Italic Nib Units For Delike And Some Moonman Pens!

[truthpil]

Calligraphy lovers rejoice!

 

Today Shanghai Jingdian started offering sets of five italic nib units that will screw into Delike pens and a few models of Moonman pens. These are currently in their Taobao store, but keep your eyes peeled for them to start showing up on eBay soon.

 

http://m.tb.cn/h.37htpcP?sm=9758e2

[Misfit]

That is good news.

[truthpil]

The nibs widths range from 1mm to 2.3mm.

[XYZZY]

Looks like the slot get wider as you get closer to the tip. Is that just an illusion?

 

It's funny that one of the images in the taobao page looks like a screenshot of gothic computer fonts and not actual writing.

[taike]

And a glass tip too. That's interesting. I wonder if it is just dip or works with the ink supply??

 

[truthpil]

And a glass tip too. That's interesting. I wonder if it is just dip or works with the ink supply??

 

Oh no! Before I hadn't bothered to read the Chinese, but I noticed something odd about the back of the nib units. Sure enough, all of these nib units are FOR DIPPING ONLY. That means that they will screw into all those various pens but they cannot take in ink from the back end, so you can only dip them or remove the nib and put it in a regular Delike feed.

 

Thanks for asking that question. Otherwise I would have been really upset when these came in the mail haha.

[amberleadavis]

Very nice.

[bobje]

The italic nibs also are dip only?

[truthpil]

The italic nibs also are dip only?

 

Unfortunately yes, but the nibs can be pulled out and used with the original Delike or Moonman feed and collar that came with the pen you want to put it in.

Edited October 20, 2018 by TruthPil

[truthpil]

I finally bought the complete set along with the glass dip nib option. For some odd reason, they chopped the nipple off the back of the feed so that these units can only be used like dib nibs. Thankfully, all the nibs can very easily be pulled from the sleeve and put it other pens that take #5 nibs. You could also use the same sleeve and just change to feed to a regular Delike feed. I haven't inked them up yet, but they all have significant space between the tines so seem to be wet writers.

 

The glass nib cannot be removed from the Delike nib unit, but is kind of cool because it screws into any Delike pen and is small enough that you can cap the pen without worry. It even fits in the little Delike Alpha without a problem, although it doesn't really make sense to have a pocket dip pen when you'd have to carry around ink for it anyway.

[taike]

I tried to buy these (including the glass dip nib) on 1111 but the order was rejected by the overseas shipper as contraband. Major hassle backing the order through the taobao system. I knew about the restrictions on shipping ink but not glass nibs (I guess that's what it was). Turns out silicon grease is on the list too. Go figure.

[truthpil]

This week I finally got around to trying these nibs. They are fantastic!! All are very wet writers with glassy smooth nibs. They are actually stubs with quite rounded corners, so not really italics.

 

Although they are #5 nibs, the shape of the nib limits them to certain pens. So far I've gotten them to fit in a Jinhao 500, Delike pens like Alpha or New Moon, any pen with the smaller Schmidt nib unit (Kaco Edge, Moonman M100, etc.), and pens that take the FPR 5.5 nibs (although they fit a little loosely). They do not fit in JoWo #5 nib units due to the nib shape at the back end.

 

These can't be beat as cheap and insanely smooth stubs!

[taike]

Back on my radar . They were a casualty when I tried to order but also included the glass nib which was flagged as contraband and derailed the purchase.

 

Glad to hear this are worth exploring!

[bobje]

TruthPil, what a terrific idea. You inspired me to swap some of these no. 5 stubs into various pens, and they work extremely well.

[taike]

TruthPil, what a terrific idea. You inspired me to swap some of these no. 5 stubs into various pens, and they work extremely well.

 

Finally got these nibs into my hands. :D What pens work best for you?

[truthpil]

 

Finally got these nibs into my hands. :D What pens work best for you?

I really liked it in the Jinhao 500 and Kaco Edge. Enjoy!

[bobje]

I've purchased both these nibs and the slightly more ornate italic nibs in the Jinhao 992. Both work well. The Jinhao 992 sells for about $1.50, (eBay USA link below) so you're basically buying the whole unit just for the nib and/or feed. While the Jinhao 992 italic nib fits the feed perfectly, and the feed keeps up with ink flow, the nib is sometimes just about a millimeter too long and strikes inside the Delike Alpha cap. The nib is long enough, though, that it can be shortened with a Dremel tool at the back end, or just clipped with diagonal cutters at the nib end, and re-ground in the method suggested in this Youtube video by Nathan Tardif. The more minimalistic italic nibs also work well, and don't have this cap-interior clearance issue.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/flat-Gothic-parallel-art-Flower-body-plastic-WordArt-Flat-Whisper-Fountain-Pen/192526049324

 

[taike]

Success! I've just tried the XF (0.9-1.0mm) and it fits perfectly into my Moonman M1 Brass and Wood.

Drill is to extract the nib alone from the collar it comes in and replace it into the collar/feed of the pen to use. Seems a shame that the vendor clips off the back of the feed/collar so there's nothing to connect with the converter. Otherwise, it'd be possible use these as screw-in replacements in the Delike system.

 

Anyway, it works! No tuning necessary. Wet, smooth and ready to go.  A great experience.

 

[taike]

I really liked it in the Jinhao 500 and Kaco Edge. Enjoy!

 

Couldn't get it to work in a Kaco Edge. Nib didn't play nicely with Schmidt collar and feed. At least for me! Can you share pictures of how you got it fixed up?

[truthpil]

 

Couldn't get it to work in a Kaco Edge. Nib didn't play nicely with Schmidt collar and feed. At least for me! Can you share pictures of how you got it fixed up?

 

My first Edge cracked and I don't want to risk putting stress on my new one by messing with the nib, so I used the same Schmidt nib unit from my LiveInYou MiTu and installed the "M" nib (1.3mm stub). I must admit that getting the nib back into the collar required more pressure than with the original nib, but not so much as to damage anything. I wrapped the nib and feed in the rubber gripping material (pictured) and pushed it in until I couldn't get it to go any further. This combination writes so smoothly and perfectly that I'm probably never going to put back the meh boring Schmidt fine nib the pen came with. This is just a lovely smooth and wet nib!

 

Here are some pics: