Which Brands Still Make Their Own Nibs?

[nedlieb]

Delta and Marlen buy theirs from Bock, so I hear. I'm fairly certain Ancora and Aurora make their own. I'm not sure about Omas, Montegrappa, or Visconti. Any chance we could get a comprehensive list of which Italian manufacturers still make Italian, as opposed to DeutcheItalian, pens?

[kaisede]

Good question, something that I would like to know also.

 

What I have heard so far,

Omas - NO

Montegrappa - NO

Visconti - NO

[nedlieb]

Good question, something that I would like to know also.

 

What I have heard so far,

Omas - NO

Montegrappa - NO

Visconti - NO

 

Omas is sad, I hear their nibs used to be among the best. Apparently Hemingway wrote with a Montegrappa he bought when he was stationed in Italy so I guess those must be a loss as well (I have trouble seeing someone with his attention to detail and taste living in a time everyone was a fountain pen user writing with a bad pen). Maybe Montegrappa will bring back theirs when they realize they can sell more if they advertise as "the nib that penned A Farewell to Arms" a-la-Moleskine and the new Conklin.

[gkterry]

Aurora makes the complete pen in house - nib included. Not sure of any others.

[AltecGreen]

Aurora

Ancora

Pilot

Platinum/Nakaya

Sailor

Mont Blanc

Lamy

Pelikan

Waterman

Graf von Faber-Castell

 

 

Just a minor point. Just because a nib is not made in-house does not mean the nibs are bad. In the case of Omas, Omas still make their own feed. The design of the current Omas nibs is essentially the same as the old Omas made nibs and different than say a Bock made Visconti nib. The nibs feel a little different but it's not night an day. A Bock made Omas nib does not look like nor feel like a Bock made Danitrio or Visconti nib. Even in the golden age of fountain pens, many companies bought their nibs rather than made them in-house.

[eric47]

Just a minor point. Just because a nib is not made in-house does not mean the nibs are bad. In the case of Omas, Omas still make their own feed. The design of the current Omas nibs is essentially the same as the old Omas made nibs and different than say a Bock made Visconti nib. The nibs feel a little different but it's not night an day. A Bock made Omas nib does not look like nor feel like a Bock made Danitrio or Visconti nib. Even in the golden age of fountain pens, many companies bought their nibs rather than made them in-house.

 

Agree overall with the point about Omas nibs. From what I understand, Omas stopped making them inhouse around 2000, around the time the company passed from the Simoni family to LVMH.

 

One noticeable difference between Omas inhouse and Bock nibs are the sizes -- at least on the finer side of things. The Bock made Fines and Extra Fines are a little wider than the nibs Omas marked as such. While I typically buy and favor Omas made Fine nibs, with the Bock made nibs I prefer an Extra Fine.

 

An Omas made EF was really quite thin, yet even when tuned toward the wet, could lay day controlled lines, and be quite smooth given how thin they are -- a bit of tooth is bound to be there. From what I've seen with various Bock made nibs (Omas, Stipula, Visconti, Tibalidi), Bock made Extra Fines don't approach the old Omas inhouse EF nibs -- they're too wide.

 

ETA: Right, Omas uses their own ebonite feeds even if the nibs are now made by Bock. They don't use the standard plastic feeds that you find say on Viscontis, Stipulas, and (pt. II modern) Tibaldis.

Edited February 21, 2011 by eric47

[tanalasta]

Aurora

Ancora

Pilot

Platinum/Nakaya

Sailor

Mont Blanc

Lamy

Pelikan

Waterman

Graf von Faber-Castell

 

 

Bock make some relatively nice nibs. I however thought they also manufactured for Danitrio, Pelikan, Graf von Faber-Castell? For instance, the Faber Pen of the Years share similar nibs to the Pelikan M800. A bock nib is usually smooth, rigid and flows quite nicely. I suspect they also manufacture for Visconti but they do vary their nib design according to manufacturer specifications.

 

The Japanese largely keep their pen nibs in-house, as do Aurora, MontBlanc.

[eric47]

Bock make some relatively nice nibs. I however thought they also manufactured for Danitrio, Pelikan, Graf von Faber-Castell? For instance, the Faber Pen of the Years share similar nibs to the Pelikan M800. A bock nib is usually smooth, rigid and flows quite nicely. I suspect they also manufacture for Visconti but they do vary their nib design according to manufacturer specifications.

 

Past tense for Pelikan. Rick Propas mentioned after a factory visit that Pelikan was bringing nib production back in house.

 

They do currently make Visconti nibs. On some older pens, Visconti used a different manufactuer, e.g. Tropen on the Replica.

[jar]

Not Italian but ST Dupont still makes their own nibs.

[nicholasyeo]

JAPANESE BRANDS!

[dnb]

Omas is sad, I hear their nibs used to be among the best.

 

I think we need to be careful with information that we don't have experience with first hand. Irreparable harm can be done without our realizing it.

 

I have 3 modern OMAS. Each has a terrific nib that is very responsive, has great feel and great feeds, no skipping, immediate starts. One of these is the best of all my nibs. One is titanium, one is 18k, I can't remember if the other is 14 or 18k. It's not here right now.

