Who Make Their Own Nibs

[georges zaslavsky]

Hi Georges. I couldn't find anything so far to suggest Bock supplies nibs for Stipula, Montegrappa, Marlen and Danitro. Are you certain Bock is still the nib supplier today for these 4 brands you mention? The Bock website does not mention these brands although they mention the 17 others, and the UK supplier I mentioned earlier states Jowo supplies the nibs for these 4.

My favorite penshop owner (Mr Mora who is more than 40 years in the pen business) told me that Stipula, Montegrappa, Marlen and Danitrio use bock nibs. I will ask in the respective subforums and post the responses here.

Edited June 18, 2013 by georges zaslavsky

[max dog]

The latest updated

 

Brands who make nibs in-house (in no particular order):

• Waterman / Parker
• Dupont
• Platinum / Nakaya
• Aurora
• Ancora
• Lamy
• Sailor
• Pilot / Namiki
• Montblanc / Cartier
• Pelikan
• Visconti - select models
• Wality
• Guider - gold units
• Romillo
• Inoxcrom
• Ratnamson - gold units
• Delta – select models
• Hero
• Wing Sung

 

Brands that outsource to Peter Bock:

Astoria

Classic Pens

Cleo Skribent

Conway Stewart

David Oscarson

Delta

Dns-Drechselstube Neckarsteinach

Faber Castell

Kart Meisenbach

Kaweko

Norbert Zeplien

Sheaffer

Starbound Europa

Stefan Fink

Visconti

Waldmann

Krone

Signe Audiard

Lepine

Elie Bleue

Omas

Graye Tighson

Cleo

Taccia

Dupont – select models

Caran D’Ache

Danitrio

Montegrappa

Stipula

Marlen

 

Brands that outsource to Jowo of Berlin

Monteverde

Conklin

Waterford

Tibaldi

Signum

Libelle

Lominchay

TWSBI

Bexley

Edison

 

Brands outsourced to other:

Hakase – Pilot

Cross – unknown supplier(s) in China

Duke – Hero

Noodlers – Indian nib maker Ambitious

Camlin – Ambitious

Parker (Vector nibs) – Ambitious

Edited June 18, 2013 by max dog

[max dog]

My favorite penshop owner (Mr Mora who is more than 40 years in the pen business) told me that Stipula, Montegrappa, Marlen and Danitrio use bock nibs. I will ask in the respective subforums and post the responses here.

Thanks Georges. I trust your knowledge.

Edited June 18, 2013 by max dog

[max dog]

Pilot nib manufacture

 

 

[georges zaslavsky]

Thanks Georges. I trust your knowledge.

Hi maxdog

 

I have made a thread and was given several responses confirming me that Montegrappa and Stipula use bock nibs https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/247587-do-stipula-montegrappa-marlen-use-bock-or-jowo-nibs/

No response regarding Marlken in that thread but I know for sure that they have been using bocksince their creation this is what I was told by my favorite penshop owner. I am waiting for the other answer in the danitrio thread I made https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/247590-do-danitrio-pens-use-bock-or-jowo-nibs/

For information Bexley use bock nibs

 

best regards

 

Georges

Edited June 18, 2013 by georges zaslavsky

[max dog]

Hi maxdog

 

I have made a thread and was given several responses confirming me that Montegrappa and Stipula use bock nibs https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/247587-do-stipula-montegrappa-marlen-use-bock-or-jowo-nibs/

No response regarding Marlken in that thread but I know for sure that they have been using bocksince their creation this is what I was told by my favorite penshop owner. I am waiting for the other answer in the danitrio thread I made https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/247590-do-danitrio-pens-use-bock-or-jowo-nibs/

For information Bexley use bock nibs

 

best regards

 

Georges

That's awesome! Thanks again.

[Opooh]

What about Onoto, I only know they have their own nibmaster.

The Lb series of Classic Pens has Sailor King of Pens nibs.

[RMN]

AFAIK Onoto is a Bock customer, though not advertised on the Bock reference list.

 

 

D.ick

[Opooh]

AFAIK Onoto is a Bock customer, though not advertised on the Bock reference list.

 

 

D.ick

A have afew Onoto's and they all are smooth writers, without tuning. So you might conclude that the nibmaster is far more important than the maker of the nib.

[RMN]

Well, that is the gist of several answers here in this topic. It is a combination of the Nibmaker, the feed, en the in-house processes.

No doubt one maker puts the raw Bock/Jowo product in their pens, and others do several other things (like Cleo Skribent, who add colour to the nibs and polish them up, and like Onoto that has Oxonian working their nibs, at least the special order nibs -I have a wonderful medium cursive italic on my Magna Classic)

 

D.ick

[max dog]

Latest updates captured:

 

Brands who make nibs in-house:

• Ancora
• Aurora
• Delta – select models
• Dupont
• Guider - gold units
• Hero
• Inoxcrom
• Lamy
• Montblanc / Cartier
• Pelikan
• Pilot / Namiki
• Platinum / Nakaya
• Ratnamson - gold units
• Romillo
• Sailor
• Visconti - select models
• Wality
• Waterman/Parker
• Wing Sung

 

Brands that outsource to Peter Bock:

Astoria

Bexley

Caran D’Ache

Classic Pens

Cleo Skribent

Conway Stewart

Danitrio

David Oscarson

Delta

Dns-Drechselstube Neckarsteinach

Dupont – select models

Elie Bleue

Faber Castell

Graye Tighson

Kart Meisenbach

Kaweko

Krone

Lepine

Marlen

Montegrappa

Norbert Zeplien

Omas

Onoto

Sheaffer

Signe Audiard

Starbound Europa

Stefan Fink

Stipula

Taccia

Visconti

Waldmann

Yard O'Lead

 

Brands that outsource to Jowo of Berlin

Conklin

Edison

Libelle

Lominchay

Monteverde

Signum

Tibaldi

TWSBI

Waterford

 

Brands outsourced to other:

Camlin – Ambitious

Cross – unknown supplier(s) in China

Duke – Hero

Hakase – Pilot

Noodlers – Indian nib maker Ambitious

Parker (Vector nibs) – Ambitious

Edited June 22, 2013 by max dog

[writepen]

Cartier has the same owner (Richemont) as Montblanc, so it seems likely they share the same nib plant.

