Nibs with no breather hole

[Songwind]

I noticed by Jinhao #250's nib has no breather hole. Just a slit. You could barely see it before I inked it, and even with dark purple ink in it, it is still not very noticeable.

 

So, my question is - how does that work? Is there another hole hidden somewhere that I am missing?

[fpfanatic5]

There are many pens which don't have breather holes. Waterman Phileas being an example. As far as I can tell they aren't really vital to the operation of the pen. I'm sure someone else can tell you what purpose they serve.

[Shangas]

I always thought the breather hole was...a breather hole. It allows air to circulate in and out of the pen to equalise pressure...?

[fpfanatic5]

"A hole, frequently made in a decorative shape such as a heart or a crescent, that pierces a nib at the end of the slit, ostensibly to improve air flow but also to relieve stresses that tend to crack nibs at the relatively highly stressed area around the base of the slit. Breather holes are sometimes dispensed with on firm nibs, which are stiff enough to resist the bending forces imposed during use."

 

Thank you very much Mr. Binder.

[Songwind]

Oh! I thought they were necessary to allow the escaping ink to be replaced with air.

 

Neat.

[Fountainbass]

I can't believe that I've had my Waterman Phileas for probably 8 or 9 months or so, and I've never noticed that it lacks a breather hole on the nib! You learn something new every day...

[George Drummond]

"A hole, frequently made in a decorative shape such as a heart or a crescent, that pierces a nib at the end of the slit, ostensibly to improve air flow but also to relieve stresses that tend to crack nibs at the relatively highly stressed area around the base of the slit. Breather holes are sometimes dispensed with on firm nibs, which are stiff enough to resist the bending forces imposed during use."

 

Thank you very much Mr. Binder.

 

 

It makes sense. Waterman nibs don't have breather holes, as they are firm as nails.