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I'd appreciate any insights/feedback about cost-effective German replacement nibs... I've purchased about a dozen Jinhao x750 and x450 pens and have enjoyed swapping out the stock medium nibs for fine. I was going to buy some Goulet nibs from Jowo but then found Knox and Nemosine nibs for half the price. They are also German-made and I have been pleased with how they write. I've also read about Bock nibs but haven't tried any. Does anyone have experience with these various brands/makers of nibs and how they compare? Thanks! Najeeb

This is one of my favorite recent nib comparison shots - I guess because it has my favorite pen in it, and shows off its massive scale! Anybody prefer the size of a Platinum or similar pen, or is bigger always better, like the Pilot Namiki Emperor here??

Could someone offer a brief or comprehensive comparison of nibs that come with flagship pens from the popular premium brands? Say, Montblanc 149, Pelikan M1000, Sailor Custom Urushi etc.

A few weeks ago, I happened to stumble upon my 2 year old Parker Frontier which I had cast aside due to it's frustrating nib problems. The gold plated nib that it came with was so scratchy that I tried grinding it and ended up ruining it. Now it has an ultra cheap steel nib by Reynolds on which leaks like anything. I really like the design of the pen that I would like to find a suitable nib for it. Nibs of all sorts - flex, standard, italic, stub, bold, fine are equally welcome (though an italic or flex would be really good to have).

Im not definitely committed to this idea yet, but I am having fun contemplating it and scoping things out. Descriptions of the Imporium nib that Ive read online make it really appealing to me. I imagine putting it on my Studio or Safari LX (which arrived with a dud of a nib, anyway). The company is clearly not interested in making either the pen itself or the nib available here in the US, but there is a link in a post in this forum which leads to the site where Lamy does [will add link when I get on the desktop site], in fact, sell the Z56 (version with gold and ... looks like ... maybe, rhodium? Silver?) and the Z57 (the deadly handsome gold and black version) for 95,00. Interestingly, these are definitely not available for purchase through Lamys central corporate website. Anyway, its one of those irrational ideas that occur to you when youre way too into fountain pens and all their accoutrements...maybe totally stupid but I just wondered if anybody had thoughts or advice to share!

Can Parker 88 nibs can be used in other Parker Pens? Thanks very much.

A question pertaining to Vanishing Point nib sizes: Has anyone else experienced a significant difference between the fine and medium VP nibs (the silver looking gold nib rather than the black-coated gold nib)? I have both a fine and a medium. The fine is almost like writing with a needle and the medium lays down a much larger, wetter line. I'm pretty experienced with fountain pens, so made sure to use the same ink and paper combinations when experimenting in order to reduce the variables. I used Iroshizuku take-sumi and standard Rhodia graph paper as well as cheaper steno pad paper in a separate test. I also understand the differences between Western and Japanese nibs, i.e. a Western fine in more like a Japanese medium, Japanese nibs running approximately one size smaller than it's Western counterpart. I love the idea and ease of the VP, but have been unhappy with both these nibs, either too fine or too broad for my tastes. It just seems like there is such a jump between the fine and medium... Was curious if anyone else had a similar experience or additional thoughts/comments or if I happened to get into some quality control issues. Cheers, RO

I have a Stipula FPN pen. If there were several series, this is from the first series. It's never written well; the flow stops. I don't like flossing tines, and slightly spreading the shoulders hasn't worked. Who can reliably repair this?

I am sure that many of you have already read this, but I just read this 2000 article on a tour of the Bock nib factory in Germany. I found it totally fascinating and thought I would share the link. https://www.nibs.com/blog/nibster-writes/nibs-germany

No one seems to have an answer in my other thread so taking another approach. Have you noticed that the trendy black ionized nibs tend to write drier than other nibs? If I try to swap a new black nib with another black nib, am I setting myself up for failure?

G'day all. I've just come into acquisition of 5 more lovely Brause boxes and would like to know if theres any places I can buy the nibs for them? Specifically, I bought (quite impulsively) a No. 538F box, but seemingly the nib has vanished off of the face of the Earth online. Here is an image of the boxes: If anybody on here happens to be selling them, I would be also be willing to buy some!

