What Is A Broad Nib?

[Truman]

To me (a broad nib buff) a broad starts at a lne width of 1mm. Some "Ms" come close eg Waterman, and many "Bs' are no good Parker 51 eg.

 

 

 

Could you expand on your comment about broads not being good on Parker "51"s? Just curious.

[ebluegrass]

A broad nib is the lowest form of wit - no wait - that's sarcasm.

[ebluegrass]

I would think taking some black ink and adding a little quicksilver would work to get that effect. Or hot lead. You must write quickly so the lead won't cool. This all would be much easier than photoshop !

[crazystan]

A Broad is simply the next size up from Medium. Nearly all companies make them - the only ones I can think of that don't are the Noodler's Flex pens/Ahab, which are only sold with flex nibs (though 3rd party standard nibs can be bought, including Broads) and some cheap Chinese eBay pens, which are usually either Medium only or have no specified size.

 

As for companies that sell separate broad nibs, off the top of my head: Pelikan, TWSBI, Knox (via xFountainpens; they fit a variety of pens, including Noodlers, Bulow, and (maybe) Jinhao), Esterbrook (vintage/NOS), and Parker (at least for the vintage/NOS 45; not sure about other models). I'm sure I missed some, but these are probably the big ones. Most companies will also allow you to send in your pen for a nib exchange.

 

Edit: forgot Sailor.

 

If I am not mistaken, and SamCapote or P.A.R could probably speak to this a little better, but I believe the Bulow nibs are rebranded Jinhao, or vice-versa.

[coleam]

A Broad is simply the next size up from Medium. Nearly all companies make them - the only ones I can think of that don't are the Noodler's Flex pens/Ahab, which are only sold with flex nibs (though 3rd party standard nibs can be bought, including Broads) and some cheap Chinese eBay pens, which are usually either Medium only or have no specified size.

 

As for companies that sell separate broad nibs, off the top of my head: Pelikan, TWSBI, Knox (via xFountainpens; they fit a variety of pens, including Noodlers, Bulow, and (maybe) Jinhao), Esterbrook (vintage/NOS), and Parker (at least for the vintage/NOS 45; not sure about other models). I'm sure I missed some, but these are probably the big ones. Most companies will also allow you to send in your pen for a nib exchange.

 

Edit: forgot Sailor.

 

If I am not mistaken, and SamCapote or P.A.R could probably speak to this a little better, but I believe the Bulow nibs are rebranded Jinhao, or vice-versa.

The Bulow pens are almost definitely rebranded Jinhao. The only reason I put "maybe" is because I've never seen a thread about nib-swapping a Jinhao, and I don't have one to test it with.

Edited April 23, 2012 by coleam

[crazystan]

A Broad is simply the next size up from Medium. Nearly all companies make them - the only ones I can think of that don't are the Noodler's Flex pens/Ahab, which are only sold with flex nibs (though 3rd party standard nibs can be bought, including Broads) and some cheap Chinese eBay pens, which are usually either Medium only or have no specified size.

 

As for companies that sell separate broad nibs, off the top of my head: Pelikan, TWSBI, Knox (via xFountainpens; they fit a variety of pens, including Noodlers, Bulow, and (maybe) Jinhao), Esterbrook (vintage/NOS), and Parker (at least for the vintage/NOS 45; not sure about other models). I'm sure I missed some, but these are probably the big ones. Most companies will also allow you to send in your pen for a nib exchange.

 

Edit: forgot Sailor.

 

If I am not mistaken, and SamCapote or P.A.R could probably speak to this a little better, but I believe the Bulow nibs are rebranded Jinhao, or vice-versa.

The Bulow pens are almost definitely rebranded Jinhao. The only reason I put "maybe" is because I've never seen a thread about nib-swapping a Jinhao, and I don't have one to test it with.

 

Got it, Thanks for the confirmation.

[jslallar]

To me (a broad nib buff) a broad starts at a lne width of 1mm. Some "Ms" come close eg Waterman, and many "Bs' are no good Parker 51 eg.

 

 

 

Could you expand on your comment about broads not being good on Parker "51"s? Just curious.

 

 

OK! As I( mentioned to me a broad is 1.0 mm or wider. The US made P51 B nibs are about 0.8 mm, the English counterparts run a bit wider though (or so I hear). But I have read that there were BBs and Stubs made for the P51s too, although I have never seen one, but then I live in a country where fountain pen usage is not very common. My experience with B nibs here is limited to 2 P51s, one of which broke a tine 2 days after I received the pen; three P21s octanium spare B nibs bought from Peter Twydle (UK), and used interchangeably in my 21s and 51s; and three P61 B nibs, 14K, which I have had modified to fit a P51. All lay down a line width of about 0.8 mm.

 

I have exchanged a few mails with Greg Minuskin and am saving up to send him a few nibs for retipping to juicy 1.6 mm stubs or Kugelpoints (I think that is the word), and then I know I'll enjoy my 51s better than I do now.

 

Edited to add PS:

Just after writing this I cam e upon this (https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/217926-51-nib-broad-nib-size/) and thought to include it to put things in perspective.

Edited April 23, 2012 by jslallar

[pengoddess]

Just to clarify, the sizes listed below are for italic and cursive italic grinds, not for round pointed nibs. The list is to give people an idea of what a round pointed nib would grind out to in a straight grind. And actually, many broad nibs aren't really round pointed, they tend to be a bit on the elongated end of things.

 

this subject, as with most things-pen are not very cut and dry!

 

Sam

 

 

According to the Pendemonium web site, classification is as follows. Note that this is the outside width of the nib measured with a micrometer, not the actual width of the inked line on paper:

 

EF 0.3 - 0.4 mm

F 0.5 - 0.7

M 0.8 - 0.9

B 1.0 - 1.1

BB 1.2 - 1.4

 

My experience (I'm a lefty overwriter) is that my actual line width is much less: M nibs for me write 0.37 - 0.62 mm. Does not much depend on paper or ink. I left out Japanese pens, which are much narrower still. I measure inked line width with an optical comparator - used for soil analysis.

 

Bob