Fountain pen nibs. Info needed

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Wade3574

Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2020
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21
Location
Snellville GA
Hi all,
I just got started turning pens. When I purchased a lathe off of Facebook the guy threw in some tools and there was a box labeled nibs. I just opened the box and found 3 nibs. I was wondering if anyone can identify these and if they would be worth my time to try my hand at making a fountain pen. I only paid 150 for the lathe (jet 1014) and a couple robert sorby roughing gouges so definitely got my money's worth on the deal just not sure about these.
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The two nibs stamped 14K are an amazing bonus, given how much you paid for the entire lathe and tool set! It looks like they are two different sizes (that could be a trick of the photo) in which case one is probable size #6 and the other size #5. Most likely made by JoWo (a top quality German manufacturer.)

[edit: I have looked closer at the 14K nibs, the engraved patter and the scalloped shape of the tail end of the nib don't match what I've seen of JoWo nibs in the past. They might be, but they might be some other manufacturer.]

The other nib, stamped "Dayacom - Germany" is a steel nib, and probably came out of a kit pen (most likely the person you bought from took it out and replaced it with a gold nib). Word is that they are also made by JoWo.

These nibs alone will not be enough to make a fountain pen, though: there are typically 2 other parts (the feed and a housing with a nipple, which both holds the nib and feed together and pushes into the opening in an ink cartridge/converter to let the ink flow into the feed).

If you want to sell the gold nibs, PM me. :)
 
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Welcome aboard Wade. That was a good deal on the lathe.

The nib on the right, is a Daycom "M" kit nib. Could be handy if you wanted to swap out a fine. The two on the left, look like 14K gold nibs, and are worth considerably more. I am not sure of the brand, but they may fit as replacements for a kit nib.
Kit nibs are of questionable quality. My experience with them is hit and miss. Some write excellent right out of the box, while others need a little tuning, and the remaining won't ever write well.
Gold nibs are better, some fountain pen users can tell the difference between a steel nib and a gold one. Gold nibs were originally used for their flexibility and durability with caustic inks, which would eat steel nibs. Modern inks are not as caustic and modern steel nibs are a better quality steel, so gold nibs are more of a prestige than a requirement.
If you are just starting your pen journey, I would not begin with the goal of making pens to fit these nibs. I would hang onto them however until you do make a pen to fit them to. The other option is to sell the 14K nibs, and you should be able to get $75-$100 each.

Good luck in your journey. You will find lots of help here on this site.
 
Purely speculation here...

These two 14K nibs strike me as odd ducks... aside from it being marked 14K/585, everything else about them looks low end to me (no branding, the design, quality of the stamping, etc.). I wonder if they could be vintage or even fake (is that a thing? fake nibs?). Add to that the price you paid for them... A Jinhao with a 14K 585 nib can be had for < $5.
 
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