Affordable #6 Nibs? Newbie Rambling Questions..for An Edc Fp..

[Candlejackstraw]

Ok! So Im new in the world of fountain pens, I own a few different ones, IE platinum preppy, charlie, jinhao 450, 750 and some "rosewood" ones off of Amazon.

 

I really like the platinum preppy nibs, especially the #2's (for writing in my daily planner and journal Ive started) Ive been tempted to either purchase a platinum plaisir or a pilot metropolitan with a fine nib or search for a #6 nib (size fine) that I can place in the Jinhao. Ive already experimented with the Zebra G conversion with success, however.. I wouldnt want it for a dialy writer and I cannot find any other #6 type of nib besides the goulets. Can anyone offer nib suggestions? (Or should I just go with the metro or plaisir)

[steve50]

Goulet sells Jowo nibs which come in standard widths and stubs. Why not give them a try first? And if you want more variety, Fpnibs.com offers various modifications on Jowo nibs which fit Jinhao pens.

 

But if you like very fine nibs, Japanese pens excel in them. EF on Jowo nibs are probably still slightly broader than platinum F.

Edited May 10, 2019 by steve50

[akrohn2010]

If you are looking for loose #6 nibs cheaper than those offered by the Goulets, I don't think you'll find any that write consistently well - the Goulets' quality control and customer service is exceptional.

 

If you don't want to spend that much on a nib I'd highly recommend either of the pens you mentioned, though I'm partial to the Metro. A Pilot F nun puts down a smooth but controlled and thin line and is excellent for notes, journaling, etc. A Metro F is slightly finer than a Jowo EF in my experience.

Edited May 10, 2019 by flyingpenman

[Honeybadgers]

If you are okay with a medium nib, a Jinhao #6 replacement nib is about a buck fifty and they ALWAYS write well. But they only come in medium

 

If you want more variety, knox sells an oblique double broad and oblique broad in the $15 range. And Nemosine sells 0.6 and 0.8 stubs.

 

If you want a fat music nib, franklin cristoph makes a 3 tine rigid massive italic music nib, but it's like 40 bucks.

 

I sell custom modified jinhao nibs in everything from needlepoint to PO to medium stubs to oblique italics (my stubs and CI's are all tipped, something no other maker sells) and flex modifications for $17 plus shipping

 

The noodlers art nib pack is like $5 and comes with 3 nibs.

 

Kevin at FPR sells quite a few different nibs too.

 

a goulet EF will be roughly similar to a pilot or platinum F.

[Candlejackstraw]

If you are okay with a medium nib, a Jinhao #6 replacement nib is about a buck fifty and they ALWAYS write well. But they only come in medium

 

If you want more variety, knox sells an oblique double broad and oblique broad in the $15 range. And Nemosine sells 0.6 and 0.8 stubs.

 

If you want a fat music nib, franklin cristoph makes a 3 tine rigid massive italic music nib, but it's like 40 bucks.

 

I sell custom modified jinhao nibs in everything from needlepoint to PO to medium stubs to oblique italics (my stubs and CI's are all tipped, something no other maker sells) and flex modifications for $17 plus shipping

 

The noodlers art nib pack is like $5 and comes with 3 nibs.

 

Kevin at FPR sells quite a few different nibs too.

 

a goulet EF will be roughly similar to a pilot or platinum F.

I Think FPR may be just the ticket! Thank you!

[Candlejackstraw]

If you are looking for loose #6 nibs cheaper than those offered by the Goulets, I don't think you'll find any that write consistently well - the Goulets' quality control and customer service is exceptional.

 

If you don't want to spend that much on a nib I'd highly recommend either of the pens you mentioned, though I'm partial to the Metro. A Pilot F nun puts down a smooth but controlled and thin line and is excellent for notes, journaling, etc. A Metro F is slightly finer than a Jowo EF in my experience.

After looking at some of the suggestions, im leaning towards FPR (but just for their extra fine i think) Im thinking if i want an italic nib I should go with the metro.

[rosmarinaus]

Here's my perspective (I'm a newb too): I have a Platinum PTL-5000A that has what looks to be a 14K version of the Preppy nib. You can get it new on eBay for about $45-55 dollars. I love it. It's a smaller pen than the Metro, however, so depending on your hand size it may not suit you.

