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I love everything about the Triple Tail. The largeness. The clearness. The non-smellyness. The plunger filling system. The 308 cartridges I can use. Everything, that is, but the nib itself. It's just too darn much for me. It's finicky, which is bad enough. But even when it does work after heat setting, etc -- and even with an ink as simple as 4001 Royal Blue or Waterman Serenity Blue -- it's like writing with a paint brush. And that's before flexing! Before I return it for a partial refund, I thought I would see if anyone has managed to trade it out for a #6 nib? And it not a basic #6, then something else? I saw someone asked Goulet, and the answer was: "Maybe". Have you done it? How'd it go?

Just throwing this out there, as I figure there might be some knowledgeable folks who have done this already-- are there are any recommendations for nibs (especially vintage) to swap into pens fit for #6 JoWo nibs? I have a few custom pens made for the #6 Jowo housing and I feel like the standard Jowo nibs don't do these pens justice, so I'd like to change it up and put something unique into those bodies. Any recommendations? I'm particularly fond of flexy nibs, but I'd be happy with a smooth writing nail, too. Interesting breather hole shapes would be a plus (like keyholes, crescents, hearts, etc.). Thanks!

I have an ebonite King of Pen I love. Anybody know if I could swap its section (the section, itself, is plastic) with a Pro Gear King of Pen? I'm thinking if I were to get another King of Pen down the road, I would probably want a Pro Gear since the ebonite model looks just about like the 1911 KOP. It seems logical to me that all the KOP sections would be identical (except for color, etc.) Thanks!

I don't know if Lamy Dialog nibs can be swapped like a Safari or Imporium. If it can be done without having to send it to Germany, how do I do it? And is it the same kind of nib that is used in the CP1 platinum? Thanks!

Greetings All, I've been searching a while and can't find a list of pens that take JoWo #5 nibs. If you could say which pens you have successfully put these nibs in without any adjustments or violence to the pen or nib, I believe many on here would be very appreciative. Plenty has been said about #6 nibs, but not so much on #5s. Note: I'm specifically referring to #5 nibs made by JoWo alone and just the nibs themselves, not feeds or housings. I also mean nib-pen combinations that have actually been tried successfully, not theoretical possibilities based on measurements (I've found that nib thickness and other variants have been the undoing of many alleged claims to swappability). Thanks for your help!

Hi all, My ongoing journey to discover my ideal blues, greys, greens, oh well you get the idea... has resulted in plenty of unused full bottles of ink feeling neglected in a drawer over the past year or two. I'm sure it's the same for all of us, but I'm hoping this forum will allow me to find fans of these inks in Belgium or the Netherlands that would give them a more useful home, and in turn perhaps find homes for a few inks of their own they didn't fall in love with. The high postage cost for parcels here means it isn't really worth offering these inks on eBay or for sale. I'm sure there are many other users here in the Belgium/Netherlands/Aachen areas. It's a shame there aren't geographical subforums to chat with local users. I am unsure if this is the proper subforum to post this to, so any suggestions would be appreciated. Have a good rest of the week, here's hoping Spring appears soon... tomosw

Hi everyone, Can anyone tell me if I can remove and rotate a Prelude nib? Stephen Brown demonstrated that, with care, a nib and feed can be removed for cleaning, but he replaced it in the same orientation. Are the nib and feed keyed in the housing? In which case, I cannot rotate the nib to suit my grip. Alternatively, could I fit an oblique italic, if the nib and feed are not keyed? Next, is the 14K gold nib on a Signature pen identical to the Prelude? In which case, could I fit a gold nib into the Prelude, with the sculpted grip? Finally, does a Prelude grip section fit properly into a Signature barrel and cap, so that the snap cap fits properly? Many thanks for your help everyone, IannL

Hi Everyone, I have been reading this forum for awhile. I can find great reviews here for what I am really grateful. This time however I have an issue I need help with. My 1st ever fountain pen was a Rotring ArtPen EF nib. Recently the cap falls off & due to its "outfit" I cannot use at everyday's work - on the other hand I really-really love its nib (no wonder - I used it 8+ years only! for writing). Could you please support me what is the size of the nib, or with which pens I could exchange the nib? I tried several EF pens to substitute this nib (Pilot, Hero, Parker) but no luck yet - so it would be great if I could use this one. Thank you pszabi

