J Nibs. Which And Where.

[Ian the Jock]

Ok so I have finally dipped my toe in vintage Estie waters (red 1938).

The pen was listed with a new sac and a 9556 nib which I understand to be a firm fine, however, I tend to lean towards broader nibs, italics etc, so what should I be looking for, and where is the best place to get them?

 

Oh! And do the Osmiroid nibs readily available fit the J?

 

Thanks in advance

Ian

[corgicoupe]

9668 medium or 9968 broad. Anderson pens has the 9668 in stock, and the 3968. The 9968 is out of stock. The 9460 is also a possibility.

[Hobiwan]

The x312s are listed as italics, and the x314-m (medium) and x314-b (broad), which are easier to find, should work for you, depending on how wide you want to write.

 

Also, the x668 (medium) and x968 (broad) nibs in the "general writing" class. There are others, and you can find a more complete listing at http://www.esterbrook.net/nibs.shtml

 

The Osmiroid tips really do fit; and perhaps one or more of those who use them might weigh in here.

 

I've found them on fleabay, in "the rough", and bought from members here, most notably Brian Anderson (the above website). But there are others who also sell nibs....

 

HTH

[northlodge]

The Estie will accept the Osmiroid nibs without difficulty, but INHO they are generally not as good to use as the Estie nibs.

Burnham offer a range of nibs that fit and are good to use. I have a number of these, including an unusual-shaped Left handed nib.

[Cryptos]

In terms of italic nibs the Osmiroids are far superior to any of the broad edged Esterbrook nibs in my experience (not extensive admittedly). Having said that, they are true italics so they are sharp and unforgiving. If one is not prepared to put some effort into learning how to use them then they will suck.

 

I have four Esterbrooks (2 dollars, a tranny and a Jay) and all four are fitted with my preferred Osmiroids. I need a Copper dollar and a Black anything to complete my colours and house the final Osmi nibs. I'll find them eventually I guess.

[Ian the Jock]

Sorry to ask more seemingly basic questions.

Is it the Osmiroid nibs in the housing I'll need, or just the "bare" nib.

I've come across nibs both with and without a housing, and I'm up for a bit of chopping and changing, but unsure which nibs to be looking for.

[Runnin_Ute]

Better to get the nib unit IMO.Why would you want to track down a feed and collar if you don't have to?

[Cryptos]

Yep, the nibs you should look for are whole units. Specifically the Osmiroid 65 units. The 75s are a different animal entirely.

[Ian the Jock]

Excellent, so it's the 65 units I'm after.

Thanks EOC. I'll be getting in one or 2 before the Estie arrives.

 

Ian

[hellokloh]

Welcome to the world of Esties! I'm the total opposite -- I've got two medium nibs, but prefer fines/extra fines.

[inkstainedruth]

I've been fairly lucky at getting a variety of Esterbrooks on Ebay with a range of nib widths, (and mostly 9xxx series nibs, at that) for not a huge amount of money. I've occasionally also found pens in the wild at antiques stores -- last summer I even found a black SJ at a place I happened onto (while looking for a different antiques shop, which then turned out to not be open...) which had a 9128 [Flexible EF] nib -- for $20 US. Cheaper than trying to get just the nib alone!

I paid a bit more for my most recent Estie -- a black LJ -- at the Ohio Pen Show in November, but it had a 9284 [signature Stub, IIRC] nib on it, and since I've seen fewer LJs around I figured that the price I paid ($35) was reasonable.

A couple of years ago at DCSS I paid $10 for a 9555 [Gregg shorthand] nib; I've seen plenty of 1555s (and in fact my first Estie, also a black SJ as it happened) has a 1955 on it.

If you do an internet search for "Esterbrook nibs" you'll find a couple of websites (in addition to Anderson Pens' list) that have lists (or facsimiles of old advertisements) of all the Estie nib units, and what sort of nib they are from the student grade 1xxx series student grade nib to the 9xxx line.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[jdllizard]

Sorry to ask more seemingly basic questions.

Is it the Osmiroid nibs in the housing I'll need, or just the "bare" nib.

I've come across nibs both with and without a housing, and I'm up for a bit of chopping and changing, but unsure which nibs to be looking for.

 

The Osmiroid nibs screw in just like the Estie nibs do, as simple as can be. No modifications needed whatsoever to pen or nib.

[penrivers]

I have all colors in J series fountain pens and some in lj and sj, I understood ever that all the nibs sections fit in every fountain pen, so I dont understand the op question.

[Runnin_Ute]

I just missed a copper J today with a 2314 B. Sold for $21.50 - Anderson Pens has just that nib for $25.00. I stopped at $21.00 and couldn't get another bid in in time.

[ScribeOne5554]

Anyone know where i might get Esterbrook Renew nib units 9556 and 9668?

[inkstainedruth]

Try Anderson Pens.  They often have vintage Esterbrook nibs for sale, even the 9xxx series ones.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[kestrel]

You can also find them on eBay.  Some are reasonably priced.

[crescentfiller]

11 hours ago, ScribeOne5554 said:

Anyone know where i might get Esterbrook Renew nib units 9556 and 9668?

 

I just picked up a 9556 in this gem of an Esterbrook. This baby is the clipless version with the wavy barrel and cap! The price of 50¢ help clinch the deal!

 

 

[inkstainedruth]

Wow!  50¢?  And with a 9xxx series nib at that?  I think that definitely makes you "Sumgai of the Week"!  Even back when I was going after Esterbrooks (when the prices were still pretty low), I think the cheapest I ever paid was about five bucks for a J series pen.  I may have paid a bit less for a 2xxx nib (no pen, just the nib unit) on eBay.  

Now, of course?  The ones I'm still trying to get are NOT cheap by any stretch of the imagination.  I don't think I've ever seen a 9312 Italic nib for sale (although a few years ago I met a woman from I think Oregon who was a calligrapher at something I was at for the other hobby, and she had a J pen with a 9312 nib and some unidentified Pelikan clipped to her neckline and we proceeded to geek about pens and inks.  She was astounded that I even knew what an Estie was, and I was dumbfounded by the nib because I've NEVER seen one for sale anywhere.  Don't know what model the other pen, the Pelikan, was, but she said she'd had Richard Binder do work on the nib for her.  And of course, the 8440 Super Cartography nibs are largely unobtanium... (I mostly wanted it because I was going to give my husband his choice of the Esties -- of course he picked the red J on me...  -- but wasn't sure if even an EF manifold nib would please "Mr. Bic Fine Point.  And of course now he's got the used Pilot VP with an EF nib on it and likes it a LOT....)

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

 

[crescentfiller]

27 minutes ago, inkstainedruth said:

Wow!  50¢?  And with a 9xxx series nib at that?  

 

Do note my description and the photo! The clip is broken off; the cap is swollen and deformed; the barrel is warped and bulging around the lever. However, the nib is definitely worth 50¢....

27 minutes ago, inkstainedruth said: