# Nib swapping question



## SDB777 (Dec 23, 2012)

Was wondering if anyone has experience with swapping nibs...


Was wondering what I would need to do to swap say a 'kit nib' with something like this: The Perry 120EF picture here or this: N133. Nikko Saji-Chrome Nib 



Will the feed work? 
Will the nib/feed fit into the holder?
Can nibs be 'bent around a feed' that they were not designed for?

I guess you might be thinking, why? Well I was just wanting to experiment with some different nibs..... And I am not quite set-up to go completely kitless...yet:wink:








Scott (any help would be great) B


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## frank123 (Dec 23, 2012)

Those aren't going to work for your purpose.


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## IPD_Mr (Dec 23, 2012)

Those are dip nibs not fountain pen nibs.


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## watch_art (Dec 23, 2012)

You can put dip nibs in a fountain pen but they will rust out pretty quickly.  Some of the nicer ones will last longer.  If you can find some vintage gold dip nibs then you'll be set like a king.

Gold dip nib in a modern Parker Duofold, from FPN
Dip Pen Nib In A Fountain Pen? - The Fountain Pen Network


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## SDB777 (Dec 24, 2012)

frank123 said:


> Those aren't going to work for your purpose.


 
Why? I have read else where that a dip nib can be 'charged' with a cartridge to be used for longer periods of scripting.... Have also read that these type nibs 'flow' with different inks better(thinking that this would offer the purchaser a better{at least bigger} variety of inks to choose from)






IPD_Mr said:


> Those are dip nibs not fountain pen nibs.


 
I know, but I'm looking for:
#1: Something different from the 'pack'
#2: Something less expensive then what the 'pack' is having to buy.
(When I first joined this forum, there were maybe a small handful of people making kitless pens. Since then the 'handful' has grown, so has the price for the folks selling nibs-yes, I know everyone needs to make a living in tough time, but the prices are getting crazy)
#3: I was hoping to be different from the 'pack'.....





watch_art said:


> You can put dip nibs in a fountain pen but they will rust out pretty quickly. Some of the nicer ones will last longer. If you can find some vintage gold dip nibs then you'll be set like a king.
> 
> Gold dip nib in a modern Parker Duofold, from FPN
> Dip Pen Nib In A Fountain Pen? - The Fountain Pen Network


 

So Vintage nibs can fit into modern feeds and holders? I can see I'd need to sit down with you for a day over five or six pots of coffee and pick your brain:biggrin: The second link in post #1 has a header where vintage nibs are offered also. But I don't see any feeds or holders offered on the website(or maybe I'm not consuming enough coffee yet?)....

Is there something I should look for as far as dimensions that will show me what size feed/holder would be required to make the nib work correctly? I certainly wouldn't want to buy a Parker Duofold from 1928 and take it apart to see what is making it tick!







Scott (further reading is mucho necessary-o) B


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## BRobbins629 (Dec 24, 2012)

Scott (keep pushing the envelope) B - When you understand the principles of how nibs work and how to adjust them, I think this is very possible.  Maybe not a perfect fit with some of the feeds out of the box, but possibly a little nib manipulation and you could be onto something.  Perhaps getting some gold or silver plated to avoid the rust would help as well.  Great idea to pursue.


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## SDB777 (Dec 25, 2012)

Guess this is a follow-up question.....


Is there a list of tap size needed for holder size?
(Say I wanted to use a #5 nib from Meister, the tap needed would be _________ size)







Scott (still thinking inside this box) B


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## wiz9777 (Dec 25, 2012)

I have been wondering that myself. 
I heard the Meister #6 is M7.4 x .5, I only have a M7.5x.75 and it works but you kill the 3rd thread.
I don't know about the #5 yet.


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## Tortoise (Dec 25, 2012)

This isn't exactly what you are looking for, but it might give you some ideas. Mauricio Aguilar is putting vintage flex nibs in modern pens. Cool idea: ** Modern w/Vint. Flex - Vintage Fountain Pens, Flexible Nibs, Super Flex Nibs, Wet Noodles, and Penmanship


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## watch_art (Dec 25, 2012)

The taps for the Meisternib sets are over at silverpenparts.com

As for fitting vintage DIP nibs into modern (or any other) pens, it's play and experiment.  There are no guidelines anywhere that say this will work and this won't.  You test each piece with each pen.  As for buying feeds and holders for the dip nibs - you don't - if you're putting them into modern pens.  You take the modern nib out, put it aside, and put the vintage dip nib back in its place - using the feed that came with the pen.  

Hope that helps a bit.


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## SDB777 (Dec 26, 2012)

Thank you Shawn!

You'd almost think that if you sold the nib/feed/holder....you might want to carry the tap?  Or at least tell the user buying it what size tap is needed to install everything.....unless that information is sent with the order itself(cause I couldn't find it on the Meister website).

From all the 'looking' I've done everywhere, I'm thinking the only place where I saw all the information I've asked about concerning nib/holders tap sizes and such was IndyPen Dance website(and for that I thank you kind sir!).



Certainly no one-size-fits-all though........










Scott (now, what to order) B


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## Dustygoose (Dec 27, 2012)

Scott, I would think the nibs that look more like a regular nib would work better than the traditional dip nibs.  I try my best at Caligraphy when I can and I have about 6 or 7 dip nibs.  Some remind me of that "wet noodle" Shawn brought to Bob's house.  

On your first link look towards the bottom of the page, They (to me) look as though they would fit easier on the feed.

I am just starting to venture into Kitless.  I am using the #5 Schmit from Indy Pen Dance.  (Shawn told me ) They are made by Bock or Jowo.  Was an easier start up for me.


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