[steve50]

Here's my perspective (I'm a newb too): I have a Platinum PTL-5000A that has what looks to be a 14K version of the Preppy nib. You can get it new on eBay for about $45-55 dollars. I love it. It's a smaller pen than the Metro, however, so depending on your hand size it may not suit you.

Yeh, that and the similar-looking pen from Pilot are probably the best value for money for gold nibbed pens.

[Honeybadgers]

I wouldn't call them the best value. They're definitely one of the cheapest, but you're sacrificing build quality for a gold nib.

 

Are they bad pens? absolutely not. But I don't recommend them to people. Spend the extra $10-15 on a platinum 3776 over a 5000A/seremo. More nib options, better build quality. In the $40 range, I'd honestly recommend the steel nib platinum balance over the 5000A.

 

If you're going for cheap as possible and want a slim pen with a gold nib, check out the Hero H703. it's basically a knockoff of the cross spire, with a fairly firm 10k gold nib, but I'd argue it's honestly a little bit better than the cross's 18k nib, comes in a nicer box, the fit/finish are wonderful and it's about $35. I love my spire but honestly I can't find a fault with the 703 as an entry level gold nib.

 

Alternatively, there's the wing sung 698 14k gold nib or the hero 2065 10k nib. Both of these have very soft gold nibs, much softer than the 5000A/seremo

Edited May 14, 2019 by Honeybadgers

[GMCustompens]

In case you are a beginner in the world of fountain pens, it is recommended to start with fountain pen nib composed of steel, with a medium or fine point. You can also opt for an “A” nib. If you possess smaller handwriting then it would be perfect to go on for the extra fine nib. Otherwise, in case of larger handwriting, broader nibs would work the best. Also, see to it that the fountain pen nib you select is perfectly flexible. Based on your writing styles and the above-mentioned points you may be able to pick the best fountain pen nibs for use.

Italic / Stub Nib

Stub and italic nibs are known to create a narrow side stroke and a wider downstroke. These nibs can bring in beautiful line variations, adding character to your handwriting. A perfect italic nib has straight, sharp edges at the side and a flat point. A stub nib is similar to an italic nib however, it has rounded edges. Therefore, it’s far easier to write with a stub nib. Most of the fountain pen users prefer to write with stub nibs rather than a true italic nib.

Stub nibs tend to glide easily on paper and are therefore perfect for regular writing purposes. True italic nibs on the other hand often feel scratchy even on the best quality papers. It, therefore, needs much practice to write with this nib and is used mostly by professional calligraphy artists for the fine strokes it creates.

• Calligraphy Nibs

Calligraphy nibs can vary from stub, italic nibs to any others depending on the manufacturer. Like other standard nibs, calligraphy nibs may be marked with M, F, and B etc. Despite having the same lettering they are generally scaled differently than regular fountain pen nibs. The actual width and nib size would be dependent on the pen line and the manufacturer. Medium calligraphy for one particular brand may be different from that of the other brand. The tip size for calligraphy nibs is often known to vary.

• Left Handed Nibs

These nibs are usually marked with an “L” or an “LH”. These nibs probably have the same size as a medium point nib. However, this point is known to be slightly angled so that it can work the best for left-hand writers. For some left-hand writers, standard nibs work perfectly while others prefer these. The choice of using or not using left-hand nibs would be dependent entirely on your writing style.

• “A” Nibs

“A” nibs are known to be sized between fine and medium points. These nibs are ideal to be used by beginners. These nibs tend to have more round and smoother tips than a standard nib which makes it more forgiving. “A” is derived from “Anfänger” which is the German form used for a beginner. You can preferably choose for these nibs depending on your requirements.

• Music Nib

A music nib is generally a stub or italic nib with 2 slits allowing an increased flow of ink. The slits tend to double the amount of ink that flows to the nib, creating a wet and very saturated line. Music nibs are majorly purposed for writing music notes. Note heads are created quickly with wetter nibs. On the other, the stem and flag of the music notes are created well with a stub nib.

• Fude nib

Fude is known to be a curved calligraphy nib. This nib tends to work like a brush pen while calligraphic writing. The fude nib appears to be slightly bent. However, depending on the angle of the pen it allows creating several different line variations. Writing at 90 degree angle to the paper produces a fine line which broadens continually as you move further to 30 degrees.

• Zoom nib

The “Zoom” nib is much like writing with a brush. Holding the pen at a higher angle lets you produce a fine line whereas, it turns opposite at a lower angle. This is probably one of the most flexible nibs that would let you produce beautiful calligraphic line variations.

• Flexible or Soft

Flexible or soft nibs as mentioned earlier would create line width variations depending on the pressure applied while writing. As you press down the nib while writing, the tines would be split apart creating a wider line. Flexible nibs are generally known to be made out of gold. However, by increasing the size of the fountain pen nib or the slit length between the tines steel nibs can be made flexible as well. Too much pressure can damage these nibs very easily (especially gold nibs). Flexible nibs are, therefore, not recommended for beginners.

• Oblique

The tip of an oblique nib is known to be cut at an angle. Depending on the direction of the angle, these nibs can be left or right. This angle is helpful in creating variations in writing lines although it is not as clearly noticeable as in the case of stub or italic nibs. While these nibs are fun to use, they would require a lot of practice for perfect handwriting. The pen needs to be rotated just as to be able to make the most of it. Since they are difficult to master, Oblique nibs had been rare these days. Instead of oblique nibs writers now prefer using stub nibs.

[MuddyWaters]

Though there are a few replacement nib makers, I havent found this area of the market to be as plentiful as others suggest. I would say jinhao nibs are the best bet because they are cheap and work well, but they only come in a sloppy medium size.

 

For the rest, I'm not that keen on spending as much as a fountain pen on an overly smooth or characterless nib plus shipping. I dont know why #6 nibs can't sell for less than 5-10 bucks.

 

The real solution to this problem would be to learn to ground one's own jinhao nibs like honeybadgers has done but alas that is not a skill I possess.

 

On the other hand, #5 nibs are widely available and easily interchangeable from one pen maker to the next, including in a large variety of German and Chinese pen makers, which makes getting the right nib on the right body way cheaper at this nib size.

Edited May 16, 2019 by MuddyWaters

[Ted A]

Where do you find #5 nibs? The only ones I’ve seen are Jinhao nibs on eBay and they were described only as replacements not #5.

[MuddyWaters]

Where do you find #5 nibs? The only ones I’ve seen are Jinhao nibs on eBay and they were described only as replacements not #5.

 

kaweco, faber castell, moonman, baoer...

[Ted A]

Sorry. I thought you were talking about loose replacement nibs

[Dip n Scratch]

I started with a Jinhao X450. Then I used a Bock replacement in F and EF.

I just got another X450 & with there were Jinhao nibs of different tip width available.

So I thought that i'd use one of my Kanwrite #6: Nope.

The Kanwrite nib (India Fine) is stamped from much thicker sheet steel & won't slide in between the section & feed.

 

I don't know about US sources of #6 nibs. The shipping costs to the UK are off-putting, unless I was ordering a quantity to split between a bunch of us.

[sansenri]

I started with a Jinhao X450. Then I used a Bock replacement in F and EF.

I just got another X450 & with there were Jinhao nibs of different tip width available.

So I thought that i'd use one of my Kanwrite #6: Nope.

The Kanwrite nib (India Fine) is stamped from much thicker sheet steel & won't slide in between the section & feed.

 

I don't know about US sources of #6 nibs. The shipping costs to the UK are off-putting, unless I was ordering a quantity to split between a bunch of us.

 

ah! I found out the same thing, but because I wanted to swap the Kanwrite with a different nib but no other nib would stay firm, all the ones I tries are much thinner!

 

in my experience (trying to swap the Kanwrite) Bock and Jowo are very similar thickness, Stipula steel is just slightly thinner, Omas gold is slightly thinner, Delta gold is very thin.

 

I was hoping to replace the Kanwrite with a Jinhao, but I seem to understand you just mentioned the Jinhao is also thinner than the Kanwrite...!

[bob_hayden]

Replying to the topic heading, I just got four Fuliwen #6 nibs off eBay in the US of A. Cost for all four was $8 postpaid. They are very wet and smooth but about a medium broad so they will probably not satisfy the OP but may be of interest to someone who landed here because of the topic heading. For reference, I would rate them above the JInhao nib that came in the X450 that now has a Fuliwen. Be warned that they make Fahrney's Grey look darker than Waterman Black in a normal pen;-) Listing header:

 

4Pcs Wet Medium Nib A Little Soft #6 Golden Nib For Penbbs 456/308 Jinhao X450