Nib Manufacture

[danielpi]

If this be true, then my last 18K JoWo factory stub will be my last.

 

This is a silly comment. Who cares if they're made in Germany or China? They're excellent nibs. Does the location of a factory affect the quality of its products? Is there something magic in the waters of Germany that makes a nib otherwise produced using the same manufacturing procedures "better"?

 

I am not fan of China for political, cultural, and historical reasons, which I won't get into here, but there is no reason that a product produced there can't be of excellent quality. Case in point: Apple products are pretty much all assembled in China, and they are the very embodiment of quality, invariably evincing exceptional fit and finish.

 

 

 

First question, based upon your list above, they qualify as a Pen Manufacturer, as companies on your list include those which subcontract the work to others to make their products such as Monteverde. Second question, depending on the definition of in house as the nibs are design by Noodler's, manufacturing methods created by Noodler's (Regards to specifications, cutting and so on) but are made by a sub contractor under direction from Noodler's. So unfortunately the definition is not so clear so you need to put it clear what constitutes in-house or outside.

 

Okay, well, then the issue is whom the Indian nib manufacturer is. To be consistent, if Noodler is contracting out nib production to another company, then it's not in-house. Visconti and Omas (indeed, most high end pen makers) provide the nib makers specific production instructions, using materials and designs unique to that pen maker, but we should not therefore regard them as being in-house for that reason alone. So, it seems Noodler ought to count, but then we should identify the company making the nibs.

 

You could end up thinking that the least interesting part of most modern pens is the nib.

 

What does this mean?

 

 

hmm let's see here

Taccia are made by Sailor and probably JoWo however I'm not sure about the latter

Ohashido is made by Sailor

Onishi-seisakusho has Schmidt nibs

Ohto get Schmidt nibs as well

Hirai Woodworking Plant (Hirai Mokkou Banmonosho?) has Schmidt steel nibs Bock Gold nibs

Hakase still makes pens with Sailor nibs on them but for their default nibs it is indeed by Pilot

Helico has Bock nibs

 

Pens I'm not sure who made the nibs

Tombow

modern Essterbrook

Wahl-Eversharp could be Bock? unless completely inhouse?

Bic

Maped

Acme

 

 

I stand corrected if proved otherwise

 

Excellent. I'll add it to the next update. You don't happen to know who the Schmidt nibs are manufactured by, do you? Schmidt, as I understand it, does not actually manufacture nibs, but does the finishing. So it goes from manufacturer to Schmidt and then from Schmidt to the pen-maker. So, it would properly be Schmidt/Bock or Schmidt/JoWo.

Edited October 2, 2015 by danielpi

[danielpi]

Updated: October 2, 2015

 

Brand	Current Nib Supplier	Historical Sources
Ancora	In-House
Aurora	In-House
Bexley	JoWo	Until early 2000s: Bock for gold, Schmidt/JoWo for steel
Caran D'Ache	Bock
Conid	Bock
Conklin	JoWo
Conway Stewart	Bock	Pre-1920: Warranted, 1920-1975: In-House
Cross	In-House and Sailor (for Peerless 125)	Pelikan and Pilot
Danitrio	Bock (except 24k #50 sized nib on the Yokozuna series, made by an undisclosed Japanese company	JoWo
Delta	Bock
Dupont	Bock
Eboya	Bock
Edison	JoWo
Faber Castell	JoWo
Graf von Faber Castell	Bock
Franklin Christoph	JoWo for steel, Bock and JoWo for gold	Formerly all Bock (including some Schmidt branded Bock)
Goulet	JoWo
Hakase	Pilot (and Sailor, but mainly Pilot)
Helico	Bock
Kaweco	Bock
Lamy	Mainly In-House; Bock for specialty nibs	Exclusively Bock in the beginning
Magna Carta	Bock
Montblanc	In-House
Montegrappa	Bock
Monteverde	Bock
Ohashido	Sailor
Omas	Bock	In-house until 2000
Parker	In-House
Pelikan	In-House	Originally Montblanc nibs, later in-house, switched to Bock 1997, transitioned back to in-house since mid-2000s
Pilot/Namiki	In-House
Platinum	In-House
Romillo	In-House
Sailor	In-House
Sheaffer	Bock	In-house
Signum	Bock
Stipula	Bock
Stylo Art	Sailor, Platinum, Pilot, and Bock
Taccia	Sailor (and JoWo?)
TWSBI	Bock and JoWo
Urso	Bock
Visconti	Bock
Waterman	In-House

 

And organized by nib-maker:

Bock	Caran D’Ache, Conid, Conway Stewart, Danitrio, Delta, Dupont, Eboya, Graf von Faber Castell, Franklin Christoph, Helico, Kaweco, Montegrappa, Monteverde, Omas, Sheaffer, Signum, Stipula, Stylo Art, TWSBI, Visconti
In-House	Ancora, Aurora, Lamy, Montblanc, Parker, Pelikan, Pilot/Namiki, Platinum, Romillo, Sailor, Waterman
JoWo	Bexley, Conklin, Edison, Faber Castell, Franklin Christoph, Goulet, TWSBI
Pilot	Hakase, Pilot/Namiki, Stylo Art
Sailor	Hakase, Ohashido, Sailor, Stylo Art, Taccia

 

 

[sidthecat]

My opinion of new nibs is based on a fondness for old flex. I like thick-and-thin lines, shading and expression. Most modern nibs don't have much.

[tryphon]

I heard that Montegrappa switched from Bock to JoWo

[rwilsonedn]

I heard that Montegrappa switched from Bock to JoWo

 

It is interesting that they don't seem to be using MB nibs. I would think it would be kind of natural.

ron

[tryphon]

Ron: they are no longer owned by the Richemont Group: they are back with the Aquila Group. Richemont allegedly sold MonteGrappa to the Aquila Group for 1 Euro.

Edited October 2, 2015 by tryphon

[rwilsonedn]

Ron: they are no longer owned by the Richemont Group: they are back with the Aquila Group. Richemont allegedly sold MonteGrappa to the Aquila Group for 1 Euro.

 

Thanks. That would have been an interesting negotiation to listen in on ...

"Now, take my Montegrappa ... no, please take my Montegrappa ..."

 

By the way, can we get Yard-o-Led on the list?

ron

[deepak23]

If this be true, then my last 18K JoWo factory stub will be my last.

Is it a political stand? Or is it a general prejudice against Chinese made stuff? If so along with Jowo nibs you'll have to junk most of your electronic gadgets too.

[Bo Bo Olson]

The Germans have learned if they build a factory in China the Chinese build an exact copy a mile away. As soon as the workers are trained, they start at the Chinese factory.

So many German factories have moved home to Germany.

 

China makes great cartridge MB 149's.

[tinta]

Is it a political stand? Or is it a general prejudice against Chinese made stuff? If so along with Jowo nibs you'll have to junk most of your electronic gadgets too.

Yes, guilty as charged.

But here on FPN, we don't talk politics or religion, or at least should not.

For me, avoiding goods manufactured in the PRC is a consumer's choice,...that's all. Nothing personal. I just survive with much less.

Edited October 8, 2015 by tinta

[TassoBarbasso]

What about Cleo-Skribent?

[wimg]

What about Cleo-Skribent?

 

They make their own nibs, in-house.

 

Talked with them for quite some time a few years ago.

Warm regards, Wim

[basterma]

Why no mention of Chinese brands?

 

Some lesser known or uncommon brands to add:

 

Diplomat

 

Elysee

 

Rotring

 

Centropen

 

Herlitz

 

Schneider

 

Wilson (obscure lower end Italian brand)

 

R. Pirre Paul

[plumista]

Onoto (modern) uses both Bock and Schmidt (are they not the same, in fact?) for their #3 and #7 nib units.

 

This is confirmed by James Boddy from Onoto, who just a few days ago wrote a reply to my email (full of requests and enquiries), including the following: "Our nibs are made by Bock and our feeders and converters by Schmidt, both German companies and I believe they are the best in their field".

 

plumista

Edited March 16, 2016 by plumista

[Mangrove Jack]

I have a Hero fountain pen made in China. A copy of the Parker 51/61. This pen's nib has to be made in China. It is one of my smoothest writing nibs and a delight to use. Going by this pens nib performance I would think that the Chinese can make a great nib if they wanted to.

 

Heck, if I had this nib in a vintage Parker 51 I would not complain.

Edited March 16, 2016 by Mangrove Jack

[freakman]

I think Pelikan switched to Bock around 2000. Because you could find two variations of Gaudi nib, both two chicks but one with PF mark and one without.

The first 'wider' 800 nib(800 nib with two chicks but no pf mark is wider than marked ones) appeared in Japanese import catalogue in their 2000 one when Pelikan introduced red strip M800.

[freakman]

Does anyone know who manufactured the Elysee nib? Some of them carry the same E|N mark like Pelikan nibs.

[jeffkoch]

...

Taccia are made by Sailor and probably JoWo however I'm not sure about the latter

...

 

My Taccia Staccato has a Jowo nib in a Jowo screw-in assembly.

[Tinjapan]

Just found this. Great info. Thanks for compiling it.

[Calabria]

Is this pinned? It should be.

 

I am biased towards in-house nibs and this list comes in handy!