Which Nib To Try First?

[teryg93]

 

If those nibs are dip pen nibs, as the numbers suggest, you are still a ways from solving the nib issue.

 

Those aren't the ones I'm going to try to fix. I'll put those aside for awhile, in case I ever decide to try a dip pen. The nib I'm thinking I can try to fix is the one that came with the pen. The nib is severely bent, like someone pressed on it in a way I can't believe anyone would press on a fountain pen. It's at quite an angle. It's useless anyway, so I can't do more damage than has already been done to it.

[Sailor Kenshin]

Those aren't the ones I'm going to try to fix. I'll put those aside for awhile, in case I ever decide to try a dip pen. The nib I'm thinking I can try to fix is the one that came with the pen. The nib is severely bent, like someone pressed on it in a way I can't believe anyone would press on a fountain pen. It's at quite an angle. It's useless anyway, so I can't do more damage than has already been done to it.

Is the angle up, or down? And could you post a picture of the bent nib?

[teryg93]

Is the angle up, or down? And could you post a picture of the bent nib?

 

It was up, as if someone held the pen normally then pressed down and toward themselves really hard. I can't post the way it was because I've done some straightening. It's not right yet, but I want to watch some videos on youtube before I do anything else. I'll be amazed if I'm actually able to get it to work decently, but I do have nibs on their way. I'm pretty patient and I like to do things like this.

[gweimer1]

Can you tell us what number nib it is? If this is a dip pen, there were some made specifically that way.

 

http://theesterbrookproject.com/SITE%20DOCS/LETTERING%20NIBS.html

[Sailor Kenshin]

It was up, as if someone held the pen normally then pressed down and toward themselves really hard. I can't post the way it was because I've done some straightening. It's not right yet, but I want to watch some videos on youtube before I do anything else. I'll be amazed if I'm actually able to get it to work decently, but I do have nibs on their way. I'm pretty patient and I like to do things like this.

So someone basically made it into one of THESE.

[teryg93]

So someone basically made it into one of THESE.

 

Yes, but the angle was steeper.

 

I've never seen a nib like that. I wondered how the nib could get so bent. I guess it was on purpose.

Edited August 13, 2016 by teryg93

[teryg93]

Can you tell us what number nib it is? If this is a dip pen, there were some made specifically that way.

 

http://theesterbrookproject.com/SITE%20DOCS/LETTERING%20NIBS.html

 

#2668. This actually came on the fountain pen. It wasn't in the box of dip pen nibs I accidentally bought.

[gweimer1]

Then somebody did a homemade FUDE nib, like Sailor Kenshin said. Good luck - fixing that nib is going to be a feat unless you want to disassemble the whole nib.

[Hobiwan]

 

It was up, as if someone held the pen normally then pressed down and toward themselves really hard. I can't post the way it was because I've done some straightening. It's not right yet, but I want to watch some videos on youtube before I do anything else. I'll be amazed if I'm actually able to get it to work decently, but I do have nibs on their way. I'm pretty patient and I like to do things like this.

 

Courage. My first nib was a 2668, and I dropped it more than once (not knowing there were Renew Points out there for $.35). Patient work with fine needlenose pliers can get it workable, although it may still have a ripple and not look pretty. Just work slow and gentle, and if you can get it close, with the tines intact, it can still flow, and, believe it or not, write smoothly. It may require some additional alignment of the tines to get them even. Good luck.

[estie1948]

First and foremost, I don't wish to discourage your efforts to repair the nib you have. You have been given all the warnings and cautions you need. If, however, your repair attempts result in effects that are less than you desire, save the parts. They will be valuable to you later. If your results are a complete disaster, save the parts. They will be valuable to you later.

 

The nib you are working with is a 2668 which is a medium nib. The 1xxx series nibs and the 2xxx series nibs are not usually as smooth and pleasing as are the 9xxx series nibs. That being said, the 1668 nib and the 2668 nib are not usually going to write as smoothly as the 9668 nib. None of these nibs - 1668, 2668, 9668 - however smoothly they may write is going to write a "fine" line. What ever the case for your present damaged nib, gwiemer1 offer to sell you a 9556 nib which, coming from him, will be a very smooth writing fine nib that will make "fine" lines. And when he says it will be at a reasonable price and lower than you can acquire it elsewhere, then that is how it will be.

 

I do not know gwiemer1 except from his postings and other member's postings about him and I have never purchased anything from him. However, I feel every confidence in recommending him to you and can honestly say that I would not hesitate a second should I need his services or some of his pen parts.

