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Hello out there. I'm fairly new to fountain pens and I'm enjoying them a lot. I have a cheap fountain pen that I got a gift shop in Schloß Schönbrunn in Vienna. It doesn't seem to have a brand name and it has a Iridium Point Germany nib. Anyways, I dropped this pen onto the floor. When I uncapped it to check for damage, the nib was separated from the pen and stuck in the cap. I've taken it out and tried again a couple times but it seems to get stuck every time. What should I do? Is there a easy solution to this? Or should I somehow replace the nib? Thank You very much, Danny

Hello all, I'm looking to purchase a new pen and I'm specifically looking to obtain a stub nib. Due to my smaller hand writing, I've decided a 1.1 mm would work the best. My question is, is a 1.1 mm stub nib suitable for every day use, such as taking notes? Or is it more for bigger writing? Any help is greatly appreciated Thank you, CJ

I received a pen in a PIF and, though I love the pen (as does my 10 y.o. granddaughter), it's a very hard starter. As soon as you lift the pen from the paper, it stops writing. However, turning the pen over, it writes quite well, if a little scratchy. When I looked at the nib under magnification, I did notice that the feed wasn't lined up very well so I adjusted it. Then, I noticed this... This isn't normal, is it?

Hello all, I am thinking of purchasing a TWSBI 580 soon. I've finally been able to choose this model over the Vac700, yet another question remains. Do I purchase the 1.1 stub, or a regular medium nib? If anyone has experience with the TWSBI stub nibs or stub nibs in general compared to normal nibs, any advice would be greatly appreciated, Much thanks, CJ

I have an emerald Edson, and the little nipple that goes into the converter broke off. I have sent pics to Waterman, and they responded they only have extra fine and bold nibs available . Would I need a whole new nib?!! That would be heartbreaking, this medium nib has 20+ years of use and I couldn't imagine changing it. It is just a tiny plastic piece that needs to be replaced. Those with knowledge about repairs please give me some good news!

Greetings: I have a very cool Swan #3 nib that doesn't have a pen. Can generalizations be made about what pens the #3s were intended for? Can the MT numbering system help? Does it really make much difference? For example, can I mount the nib in an SF2 beater? I do have the feed; how interchangable are they? Or are they? Thanks much!

Who would you recommend to repair and refurbish a snorkel-style Tuckaway that leaks where the barrel joins the nib? Thanks, Laurie

Dear Fountain Pen Network Friends, I am new to The Fountain Pen Network website and admittedly, an amateur collector in the fountain pen world. Five years ago, the first fountain pen I ever purchased was through a Chinese merchant on eBay. I bought a Waterman Phileas, black, with a steel medium point nib; the sale included a plastic box with a velvet interior and an international ink cartridge, black. I spent around $26. Since then, my interest in fountain pens has become more than an obsessive hobby; it is an intense admiration of all antiquities. I continued purchasing pens through eBay--mostly vintage Sheaffar pens that needed repairing--and plain black and blue inks in cheaply made inkwells for the next two years. Presently, all of my recent fountain pen purchases have been through GouletPens.com. After completing my four years in college as an undergraduate and as a student majoring in Philosophy while minoring in Comparative Literature and Creative Writing, I have decided to continue my education to become a graduate student with the prospects of earning a PhD in Continental Philosophy as well as a master's degree in Comparative Russian Literature--an ambitious attempt since the only other language I speak is Spanish, poorly, but enough to get me by. Knowing very well that my scholastic pursuits will lead me to a career where writing is as common as showering or brushing one's teeth, I began, at an early age, to keep a diary to train my hands in the art of writing (as a young rebellious-of-all-things-religious Catholic school student, I was forced to learn cursive writing; as an adult, my writing style is a hybrid of both print and cursive). In high school, I was a Graphic Arts student and knew that not all paper was made the same. Whenever I tried using my Waterman Phileas on recycled leaves of paper, it would bleed through the page and onto another--obviously I was writing as slow as a sloth. I began searching for paper that could withstand the generous flow of ink from a fountain pen. I came across a leather diary by PaperChase. Bleeding was less of an issue with this diary, but still a problem. To make this autobiographical account of my history with fountain pens and durable paper short, being that this is my first post on The Fountain Pen Network, I ask this: what are the best fountain pens a student can buy that are under $100? Moreover, it is important to note that pen and paper are, for lack of a better word, harmoniously symbiotic; therefore, what kind of paper can withstand the torturous swaying, swiping, and scratching of a nib? Furthermore, what would a fountain pen expert recommend when suggesting inks?--please, be playful with this one. Currently, my daily drivers (or, the fountain pens I carry with me and use daily), in order of least favorable to favorable, are the Pilot Metropolitan, black, with a steel medium nib; the Reform 1745, green and black, with a gold plated (correct me if I am wrong) medium iridium point nib; and finally, a TWSBI Diamond 580, transparent (hence, the diamond) body, with a steel fine point nib. All pens are filled with Diamine's Red Dragon ink--a personal favorite which makes all writing feel like a tribute to William Blake. Finally, the diary I carry with me is a hardback 5 x 8.25 Moleskine Classic Notebook with plain pages only because, as Juan Ramon Jimenez wrote, "If they give you ruled paper, write the other way." My Fountain Pen Network friends, I hope you can enlighten me on how best to pursue a lifestyle in purchasing the right pen, ink and paper, and I trust that your insight will not only direct me, but will also be of some use to others. Thank you. Truly Yours, G. L. P. S. To keep within the limited amount of upload space I have been given, I will uploaded pictures of the nibs for the aforementioned fountain pens. I have also included a picture of the ink I primarily use.

