Help With Changing nibs on a Lamy Studio

[ChristineR]

I am a new fountain pen user, and I apologize for asking what is probably a very basic question, but I can't seem to find the answer anywhere.

 

I have been using dip pens but as I cannot use them without making a mess, I am going to try a fountain pen.

 

I recently purchased a Lamy Studio. I didn't want a cheap plastic pen, and I didn't want to spend $200+ on a pen that I may not like in the long run. I chose the Studio because it was a reasonable compromise, looks nice, has a converter, and I like the way it feels when I write. So far I like it very much.

 

I would like to swap nibs around--specifically I would like to have a selection of italic nibs that I can use with this pen.

 

I have read (on this site and elsewhere) that Lamy nibs are easy to swap, but I am not sure this is something I want to try.

 

I have also read (on this site and elsewhere) that the various Lamy pens all use the same nibs and that they can be easily interchanged. Sometimes the Studio is mentioned, sometimes it's not. It's not always clear to me whether these people were swapping their nibs, or their nib assemblies.

 

Lamy sells nib assemblies (with the screw-in plastic holder) for their cheap pens like the Safari and Joy. The Joy is a calligraphic pen, and there is a selection of nib assemblies with italic nibs for the Joy. Again, some things I've read seem to imply that these assemblies fit into the Studio, but it's not clear.

 

I have come across several sites that sell Lamy nibs, or nibs that fit a Lamy (including italic nibs). It's not clear, but I'm pretty sure these are not nib assemblies, just the nibs themselves. As it happens, none of them mention the Studio explicitly, but they do say the nibs fit the Safari, Joy, Al-Star, etc.

 

Since Lamy will sell me calligraphic nib assemblies for the Joy for $15 each, and since I am a total klutz, the idea of buying three of these (one in each size) and using them in my Studio appeals to me. Is anyone here in a position to try this out?

 

Is there some sort of standard for nib assemblies? I see a lot of cheap calligraphic pens with screw-in nib assemblies and I have visions of myself sneaking into an art supply store and surreptitiously opening all the packages.

 

Thanks for any help!

[ericthered2004]

The nibs are interchangeable on all contemporary Lamy pens except the 2000 and the Persona (if they still make that). They're easy to remove and replace.

Regards,

Eric

[Hans-Peter Ording]

The nibs themselves are all interchangeable, but only the steel nibs, not the gold ones.

[skipwilliams]

The nibs on the Studio, Joy, AL-Star, and Safari are all the same and can be freely interchanged. Clean the pen with water and just slide the nib off the feed from the front. These steel nibs have "wings" that wrap around the feed, which makes them very easy to accurately re-fit. I swap nibs between my 15 or so Safari/AL-Star pens all the time in 5-10 sec.

 

AFAIK, there is also one gold nib available for the Studio, which can be swapped into the other pens. The "swappability" is determined by the nib style, not what it's made of. The previous poster was mostly right about not being able to swap gold nibs. The gold nibs on the 2000 and Persona are unique to those pens.

 

Skip

[ChristineR]

Thanks all. I have ordered some Lamy italic nibs. I let you know how it works out.

[knitbug]

Thanks all. I have ordered some Lamy italic nibs. I let you know how it works out.

 

Hi Christine,

 

I was hoping to do the same, buy the studio and extra calligraphy nibs. Did yours arrive and do they fit?

 

Thanks!

Valerie

[ChristineR]

Yes, they fit and I am using the calligraphy nibs right now. I got mine from Swisher Pens, and they are shiny steel and say Lamy on them.

[knitbug]

Yes, they fit and I am using the calligraphy nibs right now. I got mine from Swisher Pens, and they are shiny steel and say Lamy on them.

 

Thanks for the info! How do you like them?

[ChristineR]

The narrowest one is 1.1 mm, which is still quite broad for handwriting. It is a very smooth nib though and it makes a line about .9 mm, close to the Osmiroid medium nib. It's more along the lines of what Richard Binder would call a stub nib, with only moderate line variation. The larger nibs have a lot more visible variation, and they are still extremely smooth. They make a beautiful line.

 

The one problem I have with the large nibs is that with some of my inks, ink flow on the Studio is not enough to keep up with the nibs. The Studio nib has a breather hole but the italic nibs do not. The feeds on the Joy may be different even if the nib holders are not.

[wimg]

Hi Christine,

 

Lamy steel nibbed pens are notorious for their relatively weak ink flow, and especially the italic nibs are. You can increase the ink flow slightly, by flossing the slit with a piece of acetate, like overhead projector film, just by sticking the film between the tines, carefully, as not to bend the tines, and slowly pull the film out again. Two or three tries should give you the maximum ink flow possible with the nib/feed assembly in these pens.

 

Alternatively, use an ink that flows well. Obviously, Lamy ink comes to mind, but also MontBlanc, Waterman, and several of the Noodler's inks, like FPN Galileo Brown .

 

HTH, warm regards, Wim

 

 

[knitbug]

Hi Christine,

 

Lamy steel nibbed pens are notorious for their relatively weak ink flow, and especially the italic nibs are. You can increase the ink flow slightly, by flossing the slit with a piece of acetate, like overhead projector film, just by sticking the film between the tines, carefully, as not to bend the tines, and slowly pull the film out again. Two or three tries should give you the maximum ink flow possible with the nib/feed assembly in these pens.

 

Alternatively, use an ink that flows well. Obviously, Lamy ink comes to mind, but also MontBlanc, Waterman, and several of the Noodler's inks, like FPN Galileo Brown .

 

HTH, warm regards, Wim

 

Thanks for the advice Wim, as soon as my nibs come in I'll try the trick with the acetate.

(crossing my fingers)

the Studio is my only FP!

 

Cheers,

Knit Bug

[Steppen Zhe]

The narrowest one is 1.1 mm, which is still quite broad for handwriting. It is a very smooth nib though and it makes a line about .9 mm, close to the Osmiroid medium nib. It's more along the lines of what Richard Binder would call a stub nib, with only moderate line variation. The larger nibs have a lot more visible variation, and they are still extremely smooth. They make a beautiful line.

 

The one problem I have with the large nibs is that with some of my inks, ink flow on the Studio is not enough to keep up with the nibs. The Studio nib has a breather hole but the italic nibs do not. The feeds on the Joy may be different even if the nib holders are not.

 

 

Hi, can I ask a related question?

 

What makes the acetate trick work? As in, why acetate and not some other material? I'm guessing the acetate does more than spread the tines, but not sure what/how?

 

Thanks, Steppen