Dip Nib Size Info

[Moonshae]

Hi all,

 

I have a dip pen, and I'd like to get some different nibs for it, but I have no idea what the size numbers mean, or whether they'll even fit my pen (or are they a standard size). I went to dippennibs.com, but the site assumes you know what you're looking for and us UK based, which means higher shipping cost. Any good guides on dip nibs and where to buy in the US?

[Randal6393]

Hi, Moonshae, welcome to FPN,

 

NEI -- Not enough information. The world of dip pens covers a lot of ground. Do you want to draw? do traditional broad-edge scripts? do pointed-pen work? or all three? Are you looking to put your nibs in a classic holder? or in fountain pens? How much research have you done on the various aspects of pen-and-ink work?

 

For general work and the broadest range of nibs available, John Neal Bookseller and Paper, Ink & Arts are great online shops. Carry broad nibs, pointed nibs, and a variety of holders. If you want to try a dip pen nib in a fountain pen, there are several threads here that may help. And YouTube is a valuable resource for art activities.

 

Best of luck,

[Moonshae]

Just writing...something to use for a switch from a fountain pen if I'm in the mood. I'm not sure what a classic holder is, but the nib comes right out of what I have when gently pulled, so it is easily switched.

 

I tried doing some searching here, but the threads that came up weren't particularly instructional. I'm not looking to invest heavily, I just want a few nibs that I can switch out for some variety while writing. I figured I'd get a bunch of different ones and see what works and what doesn't.

 

As you saw from my eggs, I'm not much of an artist.

[bokchoy]

I'm no artist or calligrapher but I do have a bunch of nibs and a holder. What does the end of your holder look like? The kind with 4 metal "teeth" is more universal, it'll hold many similarly-sized nibs even if the diameters are different. If it doesn't have "teeth" the holder may be limited to certain brands.

 

http://i.imgur.com/RCnQu2V.jpg

 

L-R:

* "universal" straight holder

* Brause 76 "Rose" (very flexible)

* Brause 361 Steno/"Blue Pumpkin" (more easily controlled flex, best general handwriting nib out of this list)

* Brause No.180 Bandzug 1mm (sharp italic, doesn't like to be pushed, I got 8 lines from one dip)

* Hunt Imperial 101 (very flexible)

* Speedball C-2 (wide 3-tined italic)

 

Tiny crowquill nibs require a different holder.

Edited April 18, 2017 by bokchoy

[Moonshae]

Thanks! Mine does seem to be traditional with the four teeth inside.

[dcwaites]

There are two 'standard' sizes of nibs (i.e. what the nib will fit into) - Standard, and Crow Quill.

 

Crow quill nibs are cylindrical, with a diameter of about 3 mm, and used for small nibs, specifically for mapping. Ignore them for normal writing.

 

Standard nibs are all the rest (see picture by Bokchoy).

There are many, many different nib designs, for all sorts of tasks, from copperplate calligraphy to writing on hessian bags.

What you want are normal writing nibs. I would recommend a Speedball / Hunt 512 to start with. If you are looking for a vintage nib, then the Eagle or Esterbrook Falcon nibs