At Conid, we understand that despite all technology, it is eventually the nib that forms the true essence of any good fountain pen. Since everybody has a very personal way of writing, we believe that you should be able to accustom your nib to your unique writing style and preferences. Therefore, Conid offers a broad selection of nibs, all customizable in size, material and grind. Our webshop offers the possibility to order your nib along with your new Bulkfiller, but you can always order extra nibs with custom grinds to fit your Bulkfiller according to your personal demands.
Standard finetuning
Our nib specialist takes a look and smoothens every nib before installing it onto your Bulkfiller. At this stage, we can also change certain parameters such as flow and feedback.
Most people want their nibs to be silky smooth and have a flow of approximately 7/10 so we take this as a standard. This is a nice flow without being too wet for daily note-taking. Should you want it otherwise, please make sure to specify this in the comment section when ordering your Conid Bulkfiller and nib(s).
Some of the nibs’ line width does not always correspond to the Conid Standard but we will do all the necessary to ensure that our nibs meet the Conid Quality Standard.
Extra custom nib grinding
For some fountain pen users, a standard rounded tipping just not meets their satisfaction. That is where the extra grinding comes into play. At Conid, nearly any type of grinding is possible, as long as the tipping and nib material allows for it.
Below, you can find all of our available grinds and a quick description of what you can expect to feel and see when ordering one of these. These grinds are not a standardized fact, there is no international norm when it comes to grinding at any given manufacturer or even nibmeister. We have done our research and have opted to go for what we think are the most logical sizes, shapes and names that are known in the fountain pen world.
Available grinds
Abbreviations
- X: Extra
- F: Fine
- M: Medium
- B: Broad
Note: We have had many requests for Extra Fine Stub grinds but this is not possible. We can, however, offer an Extra Fine Architect grind. This will give you the inverted line variation of a stub but line variation nonetheless.
For any further or more detailed information on the topic of nib grinding, we recommend to visit Richard Binder’s webpage about this subject.
XXXF (0,1mm)
Special request only.
An extremely thin line and due to the minimal contact surface it will be very scratchy. This grind is recommended to be used on the
Stainless Steel nibs because a softer nib will tend to produce a thicker line even with light writing pressure.
XXF (0,2 mm)
Special request only.
The contact surface is about twice as thick as the XXXF but will still be scratchy. This grind is usable even when done on a softer nib.
XF (0,3 mm)
This one produces a line thickness that is comparable with a Japanese Fine. Although it is the chubbiest variant of the Extra Fines, it can still be a bit scratchy to use. We nevertheless strive to make them as smooth as possible within the limits of the broadness.
Italic (F, M, B)
This is the basic form we start from before creating a Cursive or Stub Italic nib. The round tipping gets flattened at the top, bottom and front of the nib, creating a rectangular shape. This basic form makes for an extremely crisp, large and beautiful line variation. However, this grind is that it is highly scratchy and even catchy. There is little to no radius at the edges which make it a sharp tool to use. Although loved by many calligraphists, this nib is not very easy to use. Depending on what size tipping used, it can have a ratio of 1/5 up to 1/8.
Cursive Italic (F, M, B)
This grind starts from the basic Italic, but the edges are provided with a little radius. These radiuses make is easier to use while still offering a very nice line variation. It is still rather rotation-sensitive because of the rectangular shape and the slightly rounded edges. Generally, the ratio between the down- and sidestrokes will be about ¼.
Stub Italic (F, M, B)
Of all the Italic grinds, this is your best friend. Even when you are not really paying attention to the rotation of your nib, it will give you some slack, being very forgiving. This is thanks to the big rounded edges. Although you will lose quite a bit of line variation (ratio ½), Stub Italic is easy to use and offers high smoothness. This is probably the most popular grind, along with the Extra Fine.
Oblique (F, M, B)
This is actually a Stub Italic with a slanted (angled) front plane. This comes in handy for people who hold their pens a bit differently but still want to be able to write with line variation without having to force their hand in a position that feels unnatural. The Left- or Right foot indication tells us in which direction the front plane is angled. Compared to looking at your own feet from above, you should also look at the Oblique nib. When the front plane runs upward looking from left to right, then it is called a Left foot Oblique, just like your toes also are longer at the inside of your feet.
Architect (XF, F, M, B)
Despite its beautiful name, this grind is not solely used by architects. Its name might not give it away but this is actually an Italic grind, rotated ninety degrees. Meaning that the downstrokes will be thin (when little to no pressure is used) and the sidestrokes will be broad. This nib is therefore often chosen by people who write Arabic or Hebrew.