I bought several nibs off Ebay recently and they arrived on my doorstep yesterday. Of particular interest to me are the 2048 ("Shaded writing"), 2314F ("Fine stub"), and the 2968 ("Broad writing"). I put the 2968 in my green SJ and filled it with Noodler's Black this morning and...well it writes ok, but it's a little more toothy than I would like (it looks like it could be a new nib, so maybe some breakin is required), and it does not seem broad at all. It looks like what I'd call a medium. Ok, well, as soon as I've written out this fill of Noodlers I'll put in the fine stub and see how I like that. Wheee!

Can anyone comment on whether the 9968 writes a wider line than the 2968?

I have seen a lot of variability in the 9968/2968 nibs I have tried. My first 9968 was VERY broad (and wet) - I love it! I have another 9968 and a 2968 that are are nowhere near as wide or wet - narrower even than some of the 9668/2668 nibs nibs I have.

I'm looking forward to reading others' experiences.

Best regards,
Tom

I have both 2968 and 9968 nibs. They appear to write about the same -- medium, as Inky Fingers has noted. As for the tooth, you can smooth it easily with 2000 or more grit sandpaper.

The #968 nibs are two of my favourites. I also like the 1551, 2442, 2284, and #668 nibs. I prefer nibs that are at least medium.

The 2048 and #314-# series nibs I find a little difficult but I think this is because I am left-handed and I really get no benefit from this sort of nib. I'm constantly scratching them against the paper and don't get any sort of attractive shading from them.

Anytime I get Estie nibs that are scratchy, I just smooth them and, in some cases, grind them down to a bit broader nib. Estie nibs are very easy to grind.

You will see a lot of variation in Esterbrook nibs. Many of them have been well used over the years and so the nib number is not always indicative of what the nib style now is.

One of my best nibs is a 2556 that was bent when I got it. I straightened it, but one of the tips broke off in the process. So I ground it down a bit and smoothed it out until I was satisfied with how it wrote. It now writes like a smooth medium, but with a lot of shading that is effortless to produce.

Thanks for sharing. Enjoy your new nibs and let us know what you think of the others you got.

Cheers,
Laura

Thank you for the insight. I inked up the 2314F last night and it's basically a fine. The shape of the nib is interesting, and I note it is not very firm - there's a little spring in it.

My favorite is currently the 9668, though I think I would find something just a hair wider ideal for most of my purposes.

My 8968 is my dream signature nib, wet & broad, and stylish looking...it's the one on the cream colored cracked ice pen on the avitar,

Best, Ellis