For a while now, I have had my eye on both of those pens. I've read reviews about both, but none of which help... I write unposted to start. I understand both are indeed small, that isn't really an issue though considering I write with my Scheaffer Craftsman (Thanks again Matt!) unposted. And That pen is considerably small. I will not take any nibs larger than a fine. I write too small and all nibs larger than fine, make my handwriting unreadable. So, what is the better pen to invest into? What has a smoother nib? A nicer feel in the hand? Any help is appreciated. And thank you all for taking time to read my thread! ~Phil

Hi All, Hope everyone is doing well! New to FPN and pen collecting - what a great hobby! I need some help and was hoping y'all could assist. I have started getting into repairing my vintage pens (been picking up cheapies here and there) and am having trouble finding parts. Currently I am looking for replacement parts such as: -- Conklin Crescent Mark 50 cap -- Waterman #2 feed/section from a 14k solid gold Edward Todd ringtop -- Parker Lady Duofold "big red" ringtop cap -- Waterman 52 BCHR barrel and cap -- Waterman Thorobred red and green veined cap -- Parker Vacumatic major cap, jeweled, golden I have searched and searched the internet and the "bay" but it seems likes these parts are kept by folks who are collectors/sellers. Anyone have any idea of how I can find the missing parts to my pens? Any feedback is greatly appreciated - it has been a frustrating month or so of constantly searching without any luck . Best, Champagne-N-Beer

So I thought I would post some of my nib swaps I have done over the years. This one, a Muji, was done about a week ago. I had three Bock 76 titanium broad nibs and thought I would see how the Bock performed. I think its a bit too much for the pen. Too traditional looking for such a modern design. A MB Slimline or Lamy Safari would fit the overall theme much better. Hard to find Slimline nibs and feeds these days. Frankly I would not do this again. There was quite a bit of work fitting the Bock unit in the section designed for a Schmitt. The nib is a bit too wide and long which required further work. The nib and feed slits had to be widened for the broad and it only writes without skipping if a cartridge is fitted. This is an eyedropper, so I cut the back of the cartridge off and left the front fitted. I also had to do quite a bit of tip work on the nib. I think I will sell the other two nibs. The Bock titaniums are not my cup of tea. Too flexible and the nib setup is finicky. Next is my long term Aurora 88 modifications. I have had trouble with the first model feed design since I started writing with them in the 60's. After many mods here is my final solution. A Lamy Safari broad nib and feed. Although I had to ream out the section to fit the larger Lamy feed, this pen writes beautifully and will not blot. Perhaps not as elegant as the original nib profile, but not too bad either. Nib replacement is as easy as the original. If only I could find some gold Safari nibs. And next is an old experiment that went right. A long time ago, I had a Shaeffer triumph nib in my parts box gathering dust and I had just purchased a Pelikan MK30 at the local art supply store. I did not like the Pelikan at all and decided rather than toss the piece of junk I would graft the triumph nib on it. Even though the cap has seen better days and has been much repaired over the years, this is one of my all time favorite pens. I did have to replace the piston this year, which was a bit of work designing, but its all back together and is a fantastic writer. Last up is a Waterman Jif which I have not modified because there is no point tampering with perfection. This version of the Jif may be one of the best pens ever made (as I have mentioned on other posts). Too bad it was only made in the 80's for a short time. That's all for now.

