterbrook 358 it should easily be removed from the feed alone but then because you need to heat set the feed for another nib I would just say remove both...

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Shame about the curvature being the problem. (I still need to get some G nibs for my dip bodies anyway, but it was a nice idea!) Sounds like no matter what dip nib you use, there's always something to make it a bit fiddly. I'll probably pick up some Esterbrook nibs as well, but I'm pretty pleased with the Brause Rose.

 

Hopefully the OP is getting a good number of ideas, here!

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