Hi Everyone, I sent my Copernicus to MB to get a Broad nib installed in place of the Fine nib, which I have been using for the last couple of years. I want to have the nib changed because I really love this pen, and want to enjoy using it daily, but have not been using it as much lately since I prefer Broad nibs when not using a pen for note-taking and now have other pens that are much better suited to daily note-taking. Since the pen was a gift from my parents, I was hoping to keep the nib for sentimental reasons. Montblanc US just came back to me to let me know that, even though I will need to pay the full fee (close to 400$), they consider this service a nib exchange and will be unable to return the original nib to me. I have gone through the threads on nib policies on FPN and Fred's very helpful thread on Policy of removed parts, but, since I couldn't find a definitive answer for POAs, I wanted to reach out to see if anyone has any recent experience with a new nib requested for an old POA or any updated information on MB's nib policy. Thank you for your help!

Until now, I've had no real need to swap out nibs, and the only nibs I've removed were from the Noodler's Ahab, Lamy Safari and a a Jinhao 188... so nothing really difficult. I know some pens are harder than others, some are just a no-go... pen in question right now is a cheap Chinese Duke, the Uranus 620 (Fat Man Atomic Bomb WWII) pen... honestly, seen so many variations of the name I have no idea what the 'official' name is. Saw it today while browsing on eBay and absolutely loved look how it looks. Downside is... the F nib with zero flex. From what I've read/seen online, it's a nail-like sharp nib. Not worried so much about flex, but, if I could, I would love to grab an M nib for it. Anyone know much about these pens? How they come apart and if the nib can be swapped out? I haven't ordered one yet, but honestly, if I have to I'll order a 2nd Duke pen with an M nib as a donor for this pen, or, if I'm lucky, buy a nib on it's own, like a Jinhao, Goulet or something... I'll buy this pen either way, but for how I write, I hate F nibs. http://i00.i.aliimg.com/wsphoto/v0/1855561086_3/Duke-Uranus-Fat-Man-atomic-Bomb-World-War-II-Cap-Fountain-Pen-D22.jpg

