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Availability Of Bb, Bbb And Other Specialty Nibs


jmccarty3

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I have heard numerous rumors that major makers, e.g., Montblanc, Pelikan, Parker, will no longer produce very broad or other specialty nibs, the type that a nibmeister can use for a good custom grind. Does anyone know the details of what is or is not going to be available? I have ordered a BB for my Pelikan M1000 that I intend to send to Pendleton Brown, but I would like to know what else may be in short supply. Thanks!

Rationalizing pen and ink purchases since 1967.

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I think there's a problem with the implication that it takes a very broad nib for a nibmeister to use for a good custom grind.

 

If you like 3b nibs, great! But folks like Pendleton Brown can do wonders with a western fine nib.

 

I think the market for extra-broad nibs simply isn't there. If it were, they would make them.

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That shows the added value of pen producers that offer special nib services , like onoto and Conid amongst others!

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there is another problem, if the pen has tipping you cant really grind it to make it broader than the starting size of the tipping. you would need to have the pen retipped by a specialist and then shaped to your liking.

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  • 5 weeks later...

As a person who adores her b and bb nibs, I am truly gutted by this news, if true. It means that I will no longer be purchasing any new fountain pens from these manufacturers! The narrowest nib I will use is a western B or perhaps an IM from Conway Stewart at a pinch if they are a very wet writer - which all of mine are! I don"t like the Asian B nibs as these are still too narrow for my tastes which is rather shattering as the actual pen can be an extreme work of art from some of the manufacturers!

I have at least 50 Italians, 8 Conway Stewarts, 2 Mont Blancs and 4 Pelikans at the top of my head plus heaps of others that I can't even remember buying / owning lol which means I need to work at my rotation a little better! Some of them are Broad but most of them are broader, some italics but all at least 1.1mm or broader, lots of stubs, all very wet writers... I may be in the minority but there are still those of us who love our very broad nibs which has nothing to do with a nibmeister except to get the flow perfect for me and very smooth for a perfectly wonderful experience :)

I'm in a constant state of cat-like readiness!!!

"What do we live for if not to make life less difficult for each other" George Elliot

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There is always vintage, which is a tad narrower than modern...more a M-B than a B.

I have a couple of nice BB nibs...2 OBB from Osmia, and a OBB from Pelikan.

There are those who chase BBB from that era also.

 

If one is putting out the cash for something new....for only $80 more you can get a B re-tipped to a wide BB or BBB nib.

I don't chase modern in I like a nib with a bit of flex, semi-flex or 'flexi'/maxi-semi-flex.

 

Wider nibs are available used.

In reference to P. T. Barnum; to advise for free is foolish, ........busybodies are ill liked by both factions.

 

 

The cheapest lessons are from those who learned expensive lessons. Ignorance is best for learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

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I have a nice stash of loose fat nibs. All packed for LA. Come find me and convince me to sell one...

San Francisco International Pen Show - The next “Funnest Pen Show” is on schedule for August 23-24-25, 2024.  Watch the show website for registration details. 
 

My PM box is usually full. Just email me: my last name at the google mail address.

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Pelikan discontinued their BB, BBB, and all of their oblique nibs a year or two ago. CFP still has some in stock, I believe, because their specialty is in nibmeisting, so they probably stocked up.

 

Haven't heard anything about Montblanc discontinuing their other sizes. I believe they still offer eight sizes (EF, F, M) (OM, OB, OBB) (B, BB). I separated out their B and BB because they're technically not a round nib like their EF, F, M, and closer to a stub.

 

Out of curiosity, where did you purchase a BB Pelikan nib?

Edited by Trebor
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I bought it through Rolf at missing-pen.de. It took awhile to get it--it just arrived a couple of days ago. Pelikan should be soundly spanked for taking these specialty nibs out of production.

Rationalizing pen and ink purchases since 1967.

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You know, I felt the same way because it's always a shame to see choice and variety limited. I might have wanted to try them out in the future--but that's the thing, I *might* want to try them out. Not definitely. Pelikan clearly know their market, since they said their sales of specially nibs worldwide were incredibly low and dealer stocks from these specialized dealers still haven't dried up yet (normal dealers have all run out). Hard to blame Pelikan, even though it's a real shame.