Which nib of yours is the one to which all comparisons are made? What is it about this nib that makes this "The nib to rule them all"? Mine is the factory stub on an Aurora 88. Absolutely perfect! Perfect ink flow, perfect line variation, perfectly balanced, perfect feedback. I in fact use this as my standard description of what I want when customising.

I just ordered a Monteverde Invincia from eBay and the nib doesn't have the Monteverde's engraving. The seller told me that are old Monteverde stocks from 3 years back. I've seen that kind of nib in a lot of handmade custom pens here, how well do these nibs behave? Thanks. Here is the listing: http://www.ebay.com/itm/171347601704?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

I'm really keen on purchasing my first Japanese pen and really like the Platinum urushi Izumo, red coloured pen. The problem is that I want one with an extra broad, BB nib. I know that Japanese broad is more like. Western medium, and medium nibs just don't work with me. I want to have it custom ground to CI. It appears that retailers say that extra broad is not available with this pen, however, Mottishaw's nibs.com do have an extra broad as an option. Any insights into this? Is it possible for retailer to order one from Platinum, or is this not possible. I really like the pen, but not the rather narrow nib change ( pun intended)...

I've heard it said that fountain pen nibs "wear in" to the angle you use to write with them (at least in older, softer nibs), and that you should avoid loaning out your pens because the person you give it to will write at another angle and give it a second wear point, ruining the nib. Is this true? Are you able to tell by looking at a nib where the wear point is? If this is true, how common is this phenomenon? (Should I loan my pens out or not?) I collect pens from the early-mid 20th century, so should I be concerned with this?

Hello, I've recently picked up a Sheaffer Statesman and am in the process of repairing it. I have noted the nib was scratchy so I used a loupe and found one tine ever so slightly lower than the other. After aligning them I still found it scratchy so I very lightly smoothed it out, which, without ink on the nib seemed to do wonders. It didn't catch on the page as it used to. I dipped the nib in some ink and tried it out and, to my disappointment, the nib was no better then it was to begin with (scratchy with normal writing pressure, iffy flow); it only gave good ink flow with a good amount of pressure. So, I did the only thing I could think of: used a loupe paired with my camera to get an even closer look. It looks like the tines are different lengths, with the tipping material not lining up. I'm beginning to think this is the problem but I have no clue if it is. If this is the problem is it possible for me to fix it? I do not believe the nib has been ground to an oblique angle but I could be wrong. Album of photos (you can zoom in a decent amount without loosing too much detail): http://imgur.com/a/KULPY#0

Hi All, In need of some advice. I have a busted feed and section for a #2 Waterman nib. It came from my 14k solid gold Edward Todd ringtop (lever fill). The crazy thing is it is a screw-in section. I am not sure if this is original? Anyway, I would like to replace the feed and section and get the little guy up and running again, but I cannot find a screw-in section and feed. My thought was to find a similar (same) pen and swap out the feed/section, but I do not know what to look for on the cheap and not in the mood to spend hundreds on the same pen to fix this one . Any suggestions on how I can get this little feller going again? Can add pictures if you think it would help. Thanks in advance!

