Check Out This Cross Bb (Double Broad) Nib

[JonB55198]

Hello FPN,

 

I'm back after a long hiatus. Yesterday I made a trip to the cross company store where they had some NOS Century II's. I quickly looked and saw that one had a "B" on the nib. But upon getting it home and inspecting it closely, it was actually a "BB". I had never seen a Cross BB nib before. Anyway, check out the photos. The bottom nib in both photos is the BB and the top is my Cross Signature "B" nib for comparison.

[Boston Brian]

Finding one of theses BB nibs is like proving that the Loch Ness monster exists. People talk about them, but most of us who want one can never ever find any. Writing sample please.lucky you.

[mitto]

Beautiful monster nibs you got there.

[JonB55198]

Finding one of theses BB nibs is like proving that the Loch Ness monster exists. People talk about them, but most of us who want one can never ever find any. Writing sample please.lucky you.

 

I had no idea they even existed. I'm going to ink it soon and provide a writing sample of both the B and BB for comparison. They also had bottles of ink for $1 when I went. For that price, I picked up the last one they had on the shelf.

[texasbluebelle]

Hello,

 

Just wondering where you bought your BB Cross nib...I'm in your neck of the woods and would love a BB, even a B. Do you know what the difference is between a stub and a broad? I just bought my first Cross fountain pen in the Botanica Green Daylily with a medium nib and it's just not broad enough.

 

Thanking you in advance, Marg

[Edwin Yontef]

I was lucky to snag one of two 18K single-tone gold BB Townsend nib on ebay. There"s still one available--celia-o seller (no connection).

[Bo Bo Olson]

I have some vintage Osmia OBB nibs that would more than likely be B 1/2 today in vintage is @ 1/2 a width narrower than modern.

My MB B nib on my Woolf is on the fat side of tolerance so B=BB. The nibs on modern MB's are stubbish and fatter than vintage. It does swallow up paper in a hurry. I have a ''52-54 only MB pen with a KOB that looks M or M-F when compared.

 

I had my 605 BB made into a 1.0 Stub...the nib just didn't do much...too round and blobby....and I was spoiled by vintage, or even that fat slightly stubby MB. I ran a semi-flex B on it for quite a while.

 

IMO there can be too much of a good thing, I have a Pelikan 500, OBBB stubb***, 30 degree grind. If I was to write a three word legal signature, 3/4ths a page is used. That is my dedicated Signature pen...............too bad, I've no important papers to sign.

*** not marked on the nib (normal for that era) and one didn't go scribbling on the rolled gold piston cap, but after a while one can tell @ how wide it is.

 

My 4B Manuscript pen, is for writing Headings (the only thing I could see doing with a nib that wide).... now that is a Wide Line.

 

I also have an Australian made maxi-semi-flex Snorkel with a factory BB that I've got to ink again sometime. Parker England and Sheaffer had to compete with Swan after the war, so had to make nibs to match Swan. My English Jr.Duofold is semi-flex.

My '36 Canadian factory BB stub on my '38-9 Vac, is a nail.

 

I've been hanging out with the semi-flex B's and OBs mostly lately.

[mitto]

Like you said, Bo Bo, the nibs on five of my English aero Duofold Juniors are Semiflex. The sixth one has a bit more flex. Very likely a maxi semi flex. And all of the nibs are broad to double broad.

 

I have lately acquired a first edition NOS USA made tortoiseshell Sheaffer prelude with a factory BBB stub nib. I am enjoying using that nib but the writing is so thicker it can only be used for signatures. Wish the nib was gold.

[JonB55198]

Just wondering where you bought your BB Cross nib...I'm in your neck of the woods and would love a BB, even a B. Do you know what the difference is between a stub and a broad?

I got mine at the cross company store at the factory. Sadly, they've closed that location to open a more high end retail location. That old location used to have some good deals.

 

The difference between a broad a stub is that a broad is a round nib which will produce the same or similar horizontal and vertical strokes. A stub is ground Werth a flat foot so that it produces narrow horizontal and wide vertical strokes.

Edited June 13, 2017 by JonathanBarboza

[Barkingpig]

I was lucky to snag one of two 18K single-tone gold BB Townsend nib on ebay. There"s still one available--celia-o seller (no connection).

 

And thank you for the "heads up!"

 

It arrived without a delay & after I located the Townsend, with it's fine nib (a Friend had given me her Husband's pens after his death) I merely switched the two & the difference was day & night. I have enjoyed the pen & actually had forgotten what a nice pen it was; I have especially enjoyed the slip cap & admired the attractive double gold bands @ the base of the cap. Mine is a dark green lacquer & really a handsome pen I am using, thanks to your post here. It does "sing" a bit & after I realised it was the nib & NOT me, I have sorta enjoyed the added accompaniment. I am glad to have resurrected a pen that was used once & stored for almost three years.