I just got my lovely copper J working, and it has a 1555 nib.

Am I crazy or worse for really liking how this writes?

I realise its not one of the nibs everyone else seems to like.

Perhaps I am crazy.

Any other nib suggestions?

Good for you. You are neither crazy nor worse.

Enjoy the nib and the pen. There is nothing "wrong" with the 1xxx series of Esterbrook nibs, it is just that they are not tipped so it is going to wear faster than a tipped nib.

Two important things to keep in mind, though.

1, On its way to wearing out, it will probably spend many years wearing itself into perfect configuration matching your grip, style, pressure, angle, etc.

2, When these nibs were developed, FP's were the common writing tool and in an era without copiers, computers, and, for most individuals, typewriters, folks wrote a lot more than we moderns do. Wearing out sooner may be a matter of decades for us where they may have been a matter of years for our FP wielding predecessors.

I use my Esties a lot and I don't find that the 9xxx are "better" or more pleasurable to use. And, being over 50, my nibs and my Esties are likely to outlive me just like they outlived my grandparents!

Your 1555 probably isn't going to write any differently than a 9555, but you probably won't be satisfied till you try bunches of Estie nibs and find out for yourself. After all, that is part of the fun!

I use Noodlers Eternal brown in my Estie Copper J and I think it is a fabulous match!

Andy

I don't know if you're crazy, but this particular item isn't valid evidence.

I have tried three random nibs that came with my eBay Esterbrooks, and my favorite is a 1555 Gregg. I'd like a slightly finer point, but I like how it writes. (Using Private Reserve Black Cherry at the moment, which matches the red "J")

I quite agree w/ Andy.

Neecerie, Hard to make suggestions w/o knowing what sort of writing / style you'd prefer.

The only obvious thing I can think of would be to try a NOS, still in the box 1555 or 9555 --- they're easy to find and inexpensive and then you'll know if you like the nib style in general (that the copy you have is representational) or if it's just how this specific nib has worn down.

mmoncur, Narrower than an x555 would be an x550 but most people find those scratchy --- you might want to try a 9128, not that flexible, but the only other sort of extra fine likely to be immediately available.

William

I have a 1555 with a well worn tip and it is a very smoothe writing nib. It's like having a fine stub nib.

Well part of why I was suprised that I like how it writes is that generally all my other pens are mediums, and I always thought my very round handwriting style was not very suited to fine nibs in general. Have tried fine nibs that freinds have and they always felt too small for my style.







Pardon the lack of color...work scanners only do black and white.

Yes, it is possible to get a smooth writing 1555 nib.

I got a Dubonnet Red Dollar Pen from Mr. Chapman off this board about a year ago. It came with a flat feed 1555. I expected something scratchy, but instead it wrote as smoothly as a medium (2668/9668) nib.

I suspect that he did a little nib smoothing/tweaking. In any event, it's a great writer.

I agree with Andrew, though — experiementing with all the different nibs is what makes these pens so much fun to use.

You're posting in an esterbrook forum where one of the moderators is a self proclaimed nut. Yes, you're crazy.

"They're coming to take me away ha ha he he ho ho to the funny farm where life is beautiful all the time"

But, seriously, there's nothing saying 1xxx series nibs can't write well. My very first Esterbrook nib experience was a 1551 that wrote like butter. Had it not written so well, I'd have never gotten another, and another, and..., well you know.

Best-
Brian

Heh... Brian, you know full well both of us are Esterbrook crazy!

There are a few others here as well, but to save personal embarrasment, I'll not name them.

Welcome to our little corner of the FPN nuthouse Neecerie. You'll find it a friendly place to talk Esties, but forget getting any useful help in controlling your urges to acquire more. If anything, we're all guilty of encouraging the addiction...

Regards,

Gerry

Well, you know I didn't want to speak for the both of us.

Best-
Brian

I like 1551 nibs. I have two of them and they are very smooth and stay in my rotation all the time.

Laura

Brian, if you think you have problems, I have to admit (remembering the song from my lost youth) I fairly recently bought the Napoleon XIV CD 'The Second Coming' containing multiple versions of this jolly little ditty, and many weirder ones besides!

Or maybe Napoleon himself (AKA Jerry Samuels) was just another fairly normal Esterbrook collector.....!

Andy