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Jowo Vs. Bock


Ed333

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Just curious as to whether stainless steel nibs by JoWo are preferred over Bock stainless steel, or vice versa, or ????

and if so, why?

 

Also, as an example, Edison pens come with JoWo steel nibs, but you can get a JoWo gold nib for an upcharge. Are they worth the extra money?

 

I should state my preference is for smooth writing stubs or cursive italics.

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In my experience, JoWo nibs are more consistent and better performers than Bock — at least when you're comparing the off-the-shelf specs. I've had many Bock nibs, both steel and Ti, that have off-center slits, uneven tipping, baby's bottom, and all kinds of other problems. Naturally both Bock and JoWo do contract manufacturing to any spec and QC level you're willing to pay for. However the last dozen or so off-the-shelf Bock nibs I've received have all been good, which either means they've upped their QC or I'm just having a lucky stretch.

Anthony

ukfountainpens.com

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I think they're both about the same. I like Jowo more because the housings are a little thinner and allow for a slimmer section if you want that. I see off center slits in bothevery now and then. How they write depends on how well they're tuned up. Both feeds do an equally good job in my opinion. The only thing I really don't like about Bock is they charge more for blank nibs than they do for billy goat nibs. Jowo are blank unless you pay extra for your logo. So they're my preference. The gold nibs from both brands are great.


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My experience with "off-the shelf" JoWos and Bocks (recognising both brands also do customised nibs for other manufacturers) has led me to enjoy both. HOWEVER:

 

(1) I've found JoWos to be more consistent in terms of turning up ready to write - Bocks are a bit of a lottery (unless the pen manufacturer you're buying from does their own QC, as Karas Pen Co have started to).

(2) Finer-tipped Bocks seem (to me) to write with just a little more character - a bit juicier, and with the tiniest bit of 'bounce' or 'give' when you apply downward pressure. I quite enjoy that. [On the other hand, the broader Bock nibs I have in my collection - a B and just recently a BB - don't lay down as much ink as I'd have expected.]

(3) JoWo stubs are quite rounded at the edges, making for a more 'forgiving' writing experience; Bocks tend to be sharper, requiring you to hold the pen more precisely to get a good writing experience.

 

For smooth writing stubs, I think I'd favour JoWo. Can't tell you whether gold is a better option than steel (that's a personal preference thing), but as stated above, JoWo stubs definitely write a little smoother. And you can't go wrong with Edison - unlike some of the Kickstarter companies I've backed (who seem to use Bock nibs and get back-ordered!), they quality test every (JoWo) nib they send out of their shop.

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For "smooth writing stubs or cursive italics" I'd say the best bet would be tipped nibs reground by a nibmeister, at least if we are talking about stainless steel (I assume the gold stubs from Bock and Jowo do have hard tipping, though I've never used one, so can't evaluate their factory grinds.)

 

Since the steel nibs are not expensive, it might be worth getting a few and learning to grind them to one's own taste. Very inexpensive Chinese or Indian nibs can be used for initial practice, and a decent loupe and graded abrasive papers can pay for themselves fairly quickly.

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For "smooth writing stubs or cursive italics" I'd say the best bet would be tipped nibs reground by a nibmeister, at least if we are talking about stainless steel...

 

 

There's also the question of whether the emphasis on "smooth writing" is versus scratchy in terms of geometry and finish of the business end (with or without tipping material), or as in forgiving and not being "fussy" if the user rotates the nib slightly while writing. I would personally prefer whichever one is made to stricter standards, smooth as in not damaging the paper surface when used properly as designed by the manufacturer, but (because it is precise in manufacture and finish) quick to let the user know in no uncertain terms when the handling by the latter doesn't match that level of precision.

 

Between the two brands, and without limiting myself to Stub nibs, I guess I trust JoWo just that little bit more for consistency, not that I think its nibs are materially different from Bock's. That's on the assumption of my Diplomat Aero having a JoWo nib and my Leonardo Momento Zero having a Bock nib; the pen manufacturers didn't say. I'm happy enough with my Nemosine Stub nibs (made by JoWo) and the Bock Stub nib on my one-and-only Ranga, but I'd take Pilot's Plumix (Italic) nibs over either of those any day if I want to be assured that an Italic or Stub nib will write precisely and smoothly (with the right technique) out of the box.

