Modern Nibs And Feeds.

[Brontosaurus Pluto]

Hello,

 

I was wondering if there are any modern nibs and feeds the fit an Esterbrook nib unit's sleave or other compatible with Esterbrook nib unit's sleaves?

 

Thanks

Pace

[FarmBoy]

I know of none. What did you have in mind?

[Biber]

It's been done. Just yesterday I came across this: https://cigarboxpenstorage.wordpress.com/2013/04/15/frankenpen-iii-%C2%BD/#more-1500

 

Currently I'm looking into doing this with a Pelikan nib unit and either a Pilot or an Esty nib.

[Linedog]

Hum, very interesting.

[pajaro]

I have fitted a Montblanc 144 nib into the Esterbrook sleeve, and also a Parker Sonnet nib and a Pilot Plumix italic.

 

I have a blue J with a Pelikan 14K OM M400 nib unit screwed directly in.

 

There are possibilities.

 

Others have knocked the Esterbrook nib and feed out of the sleeve and put a Waterman gold nib into the sleeve with the Esterbrook feed. There are older threads about this.

[ac12]

I read that the Pelikan 200/400 series nib assembly fits into the Esterbrook. I have not tested this myself to verify.

 

I have put a Chinese generic nib into the Esterbrook nib assembly, to replace a broken nib. It fit just fine and worked well.

The nib looks like the same nib that is on the Baoer 388.

[Biber]

I would suspect the Esterbrook nib is a #5, though I haven't measured it. I recall recently reading that the Pewlikan M200 (and therefore similar ones in that line) are also a #5 nib. So that opens up possibilities as well. I'd be interested to lear what size some of the Pilot nibs are. I've been thinking alot lately about trying to get an Esty 9550 or a Pilot F into my Pelikan 150 some how. Just need to source collars and donor nibs.

[chad.trent]

I have fitted a Montblanc 144 nib into the Esterbrook sleeve, and also a Parker Sonnet nib and a Pilot Plumix italic.

 

I have a blue J with a Pelikan 14K OM M400 nib unit screwed directly in.

 

There are possibilities.

 

Others have knocked the Esterbrook nib and feed out of the sleeve and put a Waterman gold nib into the sleeve with the Esterbrook feed. There are older threads about this.

 

The Pelikan nib is something I've heard of before. Maybe it was you who posted it actually. So all you did is screw it in? No other modifications?

[pajaro]

 

The Pelikan nib is something I've heard of before. Maybe it was you who posted it actually. So all you did is screw it in? No other modifications?

 

Yes, I just screwed the Pelikan M400 nib in to the J. The OM left oblique medium is sort of like the Relief nibs but smoother. The steel retainer on the Pelikan M400 nib does protrude from the section. I thought this looked awkward, but this combination writes nicely and feels nice, so I left the OM in the J. Sometimes I do use it.

[chad.trent]

 

Yes, I just screwed the Pelikan M400 nib in to the J. The OM left oblique medium is sort of like the Relief nibs but smoother. The steel retainer on the Pelikan M400 nib does protrude from the section. I thought this looked awkward, but this combination writes nicely and feels nice, so I left the OM in the J. Sometimes I do use it.

Nice. I'm going to have to search for some Pelikan nibs now. The 200 and 400 nibs are the same size right? I thought I remembered reading that they were and the only difference was the 200 was steel and the 400 was gold.

[Brontosaurus Pluto]

Do you have any pictures Pajaro?

 

Yes, I just screwed the Pelikan M400 nib in to the J. The OM left oblique medium is sort of like the Relief nibs but smoother. The steel retainer on the Pelikan M400 nib does protrude from the section. I thought this looked awkward, but this combination writes nicely and feels nice, so I left the OM in the J. Sometimes I do use it.

[ScienceChick]

Nice. I'm going to have to search for some Pelikan nibs now. The 200 and 400 nibs are the same size right? I thought I remembered reading that they were and the only difference was the 200 was steel and the 400 was gold.

You're correct on both size and material. You should be able to get a M200 nib unit for ~$30. The OM and OB have been discontinued in that size, iirc, but they can be found.

[pajaro]

The OM Pelikan 14K M400 nib came in a trade. I traded a B 14K M400 nib that cost about $50 on ebay for it. I have also bought a broad stubbed M600 nib for about $60 on ebay, and it is in an M200 pen, and the cap closes perfectly. So you could use an M600 nib also, but the M600 is marginally longer. This might make an M600 nib look a tad bit awkward in an Esterbrook.

[ScienceChick]

 

It fit into an LJ and Dollar pen in addition to this J but seemed a bit tight in the Dollar. In the Js and LJs it screwed in with no issues. Now to add ink.

Edited August 16, 2015 by ScienceChick

[Rob G]

I got a nib from a Noodler's Creaper in one.

[pajaro]

WP_20150815_20_02_26_Pro.jpg

 

It fit into an LJ and Dollar pen in addition to this J but seemed a bit tight in the Dollar. In the Js and LJs it screwed in with no issues. Now to add ink.

 

So, you see from the pic what I said about the M400 nib in a J. The steel collar protrudes, and while it looks longer, these write easily and feel nice.

[Biber]

 

So, you see from the pic what I said about the M400 nib in a J. The steel collar protrudes, and while it looks longer, these write easily and feel nice.

 

Just don't try to put the cap on.

 

There is certainly a degree of interchangeability between esty and Pelikan nibs. The problem is where the threads lie on the collar. I bet if you took apart that 140 nib and flipped the collar around 180 degrees you wouldn't be able to tell it wasn't made for that pen.

 

Edit - i just realized this wouldn't work. On an Esty nib collar the threads sit proud of the barrel of the collar, whereas the threads of the Pelikan are inside the dimensions of the barrel part of the collar. Thus the barrel wouldn't fit below the threaded part of the Esty section.

Edited August 16, 2015 by Biber

[johntdavis]

I'm actually surprised any of these non-Estie nibs fit. I was under the impression the Esties used a proprietary thread on the nib collar that didn't match the modern standard (i.e.: the standard no. 5/6 nib and collar combos used by Edison and Newton, etc.). I thought you had to use a special tool to cut these uniquely angled threads.

 

Do the Pelikans just happen to match this unique threading? I would think if you screwed a nib collar into an Estie that wasn't perfectly compatible you'd be risking damage to the pen or the collar or both. I would hate to strip the threads.

[ac12]

I have put an inexpensive Chinese nib (similar to the nib in a Baoer 388) into an Esterbrook nib assemby, and it fit just fine, wrote quite well, and the 2-tone color looks quite nice.

I found that the Chinese nibs are a good replacement for missing and damaged nibs, as long as they fit.

[pajaro]

I put the OM Pelikan M400 nib into the J, into an SJ and into an LJ. All three caps screw down as usual. I don't think the M200 nibs are longer, but I didn't bother with them, because the Esterbrook steel 9xxx nibs are usually as good. Pelikan gold nibs are the smoothest I have used, so I tried a few of the gold nibs in the Esterbrook. This was a lark. Then I realized that the OM nib is just as obnoxious as the Relief nibs, so I left it in the blue J pen. I don't like the Js any more than left obliques.

 

Although the nib unit protrudes and I think it looks somewhat ungainly, it writes smoothly and does not feel clumsy. So the lark takes flight.