My beloved husband of 33 years passed away in the early hours of Wednesday morning, after having another stroke. When I saw him on Tuesday, it was heartbreaking; but I know he is at peace now. The reason Im writing this is because I want to buy myself a special pen, to use to write in a Filofax which I'd just recently bought, just things about us, and him....trying to help myself. Anyway, Im pretty new here, and I know that everyone's tastes in pens differ greatly, but I would be so grateful for any suggestions. The Filofax is a beautiful grey Malden A5, and I had not started using it, so I decided I wanted to keep it for this. I also recently got some lovely grey inks.....the grey/ silver theme seems to fit this purpose perfectly. He had silver hair(used to kid me that it was black when we first met, which is true) so Im thinking of something grey or silver .....but not something I would have to polish to keep pristine. Budget....around £100, but willing to go to £150. I had a gift from a friend of a bit of cash, so it would be a nice and specific way to use it, rather than just being lost in gobbling up bills and daily ordinary things. Oh, and Ive discovered that I like the sight of a beautiful full nib, rather than the hooded type(learned that after getting a Parker 51, which I like, but not as much as I thought I would) and am fond of quite big, weighty pens. And I favour a fine nib. Hoping this makes sense...Im pretty fragile right now... Alexcat

I recently bought a new Lamy 2000. A couple days after using it, I dropped it by accident and it fell on its nib. Now, there is a small split and I cannot write with it. What can I do? If I send it to Lamy, will they fix it, or does this count as abuse?

Hello ...This Marlen from Ebay. I got it. Is this nip on the pen nip Marlen? I wonder ... Or fake? Thanks...

Hi Everyone - on the advice of a fellow FPN'er, I have moved my question to the "repairs" section - can anyone help? Hi All, Hope everyone is doing well! New to FPN and pen collecting - what a great hobby! I need some help and was hoping y'all could assist. I have started getting into repairing my vintage pens (been picking up cheapies here and there) and am having trouble finding parts. Currently I am looking for replacement parts such as: -- Conklin Crescent Mark 50 cap -- Waterman #2 feed/section from a 14k solid gold Edward Todd ringtop -- Parker Lady Duofold "big red" ringtop cap -- Waterman 52 BCHR barrel and cap -- Waterman Thorobred red and green veined cap -- Parker Vacumatic major cap, jeweled, golden I have searched and searched the internet and the "bay" but it seems likes these parts are kept by folks who are collectors/sellers. Anyone have any idea of how I can find the missing parts to my pens? Any feedback is greatly appreciated - it has been a frustrating month or so of constantly searching without any luck . Best, Champagne-N-Beer

I am thinking of getting a Danitrio, and of course, can only do that by mail. can anyone tell me about their soft niibs? Can you compare it to, for example, a Namiki Pilot (though the Namiki body is much smaller)? or to an old Waterman? Or...or... Nibs.com says the Danitrio soft nibs don't work well and all need adjustment. Do you agree? Is flexing done easily (i.e., with a natural hand) or only under pressure? So many discussions and photos of flex nibs don't address this issue...never say how much pressure it took. And while I am at it--are the nib sizes similar to japanese or to European nibs? Are fine nibs scratchy or smooth? Enough questions. Thanks for your thoughts.

Greetings from Dublin, Ireland My Danitrio Barytone had an accident yesterday and the nib is ruined. It is a steel gold(?) plated nib that carries the inscription "Schmidt Iridium Point". Would you know if and where I can get a replacement? Thanks!