For Christmas I received a flock of Jinhao 750 pens -- then purchased a small number of Zebra G Titanium nibs with the goal of converting the pens I did not give as gifts to use with a flex hack. Help here on FPN and lots of You-Tube, I converted only two of the remaining pens successfully (almost) to where normal script works OK most of the time. I had cleaned the nibs well before replacing them in the 750s. I discovered that the feeds (several good inks tried) cannot keep up with and flex. On You-Tube I found an engineer/chemist who partially solved this problem by realizing the ink flow properties of ebonite are not replicated by plastic. And since these pens are cartidge pens made in China, their feeds are designed just for cartridges and being inexpensive.. Apparently experience has been that ebonite wears and breaks if used or modified to work with cartridges or refill assemblies. Digging a wider channel in plastic does not work to increase flow either. The chemist went to work to see if he could change the surface of the plastic to be more like ebonite in carrying ink. Hed put his Jinhao plastic feeds into an Ozone generating oven for 30 minutes which did "corrode" (his term) the surface of the plastic enough to increase its ability to feed to flex uses by, he estimates, 30 percent. I have seen no tests of the longevity of this partial cure. I cannot afford an Ozone Oven, and currently know no one at the University that has access. I have looked at making one (oven) as a hack -- but keeping the oven sealed with the Ozone in it starts the list of problems -- another being my lack of electrical knowledge to make electrical sparks efficently and safely enough on a budget WITHOUT blowing every fuse on my block and risking leakoing Ozone Exposure respiratory problems. SO _ HAS ANYONE ELSE been crazy or knowledgeable enough to pursue and possibly solve the problem of hacking or easily and inexpensively replacing Jinhao 450 and 750 plastic feeds to have them work properly with the flexing Zebra G Nib? Or, failing spending a large sum, has anyone come up with a fountain pen solution for good flex for we who are on miniscule fixed incomes with age preventing us from getting a regular job? (At age 76 I have earned the right to ask this last question.) I openly admit I am a sort of newbie in some ways -- and chose to get back into handwriting with fountain pens because I thought I could afford the time and cash to get a few cheap Chinese pens, some nibs, and work for the next couple of years to get script (Spencarian I think) my mother used with ease and grace with examples going back to WWI and continuing well into her 88th year and a futile heart surgery death.

Hi All, can anyone point me in the right direction with regards to my Pilot Heritage 92. I have a F nib, but its to fine for my taste. I haven't yet got anywhere to sell bad pen purchases so I was looking at swapping the nib out. Has anyone found a source for Pilot nibs other than VP nibs. Eventually I hope to try selling some pens on here as i have some fine sailors that i have purchase mediums to replace.

Hi guys, Does anyone know of a nib grinder/nibmeister in the Dublin area, or in Ireland in general? I'm looking to get my M Lamy 2000 ground to an architect nib and trying to avoid paying for international shipping. Thanks in advance, Rob

I have a Waterman Hemisphere which looks good and feels good but I prefer my writing with my Lamy containing a 1.1mm nib, thye problem is that I don't like the look and feel of the Lamy and you can not get 1.1mm nibs for the Hemisphere. I want to buy a pen which has a similar look and feel to the Hemisphere but takes standard Jowo #5 or #6 nibs. This will give me the opertunity to experiment with nibs to find the one that I really like. Can anybody advise on pen manufacturers which accept standard Jowo nibs?

I just got the pet and im amazed by this nib, its very thin in construction and it puts out a very thin one as well, ive tried to compare it with some of my other pens but nothing came close to its level of fineness, then i tried to compare it with some of my gel pens and it wrote quite the same. It wrote with a 0.5-0.6 line. A possible accountant nib? https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=1SG1YUhzEfJnBtPBjOicVvQ5dXDY2_yRF

Hello all! I need some input on a MB 144 nib which appears to “spray” when I’m writing a quick line, specifically from left to right, the nib held at around 45 degrees. I attach some photos of the ink effect on notebook paper, regular and closeup. Photos of the nib at various angles are also attached. Any suggestion on smoothing, flossing, nib channel polishing? I am unable to see any obvious flaws or glitches on the nib itself. Lastly, does anyone have an idea what the root cause of this spray may be? It’s a medium MB 144 nib, somewhat over smoothed using MB midnight blue ink. (May have to load more than once)

Hey, I've just started back using fountain pens. So, I have found my old Jaguar fountain pen out to use. The nib needs replacing but it isn't a popular brand of fountain pen so I can't find anywhere that sells nibs for my pen. Does anyone's know where I can find a decent replacement?

