Pens that accept Bock 250 (#6) nib

[HobbitLife]

Hello - forgive me if this already exists somewhere, but I haven't been able to find it. I am wondering if there is a list of all the pens that accept a Bock 250 (#6) nib. My main motivation is to find more pens with which to use my Bock Titanium F nib. I think it would be helpful both to have a list of pens that (1) take both the Bock 250 nib AND feed/housing, and (2) will fit a Bock 250 nib easily but do not take the Bock feed/housing.

 

The ones I found in a quick search are:

• Karas Customs fountain pens (Decograph, Vertex, Ink - NOT Fountain K: it is #5)
• Tactile Turn Gist
• Many Conid pens
• Some Rangas (have to be specified as Bock - most are Jowo threaded)
• Moonman M800? (I bought the non-Bock nib version thinking Bock housing would screw in, but it doesn't)
• Several Namisu pens 

 

I am sure I am missing many more! What others do you know of? And do they fall into category (1) or (2)? Thanks in advance for your expertise!

[Karmachanic]

 

[A Smug Dill]

6 hours ago, HobbitLife said:

I am wondering if there is a list of all the pens that accept a Bock 250 (#6) nib.

 

That's nigh impossible, I'm afraid, considering the number of new models brands such as HongDian, Jinhao, Wing Sung and PenBBS, and any number of Chinese and Taiwanese makes few consumers in the Western market have ever heard of, keep adding to their product ranges from month to month. Furthermore, getting a gripping section to ‘accept’ a Bock 250 nib is probably easier than finding one where the fit is perfect and the ink flow is ‘right’, assuming (preferably) they don't use screw-in Bock nib units to make nib swapping more interesting as a sort of Frankenpen project to get the ‘perfect’ writing instrument and experience.

 

Some variants of the Moonman 800 are factory-fitted with Bock nibs, and I believe the nibs and feeds are housed in threaded collars, but I don't know whether they use (or are compatible with) standard Bock-branded nib units.

[Mech-for-i]

Well accepting the nib is not the same thing as accepting the nib unit. The latter require a specific section that are threaded and formed for the said unit. While the former just require somewhat generic no.6 nib compatibility. Just check along this logic and you should be fine but do note not all no.6 are formed the same so fitting of the nib, Bock or any other are usually required manual work.

[HobbitLife]

Thanks for your responses. 

 

On 3/2/2021 at 7:15 PM, A Smug Dill said:

Furthermore, getting a gripping section to ‘accept’ a Bock 250 nib is probably easier than finding one where the fit is perfect and the ink flow is ‘right’, assuming (preferably) they don't use screw-in Bock nib units to make nib swapping more interesting as a sort of Frankenpen project to get the ‘perfect’ writing instrument and experience.

 

On 3/3/2021 at 2:10 AM, Mech-for-i said:

Well accepting the nib is not the same thing as accepting the nib unit.

 

Yes, precisely - that was what I meant by wanting to specify whether the pen takes an actual Bock nib unit (nib, feed and housing) or if it is just able to take the nib. And to clarify what I mean by "accept": I mean pens where a Bock 250 nib works well in it—i.e., there are no mods or bending necessary, and the flow is good. Again, the case in point is that I am looking for pens on which a Bock Titanium nib would work well.

 

Do Bock 250 nibs tend to work in Jowo #6 nib units? I do have several pens with Jowo #6 nibs (Franklin-Christoph, Ranga, etc.). I'm happy to do some experimenting, but thought it would be worth hearing others' experience before undertaking an inky exercise of futility.

 

Thanks again!

[Karmachanic]

 

[JosephKing]

18 hours ago, HobbitLife said:

Do Bock 250 nibs tend to work in Jowo #6 nib units? I do have several pens with Jowo #6 nibs (Franklin-Christoph, Ranga, etc.).

In my experience, no.  The Jowo feed curves away from the relatively straight Bock nib, leaving a tiny gap which causes flow issues.  Seems like Karmachanic's link says to try both the Bock nib AND feed in the Jowo housing.  I haven't tried that.  But worse comes to worst, Flexible Nib Factory makes a Bock 250 nib to Jowo conversion feed and housing

[sansenri]

As you have mentioned, Ranga makes Bock threaded pens, you just need to specify when ordering.

Ranga will also sell you a Bock threaded pen without the nib, if you want.

I have a Titanium Bock nib in a Ranga 3.

[sansenri]

check this too

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/353286-who-uses-bock-nibs-size-6/

[HobbitLife]

18 hours ago, sansenri said:

check this too

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/353286-who-uses-bock-nibs-size-6/

Didn't know about the Opus 88's - thanks!

 

To summarize the other linked posts (thanks @Karmachanic), it sounds like both 1) using the Bock 250 nib/feed in Jowo #6 housing, and 2) using the Bock 250 nib with Jowo #6 feed/housing have been recommended. However, it sounds like the Bock feed is too long for the Jowo housing, and when just the Bock nib is swapped onto the Jowo feed/housing, multiple people report there being a gap between the feed and nib. One poster said that this can be solved, but I'm not quite sure how. Might be time to do some experimenting...

