Conklin Duragraph Nibectomy: Replacing the Stock Nib

[@Shortcutguitlssns]

For someone who is’no calligrapher’,you write very nicely.I’m sick of seeing “The quick brown fox…”written so badly in most pen reviews.!

[@InkquiringMinds]

Thank you, George!

[@meh8982]

Glad it worked out so well! Such a beautiful pen. The Duragraph has such a great design. I got one in Amber, took out the barely-mediocre original nib, put in a black Goulet (Jowo) nib, and it is now pure delight to hold, write with, and look at.

[@InkquiringMinds]

Cool! Thank you, Meh!

[@kevinhannon6863]

Your videos inspired me to purchase a Moonman M600S, which arrived last week with an extra nib. This morning I tried to write with my most cantankerous pen - the Conklin Duragraph, and again was annoyed with hard starting, skipping, and scratching. I wondered if it were possible to swap the Moonman extra nib with the Duragraph, and was glad to find this video. I made the swap and now have a great writing Duragraph. Thanks for the info

[@InkquiringMinds]

Excellent! Congrats on a successful swap, Kevin!

[@gadgetstop321]

Thanks for making this video, Doug. I've been seriously considering a Conklin with an Omniflex nib, but I can tell from your experience that I would not have been happy.

[@InkquiringMinds]

I think I'll just wait until the well fills up again and take a look at the Triple Tail.

[@Scott-wi7rm]

Nice job Doug, just love customizing pens,very helpful.

[@InkquiringMinds]

Thanks, Scott!

[@davidrod2865]

Thanks for sharing. Got a Duragraph Ice Blue today and the nib is really disappointing. So I got to your video.

[@InkquiringMinds]

Thanks for watching!

[@FrankenBeanzzz]

When that nib collar disappeared, I had deja Vu. One of the most appealing aspects of this hobby is the ability to customize the experience. I'm going to figure out how to put one of those comic flex nibs on one of my 159's now. Thanks for linking the video in the comments!

[@InkquiringMinds]

LOL Thanks! Working and writing around a camera on a tripod with a mic in your face, especially when you're as blind close up as I am is a challenge. The problem with the Zebra G is that they rust. That's why I've been fascinated with the Noodler's Triple Tail.

[@FrankenBeanzzz]

@@InkquiringMinds Youre one of my favorite enablers, Mr. Doug. Looks like I need a new pen!

[@paulmchugh1430]

Very nice episode, Doug. The Omniflex nib omnisucks! It is a horrible nib. I have mentioned this to the distributor and they politely agreed. A new Omniflex nib is coming out and they are trying to get rid of their supply of their old stock. So, I have had to do a number of nibecttomies. I have added Bock and Jowo nibs. Jowo works best. Bock nibs do not fit very well. You can do it but the Bock is slightly wider than Jowo, so you have to force it in or even take a pair of pliers and wrap the nib around the feed. In any case the rest of the Conklin pen is very well made. I am hoping their new stock of nibs will be better.

[@InkquiringMinds]

Conklin distresses me. They sell a pen called the All American which is made in China.

[@paulmchugh1430]

@@InkquiringMinds I didn't realize this. I have two All American pens.

[@InkquiringMinds]

@@paulmchugh1430 Jinhao.

[@paulmchugh1430]

@@InkquiringMinds that makes sense. The 9056 walnut pen is identical to the All American. Now I wonder if Jinhao nibs will fit on Conklin nibs.

[@InkquiringMinds]

They will.

[@CashSly]

I had similar problems with my Duragraph’s and ended up re-grinding them, including the Omni-flex. Now they write wonderfully. You would think, as much as they charge for them that they would at least write as well as pens that cost half as much. Oh well, good to know that they can also be exchanged for better nibs also. Thanks for the great video’s, and I hope you have a great New Year!

[@InkquiringMinds]

I'm not sure how they are now that they've switched from Bock to Jowo nibs.

[@williamcatalano1762]

@@InkquiringMinds I just got a Duragraph in cracked ice that has an EF JoWo nib and I love it. It's wet enough for an EF and on Tomoe River paper is pretty smooth for an EF. I put Noodlers 54th Massachusetts in it. I was wondering Doug... I want an All American but it comes with a broad nib. I can order a fine or EF nib and feed unit from Goulet pens. Will the one I buy from Goulet thread into the pen for a super quick and easy swap or will I have to pull the nib and feed out of both to swap the EF or fine in the pen?

[@InkquiringMinds]

@@williamcatalano1762 Brian Goulet said that because of the existence of new and old stock, it is the luck of the draw on which you'll get; Bock or Jowo. But, send them an email and ask if you can specifically ask for one or the other. They might be able to check through their stock and pull just what you need. You can always pull a nib for a swap, but it is best to use the nib unit that was made for that particular brand of nib.

[@williamcatalano1762]

@@InkquiringMinds If it ends up being a JoWo the JoWo unit should thread into it though right?

[@InkquiringMinds]

@@williamcatalano1762 A Jowo nib unit will fit into a Conklin with a Jowo nib unit - yes!