I am not sure it this is right place to post this question. So, Moderator, if you wish to move, please do. I have a lovely Delta Horsepower given to me for Christmas by my daughter. But it has an EF steel nib. While it is a nice, wet nib, I really prefer stub/italic nibs. So I would like to see if it can be swapped out. I have a few questions that I would appreciate input on: 1). Has anyone else had success in swapping out a Delta nib? 2). Can the nib/feed section be removed? Or are they glued in place? If removable, is there another brand of nib/feed section that would fit (i.e. Franklin-Christoph, etc.)? 3). Is the nib itself removable? 4). It appears that the Delta nib in the pen is a #6. What other #6 nib would you recommend? 5). Any other thoughts/considerations/recommendations? I love this pen, and especially since it was given to me by my daughter. I could live with the EF nib, if there is no other alternative. Thank you for your input!

Are Nemosine's M nibs appreciably wider than those of my Pilot Metropolitan M? (And if they are, how do they tend to write out of the box?) Looking for something wider than my Pilot's Japanese M nib, yet inexpensive, and the Metro-lookalike Neutrino model caught my eye.

Hey all! My first post around here I recently received an unexpected windfall from work and decided to try pens from two brands I had not previously tried; one of which was a pen I had been particularly lusting after for quite some time. In this process, I also excluded a pen because its particular brand had a reputation for "scratchy" nibs... and I am now second guessing all this after what I received. So earlier this week I received in the mail a Sailor Pro Gear with rhodium accents and a lovely bicolour 21K nib (broad). I also received, which I was far more excited about, a Pelikan M805 Vibrant Blue, also with a broad nib. Most of what I had read about Pelikan nibs was that they felt like butter writing on glass, and most of what I had read about Sailor nibs was that they had "feedback" but were generally well-adjusted from the box and provided a pleasant writing experience. After inking the Sailor up, I noticed: -it puts ink onto paper with absolutely zero pressure; IE touch the nib to the paper and you can write -it feels a little like a fine mechanical pencil when I write with it - not at all unpleasant, but very different from my two Lamy 2000's or my Pilot Custom 823, which feel like... what I would imagine a fountain pen to feel like (IE nothing, if the paper is good) -it is extremely wet, yet somehow lays down a finer line than my Lamy 2000 medium nib although to be fair, I had expected something like this after reading about Japanese vs western nibs After inking up the Pelikan however... -I have to exert pressure (although to be fair not much) to make it apply ink to paper -when writing, it does *not* feel like a mechanical pencil like the Sailor... however nor does it feel like my two Lamy nibs (both 2000's, one medium and one extra fine) or my Pilot broad nib - it feels sluggish and although it does feel "smooth", it feels smooth in the same way your nib would feel if it were made of bacon fat writing on wax paper... it's smooth to be sure, but slow at the same time, and sluggish -it has definite stubbish qualities! Which although neither my Pilot nor Sailor have, both my Lamy nibs do, which leads me to believe Germans grind their nibs rather differently than other people... and I do like it My question is... Is "feedback" what some people equate to as "scratchiness"... because if so, this Sailor nib I just got is in absolutely no way unpleasant to write with. In fact, it is an absolute *joy* to write with - zero pressure required (why I got into fountain pens, I recently started having to take a lot of notes at my work and my hand cramps with ballpoint pens) and it writes beautifully. And it is nice and bouncy if you accidentally have a ballpoint moment and apply a bit of pressure by accident; you just get a fat line and a lot of ink where you had that moment When I got my Pilot 823 with a broad nib there was something definitely "off" with it, and lo and behold, the tines were not quite aligned right... it would write, but it felt scratchy on the downstroke. I spent a bit of time myself (I am blessed in having not just a loupe, but a Wild Heerburg microscope... which some nibmeisters might be jealous of ) and now that the tines are aligned, it will lay down ink with zero pressure (like my two Lamy nibs), and lacks the pencil-like feel that the Sailor nib has (again, like my Lamy nibs). I hemmed and hawed for a long time about the Vibrant Blue M805 and the Aurora 88 Nebulosa... and in the end I opted for the Pelikan a little bit because of ease of cleaning and such, but also the "scratchiness" reputation of Aurora scared me off a bit. But... my favourite two colours are purple and blue (in that order)... so my heart is still with the Nebulosa. And after writing with a Sailor nib that is both renowned for being "smooth" yet "feedbacky"... I wonder what to expect. What nibs do you find "feedbacky"? Or "scratchy"? Now that I have adjusted my Pilot #15 broad it is very smooth and feels like glass on good paper; it also feels pretty smooth on cheapo work paper. My Lamy 2000 XF requires zero pressure on good paper and writes smoothly on those; I have to be careful on cheap copy paper with it but if I am careful, it lays down a proper super fine line for margin comments and such. My favourite of the ones I own however is hands down my Lamy 2000 medium... on a smooth paper like Rhodia it feels like there isn't even paper underneath it; on cheapo paper it doesn't require the care the XF nib does and just writes comfortably, and it is wet, stubby, and easy to write with in a way no ballpoint of rollerball pen ever provided me with. I will probably do a comparison of all these nibs at some point as a result of this Anyway... "feedback" and "scratchiness" turned me off of one of my grail pens... and now I doubt it. Thoughts?

