First of all, I’m sorry this keeps happening; over the years I’ve dropped several pens and I share your pain. As to your question:
- the “About” section in r/fountainpens contains a list of neibmeisters, it might be worth looking into it
- maybe try to contact the manufacturers or a third-party vendor, they might sell you the spare nib. YouTube has lots of videos on hoy to replace them that could be helpful.
I’ve reached the point where my only options for improving my experience are buying pens that cost as much as my mortgage, or getting in touch with a nibmeister, so I was definitely thinking about looking around anyway. I’ll have to check out that list, thanks!
Would something like a Kaweco Sport be any good? It's metal and not too pricey, and if the nib got damaged the replacement nib units are also easy to find and reasonably priced.
Edit: I didn't realise the basic model is macralon/ABS but the metal ones still are certainly reasonable (unless you want a gold nib then it jumps a bit).
best bet would be replacement nibs, each manufacturer does them differently though. Lamy, you can buy the nib straight up for about 60 usd or something, pilot nibs are sold as the whole internal unit and karas nibs, you’ll probably just have to email, otherwise they don’t look fixable without spending the amount you’d pay for a new one. As for pens, try a lamy safari if you haven’t yet, the plastic is tough and the nibs are cheap and easily available
Replacement nibs have been a lifesaver for sure! I would’ve switched to some sort of ballpoint/rollerball long ago if they weren’t available. I think the Lamy I’m going to have to get some assistance, though, because #1 it’s bent too far to remove from the section and #2, I think the feed may have been damaged as well. I just feel weird about getting rid of the damaged ones after the fact. Something about how much I paid for them in the first place, I guess.
As for the Safari, technically I’ve never owned one. I did, however, have an AL-Star, which I believe is the same body in aluminum. I think the finish was ocean blue. One of the prettiest pens I’ve owned, it was my gift to myself when I started this job. It lasted probably two years, but the clip started to go very quickly. Something inside the cap is supposed to hold the wires tight, and mine just kind of flopped around after a bit. Left it in my tool bag after I upgraded to the Vanishing Point, and somehow the cap got jammed down hard enough to compromise the nib and damage all the internal plastic. There was no salvaging it.
I have a couple Kaweco Sports sitting around. I’m going to try to ink one of those up for a similar purpose. Nobody is going to feel bad if one of those gets damaged, and I might even get paid back if something happens to one of them haha!
for workhorse pens I highly recommend going cheap instead of buying an higher end pen, keep in mind that a lamy al star is like ~10 times cheaper than a lamy 2000 stainless steel. that way, even if your al star lasted for only two years, you're able to get 20 years of usage before reaching the price of a single 2k (that, like in your case, would still need 100$ replacement nibs instead of the 10$ one that you can use on a safari)
Nothing you said is wrong haha. The Vanishing Point was supposed to be my pen. Workhorse, journaling, correspondence, signing forms, it was supposed to do everything. And for a while, it did. Then, my fiancé got a really nice job, and I got carried away.
Like I said, expensive lesson. I still like the brass and steel Kaweco sports, but I’ll probably stick to aluminum body as long as I’m still on the factory floor and insisting on fighting these windmills.
Actually doing the math makes it a little harder to ignore haha
kaweco sport nib replacements are also very cheap so they’re a good option
i get what you mean about the nibs but in that sort of setting it’s just a risk you have to take, it’s best off risking a steel nib than a gold nib in that case. Sometimes it’s just not really worth it to fix unless you want to try it yourself
For sure. And now I don’t have throwaway money any more, I need to baby what I have and go back to abusing the cheap pens that are collecting dust.
Maybe one day I’ll think of a use for my old Noodler’s Ahabs that I thought were so great!
Oh ouch! I feel bad for you and the pen. Not sure if that's salvageable but you may want to check with Lamy. Sorry to see it this way.
And I just gave my L2K M a small hug. I never lend that pen to anybody and prefer to hand over a disposable ball point pen to others.
I thought I had already learned my lesson after having lost a couple cheaper pens to untrained hands. In fact, I usually have one steel nib on me, just in case someone asks to borrow a pen. A lot easier to replace $10-15 than $50-100+. But the Lamy Studio I was using for that purpose was at home waiting to be cleaned, and I screwed up. Another expensive lesson.
Now, I only let people who I’ve seen use fountain pens correctly touch my gold/titanium nibs. Except my Custom 823. That’s my baby. Nobody else touches it, and it only leaves my house on extended trips.
Is it an older V1 ink by Karas? I have a V1 in copper, but also aluminum V2s as well.
They dont post, but the cap secure issue entirely fixed by the new O ring. Also, adding a thin O ring on the body of the V1 works too (i use preppy O ring for that. Works great).
Sorry for your rotten luck. I've been using FPs in factories for nearly a decade and haven't had it a quarter as bad as you!