[gerigo]

The list is extensive and not possible to record unless one wants to undertake a scholarly research article that would span months or even years. Almost every company that does not have their own nib shop either uses JOWO or Bock nibs. 10 years ago, the use of Bock nibs was extremely prevalent. Pen makes such as Delta, Stipula, Conway Stewart, Visconti (their nibs are housed in a proprietary housing) to Japanese brands like Eboya, and Kuretake, and even luxury brands like Cartier and Louis Vuitton all use Bock nibs. I am sure I am forgetting a lot of makers. It was only during the rise of the garage pen turners that brought JOWO to the fore. Strangely enough I believe many Chinese pen makers use some sort of unique to China nibs. 

[HobbitLife]

 

So, that is what a Bock 250 Titanium nib looks like with a Jowo #6 feed and housing. The gap between nib and feed was way too much to work properly. Also, the Bock Titanium nib with Bock feed did NOT fit in my Franklin-Christoph Jowo #6 nib housing. 

On 3/6/2021 at 8:20 AM, JosephKing said:

Flexible Nib Factory makes a Bock 250 nib to Jowo conversion feed and housing

I hoped that was the case, but didn't see it on their website and when I emailed them they said that they do not currently make this. They are working on a Bock 250 feed design and will have a version of it with Jowo housing when it is complete, but there is no timeline for it currently. They DO have the opposite: Jowo feed for Bock housing. 

 

37 minutes ago, gerigo said:

The list is extensive and not possible to record

Yes, surely it is. However, I am not looking for Bock-nibbed pens in general, but only ones that specifically take a Bock 250 (#6) nib. Hopefully that narrows the field a good bit. And I would celebrate a useful list of easy to acquire pens in this category even if it isn't exhaustive!

[gerigo]

23 minutes ago, HobbitLife said:

Yes, surely it is. However, I am not looking for Bock-nibbed pens in general, but only ones that specifically take a Bock 250 (#6) nib. Hopefully that narrows the field a good bit. And I would celebrate a useful list of easy to acquire pens in this category even if it isn't exhaustive!

 

Yep I have pens from all these companies they are all swappable with a generic Bock 250 nib. I don't think you realize how extensive these nibs are in the pen world. These are the pens I own and I have about 350 pens and NOT counting. I can't even ascertain other makes that I am not familiar with. Example being Chopard. I saw these at a shop in Zurich and am pretty sure I they use Bock nibs. But I ended up not buying the pens and can't check for you.

BTW Kaweco also uses the Bock 250 in their bigger pens that use the No.6 nib.

[Karmachanic]

On 3/6/2021 at 1:20 PM, JosephKing said:

The Jowo feed curves away from the relatively straight Bock nib, leaving a tiny gap which causes flow issues.  Seems like Karmachanic's link says to try both the Bock nib AND feed in the Jowo housing.

 

Second sentence first.  No. Swap nibs, but keep feeds in the housings they belong to.

 

First sentence: Bock nibs will fit on/in a Jowo feed/housing with a little "encouragement"  I have a Bock 1.5 permanently on/in a Jowo feed/housing and it works as it should.  Swapping the nib back and forth, Bock to Jowo would be problematic.

[JosephKing]

1 hour ago, Karmachanic said:

 

Second sentence first.  No. Swap nibs, but keep feeds in the housings they belong to.

 

First sentence: Bock nibs will fit on/in a Jowo feed/housing with a little "encouragement"  I have a Bock 1.5 permanently on/in a Jowo feed/housing and it works as it should.  Swapping the nib back and forth, Bock to Jowo would be problematic.

Second paragraph first: nice!  Without being too presumptuous, I'm guessing that's why you're the Karmachanic. 

First paragraph: I said what I said because I read the following, but I guess I should have continued reading.  Doh!
 

On 8/8/2016 at 1:53 AM, Betweenthelines said:

- So, the winning combination is the Bock titanium nib and Bock feed in the FC Jowo housing. Also a tight fit, and it looks like it doesn't go in quite as far as it should (as in the nib and feed are sticking out just a smidge) but it functions just fine and the nib is nice and snug on the feed.

 

[A Smug Dill]

4 hours ago, HobbitLife said:

Might be time to do some experimenting...

 

Exactly so, I'd say. Don't conflate ‘accept’ with ’be perfect for’, much less ‘be perfect for in an impermanent arrangement ready, to be swapped out again once fitted and set’. Getting the combination working well and sticking with it would be the proof of the answer to the question you posed, while reversibility is not part of criteria.

[JosephKing]

5 hours ago, HobbitLife said:

 

I hoped that was the case, but didn't see it on their website and when I emailed them they said that they do not currently make this. They are working on a Bock 250 feed design and will have a version of it with Jowo housing when it is complete, but there is no timeline for it currently. They DO have the opposite: Jowo feed for Bock housing. 

I'm sorry for leading you astray on that one.