So I got a new el-cheapo $5 Chinese pen in the mail today. It's got the sort of flaws that you expect from a $5 eBay pen (like scratchy nib) but it's got some important things going for it:

Intact feed, really nice balence, and the part where the feed meets the section is the same diamater as my Haolilai 801!

So I'm thinking: remove ho-hum nib + insert writes like a dream nib from 801 = back in business! (And actually a bit better than before, because the Haolilai section is solid brass and makes the pen bottom heavy.)

What do I need to do to get this done? Because other than comments about the fact that nib and feed and section are designed to come apart for complete cleaning, and not to use pliers ... my google fu is failing me.


And, Thank You.

Hi Kadymae,

This is working on the basis of the generic sort of IPG Chinese made pen.

In general the nib and feed are friction fit, if one grips them between finger and thumb with the thumb on top of the nib and wiggle whilst pulling the bit should come free without too much of a struggle. If you need extra grip use either a dry rubber glove, a piece of rubber hose or something similar to improve your grip

Provided that the nib that you are fitting is the same size and the same curvature as the one that you have taken out then all that needs to be done is fit the new nib to the top of the feed and push firmly home into place making sure that the nib doesn't slip out of position, although you can in many cases fiddle it into place afterwards.

It is always a good idea to check that there are not any locating lugs on either the feed or the section and that if there are that they tally before trying to put them together, this will prevent damage to the pieces and to you thumb if you are pushing too hard and your grip slips.

However before you start all that palaver it might be an idea to check that the threads on the replacement section will fit the barrel threads in the original pen there are several if not many different threads used by various manufacturers in China and these are partly determined by the material of the section..

Best of luck.

Cheers, John

Thanks. I'm not looking to swap sections, just nibs. I broke the feed off my good pen and if I can simply switch out the nibs, I will have a good pen again.

Ah! I'm so glad you found a good home for that nib! ^___^

Nibs generally just push in/pull out, but in practice it can get kind of complicated to get a good hold on them and everything. Speaking as a n00b here, mind. Like jar lid grippers might be worth a try. Grabbing a nib by the sides and wiggling it out is bad for it, but since you don't like the nib being removed anyway, it might not hurt (and it would get nibs out usually, er, before I knew better... ^_^; ). Sometimes the nib might not want to come unless you do pull the feed out along with it. If *all* else fails, knocking out the feed will render the nib accessible (drill a hole that the nib but not the section will fit into through a piece of 1.5" - 2" thick wood, put the nib into it, and use a hammer to lightly tap a rod of some kind (piece of dowel, backward sacrificial drill bit, etc) into the nipple).

Once it's out, the new nib (and the feed if it came out) should just push in.

After that, though, you'll want to check how the feed fits. It should rest against the underside of the nib so that it's not easy to slide a piece of paper in between them (I've heard the paper shouldn't go in, but I think it's going a bit far to say you shouldn't be able to get it in there). If there's a gap, heat some water (just short of boiling), dip *only* the nib and feed for about ten seconds, then press the feed against the nib for another ten seconds while it cools, to mold it to the nib. (I had to mess with this a few times to get it right. Works even better with a heat/embossing gun if you happen to have one.) Here's the site where I learned how to do that: http://www.penmuseum.co.uk/master%202.htm

Good luck!

Thanks, Laura!