 

I would also like to point out that Hobiwan's advice and comments are to be taken with a great deal of seriousness. Hobiwan is Paul Hoban who is the author of the great, informative book The Fountain Pens of Esterbrook and know where of he speaks.

 

I believe you have been given a great deal of good advice excluding my tiny bit. I wish you great success and look forward to hearing your results.

 

By the by, if it is not too rude to ask, have you flushed this fountain pen? Will it hold water and, therefore, ink?

 

David (Estie).

[Sailor Kenshin]

Courage. My first nib was a 2668, and I dropped it more than once (not knowing there were Renew Points out there for $.35). Patient work with fine needlenose pliers can get it workable, although it may still have a ripple and not look pretty. Just work slow and gentle, and if you can get it close, with the tines intact, it can still flow, and, believe it or not, write smoothly. It may require some additional alignment of the tines to get them even. Good luck.

 

Yes. Had to do that with one long skinny Osmiroid nib I bought along with the rest of the five-nib set. It's not pretty, but now it writes. Mine was bent down, rather than up.

[gweimer1]

Given that the nibs are pretty easy to find and replace, the fubar'd nib makes for great practice and you don't necessarily have to worry about destroying it.

[teryg93]

First and foremost, I don't wish to discourage your efforts to repair the nib you have. You have been given all the warnings and cautions you need. If, however, your repair attempts result in effects that are less than you desire, save the parts. They will be valuable to you later. If your results are a complete disaster, save the parts. They will be valuable to you later.

 

The nib you are working with is a 2668 which is a medium nib. The 1xxx series nibs and the 2xxx series nibs are not usually as smooth and pleasing as are the 9xxx series nibs. That being said, the 1668 nib and the 2668 nib are not usually going to write as smoothly as the 9668 nib. None of these nibs - 1668, 2668, 9668 - however smoothly they may write is going to write a "fine" line. What ever the case for your present damaged nib, gwiemer1 offer to sell you a 9556 nib which, coming from him, will be a very smooth writing fine nib that will make "fine" lines. And when he says it will be at a reasonable price and lower than you can acquire it elsewhere, then that is how it will be.

 

I do not know gwiemer1 except from his postings and other member's postings about him and I have never purchased anything from him. However, I feel every confidence in recommending him to you and can honestly say that I would not hesitate a second should I need his services or some of his pen parts.

 

I would also like to point out that Hobiwan's advice and comments are to be taken with a great deal of seriousness. Hobiwan is Paul Hoban who is the author of the great, informative book The Fountain Pens of Esterbrook and know where of he speaks.

 

I believe you have been given a great deal of good advice excluding my tiny bit. I wish you great success and look forward to hearing your results.

 

By the by, if it is not too rude to ask, have you flushed this fountain pen? Will it hold water and, therefore, ink?

 

David (Estie).

 

Thanks. Once I determine that I like the feel of the pen in my hand, I'll look into the nicer nib. I'm trying to limit my pen collecting by only buying and keeping pens I will actually write with. That's the theory, anyway. I'm actually not doing too badly at restricting myself. When I joined the forum, I had two fountain pens on the table next to me. Now there are eight plus a couple of calligraphy sets. I haven't tried the Estie yet because of the nib, but I like and will use all the others.

 

I did flush the pen and it does hold water. I'm hopeful about its future :-).

[teryg93]

Given that the nibs are pretty easy to find and replace, the fubar'd nib makes for great practice and you don't necessarily have to worry about destroying it.

 

That's what I thought. I was actually afraid from my initial investigations a few days ago that the nibs were going to be hard to come by, but I think I misunderstood. That's a good thing.

[pajaro]

If I were in your position, I would buy a new nib of your choice. If you don't think you know which you want, just jump in and try one likely to please. The business of reworking the nib is going to take time, and it might be good to gain a little more experience with fountain pens first.

 

A way to straighten a nib that I saw online was to put the nib into a pad of paper and tap with a (presumably) light hammer, letting the paper take the hammer blows and cushioning the nib. If it is really badly bent, you might put the tip end of the nib in a thick paper pad, press on the paper pad to hold it in place and push the nib collar down to straighten the nib, but gently. I have done this with some Parker Sonnet nibs, shich are somewhat similar to Esterbrook nib units.

[estie1948]

You go to it. I have every confidence in your success. You may not succeed in making this nib fully functional, but you will learn as you go. I had been in fountain pens for decades before I attempted to fix a badly damaged nib. I admire your grit and gumption. Go to it and God speed to you.