I endeavour to be frank and truthful in what I write, show or otherwise present, when I relate my first-hand experiences that are not independently verifiable; and link to third-party content where I can, when I make a claim or refute a statement of fact in a thread. If there is something you can verify for yourself, I entreat you to do so, and judge for yourself what is right, correct, and valid. I may be wrong, and my position or say-so is no more authoritative and carries no more weight than anyone else's here.

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In my experience (the stock Jowo steel 1.1 stub versus Jowo steel B nibs reground by two different professionals) the regrinds are superior in all the ways mentioned by Smug Dill. It's not surprising, since the comparison is between an inexpensive mass-produced item and a nib expertly hand-finished under a microscope. I would agree that having or not having hard tipping material is not the key factor.

 

Even with work and shipping charges, a steel nib reground by a nibmeister is still reasonably inexpensive (about $60-70 in the US or Europe).

Edited by BlueJ
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Even with work and shipping charges, a steel nib reground by a nibmeister is still reasonably inexpensive (about $60-70 in the US or Europe).

Considering that I bought a bunch of Nemosine Singularity pens with (0.6, 0.8 and 1.1) Stub nibs for US$7.99 apiece (before shipping charges), and two sets of Japanese-made Pilot Plumix Enso pens (each with three pens fitted with Fine, Medium and Broad italic nibs respectively) for about – A$40 (relatively expensive, and not something I would consider unless it's a pen with a price tag of ten times that.

 

I'd rather buy a bunch of Pelikan M205 'replacement' steel nibs from Cult Pens in the UK for ~£7 apiece (and an order of ten or more units will qualify for free shipping to Australia) and try my hand at regrinding the nibs myself. After all, I couldn't stand the Pelikan gold nibs as made (and factory-fitted on my M400 and M815 pens), and ended up regrinding them myself anyway; even at the price of a Pelikan M815 Metal-Striped, I still didn't think paying ≥US$60 (or closer to US$100, inclusive of shipping to and from Australia) in total for nibmeister and courier service would be worth it.

I endeavour to be frank and truthful in what I write, show or otherwise present, when I relate my first-hand experiences that are not independently verifiable; and link to third-party content where I can, when I make a claim or refute a statement of fact in a thread. If there is something you can verify for yourself, I entreat you to do so, and judge for yourself what is right, correct, and valid. I may be wrong, and my position or say-so is no more authoritative and carries no more weight than anyone else's here.

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Even with work and shipping charges, a steel nib reground by a nibmeister is still reasonably inexpensive (about $60-70 in the US or Europe).

Fpnibs.com (in Spain) charge around 13 Euro fora JoWo stainless steel nib and another 20-25 for a regrind. Can't comment on their shipping charges as it's more than 12 months since I last placed an order - and their customisation charges have gone up too - but they set do a fantastic job, so it's hard to be too critical of that!

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My last nib from Pablo at FPNibs.com, a Jowo steel B ground to 0.8mm stub slightly more than a year ago, was about E45 including international shipping and fees, or about US$54. They indeed offer especially good value in my opinion.

 

Of course the ultimate in value and control of the outcome is in grinding your own nibs, but not everyone is willing to learn the skill. I only just recently made my first attempt, a 0.6mm stub from a Jowo M that turned out decently.

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Jowo nibs have consistently been good performers for me and I cannot say the same for Bock. That said, I have had many excellent performing Bock nibs at the low-end and high-end of the spectrum. I think if you compare standard #6 and #8 nibs from both brands, Bock has a more attractive shape.

 

I have also not used many gold Jowo nibs. I have a Danitrio with their "T" Jowo nib in 18kt gold and I absolutely love it.

 

In terms of stub nibs, Jowo stubs are quite smooth and easy going. I am not sure how they compare to a Bock factory stub though.

 

At the end of the day though both brands make very good nibs and I wouldn't let it sway my decision about at pen.

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I generally find Bock steel nibs very slightly more bouncy than Jowo which feel slightly stiffer, but it's unlikely you would feel that on a stub.

I've not experienced differences in reliability, if I can choose I usually prefer Bock, on F to B.

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