I'm thinning out the herd and have picked out pens that I have bought in the past that have been part of single and bulk buys on ebay, at auctions and various shops etc. Below the picture I will give - as far as I am able - a detailed and honest description of the pens. Please note, some of them need attention, some of them are possibly only for parts and some are decent and working. Basically (and I hope this is permitted on this forum and if not I am happy for it to be removed) I want to give all of them away in one go - lazy, I know, but it saves me postage and a headache - but I would like to swap them all for something (maybe one working pen) and I am open to any offers but I will not accept money. You can post an offer here, or PM me. I will give it seven days before I decide which offer to accept which should give all interested parties a chance to respond to the offer. Ideally I would like the pens to go to someone who will use them and restore the ones that need attention. I bought some of them specifically to restore and to my shame, never got around to it. Ok, now the hard part of describing all these pens! 1. On the top left we have a slim brushed metal Parker with black plastic ends. It is a cartridge filler. I have no idea of the nib size, but it looks like it might be a medium. Needs a bit of clean and has some scratching on the side of the barrel. Working. Has no converter. 5.5 inches capped 2.Beside it on the top right is a Welsharp Peter Pan in black with white metal furniture which was at one time 14K gold plated - sadly it no longer is. It has been.... 'well loved' I think is the term. Someone has had a chew on the end of the barrel and it has a few dinges and scratches. The lever filler mechanism is in working order and the nib seems smooth and good. It is a screw cap and needs a new sac. The remnants of the old sac - what's left of it - are still shellacked onto the section, but it does seem to want to crumble off with ease. I bought this to restore, but shortly afterwards stumbled on a fully restored Salz Bros one. 3.5 inched capped 3. Below these two pens at the top is an E Faber USA lever filler (more green than it looks in the picture) with brass furniture which was likely plated with white metal at some point. It is a striped celluloid/plastic (suspect it is plain old plastic) with a screw cap domed top and black plastic grip. It has what appears to be a gold plated (I cannot be certain) nib that is as stiff as a nail with some very shonky engraving that says 'SPECIAL IRIDIUM PEN'. May be a medium. It is working, with a sac and nicely sprung lever. It's a very light weight pen. 5 inches capped. Working from left to right with the vertically arranged pens. 4. Another one bought with intent to restore; this is a Hartman lever filler that looks somewhat similar to a Vacumatic's pattern in brown and auburn, but it's not nearly as refined as the Vacumatics. The nib is marked 'Hartman's 2' and appeared to be a very fine nib. Feels ok, but I haven't tested it with ink. The pen needs a new sack and there is some 'greening' of the brass in the inside of the screw cap. Both ends of the pen have machined steel tips - no jewels. The lever mechanism is a bit stiff and may need attention. 4.5 inches capped 5. This pen is something of a mystery. It's a Parker USA but I have no idea of the model. It has what I would describe as an army camo pattern which I am sure in its day was much brighter and better. The pen has black plastic ends and grip. The furniture is a little tired. The pen is a button filler (hidden by the black blind cap) with a new sac and it works well. The nib is good and I am fairly certain it is gold plated (medium-fine) as there is a small patch of what looks like a shine of steel. It's not quite a nail; there is some spring to the nib but certainly not soft. 5 inches capped. 6. Next up is an Eversharp in a lovely ice blue and black celluloid/plastic. The furniture is white metal plated, but the clip has all the brass exposed but it's succession of V's are all nicely imprinted. It is a lever filler screw cap with a black plastic grip. It has been re-sacked and the lever is nicely sprung and working well. It has an unusually long grip with a nib that looks a little small for this size of pen. The nib is inscribed 'Eversharp' and looks to my eye like a fine, possibly an extra-fine. Nicely balanced pen when posted with a crisp 'EVERSHARP Made In England' imprint on the barrel. I like the pen, but not the nib; I find it has far too much feedback and scratch for me to enjoy it and I'm not sure I would get enough use out of it if I had it adjusted. Ever so slightly under 5 inches capped. 7. This is a lizard green E Faber USA. If the furniture ever had plating it is long gone. The clip is slightly sprung which irritates me every time I look at it and the lever for the lever filler mechanism is very loose. It has very slim, flat, black plastic ends and a black plastic grip. The sac has hardened to resemble something rude. Steel nibbed, probably a fine that feels like it will write well and has a creature engraved on it that looks like it was conceived on the island of Dr Moreau - I think it's supposed to be a cat, Just shy of 5 inches capped. 8. Hero 616 in black with a silver cap. It is a squeeze filler, works well. Ink window and a very fine nib - writes well. Quite a light pen. Bought as part of a lot. Looks like a Parker 51, but it most certainly isn't. 5.5 inches capped 9. Another Hero 616 in racing green, same as above, although this one has a nib only satan could enjoy. I haven't attempted to smooth it. 10. Strange little Japanese plunge filler in a natural wood look that I think dates to the 1940's/50's. The very slim silver band at the base of the cap has become loose and slips off regularly. It has a black plastic grip and sadly does not draw ink - the plunger needs work. It has black plastic ends and is quite nice looking (to me anyway!). This has a steel flex nib. It is easier to flex than an Ahab, but I have never pushed it too hard for fear of springing it. It's not exactly smooth, but it's not bad either and the flex is quite nice. The nib is engraved with 'Order No. 4 Iridium Tipped Pen'. I have used this pen by dipping. No scratches, dents or chew marks. 5 inches capped. 11. Sheaffer.....Lifetime Balance (?). This is a black Sheaffer with gold coloured furniture and the distinctive white dot. It is a light, small and elegant pen with a green tinted ink window and screw cap. Now for the sad bit. It is a plunge filler, but does not draw ink. The nib is engraved Sheaffer Lifetime and I think it was a fine and is two-tone. I suspect the previous owner attempted to write on a brick as the nib is badly damaged and the tines are seriously misaligned. Has light scratches you would expect for a pen of this age, but no dents, dinges or teeth marks. Barrel engraving reads 'W A Sheaffer Pen Co. Fort Madison, Iowa, USA, Made in USA'. This is an elegant pen that deserves some loving attention. 5.1 inches capped. 12. I'm not even sure if this is a pen! It has no feed, nib or sac. It is a barrel and a screw cap with black plastic ends with two white metal bands at the cap base. It has a working button filler mechanism, however the curious thing is that towards the end of the black grip the opening where the feed and nib should go is incredibly narrow. There are signs of ink. The celluloid resembles something my cat would cough up and a texture to match - it feels oddly lumpy. I think it is meant to resemble marble. I bought this as part of a lot, had no idea what to do with it then, still have no idea - hopefully someone here will know what to do with it. 4.25 inches capped 13. This is an FPR piston filling demonstrator but I can't recall the model. It has a stiff, steel medium nib and the piston mechanism has more grease than a chip van on a Friday night. White metal furniture, works fine but holds surprisingly little ink for a piston filler.5.2 inches capped 14. Another Hero 616 in green with a silver cap. The clip is veering to one side for some reason and the nib would easily get a role in a horror film. Length as above, No. 8 15, Another Hero 616 in black with silver cap. All fine except nib which feels quite scratchy. Length as No. 8 16. A pen that needs love. The cream yellow marble celluloid with dark brown and red veining has dulled considerably. It has white metal furniture, quite scratched and the cap end looks like it has been eaten away by something or chipped away. Black plastic ends and grip. Button filler (hidden by black end blind cap) needs attention and new sac. Nib is engraved 'Platignum 1st Quality, M' and is stiff as a nail and very scratchy - tines appear misaligned. Very tiny feed and slim nib in steel. 5 inches capped. 17. Serwex Piston Filler that has been stained with Yama Budo. Gold coloured furniture, back plastic ended demonstrator with a medium FPR nib. Also has more grease than a chip van on a Friday night in the piston mechanism; smells funny too. Works fine, writes ok but very, very stiff. Holds remarkably little ink. 5.1 inches capped. 18. Fellowship 78G eyedropper from India in grey with gold coloured furniture.Screw cap with gold coloured nib that looks like a fine or just short of medium engraved with the word 'fellowship' and two little birdies. I have never used this pen. It is very slim, small and light. 5 inches capped.

I am celebrating 500 subs on YouTube and I have decided to host an ink swap! I would like to trade with ten people a selection of ink samples. Each person will receive from me: Three random samples from my collectionOne Hero 616And one piece of Resin jewelry that has fountain pen ink inside. You can either PM me or email me with: A postal addressA few favorite colorsIf you would like to participate in the secondary swapRules of the Secondary Swap: I will email everyone who has decided to participate with a list of email addresses of every other Secondary Swap participant. It is up to you guys to confer with each other and decide who you would like to talk to and swap with. I will not be monitoring this, so be sure you feel comfortable giving out information at your own discretion. If you do not answer whether or not you want to participate, I will automatically assume you DO NOT want to participate. I wanted to do this instead of a typical giveaway, to get more people in the fountain pen community talking with each other and sharing inks. I have posted a YouTube video illustrating the rules as well: https://youtu.be/XC9XhA_ddto

I'm really keen on purchasing my first Japanese pen and really like the Platinum urushi Izumo, red coloured pen. The problem is that I want one with an extra broad, BB nib. I know that Japanese broad is more like. Western medium, and medium nibs just don't work with me. I want to have it custom ground to CI. It appears that retailers say that extra broad is not available with this pen, however, Mottishaw's nibs.com do have an extra broad as an option. Any insights into this? Is it possible for retailer to order one from Platinum, or is this not possible. I really like the pen, but not the rather narrow nib change ( pun intended)...

Let me preface this by saying that I have no idea if this is the correct forum to post this in, but none of the others seemed to fit exactly. I recently received a gift card for Levenger Pens, worth $75. I want to use this to buy a pen, but Levenger does not carry any of the brands I prefer. For those who do enjoy the products sold at Levenger's site, I wondered if you would like to swap a gift card for a website I can use, mainly gouletpens.com or nibs.com, for the levenger gift card I have. Or even if you do not have a gift card for those places and are simply looking to buy something from Levenger's, I would much appreciate it if we could arrange for you to purchase a card from one of those sites in exchange for the Levenger card, just to help me out. I know that this is an odd request, but I would very much appreciate it if anybody could help me out here. I don't want to waste $75 on a pen I do not need.

Hello all! I'm thinking about getting a Sheaffer Friends of Winter pen, since I found one on sale. However, the pen on sale doesn't have my currently-preferred nib size. I'm open to trying the current nib out, but if I don't like it is there some way to swap nibs in Sheaffer pens? Also, does anyone have experience with the Friends of Winter series to say how smoothly they write, compared to say a Pilot 78G? I've found some reviews for the Sheaffer 100, which seems to be similar to the Friends of Winter series but don't know if they're exactly the same.