Jump to content

Is This Actually A Sailor Zoom Nib?


JonB55198

Recommended Posts

Hello FPN,

 

Quite some time ago I bought a used 1911 with 14k "Zoom Nib" without the box or papers. I was told it was a Zoom Nib. But, I cannot seem to get the same line variation out of it that other reviews and photos seem to show. Could you please take a look at the photos of the nib here as well as my writing samples to determine if this is actually a zoom nib or just maybe a Medium or Broad? I've heard that even the other types of nibs do show some variation when the writing angle is changed. Let me know what you think:

 

http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/jonb55198/Sailor%201911%20Zoom%20Nib/20170302_143402_zpsdug0kq90.jpg

 

http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/jonb55198/Sailor%201911%20Zoom%20Nib/20170302_143432_zpsd4al09pz.jpg

 

http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/jonb55198/Sailor%201911%20Zoom%20Nib/20170302_151504_zpsvstz8w7m.jpg

 

http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/jonb55198/Sailor%201911%20Zoom%20Nib/20170302_151551_zpszy3pkbam.jpg

 

http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/jonb55198/Sailor%201911%20Zoom%20Nib/20170302_150220_zpss4awx4jn.jpg

 

http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/jonb55198/Sailor%201911%20Zoom%20Nib/20170302_150019_zpsv5owrb2c.jpg

 

http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/jonb55198/Sailor%201911%20Zoom%20Nib/20170302_145949_zpsgrs6ezjh.jpg

 

http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/jonb55198/Sailor%201911%20Zoom%20Nib/20170302_145839_zpsckvlcmqb.jpg

 

http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/jonb55198/Sailor%201911%20Zoom%20Nib/20170302_144519_zpsj1opets8.jpg

 

http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt214/jonb55198/Sailor%201911%20Zoom%20Nib/20170302_144507_zpsn8tjusvi.jpg

WTT: Conklin Nozac Cursive Italic & Edison Beaumont Broad for Pelikan M1000 or Something Cool (PM me to discuss. It's part of my One Red Fountain Pen trading post)

WTB: 1. Camlin SD

2. 1950s to early 1960s 1st Gen MB 149 with BB nib

3. Airmail 90T Teal Swirl

4. PenBBS 355-16SF Demonstrator

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 10
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • JonB55198

    4

  • Bluey

    3

  • Sandy1

    1

  • AD43

    1

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted Images

Does it not say "H-Z" on the side of the nib? The line width at a shallow angle doesn't seem as broad as a zoom.

 

All Sailor nibs will show line variation when you change the angle because of the shape of the nib

 

I took some pics of my zoom nib here so you can compare

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/318572-sailor-h-b-marked-nib-writes-like-a-zoom-nib/?p=3793566

Edited by Bluey
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does it not say "H-Z" on the side of the nib? The line width at a shallow angle doesn't seem as broad as a zoom.

 

I will look when I get home. Tho I do not recall seeing "H-Z" imprint. In fact, I do not recall any imprint indicating fine, medium, broad, zoom or any nib type. Is it possible since this is an older model, before the 21k version, that this imprint isn't present?

 

It is possible the original owner made a mistake since I wasn't given any documentation. Do you have a guess of what nib type this is if it isn't zoom? Is it possibly a broad?

WTT: Conklin Nozac Cursive Italic & Edison Beaumont Broad for Pelikan M1000 or Something Cool (PM me to discuss. It's part of my One Red Fountain Pen trading post)

WTB: 1. Camlin SD

2. 1950s to early 1960s 1st Gen MB 149 with BB nib

3. Airmail 90T Teal Swirl

4. PenBBS 355-16SF Demonstrator

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi,

 

IIRC my Zoom nib has a 'Z' (for Zebra) engraved on the left side wing of the nib.

 

Bye,

S1

Edited by Sandy1

The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Many of Sailors regular nibs are cut like quasi-zoom nibs with the facets on the top.

 

I have a Sailor B nib that acts just like a less dramatic zoom nib and it is just labeled H-B. So it is hard to tell without looking at the imprint if it really is a zoom nib. But since the regular nibs are not round ball tips just looking with a loupe might lead you to believe any random larger nib could be a zoom.

Looking for a cap for a Sheaffer Touchdown Sentinel Deluxe Fat version

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

I will look when I get home. Tho I do not recall seeing "H-Z" imprint. In fact, I do not recall any imprint indicating fine, medium, broad, zoom or any nib type. Is it possible since this is an older model, before the 21k version, that this imprint isn't present?

 

It is possible the original owner made a mistake since I wasn't given any documentation. Do you have a guess of what nib type this is if it isn't zoom? Is it possibly a broad?

I think it's closer to a broad. There should still be something written on the side of the nib on the older(?) style nibs, but in the case of the zoom it's not very conspicuous.. I've just had a look at mine and attached a pic along with a pic of the older(?) style nib with the zoom imprint from somewhere on the net.

 

It's possible that the "Z" wasn't indicated on the older(?) 14k nibs

post-124227-0-32759500-1488557063_thumb.jpg

post-124227-0-38343100-1488557379_thumb.png

Edited by Bluey
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's possible that the "Z" wasn't indicated on the older(?) 14k nibs

 

Thank you for the photos. I took some time to go over every square micrometer of my nib using a 30x loupe and some really great lighting. I even pulled the nib and feed from the section to examine if the nib type had been stamped in a location that sits within the feed. I could not find anything on my 14k nib at all.

 

A friend of mine says that it is possible that the older nibs had less variation and in response to the market, Sailor started creating them with more variation ability. I'm not sure and this is just hypothesis.

 

Does anyone have an old 14k zoom nib to compare writing samples with?

WTT: Conklin Nozac Cursive Italic & Edison Beaumont Broad for Pelikan M1000 or Something Cool (PM me to discuss. It's part of my One Red Fountain Pen trading post)

WTB: 1. Camlin SD

2. 1950s to early 1960s 1st Gen MB 149 with BB nib

3. Airmail 90T Teal Swirl

4. PenBBS 355-16SF Demonstrator

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mine's a 14k attached to a 1911, has a small 'Z' inscribed on the side of the nib, and I've never been able to make it do much line variation.

 

33190551935_39de4f064a_z.jpg

My latest ebook.   And not just for Halloween!
 

My other pen is a Montblanc.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You have to change the angle a LOT(eg 90 degrees, 50 degrees, 30 degrees). I find it a bit too broad for me for everyday writing. Perfect in every other way though - flow, wetness/dryness, smoothness/feedback

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I may try to find a used pro gear realo with a zoom. I thought Ajit the music nib, but with only 2 tines, I don't consider it a true music nib.

WTT: Conklin Nozac Cursive Italic & Edison Beaumont Broad for Pelikan M1000 or Something Cool (PM me to discuss. It's part of my One Red Fountain Pen trading post)

WTB: 1. Camlin SD

2. 1950s to early 1960s 1st Gen MB 149 with BB nib

3. Airmail 90T Teal Swirl

4. PenBBS 355-16SF Demonstrator

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33501
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26627
    5. jar
      jar
      26101
  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o
  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More
  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...