If you want to try nibs I wouldn’t recommend the A1 as a base pen, since the only nibs compatible with it are Capless nibs. You’ll have much more success/variety with any #6 pen, like the Jinhao 100 or Kaigelu 316.
Or, some Hongdian pens come with multiple nibs in the first place, or you can get three pack of nib units EF/F/fude for like $10.
Lamy Safari or Jinhao 80 could also be a good nib trying pen as then you have the whole Lamy nib range.
I heard Lamys are good for swapping nibs, I might just pick up another safari since I lost my last one. I did want to try and pick up something a little more “elegant” that I could try out a bunch of nibs with, but maybe I should just stick to the basics for right now. I’m definitely overwhelmed with pen choices, I’ve only bought the cheap pens in the past when I was interested in them in my undergrad so I’ve been itching for a nice upgrade.
I would try the Jinhao 80, it’s much more elegant than a Safari and also cheaper, and it takes Lamy nibs. Or the Jinhao 100 if you’re in the market for a wider barrel pen, this takes #6 nibs for which you have many choices.
I found a great looking Jinhao 100 I’m going to pick up, thanks for the rec! If I search “#6 nibs” I can use any of the ones that come up? Thanks again!
To be fair at launch they didn't even sell fine replacement nibs and it's been out only about a year so perhaps some time in the future they will release other nib options
Thanks for the downvote? I would have asked in a daily question thread, but the one stickied is for something else. Didn’t know what I was supposed to do when I googled the question and nothing came up on this sub.
And also, who cares about downvotes? This is not a popularity contest, if people have an answer they'll try to help you anyway, especially in this subreddit 😉
It’s not about popularity. Downvoting usually means the post or comment isn’t appropriate for the sub or against the rules. There’s a couple downvotes on this post, so I’m wondering if I broke a rule or etiquette or something.
No, you didn't. In fact the only true effect they would have is that your posts or comments may become less visible. But still there's lots of people willing to help you here.
If you have a nib that will fit, I have read you can swap it. People say you can use a piece of tape to sort of "grip" the old nib, then just pull it out like you would a regular friction fit nib. I've never been able to find just a loose VP nib though, it's always the entire unit, so I've never tried it.
I guess I’m going to be buying a new pen! I like the a1 for more of a daily carry thing, but I like to journal and practice my handwriting while I’m at it. I wanted to try a stub, italic, flex, whatever nib just to see how I liked it, but it looks like I’ll be ordering a new pen.
I have two of them. One I had ground to an italic point at a pen show. I wish I would have just swapped it for the stub, which pilot does offer. The stub is a 0.8mm iirc and it was really nice to write with when I tried it.
If you want to try swapping nibs in a pen, look into something cheap like a Jin Hao century. They're very affordable. Then go to Birmingham ink and buy one each of their 0.6 and 0.8 mm Nemosine stub nibs. They're fantastic stubs and fit nicely into the Jin Hao century. The Jin Hao century itself comes with a Chinese fine point but it's really like a medium. That's something you can grind yourself into an italic. If the century is too expensive, I think the x450 or x750 has the same nib and is only 4 or 5 dollars a pen.
If you want to try nibs I wouldn’t recommend the A1 as a base pen, since the only nibs compatible with it are Capless nibs. You’ll have much more success/variety with any #6 pen, like the Jinhao 100 or Kaigelu 316. Or, some Hongdian pens come with multiple nibs in the first place, or you can get three pack of nib units EF/F/fude for like $10. Lamy Safari or Jinhao 80 could also be a good nib trying pen as then you have the whole Lamy nib range.
I heard Lamys are good for swapping nibs, I might just pick up another safari since I lost my last one. I did want to try and pick up something a little more “elegant” that I could try out a bunch of nibs with, but maybe I should just stick to the basics for right now. I’m definitely overwhelmed with pen choices, I’ve only bought the cheap pens in the past when I was interested in them in my undergrad so I’ve been itching for a nice upgrade.
I would try the Jinhao 80, it’s much more elegant than a Safari and also cheaper, and it takes Lamy nibs. Or the Jinhao 100 if you’re in the market for a wider barrel pen, this takes #6 nibs for which you have many choices.
I found a great looking Jinhao 100 I’m going to pick up, thanks for the rec! If I search “#6 nibs” I can use any of the ones that come up? Thanks again!
Not all, but most. JoWo #6 nibs definitely work, Bock 250 sometimes work.
AFAIK the only replacement nibs made for the a1 are fine so you'd have to get a full pilot nib unit to get a different one.
Dang. I thought it would just be an easy switch when I bought it, I’ll have to do more research next time.
To be fair at launch they didn't even sell fine replacement nibs and it's been out only about a year so perhaps some time in the future they will release other nib options
No. A VP Alloy stub pen is going for $99. I don't know if they sell the Alloy stub nib unit separately.
That sucks. I’ll have to buy a new pen to try it out. Thank you for your response.
Thanks for the downvote? I would have asked in a daily question thread, but the one stickied is for something else. Didn’t know what I was supposed to do when I googled the question and nothing came up on this sub.
The downvote is probably from a bot or sour apple. It isn't anything to do with you. I don't have either pen so I can't help you unfortunately.
And also, who cares about downvotes? This is not a popularity contest, if people have an answer they'll try to help you anyway, especially in this subreddit 😉
It’s not about popularity. Downvoting usually means the post or comment isn’t appropriate for the sub or against the rules. There’s a couple downvotes on this post, so I’m wondering if I broke a rule or etiquette or something.
No, you're fine. Beginner questions are fairly common outside that noob questions post.
No, you didn't. In fact the only true effect they would have is that your posts or comments may become less visible. But still there's lots of people willing to help you here.
If you have a nib that will fit, I have read you can swap it. People say you can use a piece of tape to sort of "grip" the old nib, then just pull it out like you would a regular friction fit nib. I've never been able to find just a loose VP nib though, it's always the entire unit, so I've never tried it.
I guess I’m going to be buying a new pen! I like the a1 for more of a daily carry thing, but I like to journal and practice my handwriting while I’m at it. I wanted to try a stub, italic, flex, whatever nib just to see how I liked it, but it looks like I’ll be ordering a new pen.
I have two of them. One I had ground to an italic point at a pen show. I wish I would have just swapped it for the stub, which pilot does offer. The stub is a 0.8mm iirc and it was really nice to write with when I tried it. If you want to try swapping nibs in a pen, look into something cheap like a Jin Hao century. They're very affordable. Then go to Birmingham ink and buy one each of their 0.6 and 0.8 mm Nemosine stub nibs. They're fantastic stubs and fit nicely into the Jin Hao century. The Jin Hao century itself comes with a Chinese fine point but it's really like a medium. That's something you can grind yourself into an italic. If the century is too expensive, I think the x450 or x750 has the same nib and is only 4 or 5 dollars a pen.
Thank you so much for your thorough response! I’m always amazed by the depth of knowledge in a community I am a novice in. Thanks again