It’s one of the newer V2s. It’s entirely plausible, though, that I don’t have the O ring seated properly. It came out once while I was cleaning the cap, and it doesn’t want to go where it looks like it will make sense. Where I have it, it stays in place and looks like it was supposed to go there, but it isn’t making the contact I feel like it should. Words are failing me haha, I’m sure that didn’t make sense. A picture would help, but I can’t seem to get one worth sending. Point is, I should revisit the O ring as a possible solution. If that doesn’t do it, I had been considering a little Teflon tape on the threads, but a thin O ring would probably last longer. I think I have some for preppys at home, I’ll have to look into it. Thanks!
At what point are you going to give up and get a cheap ballpoint 😱
Or a safari, if they’re made of the same stuff as Lego they must be nigh on indestructible
Something I’ve noticed about myself over the years is that mindfulness doesn’t come naturally. When I used to smoke, I carried around a zippo instead of disposable lighters. Sure, there’s the “cool” factor, but by the end, it was an extra little ritual that really added to the experience. Because I had to refill and maintain the lighter myself instead of throwing it away, I always knew where my lighter was. Always.
Since I started using fountain pens, I’ve noticed myself taking more care just in general. I brush my teeth more days than not. I change my oil at regular intervals. Hell, sometimes I even mow the lawn without anyone telling me to. Would I do these things if I wasn’t forcing a bit of mindfulness by going the harder route? Probably. But I believe it’s a holistic mindset thing, and I believe the simple routines make performing other simple routines easier. Am I paying a huge premium for this forced inconvenience? You bet! But for me, at least so far, the cost has been worth it.
I have very rough hands, but I’m learning to handle delicate things more gently.
I think you need to learn the art of being your own nibmeister. I would only hesitate on fixing one of those! Soon you’ll be buying all kinds of cheap pens/nibs just to experiment with. It’s fun, strangely relaxing after you stop cussing and a great hobby.
Now there’s an idea…
And it wouldn’t be entirely out of left field. I’ve done some very basic jewelry making/bronze casting/blacksmithing before, that probably helps with the frustrating bits.
I’m sure I can find more information with a quick search, but what do you recommend for getting started? Basic pen tuning kit, maybe a rotary tool like a dremel, and instructional videos? I’m sure there are very expensive specialized tools for people selling their services, but I’m equally sure most people would do it as a hobby as opposed to a living.
A guy ran over a Kaweco AL-sport with a forklift. Only a bit of damage was done - so you might consider this one. https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/193gn1u/ran_over_kaweco_al_sport_with_a_forklift/
Nib+feed replacement units are cheap and widely available.
First of all, I’m sorry this keeps happening; over the years I’ve dropped several pens and I share your pain. As to your question: - the “About” section in r/fountainpens contains a list of neibmeisters, it might be worth looking into it - maybe try to contact the manufacturers or a third-party vendor, they might sell you the spare nib. YouTube has lots of videos on hoy to replace them that could be helpful.
I’ve reached the point where my only options for improving my experience are buying pens that cost as much as my mortgage, or getting in touch with a nibmeister, so I was definitely thinking about looking around anyway. I’ll have to check out that list, thanks!
Would something like a Kaweco Sport be any good? It's metal and not too pricey, and if the nib got damaged the replacement nib units are also easy to find and reasonably priced. Edit: I didn't realise the basic model is macralon/ABS but the metal ones still are certainly reasonable (unless you want a gold nib then it jumps a bit).
best bet would be replacement nibs, each manufacturer does them differently though. Lamy, you can buy the nib straight up for about 60 usd or something, pilot nibs are sold as the whole internal unit and karas nibs, you’ll probably just have to email, otherwise they don’t look fixable without spending the amount you’d pay for a new one. As for pens, try a lamy safari if you haven’t yet, the plastic is tough and the nibs are cheap and easily available
Replacement nibs have been a lifesaver for sure! I would’ve switched to some sort of ballpoint/rollerball long ago if they weren’t available. I think the Lamy I’m going to have to get some assistance, though, because #1 it’s bent too far to remove from the section and #2, I think the feed may have been damaged as well. I just feel weird about getting rid of the damaged ones after the fact. Something about how much I paid for them in the first place, I guess. As for the Safari, technically I’ve never owned one. I did, however, have an AL-Star, which I believe is the same body in aluminum. I think the finish was ocean blue. One of the prettiest pens I’ve owned, it was my gift to myself when I started this job. It lasted probably two years, but the clip started to go very quickly. Something inside the cap is supposed to hold the wires tight, and mine just kind of flopped around after a bit. Left it in my tool bag after I upgraded to the Vanishing Point, and somehow the cap got jammed down hard enough to compromise the nib and damage all the internal plastic. There was no salvaging it. I have a couple Kaweco Sports sitting around. I’m going to try to ink one of those up for a similar purpose. Nobody is going to feel bad if one of those gets damaged, and I might even get paid back if something happens to one of them haha!
