Penbbs Pens Are A Dissappointment

[NumberSix]

 

Just get one with the assumption that you'll need to pull the nib and throw in a bock or JoWo of your choice.

 

So, for instance, #6 nibs from Goulet or Anderson? Those are both JoWos, I think.

[Mech-for-i]

jus for curiosity what do you guys use the PenBBS pens for, what do you write, and how is the stock nib work or not work for you ( pls tell which nib )

[Ted A]

I write letters and journal. I use Penbbs for the same things as all my other pens. But, I have replaced the nibs in mr Penbbs pens. I like the looks and prices of Chinese pens but I want broader nibs, particularly stubs. So I replace whenever I can

[Zookie]

I've not tried PensBBS yet and I am tempted, but because of the mixed reviews-I am torn.

I have a warped sense of humor, so please don't take this the wrong way, but when I read "I am tempted, I am torn" the first thing that popped into my head was what a great title that would make for one of those steamy romance novels.

At least here in the Twilight Zone.

[penzel_washinkton]

jus for curiosity what do you guys use the PenBBS pens for, what do you write, and how is the stock nib work or not work for you ( pls tell which nib )

 

It would be great if this is a new thread just to avoid derailing of this thread?

But anyway, usually use it for my rotational EDC at work to jot notes. The stock nibs (EF and F) are too dry for my liking with some to the point of skipping.

So far I usually swap it out with a Jowo EF nib.

[fudefan]

Nibs as always evoke a lot of debate, discussion, and PenBBS in particular ( and old vintage Hero's ) can be summed up as great for writing daily use Chinese , and basically challenged for anything else [...]

I would argue that PenBBS bent nibs are quite similar to some Montblanc nibs though:

 

[Mech-for-i]

Do note that the PenBBS nib shown a very edged flat side on the tipping where the German had rounded off and curved profile there, the Chinese nib also shown less tipping and a flat profile on the bottom vs the bulged out curve on the German nib. These curved and round portion exhibit in cursive writing as a slide for when one write cross wise or at any angle. Where the Chinese nib help to perform the typical Chinese character strokes especially good for the ending swish and provide that needed positive feedback but can be a PITA when dragging sideway writing cursive ( though if one had get to know this perk one can easily still write with it in cursive just fine )

 

Its a small yet BIG difference ; in reality the PenBBS nib is already one of the milder on this , vintage Hero and Wing Sung nib can really test a person's patience if getting on the non initiated ... lol

Edited January 11, 2020 by Mech-for-i

[fudefan]

Yes, they're called harai and hane strokes in Japanese calligraphy and benefit from this kind of nib. It makes these strokes look like they were made with a brush. You get these tapered lines.

Still, it's not a coincidence that those two nibs look similar: Certain vintage Montblanc nibs are, perhaps accidentally, suitable for this type of calligraphy and are sought-after for this reason. Nib-meisters in Taiwan and Japan (and probably elsewhere) are offering similar grinds, and italian pen maker Santini recently started offering one.

[Theroc]

The finish, details, hardware, material, design of Penbbs all have been enjoyable for me. Occasionally the tines on a nib are too tight and need adjustment, just as with other brands. Some of the nibs have been extraordinarily smooth. You may have encountered an outlier, MKE.

Same experience here. I have 14 PenBBS fountain pens, plus two 500s on the way. I find the materials, construction and finish to be very good.

As for the nibs, some have been excellent, others frustrating. But I've had this experience with all brands of which I own more than two pens.

Nothing a bit of careful tuning can't fix.

[awa54]

I find it hard to think of a well machined acrylic resin pen for under $50US as a disappointment... While I have had two nibs out of fourteen be poor performers right out of the box this is very easily remedied on most models since they have interchangeable nib units, or if you're a bit more ambitious nib swaps are not terribly hard or costly to do, usually with excellent results.

I will say that I have a few criticisms of various models though:

The 352 isn't ED capable, the 355 cap only contacts the operating knob when posted and the design of the piston lock-back mechanism could be improved, despite being some of the most recent designs the 480 and 491 have their o-ring above the barrel threads rather than below like the 308, the 309s filler mechanism can unscrew its self from the barrel when filling, this is easy to see and avoid with clear versions, but not in opaque variants. On top of all these quirks, the lack of easy availability for EF and M nibs is frustrating, as is the fact that the medium is only fractionally broader than the standard fine and there is a total lack of factory options for broader or edged nibs. And finally, all models except for the metal version of the 323 and (discontinued) 266 lack an inner cap seal to the section and many of the designs are comparatively long, which is great for ink capacity, but occasionally awkward in the pocket or posted.

However, none of these issues keep PenBBS pens from being excellent value and at least average to above average quality in my view and I'll keep buying new designs and intriguing colors as they become available.

Edited January 17, 2020 by awa54

[Honeybadgers]

Honestly the PenBBS nibs I'm most often disappointed by are the new ones.

 

The old ones were fairly reliably good. but I run into hard start issues constantly with the new F/M models.

 

It seems like they're still making the old nibs. I got one on my 500 yesterday.

 

I also like the original nib scrollwork. It was unique to the brand

Edited January 18, 2020 by Honeybadgers

[MuddyWaters]

The new round nibs are pretty terrible. They don't make contact with the paper properly.

 

I wish they made a slightly thicker pen. Anyway I may go back to using my 323 and try to see if I could fit a Jowo in it. The upturned nib is nice in the effect it produces but I found it sometimes had a hard time making contact with the paper and needed some pressure.

[awa54]

The new round nibs are pretty terrible. They don't make contact with the paper properly.

 

I wish they made a slightly thicker pen. Anyway I may go back to using my 323 and try to see if I could fit a Jowo in it. The upturned nib is nice in the effect it produces but I found it sometimes had a hard time making contact with the paper and needed some pressure.

 

 

I'm not sure what you mean by this... none of the PenBBS nibs I have need any sort of pressure to write, though a few are dry writers, in as much as they don't spew ink on to the page. I guess if you were using unusually dry writing inks you might need a bit of pressure to increase ink flow?

Edited January 19, 2020 by awa54

[MuddyWaters]

 

 

I'm not sure what you mean by this... none of the PenBBS nibs I have need any sort of pressure to write, though a few are dry writers, in as much as they don't spew ink on to the page. I guess if you were using unusually dry writing inks you might need a bit of pressure to increase ink flow?

I think it's a writing angle issue as i write a little shallow