How Big A Hassle Is It To Swap The Nib/feed In These Calligraphy Pens?

November 2, 2020

I was gifted a Sheaffer No Nonsense calligraphy set some time back. I would really like to swap out the flat, untipped nibs for nibs with tipping material on them.

I've read this posting from Ron Z from some years ago where he says, "re. nib swap. The nib and feed are really tight in these pens, so swapping nib for nib is hard to do." Yeah, they're at least hard to swap. After my experience I'm wondering if it's impossible to get the nib and feed out of one of these things.

I took the largest nib, which I know I would never use, and soaked it in dish detergent for days. Then I screwed the nib/feed/section onto the No Nonsense barrel, got a good grip on the nib/feed with a pair of those spark plug pliers that people sell for pulling nibs and feeds, and I pulled steadily. I really pulled on that thing. I couldn't get it to come out. I then soaked the nib/feed/section in dish detergent solution some more, and put the nib/feed/section into the ultrasonic cleaner while also soaking in that dish detergent and after a few zaps with that I tried again. No go. My question is if the nib and feed are actually glued in to the section or if it just takes a lot of effort to get them out.

Here's the pen and the packaging to show just what this is.

So has anyone ever successfully swapped the nib/feed from one of these pens. Has anyone ever succeeded in getting the nib and feed out of the section in one of these?

I spent some years with a Platignum Silverline fountain pen that had an italic nib, no tipping. So I've had my fill of that. I have some Sheaffer cartridge fountain pen nibs that might fit, and I have some Sheaffer Prelude nibs that might fit the No Nonsense feed and section, and I'd really like to make a sort of frankenpen of the No Nonsense pen with some sort of tipped nib on it.

Thanks for any advice or sharing of experiences with this sort of thing.

November 2, 2020

The nib and feed can be a very tight fit. If you try to just grab the nib and feed, and pull them out, you can damage or outright break the feed. It isn't easy to do, but you start by grabbing the nib by the shoulders, and then wiggling it out of the section. With the nib out, the feed is a bit easier to remove, but not always easy as the feed alone can be a very tight fit in the end of the section. Don't use pliers, even section pliers or nib pliers because you can crush the ribs on the feed. Use fingers and one of the rubber grippy pads made out of the rubber mesh drawer/tool box liner. Gentle, persistent patience works best.

May 2, 2021

On 11/2/2020 at 8:56 AM, Ron Z said:

The nib and feed can be a very tight fit. If you try to just grab the nib and feed, and pull them out, you can damage or outright break the feed. It isn't easy to do, but you start by grabbing the nib by the shoulders, and then wiggling it out of the section. With the nib out, the feed is a bit easier to remove, but not always easy as the feed alone can be a very tight fit in the end of the section. Don't use pliers, even section pliers or nib pliers because you can crush the ribs on the feed. Use fingers and one of the rubber grippy pads made out of the rubber mesh drawer/tool box liner. Gentle, persistent patience works best.

Well, patience wasn't how I got it done, but I did get it done.

What I did was put the nib/feed/section assembly in the freezer. I left it there for some hours. Given the minuscule thermal mass of the assembly half an hour probably would have been enough. I then got out my brand new heat gun. I did indeed use the spark plug pliers to grab ahold of the nib and feed, and then I directed the heat gun at the section, turning it around so that it got hit with warm air pretty much evenly. I then put a "grippy pad" on the section gave it a good pull - and nothing happened. I was set to give up at that point, but then I felt the section. It was still ice cold! So I went through the same motions again, this time giving the section a longer time in front of the heat gun. One good pull and between the spark plug pliers and the "grippy pad" the whole ting came apart. No wiggling was necessary. My thought was that wiggling was liable to mess up the feed or crack the section, so I didn't do it.

Now I can get at trying to get an old Sheaffer cartridge fountain pen nib in there and I'll have a No-Nonsense frankenpen, sort of. I mean, how "Franken" can it be if it's the same as a model of No-Nonsense fountain pen that Sheaffer actually sold?

I have a stray Sheaffer Prelude nib that I'd have liked to have put in it but I can feel that it needs a wider feed. Does the Sheaffer Prelude take a #6 nib or something?

Anyway, thanks, Ron, for your help with this :thumbup: .