# Now I'm hooked



## Texatdurango (Oct 1, 2007)

After reading Anthonyâ€™s paper on disassembling different nibs and learning that the large CSUSA nibs fit all the large CSUSA pens, I took a brand new large nib from a yet to be built CSUSA fountain kit, pulled the roller ball out of my daily use Gentleman pen, put a cartridge into the nib and prestoâ€¦ Iâ€™m in business.

I also tried two other fountain pens I assembled months ago and without calling out their kit names and starting a kit debate, I will simply say that not all fountain pen nibs are created equal!  One nib felt like I was scratching the paper with a straightened out paper clip!

I used the same rubber cartridge in all three nibs and the difference in how they write is daylight and dark, neither of the other pens write as nice as the large CSUSA nib.

I mention this in case someone else tries a kit and also has dismal results.  Donâ€™t give up based on the results of one or two kit nibs.

Now Iâ€™m hooked!  Iâ€™m also wondering if the steel nib in the CSUSA kit was so superior to the other two, what will the gold nibs be like?  One way to find outâ€¦ order away!  This is going to be fun!

A strange phenomenon, these fountain pens, they make you want to slow down and write nicer rather than the usual hen scratching we (I) have become accustomed to.


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## DCBluesman (Oct 2, 2007)

Not every nib from the same manufacturer or even the same batch will write the same.  Tip conditioning will make almost all of the kit nibs write better.  Many of the nibmeisters sell kits of materials for a very reasonable price.  Try www.richardspens.com


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## ashaw (Oct 2, 2007)

Also the same nibs from Berea for the Elgrande and Churchill will work on the CSA large pens.  So if you need a fine you can get from A/S or Berea and swap it in the large pens from CSA.


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## Texatdurango (Oct 2, 2007)

> _Originally posted by ashaw_
> 
> Also the same nibs from Berea for the Elgrande and Churchill will work on the CSA large pens.  So if you need a fine you can get from A/S or Berea and swap it in the large pens from CSA.


Alan, It may be just the nibs I have tried but I took the nib from an ElGrande and tried to put it in a Statesman and the threads would start about half a turn then stop so I didn't force it.  The same thing happened when I took the nib from the Statesman and put it into the ElGrande.  I think the thread pitch is different.

George


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## bjackman (Oct 2, 2007)

George,
Not the whole nib/feed unit, just the metal nib, inserted into the feed/section of the other pen. I hope that makes sense.


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## Texatdurango (Oct 2, 2007)

> _Originally posted by bjackman_
> 
> George,
> Not the whole nib/feed unit, just the metal nib, inserted into the feed/section of the other pen. I hope that makes sense.


Makes perfect sense... I just need to learn the proper terms.

I just ordered an assortment of nibs from Craft Supply, I'm curious to see what I get, here is what they show in the catalog when you order "Fountain Nibs"... and sorta what I was expecting so I could turn existing rollerballs into fountain pens.


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## ashaw (Oct 3, 2007)

George
Just replace the nibs.  Pull the nib and feed out of the el'grande and pull the nib and feed out of the Statesman and just replace the nibs.  See anthoney's post on replacing nibs. http://content.penturners.org/articles/2006/fp_nib_replacement.pdf


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