Best Vintage Dip Pen Nibs For Regular Writing?

[OakIris]

I am sure this has been asked before but I did a search and found nothing, probably because FPN's search engine doesn't like 3 letter words.

 

I have a vintage silver dip pen and "modern" nibs don't seem to fit. I want to use the pen just to write with, don't intend to get into calligraphy or anything fancy. There are lots and lots of vintage dip pen nibs on eBay but I don't know what to look for. :embarrassed_smile: Is there any particular brand or type of vintage nib that is optimized for simply writing, or are they all good because "back in the day" dip pens were normally used for just writing? (Guess I am looking for recommendations for nibs that are easy for newbies to the dip pen world to use!)

 

Holly

[eherreid]

I mostly lurk, but have been enjoying your posts and pictures of your lovely old pen holders!

 

I'm sure more knowledgeable folk like Mickey and jbb and such will be along shortly to answer your question, but I'll add my input anyhow.

 

I mostly use dip pens for "regular" writing--e.g. scribbling in my journal, some writing of letters, and just writing for fun. I have a variety of nibs to play with at this point, but I most commonly use plain "bank" nibs. Those I have are Eagle brand (model E40) and I think I also have a few Esterbrooks (#14) around somewhere. These have a little bit of flex, but not much compared to many nibs out there. Mostly they write a plain fine line without a lot of fuss. I also like the various "radio" nibs (though I haven't found a good explanation of what this term means), and some stubs. I have a whole big box of Esterbrook Jackson Stubs. Really like those. They allow for some interesting line variation without being as tricky as flex nibs...I'm not very good with flex.

 

There's an interesting catalog of Esterbrook nibs here that may provide some insights into some of the vintage nib styles out there:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/140854-esterbrook-dip-pens-booklet/

 

And, for what it's worth, awhile back I did a blog post about my first steps into the world of pen and ink, with some sloppy writing examples:

http://littleflowerpetals.blogspot.com/2011/05/dabbling-in-dipping.html

[OakIris]

Thank you so much for your response, eherreid. I looked at your blog - your penmanship is most certainly much better than mine is. :embarrassed_smile: I also looked at the Esterbrook nib catalog - very cool! I wrote down some nib names and numbers I would like to try out, if they are still available somewhere.

 

The plain "bank" nibs sound like just what I need. I have never used a dip pen in my life so this is all very new to me and from what I have read, it definitely takes some skill to use them properly and easily. I will look for the nibs you recommend!

 

Holly

[estie1948]

Holly, Pendemonium (http://www.pendemonium.com/) has a lot of Esterbrook dip pen nibs including several Radio nibs and Jackson Stubs for really reasonable prices. When you get to the site, select "dip pen nibs" from the left-hand-side menu. Then, click on "E" for Esterbrook and scroll down to them. Frank and Sam from Pendemonium are members here and have great service. They have a great many other dip nibs beside Esterbrooks, also. They will be able to answer any questions you have. There may well be other sites that offer Esterbrook dip pen nibs.

 

I have no connection with Pendemonium other than being a very satisfied customer. I hope this is helpful.

 

-David.

[dcwaites]

Just as there is an incredibly wide range of ball point, gel and fibre tip pens now, when metal dip pens were in everyday use, there was an incredibly wide range of those at that time.

There were 'normal' dip pens for office, clerical and scholastic use (look for Post Office, Bank, Student or Oxford pens).

There were 'soft-tip' pens where the nib turned up a little at the end to make writing less scratchy (look for waverley or spoon tipped pens).

There were heavy-duty, round-tip pens for use on the factory floor (look for J-Pens).

There were robust pens for journalists (e.g. the Brandauer Scribbler) and delicate pens for ladies. And that is just a few.

 

In the 20th Century, Perry introduced a range of Iridinoid stainless steel pens with reservoirs and innovative nib tips. There is the Perry 105, with a folded tip like a fountain pen and the Perry 25 with a fine, flexible tip that would give character to your writing.

 

Many of these nibs are available on ebay. I would suggest looking at Spanish vendor pensandplumes and Australian vendor dragontoots, amongst others.