 

Again, please let's be careful. Thanks. (I have no affiliation with OMAS)

Edited February 21, 2011 by dnb

[dnb]

 

Just a minor point. Just because a nib is not made in-house does not mean the nibs are bad.

 

+1 Only cheap nibs are off the shelf. Otherwise they are made to the pen manufacturer's specs.

[kaisede]

Just recently I found out that Pelikan nibs are made in-house again except for the M1000.

 

I had an M605 before and the nibs is nice and reliable. Right now I am interested in the M1000 because Pelikan lovers said it has some springiness in it.

 

Can't wait until I get one.

[Blade Runner]

Do brands that uses another company to make their nibs simply attach the nibs supplied to them? Or do they employ nibmeisters to test and adjust each nib once they are assembled by the pen company? I'm not sure. Possibly some in each category.

 

But brands that manufacture their own nibs, do have their own nibmeisters and testers. From my own sampling I've had significanly better nib QC from those brands that make their own nibs. And I like the cachet of brands that are still complete pen makers, that still make the heart of the pen, the nib.

[eric47]

Omas is sad, I hear their nibs used to be among the best.

I think we need to be careful with information that we don't have experience with first hand. Irreparable harm can be done without our realizing it.

 

Again, please let's be careful. Thanks. (I have no affiliation with OMAS)

 

Well, can I say it? I have experience with Omas vintage nibs (1936+), modern inhouse 14K, inhouse 18K, Bock 18K (paragon size), and the 14K Extra Flessibile EF (not sure who made this one). While the Bocks made Omas nibs are nice nibs, I still think it sad that Omas no longer makes their own nibs.

Edited February 22, 2011 by eric47

[Karin]

Just recently I found out that Pelikan nibs are made in-house again except for the M1000.

 

I had an M605 before and the nibs is nice and reliable. Right now I am interested in the M1000 because Pelikan lovers said it has some springiness in it.

 

Can't wait until I get one.

 

I recently bought a Pelikan 1000 with an OB nib. I was pleasantly surprised at the springiness. Much different than my other Pelikans. It is now one of my favourite writers.

[dnb]

Omas is sad, I hear their nibs used to be among the best.

I think we need to be careful with information that we don't have experience with first hand. Irreparable harm can be done without our realizing it.

 

Again, please let's be careful. Thanks. (I have no affiliation with OMAS)

 

Well, can I say it? I have experience with Omas vintage nibs (1936+), modern inhouse 14K, inhouse 18K, Bock 18K (paragon size), and the 14K Extra Flessibile EF (not sure who made this one). While the Bocks made Omas nibs are nice nibs, I still think it sad that Omas no longer makes their own nibs.

You sure can. Being sad that they no longer make their own is quite different from "OMAS is sad."

[eric47]

Omas is sad, I hear their nibs used to be among the best.

I think we need to be careful with information that we don't have experience with first hand. Irreparable harm can be done without our realizing it.

 

Again, please let's be careful. Thanks. (I have no affiliation with OMAS)

 

Well, can I say it? I have experience with Omas vintage nibs (1936+), modern inhouse 14K, inhouse 18K, Bock 18K (paragon size), and the 14K Extra Flessibile EF (not sure who made this one). While the Bocks made Omas nibs are nice nibs, I still think it sad that Omas no longer makes their own nibs.

You sure can. Being sad that they no longer make their own is quite different from "OMAS is sad."

 

Well that too. :roflmho:

 

Seriously, I interpreted the poster comment as in the context as "That Omas doesn't produce their own nibs is sad".

[dnb]

Omas is sad, I hear their nibs used to be among the best.

I think we need to be careful with information that we don't have experience with first hand. Irreparable harm can be done without our realizing it.

 

Again, please let's be careful. Thanks. (I have no affiliation with OMAS)

 

Well, can I say it? I have experience with Omas vintage nibs (1936+), modern inhouse 14K, inhouse 18K, Bock 18K (paragon size), and the 14K Extra Flessibile EF (not sure who made this one). While the Bocks made Omas nibs are nice nibs, I still think it sad that Omas no longer makes their own nibs.

You sure can. Being sad that they no longer make their own is quite different from "OMAS is sad."

 

Well that too. :roflmho:

 

Seriously, I interpreted the poster comment as in the context as "That Omas doesn't produce their own nibs is sad".

 

Maybe I'm just too literal....

[RMN]

There is something "exclusive" about in-house-made. But that does not necesarily mean these are better quality.

 

Bock makes the Conway Stewart nibs, and their factory italics are very good. And as far as I remember reading Bock also made the Visconti Palladium nibs.

 

I have been comparing these Visconti and CS nibs, and their shape and size seems the same. If that would be so, one could marry an CS to Visconti. Interesting thought: a Visconti with a nice factory Italic. Or a CS with a nice 1.3 stub. Would send me buying again. (I hear soft moaning from my wallet: no, no no please don't... there's the mortgage. and.... :roflmho: )

I do not dare changing the nibs and trying out this myself...

 

 

D.ick