Penbbs 456 - Nib Replacement Advice

[FountainClogger]

I recently bought a PENBBS 456 with a fine nib and I don't like it one bit!
The tip has a strange upward flat grind almost as to mimic a fude nib and for me this is an enormous source of problems and discomfort. I tried writing with it for some time, but it's no use: I cannot force myself to like it.

- first of all it is not fine enough and when you make contact with paper with the flat side it lays down an even thicker line;
- the sweet spot is tiny;
- as a consequence, rotating the nib makes it skippy, scratchy and overall unpleasant;

Long story short, for me it's nothing short of atrocious.

I need a replacement nib. Which nibs are compatible with this PENBBS model?

Edited April 30, 2019 by FountainClogger

[fountainpen51]

For Vintage nib size #7 and modern #6.

I put a Waterman #7 Red nib, for example, nice combination.

[penzel_washinkton]

Confirmed nibs that I have tested that have no compatibility issue with PenBBS 456 pens:

 

- Bobby Custom Grind #6 Sabi-togi nib (best fit but not a smooth writing nib)

- Jowo #6 nib (I feel it is a bit more loose fit than the stock nib)

- Jinhao X750 / X450 nib (No stock EF nib, need to re-grind)

Edited May 1, 2019 by penzel_washinkton

[JollyCynic]

In addition to the up-turned nib (they call it a mini-fude), PenBBS has Fine and Medium nibs with traditional rounded tips. These can sometimes be bought on the pens, or separately in nib charms (nib units on acrylic key chains). They also sold some Extra Fine nib charms a little over a year ago, but they were as expensive as the pens from resellers by the time I started buying PenBBS pens. They're fairly cheap from PenBBS themselves, but they run out quickly and don't offer them often. Buying them from third-party vendors is much more expensive.

 

The nib charms have the advantage of being able to swap the entire nib unit.

 

For swapping nibs into the nib unit, the nib collar and feed take a liberal selection of number 6 nibs. Those mentioned above, plus Bock, Nemosine, Knox (some have had trouble due to their thickness, others love them in PenBBS), and others. Others have replaced the feed with FPR's ebonite feed and one of their ultra-flex nibs.

 

Removing the existing nib tends to be delicate. Others report often breaking the fins of the feed. I tend to cause a hairline fault in the nib collar that doesn't become apparent for a few weeks or months before it shatters entirely. Soaking the nib unit in hot/warm soapy water and going very slow seems to work for most. My preferred method is to avoid pulling the nib at all, and instead buying a parts pack from PenBBS, from which you can typically make five of your own nib units.

 

Your 456 model should have plenty of room in the cap to accommodate most size 6 nibs, but there's some worry over the 355 and 308 models (and possibly the 349?) that there's not enough headroom in the cap for most nibs which are 35mm long. I have been able to get my Bock B nib (my longest at about 35.1mm long) into both the 355 and 308, but the nib is jammed fairly deep into the collar, and some day it may join my ranks of trashed PenBBS nib collars.

 

Note that others have a lot of difficulty getting the PenBBS nib swapped into other number 6 pens, due to the squared back of the nib. I've haven't had problems fitting them in many pens, but I'm not that big a fan of the mini-fude, either, and have more than enough pens with it anyway. (It's not just a fairly small sweet spot, but it's a small sweet spot on more than one axis. I do have two or three of them that are exceptional, but that's out of many examples.) But it doesn't sound like you'll care much what happens to it when you're done with it.

[FountainClogger]

Thanks everybody for your suggestions. I can confirm that removing the nib turned out to be an impossible task even after having let the section in hot water; plus, it's true, the fins of the feed are very flimsy and bend alarmingly easily. So I decided to regrind it myself and, even with my lacking skills, the ground nib is better nib than the original.

Having said that, however, I would prefer to replace the nib with a compatible new one in the near future.

Edited May 2, 2019 by FountainClogger

[penzel_washinkton]

There are actually 2 options when removing the nib, first is by pulling the nib and feed and the other by twisting it (which will take out the whole nib, feed and housing). You could also buy the PenBBS parts item in their Etsy / Ebay store for a feed unit backup.

 

What method are you using to remove it? Have you tried sticking materials like a rug pad?

I once tried removing a 3776 nib unit with no success at all using bare hands, but using one of those sticking material made the job so much easier.

[FountainClogger]

There are actually 2 options when removing the nib, first is by pulling the nib and feed and the other by twisting it (which will take out the whole nib, feed and housing). You could also buy the PenBBS parts item in their Etsy / Ebay store for a feed unit backup.

 

What method are you using to remove it? Have you tried sticking materials like a rug pad?

I once tried removing a 3776 nib unit with no success at all using bare hands, but using one of those sticking material made the job so much easier.

 

I tried both options and even used rubber gloves: nothing yields, the nib is just too tightly fit. On a side note, I had a similar experience with my 3776 and eventually managed to get the nib out. I suppose that, as JollyCynic also suggested, it would be better to buy a spare parts kit with a nib housing.