[plumeau]

Just as there is an incredibly wide range of ball point, gel and fibre tip pens now, when metal dip pens were in everyday use, there was an incredibly wide range of those at that time.

There were 'normal' dip pens for office, clerical and scholastic use (look for Post Office, Bank, Student or Oxford pens).

There were 'soft-tip' pens where the nib turned up a little at the end to make writing less scratchy (look for waverley or spoon tipped pens).

There were heavy-duty, round-tip pens for use on the factory floor (look for J-Pens).

There were robust pens for journalists (e.g. the Brandauer Scribbler) and delicate pens for ladies. And that is just a few.

 

In the 20th Century, Perry introduced a range of Iridinoid stainless steel pens with reservoirs and innovative nib tips. There is the Perry 105, with a folded tip like a fountain pen and the Perry 25 with a fine, flexible tip that would give character to your writing.

 

Many of these nibs are available on ebay. I would suggest looking at Spanish vendor pensandplumes and Australian vendor dragontoots, amongst others.

 

For me Esterbrook 314 relief with Winsor&Newton ink or Safari fountainpen with 1.1 nib.

The ink is very important for dip pen, with ink for fountainpen, i can't write with dip pen, it's too liquid.

[OakIris]

Thank you all for your suggestions! I will be looking for all of these nibs; the waverly or spoon tipped nibs sound especially appealing - "less scratchy" is always a plus!

 

I have a bottle of Higgins Eternal ink that I was planning to use with my dip pen - once I find the nib/s I like, I will no doubt experiment with different inks, but I figured this ink is cheap enough to practice with since I have to get used to writing with a dip pen first!

 

Off to pendemonium and eBay!

 

Holly

[pen2paper]

jbb, where are you?

jbb has a variety package of dip pen nibs, see the classified section : )

nayy (no association yadda yadda, just a pleasant transaction in the past.

she also has a recipe for using gum arabic with metallic powders!

[OakIris]

jbb, where are you?

jbb has a variety package of dip pen nibs, see the classified section : )

nayy (no association yadda yadda, just a pleasant transaction in the past.

she also has a recipe for using gum arabic with metallic powders!

Thanks, pen2paper. I will probably order a set from jbb - that way, if my vintage silver pen turns out to be unusable, I will have another dip pen to use and lots of nibs to test out!

 

Holly

[jbb]

jbb, where are you?

jbb has a variety package of dip pen nibs, see the classified section : )

nayy (no association yadda yadda, just a pleasant transaction in the past.

she also has a recipe for using gum arabic with metallic powders!

 

Dip pen set in FPN Classifieds

[USMCMom]

jbb, where are you?

jbb has a variety package of dip pen nibs, see the classified section : )

nayy (no association yadda yadda, just a pleasant transaction in the past.

she also has a recipe for using gum arabic with metallic powders!

Thanks, pen2paper. I will probably order a set from jbb - that way, if my vintage silver pen turns out to be unusable, I will have another dip pen to use and lots of nibs to test out!

 

Holly

 

Check out what jbb has to offer in our Classifieds area. I have purchased from her and have always been very pleased.

[OakIris]

jbb, where are you?

jbb has a variety package of dip pen nibs, see the classified section : )

nayy (no association yadda yadda, just a pleasant transaction in the past.

she also has a recipe for using gum arabic with metallic powders!

Thanks, pen2paper. I will probably order a set from jbb - that way, if my vintage silver pen turns out to be unusable, I will have another dip pen to use and lots of nibs to test out!

 

Holly

 

Check out what jbb has to offer in our Classifieds area. I have purchased from her and have always been very pleased.

I have ordered a set from Jill (jbb - the set she shows in her post above) and she will be sending it out to me on Monday! I have also ordered a Spalted Tamarind and Cocobolo pen from www.dippens.com ( hand made dip pen) - this one:

 

http://www.dippens.net/resources/040-12.jpg

 

because I couldn't resist. I've gone a bit nuts and my bank account is not going to be pleased with me, but if nothing else, I will have some serious eye candy.