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Pelikan could do a lot better job of marketing the interchangeability of their nibs. (The same goes for Aurora.) The ease and economy of switchable nibs is a big advantage that Pelikan has over Montblanc. I can see why relatively few complete pens with specialty nibs would sell, but I can also see why a good number of specialty nibs would sell to Pelikan owners, if these nibs were promoted better. If I were Pelikan, I would have something in every M series ad about how easy it is to change nibs. I have three for my M1000 and three for my M800s.

Rationalizing pen and ink purchases since 1967.

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While I agree that Pelikan doesn't really advertise this, I think the reason why specialty nib sales are so low is... wait for it... because they're specialty nibs. :lticaptd: I think fountain pens are a niche market, but the market for owners who change out nibs is even more niche. There was a story in the Pelikan thread discussing this that someone here bought a Pelikan OBB or something. It had 5 owners in the past year because no one could get used to it.

 

So again, a real shame, and I would have loved to try out these nibs without paying exorbitant prices, but it's hard to blame Pelikan. I'm just grateful they're even around to share their pens with me (is that sad that these pen companies are hanging on by a thread in these times?).

Edited by Trebor
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Several years ago I stopped in a nearby Barnes & Noble book store & asked a clerk if I could be "overlooking" a certain writer as I had tried & couldn't find any books by same. She said "oh yes (as tho she recognized the author's name) I'm sure his are just over here........." Of course there were none. She checked her computer & then explained to me that they did not have ANY of his works & added "I guess he isn't really very popular with readers." I had to ask her how he was going to become popular if they offered NONE of his works?

 

I telephoned one of the US most popular pen stores to purchase a pen I had seen on their site & check nib sizes available. She explained there was only medium. I asked if it could be changed as I preferred broad & she said "oh so do I Honey.... but if I were you I would just use it as is." Now I realise her answer could have meant that this particular nib wrote "broadish" BUT she didn't mean that as she said it was just more trouble than it was benefit. Now I wonder if that couldn't have something to do with the American audience being less than familiar with B and larger nibs? If people settle happily for what is offered them then why bother offering more choice?

 

I find it offensive that a pen is sold for more than $500. & only offered for sale in only 2 nib sizes from our most respected pen sellers. I would think the seller who offered the most options would benefit from expanded sales. I know I happily purchased the new Lamy Al Star from the UK because I received my nib choice & converter @ 1/2 price what I would have paid the US seller. (I checked after purchase & when adding the additional nib & converter with larger beginning price & shipping it was a true 50% reduction.) It would seem to make a bigger difference the higher the price a pen sold for.

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@Barkingpig: I agree how it's rare for me to visit B&M and find the item (which I personally checked online to be in stock at this store too) actually in the shelves. Nowadays I will visit the library as at least they can use ILL to find books by most authors including rare or uncommon books too.

 

Big box retailers also suffer from the same problems as they are closer to show cases than actual products sometimes. Well, I suppose there's always Costco which is nice.

 

Does Pelikan offer any more oblique nibs? I know that they stopped offering BB and BBB sizes already. Oh well, I guess I can just rely on my vintage Pelikans still.

Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow

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You are also dealing with the fact that the corporate world will only buy the absolute cheapest paper they can so long as it doesn't jam the printers too often. And that paper can just barely cope with a fine nib. So the vast majority of people aren't able to use broad nibs long enough to even begin to get used to them.

To hold a pen is to be at war. - Voltaire
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  • 1 year later...

There is Greg Msomething...real famous.

In he's in the States...I don't have him in mind.

Someone will tell you his name. @$80 for re-tipping.

In reference to P. T. Barnum; to advise for free is foolish, ........busybodies are ill liked by both factions.

 

 

The cheapest lessons are from those who learned expensive lessons. Ignorance is best for learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

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There is Greg Msomething...real famous.

In he's in the States...I don't have him in mind.

Someone will tell you his name. @$80 for re-tipping.

Minuskin?

You do not have a right to post. You do not have a right to a lawyer. Do you understands these rights you do not have?

 

Kaweco Supra (titanium B), Al-Sport (steel BB).

Parker: Sonnet (dimonite); Frontier GT; 51 (gray); Vacumatic (amber).

Pelikan: m600 (BB); Rotring ArtPen (1,9mm); Rotring Rive; Cult Pens Mini (the original silver version), Waterman Carene (ultramarine F)

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