List Of Possible Nib Substitutions

[dunx100]

I do like writing with my Cross Century II, but am looking for a broad nib which no longer seems to be made. Any ideas for a suitable swap?

[squirrels]

Some swaps that I did recently include:

• Ohto Tasche and Diplomat Magnum- feeds and nibs are interchangeable (I believe this is a standard #5 size)
• Charlie Nib into Hong Dian Black Forest- feels a little tight but it works. I was not able to get an FPR #5.5 to write when fit into a Hong Dian, but I also didn't test it too extensively.
• FPR #5.5 nib into either Ohto Tasche or Diplomat Magnum (I can't actually remember which, but it probably works in both)
• Diplomat Magnum nib into Noodler's Nib Creaper. This is a nice option if you don't care about getting as much flex as the Nib Creaper nib gets, but you still want some, and you want to have an extra fine tip (very niche case). The Diplomat Magnum nib gets a surprising amount of line variation.
• Pretty well known, but FPR Ultra flex #6 into Jinhao X750. Note that neither it nor any other #6 nibs fit into my X450, which is interesting. I think I have an odd X450 that's using a slightly different feed than usual.
• FPR #6 Ultra flex nib and feed in Noodler's Ahab.
• FPR #6 standard feeds and nibs in Noodler's Ahab. One interesting thing is that these feeds are noticeably shorter, and seem to be ever so slightly slimmer than my Ahab feeds. This can be a positive in some cases.
• FPR #5.5 feeds DO NOT fit into the Charlie or Nib Creaper (they are too wide)
• Also well known, but vintage Waterman #2 fits into the Nib Creaper. I think I might have found the perfect pen, finally 😍

[afishhunter]

Thanks for all the info.

I want to put either some Flex or Stub Nibs on my Jinhao X450 and "soon" to be incoming Jinhao pens that use a Number 6 or 5 nib, and a stub nib on one of my Lamy type nib no name pens.

 

More number 5 and 6 options than I thought.

 

Question, since no one has mentioned them yet.

 

Will the Zebra G nibs fit a Jinhao Number 5 feed without modification/fitting?

I know they need to be opened up a little to fit a Jinhao

 (and presumably other) number 6 feed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 21, 2022 by afishhunter

[miwishi63]

I recently discovered an Ohto Jazz in my collection that was lacking a nib and a Pelikan EF that was lacking a pen. They seemed pleased to be joined in scribal matrimony.

[dipper]

This topic has just passed its 10 year anniversary. Congratulations!  🎉  🎈  🎉

 

The original proposal by @VillersCotterets in 2012 was for "a list". That sounds like a good idea.

In June 2012 @phisgr suggested adding "nib measurements". Another good idea.

 

After ten years of growth the ideas of a list, and measurements, have both proved to be difficult to achieve.

 

Thanks to regular "bumping" by contributors I have just now stumbled into this topic. (Requests for the topic to be pinned have been made, without success.)

 

As a new reader of this topic I see a treasure-trove of information.... but spread haphazardly over 9 pages. Difficult to see the full picture.

 

So, posting the info below to show some ways that this information could be organised.

 

Last month, (before I found this topic), I was facing the same question: Lots of "size 6" nibs mainly from FPRevolution, piles of vintage dip-pens (nibs), and three Noodler's pens, plus some spare ebonite feeds. What will fit?

 

Three things needed to be measured. Three separate lists seemed to forming. The "fit" possibilities would be at the intersections between these three lists:

1) Pen section internal dimensions.

2) Feed dimensions.

3) Nib dimensions.

 

That could all grow into a bit of a monster if all three lists were tangled together. Each list can be tamed separately though. Each list is useful by itself.

 

For example, if you know your pen section dimensions and your feed diameter and length, then what you need to see is a list of nibs sorted into some sequence. Scan down the list of nibs to identify the group of nibs that are closest matches to your pen and feed.

 

In the general idea of "three separate lists" we can also deal with special cases in more separate lists - nib/feed assemblies that screw into pen sections can be separately covered, short flat nibs with side grips (Lamy etc) can be dealt with in another list. Divide and conquer!

 

I will try to make three quick posts after this one, showing the three lists that I already have.

 

[dipper]

List 1... Pen section dimensions

 

Noodler's Konrad pen (Ebonite)

6.72mm diam hole at front of section, 10mm deep.

