Kaweco Twin nib

[AmandaW]

Can anyone comment on the difference between the 060 nib unit and the Sport pen that comes with a twin nib?

 

I'm thinking my options are to order a Student pen plus 060 nib unit to go in it or just get the Sport.

 

I would appreciate some forum wisdom to help with the decision.

[Penguincollector]

   I have the Sport with the twin nib and just looked at the 060 and I believe they’re the same, especially since the website says they fit the Sport. The actual nib is the same. They fit the Dia 2 as well, apparently- which I was wondering. 

[Dillo]

The Twin nib comes in two ways, one preinstalled and as a separate nib unit called the 020 (sometimes mistakenly called the 060). The 060 unit actually refers to the other single slit (not twin) nibs. It's confusing because the 020 Twin and 060 are cross compatible with each other and have the same housing. The feeds between the 020 Twin nib and the 060 is different though. The Twin nib uses a special feed made to deliver ink to its two slits and three tines.

 

Kaweco offers the Twin nib in two ways. One of these is a 020 unit with the screw in housing. The other is preinstalled in a Kaweco Sport. The one in the Kaweco sport is identical to the one in the 020 unit, and is fitted with the same feed that comes in the 020 unit.

 

I hope that helps. Basically, you can choose to either get it preinstalled or grab a Kaweco Sport of your choosing, pull the nib and feed and install the nib and feed from the 020 unit and get the same result

[AmandaW]

Thankyou

 

Does the Bock 020 nib unit fit other pens? So far I know about the Sport, Dia2 and Student. Other brands?

[Penguincollector]

  So I went sleuthing and found out a few things: I believe that the nib and feed system are a Bock #5, so if you have a pen that uses one, the nib and feed should fit. I don’t know for sure, here’s the website and they can probably answer that question. 

 

Twin nib and feed

 

  Here’s a screenshot from another site that lists the Kaweco pens that it fits:

 

 

 

[AmandaW]

  On 11/4/2024 at 2:33 AM, Penguincollector said:

So I went sleuthing

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Thankyou so much.

 

You have one of these pens? Do you still like it and use it?

[Dillo]

It fits anything that can fit the Bock 060 or 020 nibs, but I will say that I currently don't know very many pens that use that. To be clear about the "Bock 5," it is kind of a misnomer. There are several different Bock nibs that use the 5mm feed, the 020, 060, 076 (wide), and the 180 (long nib). I think the 180 uses a different, longer feed than the other three if I'm not mistaken. Bock used to be super popular years ago. Now I see a lot more JoWo, and JoWo's nibs that use a 5mm feed are a different size and length than Bock's 060, so there is no cross compatibility there (I've tried).

 

I found two pens that I believe take the 060, but honestly I really prefer the Kaweco Sports to any of these options here:

The Ensso XS Pocket Pen

Karas Pens Fountain K

[Penguincollector]

  On 11/4/2024 at 2:40 AM, AmandaW said:

Thankyou so much.

 

You have one of these pens? Do you still like it and use it?

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  I have the Sport that uses it, and while I like the nib, the edges on the faceted Sport body hurts my hand. I was thinking of getting a Dia2, as that’s a pen I have tried and liked to swap it into. I like the effect quite a bit. 
 

  *While the #5,6 maker vernacular is not completely accurate, it’s a shorthand that many people in the pen community use. I recommend measuring any nib and feed that need replacing and checking it against the dimensions listed on the maker’s website. 

[Misfit]

My brother got a Kaweco Sport with the twin nib. Its uses are limited for him. He uses it to write headers in letters. 

[AmandaW]

Decision decided. A Kaweco Student demonstrator fitted with a twin nib has been ordered. It took some searching, but I did find it available like that with the twin offered as one of the nib options.

 

It will be put away for Christmas.

[Penguincollector]

  Sounds like a plan! Let us know how you like it after the holidays! 

[Dillo]

  On 11/4/2024 at 3:30 AM, Penguincollector said:

  *While the #5,6 maker vernacular is not completely accurate, it’s a shorthand that many people in the pen community use. I recommend measuring any nib and feed that need replacing and checking it against the dimensions listed on the maker’s website. 

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As someone who dealt/deals with nibs, I highly caution against it if dealing with nibs that have specifically labeled sizes such as Bock. Bock has designations such as 060, 076, 250, 380 that can make things more clear and are much more specific. When you try to buy Bock nibs, they are usually labeled by the three digit designations. JoWo does use the 5 and 6 designations but they refer to specific sizes of nibs in the range, so this is not as much of a problem with JoWo. It's like calling a Waterman #2 a "5." Vintage Waterman nibs already have size designations from the manufacturer. Pilot's 5, 10, and 15 also follow Pilot's own conventions that they made up. Basically, if the nib manufacturer already has specific numbering conventions already, I think it's best to use them when possible to make things clear.

 

One example of a pen that has fallen victim to misuse of the 5 label is the Kaweco Perkeo which also uses Bock nibs. People claim it uses a #5, but the feed in that pen is not 5 mm at all. It's 5.5mm diameter, and it does not match any of the 060, 250, 380 sizes either. It's something special they make. I've had people trying to cram the 060 into the Perkeo, cracking the grip section and discovering that the nib is in fact the wrong type. I've also seen people put a Bock 076 into a pen that takes 060 and bending the nib and destroying the inner cap because the wings were too wide.

 

Measuring is good practice, but using nib manufacturer conventions adds another layer of protection.

[Penguincollector]

👍🏽