Kaweco 250 Nib In A Dia 2 Or Kaweco Al Special?

[seimodern]

Hi all,

Does anyone know if I can install the larger Kaweco 250 nib unit (a number 6 or 6-ish size, I think) in a Dia 2 or Al Special? Places selling the 250 nib units indicate they are meant for the Elite and Supra which I don't have. But the Dia 2 and Al Special (which I do have) seem like they deserve larger nibs....

 

If the 250 nib _unit_ won't fit the Dia 2 is it possible to take the 250 nib out of the nib unit and swap it into a Dia 2 nib unit with the Dia 2 feed?

 

Thanks so much!

 

 

(Sorry if this is already posted somewhere. I have been searching but not coming up with anything...)

[bobje]

There are two Bock number 5 nibs used in Kaweco. The 060 is shorter, and the 250 is longer. I believe the Dia2 uses the 060 but the 250 also has enough clearance. A number 6 nib is not going to,work. I will ping moderator Ron Zorn, a moderator who owns a Dia2, and ask him to weigh in here.

[seimodern]

Thank you so much! I hadn't realized they could both be 5s and of different lengths, but that's great news! The steel 250s are also reasonably priced like the 60s so extra good.

[zap210]

I did manage to insert a larger #5 in the original feed but it was a tight fit and would not go all the way into the feed. I had to add spacers inside the cap or the nib would have been damaged. Maybe a bock 250 nib unit would fit, but I think the spacers would still be needed. The larger does seem to be more proportional to the pen than the original, which looks small.

[zap210]

Some corrections. A 250 nib housing will not fit. Its diameter is too big, and a #6 nib will not fit into a #5 housing. Bock does make #5's that are longer than the 60 though. The housing might be the same size as the 60, so it might fit. I should have just tried one of those. (the 180 and 76)

[Jamerelbe]

The Bock 250 is a #6 size nib, and won't fit into the housing of the 060. The longer #5 nib is the 076. The 060 and 076 nib units have the same threading, so the can be interchanged in pens with sufficient "headroom" inside the cap - while the 250 has a larger diameter.

 

Confusing I know - but the question yet to be answered is whether the Dia-2 and Al Special take the larger diameter nib. I don't have either pen, so I'm sorry I can't help!

[dms525]

The Kaweco Dia and Dia2 and the Sport Classic and Al-Sport all take Bock No. 5 size nibs. The carriers differ, but the nibs can be swapped. You should use the size feed and carrier that comes with your pen. I have swapped nibs made for the Sport onto feeds and carriers for Dia2's and Allrounders. It's easy.

 

AFAIK the Kaweco Elite and Supra are the only models that use the No. 250 nib which is a No. 6 size.

 

David

[Tiggercat]

The answer is yes, but I can't help beyond that, as mine came this way.

Edited May 3, 2019 by Tiggercat

[bobje]

Yes, I stand corrected! The 060 (shorter) and 180 (longer) are the no. 5 size.

[Jamerelbe]

Yes, I stand corrected! The 060 (shorter) and 180 (longer) are the no. 5 size.

 

Oops - wonder where I got 076 from? Correction - on the Beaufort Inks website, *three* size 5 nib options are listed - 180 (standard size 5), 060 (short size 5) and 076 (wide shoulder size 5). All 3 seem to sit within the same housing - though the feed may be longer for the 076 and 180?

[Jamerelbe]

For anyone interested, here's a side-by-side of 3 of my Bock nibs - from bottom to top, an 060 , a Titanium 180 (I think!), and an 076:

 

 

And their undersides, showing the feeds:

 

[seimodern]

Thanks everyone for your collective experience and insights! (Besides helping me to better understand the nib trade, you saved me the frustration of ordering a Kaweco 250 (#6) and not being able to use it!)

Someone shared a photo of their Kaweco Dia that came with a wider nib (presumably a 76 Bock made for Kaweco). I haven't been able to find someone selling the Kaweco version of the 76 size (wider) nib on its own, but I did find a German based retailer selling the DIA 2 with that wider Kaweco nib. I don't want to re-buy the pen just for the steel nib, but I did visit the Beaufort website someone mentioned and bought two 76 nibs (ie. wider #5s).

 

I am excited to finally see the Dia 2 with an appropriately sized nib even if it isn't Kaweco branded per se. (But who knows, maybe they'll make them more widely available down the road?). Sounds like the 76 nibs should arrive in a week or two .. I will report back with pictures in case others want to try something similar. Thanks again to everyone...much appreciated!

[steve50]

For anyone interested, here's a side-by-side of 3 of my Bock nibs - from bottom to top, an 060 , a Titanium 180 (I think!), and an 076:

 

 

And their undersides, showing the feeds:

 

Do they all use the same housing?

[Jamerelbe]

Do they all use the same housing?

 

They seem to - they're all interchangeable with one another in terms of screwing in and out of grip sections. It seems to be the feed that's different (i.e. shorter) for the 060 nibs as compared to the other two. [i haven't tried pulling the two larger nib assemblies apart to compare - and don't want to deal with the the mess involved in doing so right now, since two of the pens are currently inked!]

[steve50]

 

They seem to - they're all interchangeable with one another in terms of screwing in and out of grip sections. It seems to be the feed that's different (i.e. shorter) for the 060 nibs as compared to the other two. [i haven't tried pulling the two larger nib assemblies apart to compare - and don't want to deal with the the mess involved in doing so right now, since two of the pens are currently inked!]

Thanks for that!

[seimodern]

Update:

Thanks everyone for sharing your expertise and sourcing advice! The Bock 76 nibs (#5, extra wide) arrived from Beaufort (very affordable and quick shipping from UK to CA), and are perfect for my Dia 2 and Al Special. I've included some pictures so you can see the Kaweco standard 5s next to the Bock extra wide 5s (i.e., the Bock 76 nib).

 

Both nibs arrived in housings that fit the Kawecos perfectly, and to my eye make the proportion between pen length and nib size much more appropriate.

 

As indicated above, Kaweco does seem to make the Bock 76 (extra wide #5) nib with Kaweco branding, but I haven't yet found a way to buy them without buying a new pen from select German retailers. Hopefully, though, Kaweco will begin making those Kaweco branded nibs more widely available. (Since Kaweco extra wide 5s seem to be effectively the same nibs as the Bock 76s, this would only be an issue for those wanting the nib brand to match the pen brand).

 

(And apologies for the bad lighting in the pics...)

[bobje]

The no. 5 Bock nib model no. 076 is both longer and wider than the 060?

[seimodern]

Yes, both longer (slightly) and wider....which is why I don't think the 76 would work in a sport, i.e. it would be in danger of hitting up against the end if the cap.

[TheDutchGuy]

This is a most informative discussion! Thanks!

[Jamerelbe]

For those still interested, I just "exploded" (OK, disassembled) and photographed 3 of my Bock nib units, for comparison. From top to bottom, they are the 076 (pulled from an inked pen - sorry for the mess), the 180 (Titanium) and the 060 (Kaweco branded, though that's not visible from the underside):

 

 

As you can see, the housing is identical (for the two shown) - but there's a significant difference in length for the feeds (180, 076 are the same, 060 much shorter).

 

The 076 and the 060 nibs *both* seem to be broader (in 'wingspan') than the 180 - but all have the same curvature.

 

I bought my 076 nibs from Karas Pen Co (with a pen, but they do sell spares), or it seems Beaufortink.co.uk sell them.