Tapering over 6mm length to 6.32mm diam.

Continuing at 6.32mm to total depth 24mm.

(The feed and nib shank must fit inside the front 6.72mm diam region, and the feed alone must fit inside the back 6.32mm diam region.)

 

Noodler's Ahab (Dec 2021)

6.56mm diam round hole, 21mm deep.

Stepping down to 6.32mm diam to a total depth of 32.7mm.

At one side of the front 6.56mm hole is a shallow cutout recess extending 14mm into the section. (The nib shank must fit into that cutout.)

Edited March 9, 2022 by dipper
Spelling

[Karmachanic]

3 minutes ago, dipper said:

Noodler's CKonrad pen

 

[dipper]

List 2..... Feed dimensions

 

Noodler's Ahab (Ebonite)

6.3mm diameter

38mm length

 

Noodler's Konrad (Ebonite)

6.3mm diameter

34mm length

 

FPRevolution Feed for Ultraflex (Ebonite)

6.3mm diameter

35mm to 36mm length

 

FPRevolution Standard Feed (Ebonite)

6.3mm diameter

35mm length

Edited March 9, 2022 by dipper
Spelling

[dipper]

Conrad or Konrad? 🤔

 

Konrad! Thanks for that.

 

I was on a sea voyage.. Noodler's nautical themes and Joseph Conrad...😄😄.

Edited March 9, 2022 by dipper
Thanks

[dipper]

List 3... nibs

(Sorted by nib shank outer diameter.)

 

Hmmmmm .. How can I export and post a chunk of my Excel spreadsheet?... Ideas?

 

Edit.. Some hours later!

Can't figure that out right now.  Will add below a notebook page photograph, though this misses my main point in today's posts! The photo below cannot be picked up by another contributor to add more nibs. A sorted list could be edited, building one ever-growing list of nib size measurements.

 

The list above pointed to the best nib to fit in the Ebonite Noodler's Konrad pen (Labelled on the cap top as a "Dixie#10"). That pen has a 6.72mm diameter front hole in the grip section, and a 6.3mm diameter feed ....

 

The Noodler's nibs are clearly too large a radius.

Next down in size are all the FPRevolution #6 nibs. A spread of diameters, most are too large, but the UltraFlex nibs could fit?

The Jinhao "Bent Nib" looks good. (Fude nib).

Vintage dip pens measured are all too small.

 

So, I tried the original Noodler's feed and the Jinhao nib. (Starting with the smaller of the two closest options, to avoid damage.) Pushed in.... very firm, very snug, but went all the way in without any binding, tearing, or graunching of the ebonite pen.

The assembled pen works beautifully, first time.

[dipper]

List 3.... nibs    Sorted by shank diameter

 

Nibs_DimsList.pdf

 

Did that work?

 

 

 

....... well, it is a list. But you have to click, download, then open the pdf file to view. Not the direct display, here in the thread, that I was aiming for.

[Thinkpad_maven]

I bought a spare parts pack from Penbbs and was able to fit in pilot size 15 nib and pilot housing in penbbs spare housing. It is a little loos but writes perfectly. I ordered a Penbbs 308 as I am not a fan of the 456 vacuum filler.

[David0966]

Hello,

Anyone know of a list of nib sizes for common pens?

 

Is this something that I will have to figure out for each pen I might want to get an aftermarket nib for?

 

 

[PJS_prog]

Has anyone had any experience with transplanting a Pilot #5 EF nib from a Penmanship into a Jinhao? Might give that a try when I get home this evening.

[PJS_prog]

8 hours ago, PJS_prog said:

Has anyone had any experience with transplanting a Pilot #5 EF nib from a Penmanship into a Jinhao? Might give that a try when I get home this evening.

Well, that wasn't as easy as I'd hoped. The Jinhao grip section's internal diameter is slightly smaller than the Pilot (gauged with the Penmanship's feed). Those little wings at the back of the Pilot nib kept it from going in at all. So, a quick trip to the bench grinder removed that problem. It was still a very tight fit, but I did eventually get it in ... not in quite as far as the original nib, but far enough that it's solid.

And, it WRITES!

 

 

Not noted above is the garbage notepad paper from an office supply mega-store.

 

So, yes, with a little modification, it can be made to work.

[uaexemarat]

Moonman Wancai takes Pelikan M200/M400 nib units directly. It becomes a semi-hooded nib though