I have wondered about this on and off ever since I started Calligraphy and that is how much do you buy at a time? Do you buy nibs in small quantities or do you buy a lot at once? This may seem really stupid but the reason I ask is because when I buy things, in particular flexible nibs, I worry about the stock of the shop. Due to the lack of demand for such equipment compared to what it was in say the early half of the last century there is a tendency for these things to be sold in very small quantities almost as if they want you to buy in such small quantities; it seems impossible to actually buy a box of nibs. In a shop down the road from me they sell nibs in a tray and there are only like 10 of each type of nib. I mean in the 1910s is must have been impossible to buy 1 nib on its own, though I know you used to get free ones to test them. With broad nibs I find myself buying very few, only like 4 at a time but with flexible ones I don't know whether it is the norm to buy a whole load at once... I know you will probably tell me that it depends on how quickly you get through them but that is not my issue (I do find that very fine flexible nibs don't take long to make scratchy), my issue is how many to buy at a time would be sensible. This is also of concern to me as I use pointed non-flexibly nibs for most of my general writing and they do get scratchy after a while. I know shops can be a little annoyed if customers buy in large amounts. It probably seems a stupid question I know...

I have a feeling that this is probably a common problem, Lozzic.

In the past, I've been caught out with items going out of production by manufacturers, without warning.
Quite simply, I now buy as much as I can reasonably afford, and keep topping up my stock - just in case!

caliken

I see, yes I can imagine it is very annoying if a manufacturer suddenly ceases production of one of your favourite nibs or inks or whatever.
So do you ever find that when you buy nibs you get them in a box? Would you quite happily buy say a dozen nibs at any one time? I recently bought some nibs, I bought 4 Hunt 513EF Globe nibs and 4 Hunt 101 Imperial nibs (on your recommendation ) and they came in a box labelled Speedball one dozen nibs. I know Speedball make Hunt nibs, or at least that is what I have heard, so I am assuming the person packaging them used an empty box to put my order in. That obviously shows that you can get boxes of a dozen nibs but have you ever ordered nibs and received a box? They never ever put them up for sale in that form...
I have often noticed that websites selling these things often go out of stock for a while and then about a week later or so they have the stock back again. I cannot work out if this is because lots of people buy in small quantities or less people buy in large quantities he-he. This may seem like I am putting concern in a stupid place but that is how I feel nevertheless.
On a side not does anyone know if you can buy Brause Rose nibs and Nikko G nibs in the UK? I know you can in the US but I don't like ordering abroad unless I have little choice.

I have five dip-pen shafts.

And about 250 (no exaggeration) nibs. I'm set for life!

I find all my nibs at the flea-market. They seem to breed there or something. So far I've found at least three boxes of the stuff.

In my mind, it's better to buy nibs in bulk. A nib doesn't always write great the moment you start using it. If you have a whole heap of nibs, you can just keep testing each one until you find one that works and just stick with that one, with plenty more left-over in case you need a fresh one at some point in time.

I don't know of any dealers offering Brause Rose nibs in the UK but you could try www.scribblers.co.uk or www.Blotspens.co.uk. Their stocks change all the time. Coincidentally, I bought a box of 10 from Paper & Ink Arts in the US about 1 month ago.

I don't have any problem ordering from the US, if you buy from a reputable dealer and are prepared to wait a couple of weeks or so. Sometimes it's the only way to get what you want.

www.johnnealbooks.com and www.paperinkarts.com both have excellent web sites and send out catalogues with orders.

I once bought a sealed box of around 130 Gillott 303 nibs in a street market for £2, but that sort of luck happens very rarely - I still dream about it!

I take it you are referring to vintage though? I have a box of vintage nibs and I won some on ebay (have not received them yet), it is perfectly possible to buy vintage in bulk because they were produced in bulk, they had to supply entire countries with nibs and fortunately for us they are still floating around today. With new nibs however what would a shop think if you bought a dozen nibs, maybe more? I know shops sometimes don't like you to buy too much as it means that their stock goes down and if customers find them to be out of stock (as I often see shops are) it drives them elsewhere. I too feel that having a large quantity of nibs allows you to find the best of the lot, that applies even more to modern nibs that are not as well produced, but that draws me back to my question of what is a sensible quantity to buy of modern nibs?

I apologise for my paranoid posts on supply and demand

I primarily buy from Scribblers and Blotspens, they don't have them (so far as I can tell) but I will keep an eye on them.

I once ordered from John Neal books and was impressed by their stock, it was the only place other than Paperinkarts that I could get the proper oblique holders. I cannot for the life of me remember how much postage etc cost though, I think it is stuff like that that makes me paranoid .
Wow I would not be able to speak for weeks due to shock if I saw a box of 130 Gillott 303s! That was a really good find!

I try to keep at least 20 of each of my current favourites and top up when I drop below that figure.
I've never had any problem purchasing that amount at any one time.

At the moment, I have Gillott 170 : Brause 66EF : Hunt 101 : Brause 76 (rose) : Gillott 303 : Gillott 290 : Leonardt Principal EF

I can't remember if I've ever received any in boxes.

I also have approximately 200 Mitchell's square-edged 'round hand' nibs at all the various sizes with slip-on reservoirs.

I you have a supply problem, buy a small quantity regularly, until you have a good stock!

I agree that it's impossible to find good oblique holders in the UK

caliken

My nibs were all bought in bulk from flea-markets, either NOS or second-hand. They all vary in quality from not taking in any ink at all, to one-dip-lasts-half-a-page to scratchy like a cat to smooth like butter, from flexy-like-noodles to stiff-as-nails.

Lozzic,

It would probably be best if you purchased a few more nibs than your immediate need, and then bought them more frequently until you had a comfortable supply.

Actually, your concern is an old one. I have the household accounts of a family that lived here in 1900. In April, they would begin to buy sugar in larger than their usual quantities. Every week, they would buy a little more and a little more, leaving some in the store for others. Sometime in the second or third week of June, after strawberry jam had been made, their sugar purchases would return to normal.

Paddler

Here is another North American source, Canada, for nibs and other calligraphic supplies.

http://www.quietfiredesign.ca/cart.php?tar...category_id=298

I know the owner and can vouch for their reliability.

Zoe :
It's always useful to have details of sources for materials - thanks for posting.

caliken

Taking of stocking up calligraphy products: I just have a pause in writing on an essay and I just thought to myself that I rather order some more of the fabulous hand made wooden penholder from a us calligraphy shop that I found very good. Well, I clicked on a bookmark hoping to be taken directly to www.paperinkarts.com - but alas the site is gone... So I now have to look after my two exemplars of their wooden penholders with care so they last me a bit longer than the usual cheap stuff that cracks already after a first attempt to clean it properly - especially after using some thick and sticky ink...

As to nibs I do not keep many - from pointed nibs I now have only ca one dozen vintage Gillot 303's that I bought on eBay and are just perfect plus some left overs from earlier purchases. I have learned to regrind nibs that get a bit scratchy but are still springy properly aligned prolonging thus the lifespan of my nibs considerably. And also I now seem to use mainly fountain pens for practicing - probably because the somewhat thicker hairlines are less punishing...

Regards Zed

As I'm waiting for supplies from paperinkarts, I gave them a ring to see what has happened. Apparently there is a temporary problem with their site which should be corrected soon - so all is well!

Oh, I hope my post did not cause you any immediate upset Ken... At the same time, thanks for finding out that it is just a temporary hiccup and the site will be up and running again!

Talking of nibs ebay has a wonderful stock of vintage that often goes for relatively little




I have not tried the Gillott 170 or 290, how are they?




Thank you for that link!




Thank you for telling us!