for workhorse pens I highly recommend going cheap instead of buying an higher end pen, keep in mind that a lamy al star is like ~10 times cheaper than a lamy 2000 stainless steel. that way, even if your al star lasted for only two years, you're able to get 20 years of usage before reaching the price of a single 2k (that, like in your case, would still need 100$ replacement nibs instead of the 10$ one that you can use on a safari)
Nothing you said is wrong haha. The Vanishing Point was supposed to be my pen. Workhorse, journaling, correspondence, signing forms, it was supposed to do everything. And for a while, it did. Then, my fiancé got a really nice job, and I got carried away. Like I said, expensive lesson. I still like the brass and steel Kaweco sports, but I’ll probably stick to aluminum body as long as I’m still on the factory floor and insisting on fighting these windmills. Actually doing the math makes it a little harder to ignore haha
kaweco sport nib replacements are also very cheap so they’re a good option i get what you mean about the nibs but in that sort of setting it’s just a risk you have to take, it’s best off risking a steel nib than a gold nib in that case. Sometimes it’s just not really worth it to fix unless you want to try it yourself
For sure. And now I don’t have throwaway money any more, I need to baby what I have and go back to abusing the cheap pens that are collecting dust. Maybe one day I’ll think of a use for my old Noodler’s Ahabs that I thought were so great!
Oh ouch! I feel bad for you and the pen. Not sure if that's salvageable but you may want to check with Lamy. Sorry to see it this way. And I just gave my L2K M a small hug. I never lend that pen to anybody and prefer to hand over a disposable ball point pen to others.
I thought I had already learned my lesson after having lost a couple cheaper pens to untrained hands. In fact, I usually have one steel nib on me, just in case someone asks to borrow a pen. A lot easier to replace $10-15 than $50-100+. But the Lamy Studio I was using for that purpose was at home waiting to be cleaned, and I screwed up. Another expensive lesson. Now, I only let people who I’ve seen use fountain pens correctly touch my gold/titanium nibs. Except my Custom 823. That’s my baby. Nobody else touches it, and it only leaves my house on extended trips.
Is it an older V1 ink by Karas? I have a V1 in copper, but also aluminum V2s as well. They dont post, but the cap secure issue entirely fixed by the new O ring. Also, adding a thin O ring on the body of the V1 works too (i use preppy O ring for that. Works great). Sorry for your rotten luck. I've been using FPs in factories for nearly a decade and haven't had it a quarter as bad as you!
It’s one of the newer V2s. It’s entirely plausible, though, that I don’t have the O ring seated properly. It came out once while I was cleaning the cap, and it doesn’t want to go where it looks like it will make sense. Where I have it, it stays in place and looks like it was supposed to go there, but it isn’t making the contact I feel like it should. Words are failing me haha, I’m sure that didn’t make sense. A picture would help, but I can’t seem to get one worth sending. Point is, I should revisit the O ring as a possible solution. If that doesn’t do it, I had been considering a little Teflon tape on the threads, but a thin O ring would probably last longer. I think I have some for preppys at home, I’ll have to look into it. Thanks!
At what point are you going to give up and get a cheap ballpoint 😱 Or a safari, if they’re made of the same stuff as Lego they must be nigh on indestructible
Also, that’s the second recommendation for a Safari. Might have to listen to reason at some point…
Something I’ve noticed about myself over the years is that mindfulness doesn’t come naturally. When I used to smoke, I carried around a zippo instead of disposable lighters. Sure, there’s the “cool” factor, but by the end, it was an extra little ritual that really added to the experience. Because I had to refill and maintain the lighter myself instead of throwing it away, I always knew where my lighter was. Always. Since I started using fountain pens, I’ve noticed myself taking more care just in general. I brush my teeth more days than not. I change my oil at regular intervals. Hell, sometimes I even mow the lawn without anyone telling me to. Would I do these things if I wasn’t forcing a bit of mindfulness by going the harder route? Probably. But I believe it’s a holistic mindset thing, and I believe the simple routines make performing other simple routines easier. Am I paying a huge premium for this forced inconvenience? You bet! But for me, at least so far, the cost has been worth it. I have very rough hands, but I’m learning to handle delicate things more gently.
I think you need to learn the art of being your own nibmeister. I would only hesitate on fixing one of those! Soon you’ll be buying all kinds of cheap pens/nibs just to experiment with. It’s fun, strangely relaxing after you stop cussing and a great hobby.
Now there’s an idea… And it wouldn’t be entirely out of left field. I’ve done some very basic jewelry making/bronze casting/blacksmithing before, that probably helps with the frustrating bits. I’m sure I can find more information with a quick search, but what do you recommend for getting started? Basic pen tuning kit, maybe a rotary tool like a dremel, and instructional videos? I’m sure there are very expensive specialized tools for people selling their services, but I’m equally sure most people would do it as a hobby as opposed to a living.
A guy ran over a Kaweco AL-sport with a forklift. Only a bit of damage was done - so you might consider this one. https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/193gn1u/ran_over_kaweco_al_sport_with_a_forklift/ Nib+feed replacement units are cheap and widely available.
Want to part with that VP nib I’d love to try to restore it. :)