 

Holly

Edited February 12, 2012 by OakIris

[jbb]

For anyone starting out with dip nibs it's important to konw that some unused nibs have a protective coating that needs to be removed before you start using them or the ink will blob and they wont write properly. Washing the nibs will generally remove this coating.

Edited February 12, 2012 by jbb

[USMCMom]

For anyone starting out with dip nibs it's important to konw that some unused nibs have a protective coating that needs to be removed before you start using them or the ink will blob and they won’t write properly. Washing the nibs will generally remove this coating.

 

That IS important and I'm glad you added that. I never knew about that coating, couldn't figure out why the darn thing wouldn't write (remember??) ... then you told me "the secret". LOL

[Mountolive]

Another thumbs up for jbb's sample pack. It was the beginning of my interest in dip pens (and I am sure many others' as well) and the best money I ever spent on pens of any kind.

[Chris Pittman]

Another thumbs up for jbb's sample pack. It was the beginning of my interest in dip pens (and I am sure many others' as well) and the best money I ever spent on pens of any kind.

 

I have bought a couple of these sample packs from jbb and agree with this statement. I don't believe there is a better bargain in pens.

[OakIris]

jbb has been well recommended as an excellent source for a starter pen and nibs and I have ordered the set from her, should get it later this week.

 

I have been reading up about using dip pens and have seen various posts about the coating on new nibs - and the various methods removing the coating, from fire, to soap to licking. Guess I'll find out what my preferred method is after I get the nibs and start using them!

 

Holly

[rwilsonedn]

jbb has been well recommended as an excellent source for a starter pen and nibs and I have ordered the set from her, should get it later this week.

 

I have been reading up about using dip pens and have seen various posts about the coating on new nibs - and the various methods removing the coating, from fire, to soap to licking. Guess I'll find out what my preferred method is after I get the nibs and start using them!

 

Holly

You could try them in combinations, just to be sure. But I don't recommend licking right after fire.

(And on a more serious note, remember not to touch the pen and put finger-grease back on it after you've carefully cleaned the coating off.)

ron

[OakIris]

jbb has been well recommended as an excellent source for a starter pen and nibs and I have ordered the set from her, should get it later this week.

 

I have been reading up about using dip pens and have seen various posts about the coating on new nibs - and the various methods removing the coating, from fire, to soap to licking. Guess I'll find out what my preferred method is after I get the nibs and start using them!

 

Holly

You could try them in combinations, just to be sure. But I don't recommend licking right after fire.

(And on a more serious note, remember not to touch the pen and put finger-grease back on it after you've carefully cleaned the coating off.)

ron

 

I'll try to remember not to lick after heating the nib up with fire. lol And the warning against oily finger prints is also good to know.

 

Holly

[amper]

For general writing, you will find that the type variously described as "bowl point", "bulb point", or "spoon point", etc., are quite satisfactory for everyday writing.

 

Since I have recently rekindled my interest in pens, I bemoan the fact that 20 years ago, when I was the purchasing manager for a 100+ year old artists supply, I did not preserve more of the stock for my own purposes. As it is, I would recommend the Hunt 513EF Globe and 512 Ex Fine (which actually has a much smaller point than the 513EF), the Esterbrook 788 Oval Point, and the Eagle 830 Blub Point. With the exception of the Hunt 512, these are similar in appearance, size, and performance.

 

I have good results with the Hunt 513EF using Noodler's Black ink, even on inexpensive paper. I know I have at least one Eagle 830 in my East Coast stash (sadly, unaccessible to me at the moment), and it is possible I have at least one Esterbrook 788. I hope acquire more, soon.

 

If the nibs are a bit scratchy, and I suspect that newer Hunt nibs were not made to the same standards as vintage nibs, you might try polishing the tips slightly with an ultra-fine hone or compound. I use my Kyocera porcelain knife hone, for lack of anything else to use now that I have moved.

 

NB: I warn people away from flaming their nibs, because this runs the risk of affecting the temper of the steel. Use a solution of ammonia, if the nib is shellacked, or alcohol or dish soap if it is oiled. Dry the nib thoroughly, and *then* pop it in your mouth and allow it to dry before using. Clean after every use, remove from penholder, and dry thoroughly before storage.

Edited April 3, 2013 by amper