 

Don't give up on the Esterbrook fountain pen even if the nib fails. While the pen you have is my very least favorite of the Esterbrook fountain pens, it is well made and a good one. If it all goes to pieces, we will be here to help you pick up the pieces. Just let us know. Somehow I know you are going to pull this off. Go to it!

 

David (Estie).

[pajaro]

You go to it. I have every confidence in your success. You may not succeed in making this nib fully functional, but you will learn as you go. I had been in fountain pens for decades before I attempted to fix a badly damaged nib. I admire your grit and gumption. Go to it and God speed to you.

 

Don't give up on the Esterbrook fountain pen even if the nib fails. While the pen you have is my very least favorite of the Esterbrook fountain pens, it is well made and a good one. If it all goes to pieces, we will be here to help you pick up the pieces. Just let us know. Somehow I know you are going to pull this off. Go to it!

 

David (Estie).

 

If this goes south on you, I will send you an M2 with a working nib.

[inkstainedruth]

Just catching up on this thread (I've been out of town for the past week). So, for what it's worth, here are my thoughts and advice.

Listen to what Hobiwan and gweimer1 tell you. Also, if you get any advice from Brian Anderson of Anderson Pens, listen to him as well.
I have tried to fix a bent Estie nib. In my case it was a 9128 (flexible extra fine) that I got greedy about on eBay a couple of years ago and didn't look closely enough at the photos for the listing. And when the pen came the tines were literally bent into an "s" shape when you looked at the nib unit in profile (and yes, my bad, so the seller did get good feedback for the pen being as described -- the photos were there, I just didn't look at them... ).

I very carefully tried to bend the tines back in shape with a couple of pairs of cheap jewelry pliers (on the grounds that I couldn't bork it any worse than it was already). Then I went to a pen show (in that case it was DCSS three summers ago) and shopped the nib around to various nibmeisters. Three of them said "Toss it and get a replacement" -- but I was loathe to do that because the nib alone was being advertised for more than I had pay for the pen. Finally, I took it to Mike Masuyama's table and he cleaned up what I did. (And no, I still haven't tried the pen -- but I got lucky last spring and found an SJ at an antiques store with a 9128 nib for less than I'd paid for the first one even before paying for the nib work).

I will give you one warning though -- Esties are like potato chips, and they breed like rabbits. Or possibly tribbles..... I think I now have about 15 of them, and a few extra nib units as well. I'm partial to the mackerel J series pens myself -- other people like the Pastels, or the Icicles. I've mostly gotten mine on eBay, but I have picked up a couple in the wild, and got a black LJ with a 9284 nib at the Ohio Pen Show last fall.

Esterbrooks are great pens and the prices are still decent (although they've been creeping up over the last couple of years). Some people will call them a third tier brand although I'd dispute that (having some *real* third tier brand pens like Arnolds). I'd call them a second tier brand. They're well made, and they put most of their R&D budget into the nibs. Even my first one, a black SJ with a 1555 Gregg nib, is a decent writer (and the 1xxx nibs are just folded over without any tipping on them). Also, my understanding is that Venus and Osmiroid nib units also fit on them, and that will expand your options if you do end up having to get a replacement nib unit.

Good luck and let us know how things turn out.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[pajaro]

I don't think I would call Esterbrooks a third tier brand. For a lever filler, the J series work pretty well and don't seem to me to dry up like a lot of costly modern pens I have bought. The M2 squeeze filler works pretty well, even if the nibs won't have the smoothness of a Parker 51, another squeeze filler that originally cost more. The Safari pump fillers, that work something like a Sheaffer Touchdown filler, are a great pen. You could change nibs in the Esterbrook with many varied types to choose from, and this system of pen and nib choice, user changeable, makes the pen a great system. It's great, because it's versatile. I would not class the Esterbrook with third tier pens. It is true that I like a few of my first tier pens much better, including Parker 51s, Montblanc 144s and Sheaffer school pens with a converter. and I don't use the Esterbrooks much at all any more. I learned a lot about different types from the Esterbrook italics, stubs, obliques and other nibs. It was a very good experience. The Esterbrook system is a great idea, and it seems to have imitators, like Pelikan and Parker Sonnet. The good, the bad and the ugly, just not in that order.

[teryg93]

 

If this goes south on you, I will send you an M2 with a working nib.

 

Thank you! I did order a couple of new nibs. They're fine, so I expect to like them. But once I know I like the pen, I'm sure I'll want to try some different nibs.

 

I've gone slowly on the repair. I haven't ruined the nib yet. It's almost straight. The tip is not quite right, so it still needs work. I haven't had time to do anything with it today. Maybe tonight.