[@explorerextraordinaire5472]

come back your mind is wonderful and I like your videos ❤️

[@jorge23483]

Congratulations for the successful nibectomy, fellow Dr Frankenpen Doug. The two Conklin I owned have the old nibs and although pretty, they were totally disappointing, with the Duragraph with an F nib I modified slightly the nib and feed, with the All American Old Glory with M nib, I'd just slightly polished the nib but modified the feed too.🤔 Another possibility for your nibs disappointing performance may be due to their black coating... I have a pilot Vanishing Point with a black pvd nib and it really feels different than another VP, something like a baby's bottoms or like the nib doesn't make sufficient contact with the surface of the paper, It's odd but the quality of the VP is so good that it doesn't bothers me and I don't need to polish the nib either. Saludos, thanks for entertaining video, and may you and your loved ones stay safe and healthy 🖖.

[@InkquiringMinds]

Thanks, Jorge! The Duragraph seems to be like many pens that swap easily; people like the pen and swap out the nib for their favourites.

[@jorge23483]

@@InkquiringMinds Yeah, although for me is more fun to practice experimental nib-surgery 😂

[@InkyRocks]

Nice nibectomy! I had the same problem with my Conklin--it basically acted like a broad nib. I sold it to a Japanese pen shop owner because he was so tickled with the shape of the nib. I think he saw it as an American novelty pen! Thanks for a view into your surgery hahaha!

[@InkquiringMinds]

Thanks, Inky Rocks! :)

[@lucm6476]

Same with my Duragraph, love the pen but the nib ,althought it's suposse to be a JOWO, was not good. So i made a switch ET VOILA , a great pen ...

[@InkquiringMinds]

What did you put in it Luc?

[@davidrod2865]

Interested about what nib you used. Thanks

[@Klokopf52]

I have the exact opposite problem. My Duragraph with Omniflex Nib doesn't like to flow at all... It keeps skipping even if i don't use any of its "flex" characteristics, and it gets worse the longer i write... Only fix so far is to force Ink into the Feed by giving the converter a quarter Turn every half a page or so. Kind of annoying at this price point... However i have to admit that i only tried one Ink in it so far. But i never had issues with this ink in any other pen, including other Flex Nibs. EDIT: I found out why my Pen was writing so poorly. When i took it apart for cleaning i also pulled the nib of and found some greenish glittery gunk covering the entire underside of the nib... I never used anything green in this Pen ever and don't even own a glitter ink. So my guess is that my brand new pen isn't brand new, or they test them at the seller (Cult Pens in my case) and who ever tested mine didn't do a proper job of cleaning it afterwards or just used a horrible Ink. It is working know. A bit on the Wet side, I'd say on par with my Noodlers Flex Nib.

[@InkquiringMinds]

Some retailers actually do test the pens before the go out the door. They should rinse it clean first though!

[@RBartsy]

Like the way that Natami nib is flexing! Do you have or have tried a namiki Fslcon? Wondering if this rose gold flexi-potential steel nib replacement on your Conklin writes about as flexi or a little less than the Falcon’s nib? Still doing my flex nib research for 2 pens-art use-one with more flex than the standard stiff steel nib and the other with almost as much as a gnib. Like a good dip pen but let’s face it, there’s no really good reason to have such agony when many more modern (and full of ink) options exist! Is there a way to purchase just those rose gold nibs-ebay? Etsy? Search for natami or something else? I have a couple of the big heavy 159s but just too heavy so might see if I can Frankenpen a jinhao centennial with a few trial nibs.

[@InkquiringMinds]

AFAIK the Natami rose gold coloured nib is only available on the Natami fountain pen, which is available on Etsy at Bobby's store: www.etsy.com/listing/717312393/business-fountain-pen-japanese-style?ga_search_query=natami&ref=shop_items_search_1. Today I borrowed a BlueDew flex pen and in a few days I'll have the Chinese copy (original?) Lorelei in the mail. It will be interesting to see the differences. The Natami didn't seem flexible to me at all. I have a Pilot Falcon and did a review of it. It is very flexible but it takes some practice to get the hang of it.

[@gusmarrero]

I have the natami pens and they're pretty good. And I have had duragraphs and they're not bad, but yes nib issues.

[@themarktauber]

Hi, I have an old Conklin crescent fill fountain pen. Although the nib still writes well, the pen leaks ink in puddles. Is there any to repair this? Replace a part?

[@InkquiringMinds]

I don’t know without looking at it. You could try the fountain pen hospital website.

[@KPL-ti6rv]

Doug I've had issues with the new Conklin nibs also. been through 2 so far with the new walnut All-American. Contacted Yafa and even the replacement was junk. I'll try a third time with a Goulet nib and cross my fingers. The old Conklins nibs do not fit the new pens coming out, just to let you know!

[@InkquiringMinds]

I think that's because of the switch from Bock to Jowo.

[@MrCabimero]

I need to do this. The nib in my Conklin makes it the least favorite pen I have - I have cheap ones that write much better. Thanks

[@InkquiringMinds]

Go for it!

