Are Parker 75 nibs broader than usual?

[Rique]

As anyone got any experience with Parker 75 nibs? I´ve just got my first 75. It´s in perfect shape, looks almost new, but the nib bothers me. It is marked "M" on the feed; however, the line it makes is broader than that of any other pen I have. I´ve tried changing inks, but it didn´t help. I´ve checked the nib with a loupe, and it is indeed bigger than other M nibs. It is smaller than the Lamy ALStar B, though (the only B nib I have).

What do you think? Is that nib as it is supposed to be? Or is it possible someone changed the nib for a B, without replacing the feed? Wouldn´t that be a shabby trick ? The dealer is very reputable, though.

 

thanks for your input.

Rique

Edited October 8, 2005 by Rique

[TMann]

Rique,

 

I have a Parker Sonnet that has a medium nib, and it, too writes a very broad line. My Sonnet and my Waterman Phileas both have "medium" nibs, and yet write a very broad line. In contrast, my Sheaffer Prelude and Namiki Vanishing Point both have "medium" nibs, and write with a line that I would consider mediium.

 

There is a lot of variation between manufacturers in what consistitutes a "Fine", a "Medium" and a "Broad" nib. I've actually thought about having someone grind my Sonnet nib down to a fine size, or even a stub-style nib.

 

TMann

[Larry T]

I have a late 1970's Parker 75 with a fine nib. It produces a line about the same thickness as my Sailor 1911 with a medium nib.

[Carrie]

The medium nib on my Duofold was very broad, I simply couldn't write with it and it put down so much ink that it soaked straight through any paper. I'm not a fan of medium nibs as they are a little too thick for my liking, but this Duofold was ridiculous. Parker exchanged the nib for an extra fine and I'm perfectly happy now.

[Rique]

Thanks TMann , Larry T & Carrie - it seems I´m not the only one who is not happy with these broader-than-expected nibs. Exchanging mine is not a possibility now. I think I´ll fill the pen with red ink and use it to mark my students exams; a thick red line is just the thing for that!

By the way, I have a Sonnet too, and the nib is an acceptable M. I´ve had a lot of trouble with it before - it was as difficult to start as a Ford T car - but it´s now near perfection, after a lot of grinding and tweaking.

[Larry T]

If you really want to use your P75, check out www.parker75.com. They stock just about every size nib you could want for your pen. I just bought a late model blue and gold 75 from them at the Michigan show. Nice people, good service.

[Rique]

Thanks, Larry, I´ll check that !

[mafiablues]

I have a French Parker 75 with F nib, it looks more like a MF nib. It is broader than my Pilot Vortex M nib.

[Stylo]

As anyone got any experience with Parker 75 nibs? I´ve just got my first 75. It´s in perfect shape, looks almost new, but the nib bothers me. It is marked "M" on the feed; however, the line it makes is broader than that of any other pen I have.

I have used a medium Parker 75 (18K French) almost exclusively for a good ten years, and yes, it writes quite a bit wider than say my medium Pelikan 200. But it writes about as wide, or slightly wider than my medium Expert IIs, which are on the fairly wide side. Not only there is width variation among manufacturers, but there is also some variation within models.

[Rique]

Yes, my Expert II has a rather wide nib too, and my Carene is even wider. Not us much as the P75, though.

It seems the Watermans tend to be rather wider than the average M. On the other hand, Pelikan 200 and Sheaffer Prelude are certainly thinner than the average.

 

However, as you said, there is a lot of variation from pen to pen, within the same brand and the same model - that´s part of the fun with FPs, I guess...

I have a question to all the enginners / technicians around - since the pen makers can make perfectly uniform spheres for the BPs, why is it there is so much variation in FP nibs? Why aren´t all the nibs in a model created equal? Is it because the shape is not really spherical, and so they are more difficult to make than the balls in the BPs?

[Blade Runner]

Hi,

My U.S. made 75 with a medium 14 kt nib is a true medium compared to my other pens with medium nibs. Not broadish.

 

Regards,

Jeen