# Nibs



## Wright (Oct 15, 2012)

Are the German nibs that come with kits any good? I see that most people change to another brand like Bock.


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## alphageek (Oct 15, 2012)

A couple of things on those kit nibs.... 

1) There is no guarantee that many of them are actually made in Germany.
2) They will write just fine in most cases.
3) A more 'distinguished' client will probably look down on them, but many won't care.  That depends alot on the person.   

Everything is a scale.... how much do you want to invest into your pen, and what are you looking to get out of it.


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## its_virgil (Oct 15, 2012)

Depends on who you ask. A couple of my best writers use the nib that came with the kit. Some tuning may be required. Library articles will help you out or a google search can be productive. The ink that comes in the cartridge with the kit is a very poor quality ink. I don't even keep them much less give the cartridge to a customer. Find a good quality ink. I picked up a pen that has not been used in at least two months and it wrote immediately...yes, kit nib.
Do a good turn daily!
Don

Oh and BTW, they probably aren't German nor iridium.:biggrin:




Wright said:


> Are the German nibs that come with kits any good? I see that most people change to another brand like Bock.


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## Texatdurango (Oct 15, 2012)

If you make a pen to give to a friend or relative, the kit nib is probably OK.  If you plan on setting up a table at the local church bizarre the kit nib is probably OK.  

By you asking this question I assume you don't plan on setting up a table at one of the larger pen shows where the average customer probably knows a lot more about pens than you so no worry there.

Just for grins you should start writing with a kit nib then purchase one upgraded nib then use it and see if you see any difference.  I use Bock nibs exclusively in my new pens and when a customer picks up a pen and recognizes the nib or I tell them I use nothing but the best, 95% agree and I am firmly convinced that it helps sell the pen.


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## Texatdurango (Oct 15, 2012)

its_virgil said:


> .....
> 
> Oh and BTW, they probably aren't German nor iridium.:biggrin:



Don, Do you mean the folks from the orient would actually sell something that is deliberately marked in the hopes of misleading the consumer? 

Tell me it isn't so! :biggrin:


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## chriselle (Oct 15, 2012)

Hey George, I use Bock (some Meisters, too) exclusively on my custom pens but kit nibs with the option of a Bock on the kit pens.  I had a discussion with a customer who insisted on an 18K nib and not the Bock guilded.  I'm thinking of ordering a few #5 and #6 18K nibs just for reference to compare with the steel Bocks but I'm thinking there isn't going to be a noticeable difference.  Any thoughts?


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## Texatdurango (Oct 15, 2012)

chriselle said:


> Hey George, I use Bock (some Meisters, too) exclusively on my custom pens but kit nibs with the option of a Bock on the kit pens.  I had a discussion with a customer who insisted on an 18K nib and not the Bock guilded.  I'm thinking of ordering a few #5 and #6 18K nibs just for reference to compare with the steel Bocks but I'm thinking there isn't going to be a noticeable difference.  Any thoughts?


Chris, I have several Heritance 18k nibs in both #5 and #6 sizes and have a #5 18k nib in one of my rotation pens around the house and to be honest, prefer the Bock steel nibs I have in my other pens.  

The more I learn about nibs though, the more I realize that it's not so much what the nib is made of, but how the tip and tines are aligned and tuned so having a gold nib is no guarantee that it will write better, just looks and sounds better!

In a couple weeks I hope to be in Richard Binders nib tuning class at the Ohio Pen show so I may be able to shed some more light on the subject when I (hopefully) get smarter!


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## its_virgil (Oct 15, 2012)

It ain't so, George! NOT! Do we have a forum rule against fibbing?:biggrin: Will I be placed on moderated status?
Don



Texatdurango said:


> its_virgil said:
> 
> 
> > .....
> ...


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## azamiryou (Oct 15, 2012)

> I'm thinking of ordering a few #5 and #6 18K nibs just for reference to  compare with the steel Bocks but I'm thinking there isn't going to be a  noticeable difference.  Any thoughts?


In theory, gold is less stiff than steel, so gold nibs should have more flex.

In practice, stiffness depends not just on the material, but also the shape of the nib. For example, a thicker nib will obviously be stiffer.

Also, properties of metals in alloys can get kind of weird, so depending on the specific gold alloy (I don't think you'd want a 24k nib, it would be very easy to damage) the stiffness could vary quite a bit. And even with a single sample, the properties vary dramatically depending on its annealed/hardened condition.

I just received some 18k JoWo nibs (from Meister). I'll have one in a pen within the next week or two, so I can try it out and see how it compares.


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## Texatdurango (Oct 15, 2012)

its_virgil said:


> It ain't so, George! NOT! Do we have a forum rule against fibbing?:biggrin: Will I be placed on moderated status?
> Don


Nah...... you can fib all you want, it happens all the time! :wink: Hey, if you do get put on moderated status it's not so bad, I'm public enemy #1 on the moderated list and I manage :biggrin:


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## chriselle (Oct 16, 2012)

Thank you George and Matthew.  Please let us know what you glean from the course George.  Matthew, I'm indeed interested in your thoughts on the 18K Meisternib.


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## alphageek (Oct 16, 2012)

Texatdurango said:


> Nah...... you can fib all you want, it happens all the time! :wink: Hey, if you do get put on moderated status it's not so bad, I'm public enemy #1 on the moderated list and I manage :biggrin:



In your dreams George.   Just cause some people like to be a bad guy doesn't make them so.  It must be that "bad guys get the chicks" thing. 

If there WAS moderated list, I guarantee the #1 person wouldn't stay long.    It is possible but rare to get banned from IAP.   If you really want to be on THAT list it's not to hard to do - so if you want to be the first person on that list, I can tell you how to get there really quick.


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## Wright (Oct 16, 2012)

The pen I have in mind is for my son in Lawton, Ok. It will be a gift so I'll see how he likes it (with kit nib) and can upgrade the nib when I go see him.  Thanks


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## alphageek (Oct 16, 2012)

Wright said:


> The pen I have in mind is for my son in Lawton, Ok. It will be a gift so I'll see how he likes it (with kit nib) and can upgrade the nib when I go see him.  Thanks



That sounds like a really good plan.   Since he can write with it for a while, you could then find out more about what he would like from a new nib (thinner line, wider line, etc).


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## Donovan (Oct 16, 2012)

The way that I write I need a stiff nib. I used to write with a majestic but I made a few cigar pens and started using one just to try and it is all that I use now. It is really comfortable to write with. In South Africa we don't have to many pen kit suppliers (one that I know of) so we are very limited to what we can get and to bring in a few replacement nibs pushes the price very high due to the postage.


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## LagniappeRob (Oct 16, 2012)

Texatdurango said:


> ... If you plan on setting up a table at the local church bizarre the kit nib is probably OK.
> ...



LOL... The church bizarre?  Is that anything like a bazaar? 

bizarre = unusual or odd
bazaar = Persian for the "market".

But then bizarre might fit more at some of the ones I've seen...


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