cashew | Messing with fountain pens on a budget

So, I've talked about beginner fountain pens and finding a fountain pen to fit you, now let's get a little deeper into the bowels of modding fountain pens on a budget.

One of the best parts about fountain pens is that there is a certain amount of "fudging" leeway. Nibs can be swapped out. Bodies can be changed. Tipping can be ground into different shapes. Usually, these endeavors cost a lot of money (a custom ground nib can cost anywhere between $20-$70 for the grind, plus a $30-$50 processing fee). However, that doesn't mean one can't play around with the fungible aspect of fountain pens on a modest budget.

I'm going to say this at the get go: even messing around with cheap fountain pens can still get expensive if you think $10 is too much to pay for a writing utensil. And more likely than not, you'll get a better writing experience out of the box than messing around yourself. Having a professional customize the pen is an expensive endeavor, but you'll most likely be more satisfied with the results than if you poked and prodded yourself. But, at the same time, half the fun of making fountain pens into a hobby (as opposed to a writing tool) is being able to swap parts.

Pilot nib swapping

Lower end Pilot fountain pens all use the same nib size. This makes the Kaküno, Metropolitan, Plumix, Penmanship nibs interchangeable. Kaküno comes with EF, F, and M nibs. Metropolitan is limited to F and M nibs. Plumix comes with EF nibs. Penmanship comes with Italic Stub nibs. This is why I personally recommend the Kaküno ($12.50) as the starter pen, as it has the widest nib options at the get go. However, if you prefer a metal body, the Metropolitan ($17) is the way to go. Plumix ($10) and Penmanship ($7.50) serve as good sources of cheap nib replacements.

Since the nibs are friction fit, swapping nibs out involves pinching the nib and tongue of the feed together and pulling it out of the grip section. The feed has a groove for the nib to rest in, so you can guarantee that the nib won't be misaligned when you stick it back in. It also makes cleaning much easier.

Pilot Parallel + Moonman M2 hack

Pilot Parallel is a calligraphy fountain pen set that comes in 1.5mm, 2.4mm, 3.0mm, 3.8mm, 4.5mm, and 6.0mm. Each pen costs $10, or you can buy a set of four for $36. The nibs can be pulled out and fit into a Moonman M2 ($19.99) body for a larger ink capacity. This is because the Pilot Parallel uses a standard 5mm feed, and thus can be shoved into any housing that holds #5 nibs. Since the Parallel nibs are quite wide, it uses ink quickly and benefits from the large ink capacity of an eyedropper.

Kaweco Sport nib swapping

Kaweco Sport (Classic/Skyline/Frosted) is a fairly cheap ($24.50 MSRP or ~$20 on Amazon) pen that can make use of every Kaweco 060 nib on the market. The Sport's initial nib size comes in EF, F, M, and B. The Kaweco 060 nib offers additional options of BB, 1.1mm, 1.5mm, 1.9mm, and 2.3mm replacements for $11.50, which is one of the cheapest replacement nib options on the market. They also offer nib colors in gold, chrome, or black to fit your aesthetic desires. The nib is friction fit, so it can be easily swapped out using the method described previously. Like the Pilot low end pens, the Sport feed also has a groove to help you align the nibs when you replace them.

Lamy Safari parts swapping

Lamy Safari is a fountain pen starter favorite due to its reasonable price ($29.60 MSRP or as low as $17 on Amazon) and its ability to be disassembled completely. This means one can switch clips, finials, grips, and bodies between different colored Lamy Safaris to get a completely unique look.

In addition, Lamy nibs can be slipped off of the feed for quick and easy nib swaps. Replacement Lamy nibs (~$14) comes in the usual EF, F, M, B, plus 1.1mm, 1.5mm, 1.9mm, and left-handed nibs. You can easily and cheaply experience a variety of nib options without having to buy multiple pens.

JinHao Shark (exposed nib) + JoWo #5 nibs

This is a bit of a unconventional hack. The Jinhao Shark ($3-$4) is one of the cheapest non-disposable fountain pens on the market. The pen comes in two flavors, hooded (EF) or exposed (F). The exposed nib slips off of the pen if you pull it enough and the nib can be replaced with any #5 JoWo nib, which can come in the usual EF, F, M, B, 1.1mm, 1.4mm for ~$14 each. Yes, the nib costs more than the pen itself. Don't ask me why the pricing is like this, the fountain pen market makes no sense.

So, there you have it. Nib swapping is one of the most unique aspect of the fountain pen habit, and it does not have to involve hundreds of dollars. Before you invest in a super expensive custom grind, I highly recommend trying a cheaper alternative first before plunging into the deep end.