Hello there people! First of all, this is not a formal review, but i try and provide the needed information with suitable pictures! Its a light read sprinkled with just the right amount of information! So, I bring to you the review of my Parker Frontier fountain pen! I know that it's too old a model to interest many of you but hey! Old is gold right?? Every pen becomes one with its user! So I've heard...well, that's too much intimacy now! But, i decided to write a review of mine for two reasons: 1) I like this pen so much that while i was writing with it, i thought i should give it the testimony it deserves on my part! and 2) It has got a damaged nib and still it writes perfectly without a scratch! I know its not a very special pen. It is available readily and easily, and is quite inexpensive too, but, beauty (and performance!) in simplicity is THE thing about this pen! Many of you who own this pen and like it, must know what i am talking about! As mentioned in the title, my pen has a gold plated fine-turned-medium nib with other features, also mentioned. But of course the pen comes in a variety of nib sizes and body finishes such as Matt-black, brushed chrome with silver accents e.t.c. LOOKS AND FEEL: This baby is a solid metal pen! With the sleek brushed chrome design and the golden colored arrow-head metal clip and other golden accents..it has got pretty much everything going on for it in the matters of looks and feel! The chrome body has a nice rounded-off feel with just the right amount of texture of brushed chrome that feels silky but not slippery! Its juicy! The Head to toe view! http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2874/9340080017_7593947d90_z.jpg C360_2013-07-22-15-15-31-690 by deathadder_44, on Flickr The toe to head view! http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7444/9340085169_d78952d395_z.jpg C360_2013-07-22-15-15-20-124 by deathadder_44, on Flickr UPON REMOVING THE CAP, a friendly looking gold-plated nib smiles at you! It lies along with the feed in a plastic grip section. The feed is a screw-fitted one, so be careful not to pull it out just like that! You might break it and thus, ending your beautiful relationship with the pen! You can unscrew it like a normal screw and it will come out easily. The nib is sort of "attached" to the feed by two "hooks" on each side into which the nib clicks in place, which also makes aligning the nib and feed very easy because once you properly "hook" the nib in the feed, it will stay there in a way it is meant to stay! Now, is it sweet or is it sweet?! The pen; Uncapped! http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5449/9342869402_1e819eab0d_z.jpg C360_2013-07-22-15-10-08-955 by deathadder_44, on Flickr The nib and feed! Sorry i did not separate the nib and the feed as the pen was already inked up and i did not want things to get messy by separating the nib and letting the ink flow around the cloth rag! http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5349/9340127445_ef359bcca6_z.jpg C360_2013-07-22-15-13-53-301 by deathadder_44, on Flickr THE NIB that i had in this pen was a "fine" one, but now it writes medium. Here's how it happened. One fine day while writing with it, i kept it aside for a moment to get to a book, but, the luck had its way and the pen rolled off my desk hitting the edge of the drawer on its way down. Praise be to the heavens that the pen did not hit the ground with the nib facing down! (it hit sideways). But, when i picked it up, i saw that the damage had been done by the drawer. Which pinched my heart. The writing end of the nib had bent a little with the tines being displaced away from each other. I applied some pressure and carefully straightened the bent part and pushed the tines toward each other to be aligned and fortunately they snapped in place with a satisfying click! But, when i wrote with it..the nib had changed! It was more wetter and drew a broader line than earlier by which i was actually happy! However, it did loose a bit of its smoothness but it does not bother at all because the difference is very minute. THE NIB THAT WAS ONCE A "F" http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3712/9340125361_10047ee0c1_z.jpg C360_2013-07-22-15-11-22-764 by deathadder_44, on Flickr As you can see, the tines are not "normal" but it still writes perfectly! THE INK FILLING MECHANISM is a standard Parker converter which is included with the pen and holds about 0.5 to 1ml of ink. http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2878/9342916954_330f0e333c_z.jpg C360_2013-07-22-15-14-25-416 by deathadder_44, on Flickr The pen without the body barrel http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7426/9342920606_df4a586b32_z.jpg C360_2013-07-22-15-14-52-020 by deathadder_44, on Flickr THE WRITING SAMPLE (Warning! The handwriting and the pen are not a good couple! But, i am working toward betterment of our relationship! ) I am posting this picture under natural window-light conditions to give a natural view. The paper is 70 GSM off-white. http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7299/9342864414_295fe48eff_z.jpg C360_2013-07-22-15-03-44-182 by deathadder_44, on Flickr This one is just for fun and a close-up view! In Hindi http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2860/9342931792_8be304ae03_z.jpg C360_2013-07-22-15-34-20-280 by deathadder_44, on Flickr So, this marks the end of my review, please do share any comments, suggestions or your experiences or ask questions! Thanks for reading! Have a good day with your beloved pens! Enjoy!

i am not sure if it is an error or done intentionally...i hope someone can shed some more light on it. http://i.imgur.com/DTZ12EG.jpg here is a link to the listing on ebay thee nib has a faint marking of pellikan and is on a g28 pen(as mentioned by the seller)