Total Newbie Question Re: Aurora Nib "unit"

[jennnnn]

Hi all, I have recently dug out a fountain pen set I received as a graduation gift, a ways back... I know almost nothing about fountain pens but it's a sharp looking pen and I am interested in using it as my daily pen; I take a lot of notes and although all my colleagues take notes electronically I vastly prefer taking notes with pen and paper. It seems to be an Aurora Ipsilon of some variety. It's got a black case and a non-shiny/dull silver-tone cap with black and shiny silver rings at the bottom of the cap. I've attached a picture of the pen.

 

I cleaned it thoroughly, it had had a cartridge dry up in it from about a decade back, and I loaded up a new cartridge and tested it out. It writes very well and I can see myself enjoying using this pen however the line is just too thick for my taste. It seems to be a fine point (it says "F" on the nib) and I prefer an extra fine line (0.5mm).

 

I did summarily research replacements but I didn't have much luck. I found listings for 14K "nib units" that cost 2-3 times what this pen cost, I am sure.

 

I am seeking information, terminology, resources, etc., for locating a new nib "unit." I don't know if this is the correct term but I am basically looking for the nib and feed, together, or whatever the least expensive and simple set up would be to get me on my way.

 

Thank you for your time!

-Jenn

Edited December 27, 2014 by jennnnn

[jar]

Welcome home. Pull up a stump and set a spell.

 

That sounds correct. I would expect a replacement nib to cost about $100.00 or so.

 

What would be better is to have your nib ground to suit your needs. That should run less than $30.00 or so. You don't say where you are located but it's likely there are folk that can help you out and if you'll give us your location I imagine we can even offer suggestions.

[Bo Bo Olson]

deleted

Edited December 27, 2014 by Bo Bo Olson

[PatientType]

One of the frequent progressions for new fountain pen users is going from finer nibs to wider ones. People that are familiar with ball point pens are used to writing with a very fine line. When you write with a broader nib you need to open up your letters just a bit and become accustomed to writing with a pen that has greater ink flow. When you've spent years writing with a ball point you're just not used to doing those things.

You might consider purchasing a second pen in extra fine and holding onto your wider nib pen. Use the extra fine nib pen for note taking where speed is essential. However, make yourself write with the wider nib pen when speed is not critical. Deliberately force yourself to write slower, larger, and more carefully. Think of it as a relaxation exercise. You may find that the quality of your writing improves and, with a wider nib, the look of what you write will be a lot nicer. In my case, at least, that process improved my hand writing. Also, where I once purchased only fine nibs, now I write with medium nibs for speed writing and broad and sometimes very broad cursive italic nibs when I want a nicer look to my writing product.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Aurora is one of the narrowest of the Western nibs.....often said to be close to Japanese in narrowness.

So an Aurora M would be a F or F-M in other western company sizes.

 

Get your self a F (=EF western) and a EF=XXXF Japanese pens, there are inexpensive pens to be had.

Then you can see if you really want nibs that narrow.

 

Remember for super narrow nibs, you can only use vivid supersaturated inks....not fun shading inks. Which are often nice in western M&F.

 

Try writing in a medium lined paper instead of narrow collage lined...the letters of the words get wider automatically in there is more space.

[jennnnn]

Thanks for the responses! I live in Philadelphia. There is a pen show coming up in a couple of weeks and there are "nibmeisters" coming so perhaps I should go check that out. I understand what some of you are saying about experimenting with different pens and widths of nibs however I just don't like how a thicker line looks.

 

I really always write for speed and always prefer an extra fine line. I don't currently use a ballpoint, or maybe it is, I don't know for sure I guess--the drugstore pen I use daily is a Pilot Precise V5 RT. I need a quick and responsive pen that is extra fine. Since I already have this one and I like the way it feels in my hand (the weight of it), I thought to just replace the nib or have it ground down to 0.5 mm.

 

I take notes in a spiral notebook that has pages thick enough to handle the ink in this pen, I tested it; the ink is Aurora black ink. Fun colored inks appeal to me but I probably don't need them (I do have a converter for my pen).

[Freddy]

Thanks for the responses! I live in Philadelphia. There is a pen show coming up in a couple of weeks and there are "nibmeisters" coming so perhaps I should go check that out. I understand what some of you are saying about experimenting with different pens and widths of nibs however I just don't like how a thicker line looks.

 

I really always write for speed and always prefer an extra fine line. I don't currently use a ballpoint, or maybe it is, I don't know for sure I guess--the drugstore pen I use daily is a Pilot Precise V5 RT. I need a quick and responsive pen that is extra fine. Since I already have this one and I like the way it feels in my hand (the weight of it), I thought to just replace the nib or have it ground down to 0.5 mm.

 

I take notes in a spiral notebook that has pages thick enough to handle the ink in this pen, I tested it; the ink is Aurora black ink. Fun colored inks appeal to me but I probably don't need them (I do have a converter for my pen).

 

 

Welcome Aboard...

 

If you do go to the Philadelphia Show..mosey on over to Susan Wirth

the pen match maker..she will allow you to try out many different

nibs.....Enjoy your time here...................

http://www.philadelphiapenshow.com/2010-pen-show/

 

Fred

Edited December 27, 2014 by Freddy

[jar]

Also Aurora uses the Parker standard cartridges and converters.