Can anyone tell me how the Liliput nibs compared to, say, a Lamy safari style nib in widths? Im going to pick up a Liliput in Fireblue but this is my first Kaweco. Is it standard European line widths? I like a Lamy medium nib width BUT a micro pen in double broad does have a crazy appeal to it! I cant believe Ive made it this long without a Kaweco but nows the time! I want to expand the micro fountain pen segment of my collection. My only other right now is a Montegrappa Micra and I really like that pen. Cheers!

I'm ready to try my luck at line variation. So I'm looking at mr. Pen's Italix range. Seems they have a lot of options to choose from. It was all a bit confusing to me, so I've made a list. Hopefully it's useful for someone.

I visited the Getty Center the other day, and saw their exquisite little installation of Giovanni Bellini. An early master of the Venetian Renaissance whose work bore an odd similarity in style and composition to Hieronymous Bosch - maybe Bosch on meds. But the reason Im posting was the beautiful little ink drawing in the exhibit. A lovingly-hatched Holy Family in sepia (not unlike the R & K ink I use). As I studied the drawing I was impressed by the range of line weights and I began to wonder if Bellini used a single pen or several to execute the drawing? He probably used quill pens, and I imagine he might have used several at a time, and perhaps in several sizes. But does anyone KNOW? I throw it out to the knowledge base, and heartily recommend taking in the exhibit if youre in the area.

http://i63.tinypic.com/n6thjk.jpg Karas Pen Co Signature Pens Decograph 1703 – Winter’s Tale “To unpathed waters, undreamed shores” – William Shakespeare, The Winter’s Tale Facing the unknown and uncharted causes a myriad of responses in humans. Some embrace it, charging headlong into adventure. Others shrink from it, preferring the safety of home and familiarity. At Karas Pen Co, we’ve always fallen into the first group—looking for ways to move forward, experimenting with random ideas, and taking risks. The Decograph is the culmination of a journey through unpathed waters. Our research and development for this pen required adapting our machines to a new type of material—one that is nowhere near as uniform in its behavior as the metals we are accustomed to. This latest adventure has proven quite successful. In the spirit of Camillo’s words to Perdita and Florizel, we’d like to invite you to our “unpathed waters, undreamed shores.” Our winter Decograph Special Edition 1703, is a brisk addition to the Decograph pen line. The pen is crafted from material that is a chilling shade of wintergreen, struck through with ribbons of black and streaks of glittery ice. Let us bring a bit of winter cheer to the holidays a little early this year. The 1703 – Winter’s Tale special edition is limited to 60 pieces, each elegantly laser marked on the barrel with sequential numbers. Each pen ships in our custom made and marked pen capsule with a polished steel nib in sizes EF-B, 1.1mm stub, or 1.5mm stub, a standard international converter, and five black standard international cartridges. 2-tone, black lacquer, titanium, and 14K gold nib upgrades are available for an additional charge when selecting the nib choice. MSRP - $165.00 for a limited time use the coupon code DB03DG15 to receive $15.00 dollars off the Decograph 1703. http://i68.tinypic.com/30mmt8z.jpg http://i68.tinypic.com/2i9r1c2.jpg Our Standard Decograph in Black and Green have been reduced $20.00 dollars for the holidays. We have just finished a brand new batch of each color and they are ready to be shipped. Grab them at this great price, don't forget to use our HAPPYHOLIDAYS coupon code on your purchase. http://i66.tinypic.com/f09lc1.jpg For our Fountain K fans, we now have Titanium nibs for your pens. Don't miss out on these awesome nibs, similar to the Titanium nibs for the INK fountain pen. They provide an amazing experience with a springy, semi-flex nib that is amazingly controllable. Check out our video review of these wonderful nibs HERE.