Titanium Nibs: Why The "feedback"?

[Lloyd]

Recently, I received my first Ti nib, a #6 Bock EF from CONID. This nib feels just as all the other users have described: not scratchy but like chalk on a blackboard. Why is this? Is the tipping material different than on steel and gold? Why can't Ti nibs be made super slippery?

[Bo Bo Olson]

I don't know Lloyd.

When they first came out, folks were comparing them to semi-flex....later comparisons didn't. So I stopped thinking about them, when I have so many vintage semi-flex.

[Lloyd]

At least the one I have, without any "flex" modifications, is very much NOT what I'd call semi-flex. It's a bit soft and bouncy but not semi-flex....and a bit "grippy" on paper.

[Tas]

I've looked carefully at the sublime Bock Ti nib supplied with my Navisu Nova (also sublime) and I cannot see tipping material. What would normally be tipping, looks like it's fashioned out of the same piece of titanium as the rest of the nib.

The whole nib has a sort of sandblasted look to it and perhaps thats what makes it feel "grippy".

I too am keen to find out from people who may know. Thanks for asking the question

[Tweel]

Now you've got me looking through a loupe at my Bock Titan, too. It's subtle, because the metal colors are essentially the same, but I do see tipping via the weld line. There's a large stamped "land" on the ends of the titanium tines, and then just a little tipping welded to the ends of that. A large cross-sectional area on which to weld and a small pellet suggests to me that it's still tricky to tip titanium. And the tipping isn't highly polished -- that might be the source of the feedback.

[ac12]

Lloyd

Look at the tip with as much magnification as you can get.

If as Tas has said, there is no tipping, that may be the problem.

Also how smooth is the tip? If it is not polished well, then you have friction.

[oldrifleman]

Mine have a thinner layer of tipping, but I do them. They are not Flexible, they are a bit bouncy, but not "Flexible". Mine have just a hint of feedback, which I love. I find it very pleasing to write with. it not really scratchy, but more like a bit of friction.

[KellyMcJ]

Is it because it's a titanium nib, or because it's a Bock nib? I have a vintage gold Bock nib which also has "chalk like" feedback.

[Lloyd]

It's tied to it being Ti. Bock gold (and steel) nibs can be made oil-on-mirror smooth.

[Tweel]

Lloyd, have you been trying to polish yours?

[Lloyd]

No, I haven't tried smoothing (yet). It's aligned but I haven't tried polishing it. I was under the impression that Ti doesn't get glassy smooth.

[Uncial]

I have a Stipula titanium nib which is incredibly smooth. I had another on a model t that had distinctive feedback, but not unpleasant.

[Tweel]

No, I haven't tried smoothing (yet). It's aligned but I haven't tried polishing it. I was under the impression that Ti doesn't get glassy smooth.

 

Well, as I mentioned above, my nib seems to have tipping, so if yours is the same, then there's something there to polish. (And actually, even if it were bare titanium, there are parts of the links in my titanium watch band that are mirror-polished.) I think it's more a matter of how Bock finished the nibs than the metal itself.

[SpecTP]

it's not an issue with the material (titanium) of the nib. you just need it further fine tuned as Tweel suggested.

[Lloyd]

After reading the replies, I readjusted and smoothed the nib. Now, it's much more like I enjoy - extremely smooth but not uncontrollable.

[Pendel]

I have had good success with reshaping Bock titanium nibs for my Namisu Novas to make them behave like a true semi-flex, and then paired them with ebonite feeds to provide the necessary flow. (Smoothing the tipping can produce whatever level of smoothness is desired, same as on all tipped nibs.) The original geometry of the nibs is not quite cylindrical enough: they have a flat spot around the breather hole and the top of the tines. My guess is that this is intentional to make them flex out more, but this often results in bad behaviour and interrupted flow. Making the nib more cylindrical (via burnishing and a nib block) produces lovely semi-flex that has character different from that of the vintage gold semi-flex.

Edited December 6, 2017 by Pendel

[PAKMAN]

My Stipula Ti has a bit of feedback, may try to smooth it a little.