I seem to recall Yard-o-led actually outsources nib production, but I can't recall where (or if...) I read that. I need a memory upgrade.

Parker used to make their own nibs in their Newhaven facility - there was an interesting article about it, its location is one of those things I've forgotten. Since manufacturing of their pens (apart from those made by Luxor in India or whoever-it-is in China) has been moved to the Waterman factory in France, I would expect their nibs are made there.

I believe Inoxcrom do indeed make their own nibs.

Ratnamson (India) make their own gold nibs but buy steel nibs from other makers.

One slightly confusing sidenote is that there is a brand of Indian nibs called "Platinum" which apparently has nothing do with the the Japanese company. Or, presumably, the metal.

 

Thanks everyone for your input.

 

Here is a tally so far. There is some dispute about whether Bock or Jowo supplies nibs for some brands, so I went with what is posted at the Bock website currently. Faber Castell is listed on the Bock site also, so I removed it from the in-house list.

 

I never realized there are so many fountain pen brands out there.

 

Brands who make nibs in-house (in no particular order):

Cartier

Waterman

Dupont

Platinum

Hakase

Aurora

Ancora

Lamy

Sailor

Pilot

Montblanc

Pelikan

Yard O Lead

Visconti - select models

 

Brands that outsource to Peter Bock:

Astoria

Bexley

Classic Pens

Cleo Skribent

Conway Stewart

David Oscarson

Delta

Dns-Drechselstube Neckarsteinach

Faber Castell

Kart Meisenbach

Kaweko

Norbert Zeplien

Sheaffer

Starbound Europa

Stefan Fink

Visconti

Waldmann

Krone

Signe Audiard

Lepine

Elie Bleue

Omas

Graye Tighson

Cleo

Taccia

 

Brands that outsource to Jowo of Berlin

Monteverde

Dani Trio

Conklin

Marlen

Waterford

Tibaldi

Signum

Libelle

Montegrappa

Stipula

Lominchay

TWSBI

 

Brands outsourced to other:

Nakaya made by Platinum

 

To be determined:

Cross – Inhouse in China these days?

Parker?

Caran d’Ache?

Wality?

Inoxcrom?

Schneider?

What other brands did we miss?

What about other Chinese and Japanese brands?

 

Big mystery is who makes nibs for Parker? Is it Waterman in France who make Parker nibs, or does Parker make Waterman nibs?

 

 

Please continue to provide input to this list.

 

Cross is based out of Lincoln, RI, suburb of Providence, however, they no longer manufacture pens there. They bought and own a manufacturing plant in China. This happened a number of years ago. I was in a store in MA that had NOS Cross pencils, gold filled, with a stamp of made in USA, thus a reminder that USA-made, high-quality Cross products can be found sometimes. Don't know if that plant in China makes nibs, but guessing that they do not and outsource as per post by someone else. No question that at one time, some low-end nibs were made for Cross by Pilot, high-end Townsend nibs were made by Pelikan to Cross specs, and the Verve had a Nimiki (Pilot) 18k inlaid type nib. But Cross will not discuss that subject--they consider it proprietary info.

[writepen]

see above for more input regarding A T Cross

[MrInkwell]

I find that unlikely, and here's why. In November, Lamy released this video of their design and manufacturing process. They are pretty careful about saying what is made in-house versus outside. And they clearly say the nibs are made in-house. I just don't see why they'd lie about it:

2:40

"All the steel and gold nibs are produced in-house in Heidelberg"

 

Glad to see a reference for that. I stand corrected - this person I know visited a few years ago, and it looks like things have changed since then.

[Harlequin]

Cross just released news that their "accessories" business is being sold to a private equity firm. The fine writing division is part of that. So who makes Cross nibs may soon be a moot point.

[Blue_Moon]

I was wondering about Bexley, so I sent an e-mail to them and asked - Bock or JoWo. This was my reply:

 

Answer is BOTH. Depends upon the nib and timing.

Regards,
Bexley Pen Co., Inc.

Edited October 16, 2013 by Blue_Moon

[basterma]

I was going to say the same thing Blue_Moon. Manufacturers will likely use whatever vendor can provide the quantity needed, in the required time frame, at the desired price point.

[Edwaroth]

I thought Pelikan used high end Bock nibs.

[Dillo]

Hi,

 

Cross had a number of nib suppliers. The Solo was from Pilot as was the Verve. The Townsend was from Pelikan. The other nibs from the Pre-China pens were made in-house in Rhode Island. They made both 18K gold and steel nibs in the same room. All Cross pens were hand-tested and adjusted. I had visited Cross prior to their move and saw them make nibs there. Cross also made their own feeds, and I saw the feed making equipment. I wouldn't be surprised if Cross moved their machines to China, but I wouldn't be surprised if they still make them in-house although in a different place.

 

Dillon

[Dillo]

I thought Pelikan used high end Bock nibs.

They moved back in-house some time ago. I used to look at the nibs that would go through my shop to see where they came from when the switch occurred. I remember the Townsend using a specific die shape in common with one of the Pelikan Souveran series pens.

 

Dillon