[@axelsommerfeldt9020]

AFAIK the old nibs did (and the OmniFlex nib still does) not come from Bock but from an Asian manufacturer instead. However, I have the same problem that although the new JoWo nibs are of a far more consistency than the old ones the writing experience is not satisfying. Since this differs from my writing experience with other brands using JoWo nibs, too (Faber-Castell, TWSBI, Franklin-Christoph, ...) my guess is that the combination of the new JoWo nib and the (same old) Jinhao feed is far from being optimal. (I don't know if Jinhao is actually the manufacturer of the feeds, but at least it is exactly the same feed as used in the Jinhao fountain pens.) My solution: I have switched the JoWo nib and Jinhao feed to a Bock nib and Bock feed. I have started this experiment with one Conklin Duragraph but since the result was so satisfactory I did this with all (four) Conklin Duragraph fountain pens I own with great pleasure.

[@InkquiringMinds]

That's excellent information Axel! Thanks.

[@richardc6932]

That pen case just caught my eye. I don’t have one and have been looking at the 3 pen case by Visconti. A little pricey!

[@InkquiringMinds]

Richard, here is an ebay auction for a pen case identical to mine, two for $40US. tinyurl.com/vno2npu

[@InkquiringMinds]

Ooof! I just notice the shipping cost. Wow.

[@richardc6932]

Douglas Rathbun roughly $55.00 per case plus whatever Canadian Customs puts on it !

[@InkquiringMinds]

@@richardc6932 Yeah that's pricey. They really are awesome though, nicely made, felt-lined and magnetic closure.

[@ArtistWizardry]

I love the Zebra G nib so much!! I love my Jinhaos x450s and x750s as is, and especially with the Zebra G nib. They are great pens and so very inexpensive. I'm fairly sure I have every color they've had available in the last 3 years in those models. Do you know if the Zebra G nib might work in a PENBBS, or would that not be recommended since Jinhaos work perfectly fine and are considerably cheaper?

[@InkquiringMinds]

I've never thought of putting a Zebra G in a Penbbs. But, the Penbbs #6 is interchangeable with the Jinhao #6 and the Moonman #6 so it is conceivable. You might have to do the typical bending of the curve of the Zebra G just to get it into the section. I wouldn't put one in a Penbbs 308 as you'd never get the cap on, but one of the models with more cap clearance might work, like a 456 or a 480. The problem with the Zebra G is they rust.

[@ArtistWizardry]

@@InkquiringMinds Oh, thanks for the heads up on the 308 nib length limit! And yep, rusting is the sad part with these nibs. The titanium version might last a tad longer but I'm sure that'll rust too. I'm glad that the PENBBS nib and feed are in a separate housing, so it would be inexpensive to replace, I think. I just ordered my first couple of 456s, and extra parts so I might just try the Zebra G nib in the PENBBS. 🤔

[@irule102]

I'd be surprised if that wasn't a JoWo nib. From what I understood, Goulet fully sold the old nibs before selling the JoWo nibbed ones. Now maybe that didn't apply to all models, or something from Conklin themselves when putting them together. Also, if I remember correctly the old nibs were not Bock, but just ones made in Asia. Goulet did offer bock nibs on them at one point as there was a shortage of the nibs and you would know if it was Bock as they only came with the large Bock branding on them. As for the Omniflex, I'm not surprised... I've tried two of them and was pretty disappointed. One got sprung, yeah that's kind of on me, and the second just gave too much issue even writing and I gave up quickly. I wish mine were as wet flowing as yours is though!

[@InkquiringMinds]

Thanks for the info Alex! It is much appreciate!

[@petemanherz7296]

Nice! Just got my Moonman 800 and the stock nib is giving me issues, I might have to perform one of these nibectomys' my self!

[@InkquiringMinds]

I put a Penbbs fine nib in my M800. I have the Amber M800 on the way and will compare the original Moonman to the Bock in the Amber.

[@MissMarilynDarling]

hey doug you have a lot of pens might i ask you something i am wondering do you have any #6 sized nib piston fountain pens im curious if they exist cause i really want one so i can use it with my noodlers flex nib cause i get really tired of having to take the body off to twist the converter to push more ink down into the feed and im wondering if there is such thing if you do id be greatful to know which one it is thanks so much mmd

[@InkquiringMinds]

Try the Moonman T1. It has a great swappable #6 nib and a huge capacity.

[@dscmatr]

If I may ask, who makes the pen case you used at the beginning?

[@InkquiringMinds]

I got this from viewer Joel Turrell, Dean. The embossing on the front says "ItalianPens.com" but that address is defunct and actually triggers my webadvisor software as malicious. I'll ask Joel.

[@dscmatr]

@@InkquiringMinds Thanks Doug!

[@InkquiringMinds]

Hey, Dean. Joel tells me they are a business located in Miami. I can’t get the website to work but there is one case on auction on eBay at the moment: rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.ca%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F222304883265

[@vincentguida1125]

Where do you get your pen nib rubber grippers

[@InkquiringMinds]

It is just shelf liner from the hardware store. You can get them in black, brown, cream and white. I just cut what I need. I have this material on my worktable for working on my guitars as a soft mat.

[@MissMarilynDarling]

i warned you

[@InkquiringMinds]

You did and you were right!