In order to get the best ink flow especially while flexing you really want to align the notch on each side of the Nib, with the very first notch on the feed. It’s a bit tougher to get the alignment right that way but it really is the best performance. It helps to align the notches and then wrap a piece of tape around the nib and feed to keep the alignment while sliding them into the section because it is a tight fit. I also like to widen the feed Channels with an xacto knife and use sandpaper to decrease the circumference of the feed itself slightly to make room for the G Nib which is more thick hence the tight fit into the section. Great video man really enjoyed it
@@reekooism I’m talking about using the Xacto to widen the ink channel on the plastic feed underneath where the nib sits onto the feed. Not a whole lot just about the width of the xacto blade your using to do it. I also notch the ends of the feed channel i just created to make it wider at the end like a Y shape if that makes sense. This way where the ink flows from the converter into the feed it’s wide and able to keep up with non stop flex writing.
@@manuelsalazar3938 sanding the circumference makes it so much easier to get the nib and feed in and out of the section either for cleaning or color changes. I try to rinse and remove the nib if I’m not gonna be using it for more than a day or 2. I always store them clean and dry and I was destroying to many nuns trying to get them in and out with pliers so I figured there had to be an easier way. So I made an easier way :-)
By far this is the best video on the subject. Since I have lots of tools I tried both methods to "flat" the "G" nib and I have to agree that using a 5/16" drill bit as an anvil and a hammer is the best way. I don't want to brag but I did 5 jinhao x750 conventions and they all work smoothly. Still, I owe the success to this video, Thanks. 😎👍
Awesome. Glad to hear that it worked out reliably for you! I have to say that I've had much better success with the drill-bit method, too... it was a little more hit and miss with pliers.
@@thewetpen I would like to add another bit of experience info. In don't know if I'm the only one but I also noticed that the titanium plated G nibs are better to mold and insert. I was trying to use some nickel plated G nibs and all three pens failed to insert in the pen feed. For a moment I thought that maybe the pens were to blame. I was going to give up but later I tried with the titanium plated ones and the went in without any trouble. Has anyone else had a similar experience?
Tried this with my Jinhao 159 and it took a bit of fiddling to get the nib placement just right, but once I did, it writes like a dream. It has a huge line variation and is an easy way to achieve a calligraphic effect from a cheap pen and nib. The idea with the hammer and drill bit was absolute genius. Other tutorials on this say to use pliers to bend the nib or try to heat set it by boiling the feed, both of which can easily damage the parts.
Glad to hear that it worked out! Pliers work for me in a pinch :--), but the drill bit method has been much more reliable for me... although I haven't had to do this recently. I eventually bought an Osprey Madison ($30) fountain pen that fits Zebra G nibs, and although I don't use it very often, it makes my life a lot easier than this sort of thing!
I know this is 2 years old and I haven't seen literally any of your other videos, but the quality and detail of the video earned a sub in my opinion. Really appreciate the work you put into sharing the info.
Thank you so much for this video!! I tried several times befor, but it did not work. Now I used your method with the drill bit and the hammer. For all those, who live in countries with metric system: a 5/16 drill bit is Nr. 8. Then I had the problem of putting it back into the pen, I am a weak old lady. but with the help of a little piece of bicycle inner tube and combination pliers I got it. And also thank you to @Pantalonious: The next time I have to change the nib, I will use a sandpaper, to decrease the circumference of the feed! Super idea!
My pleasure... glad it worked for you! I have also tried to sand down the feed a bit, but for me, it has always ended up with a feed that isn't the perfect shape anymore and I get leaks. Maybe I need to be a little less aggressive 🙂
Thanks for posting this! I especially like your technique with the hammer and 5/16 drill bit, which worked perfectly. I found the pliers either didn't flatten the nib enough (even enough for heat-setting to fix), or else I ended up splitting the tines apart to where the ink wouldn't flow. But the hammer method did the job quickly, with no errors. For anyone who hasn't tried it yet, don't be afraid to hit pretty hard with the hammer, working back from about the label imprint area of the nib, to the end of the nib farthest from the tip, until it's flat down to the drill bit all along the nib. About a dozen sharp whacks, and it's done. Thanks again!
@@didacusa3293 The Jinhao x750 can use all sorts of #6 size nibs, yes. Some #6 sized nibs are slightly different in size from each other (Kanwrite, maybe penBBS...) but for the most part, they'll fit in the Jinhao.
@@didacusa3293 I don't think that there's any consensus on that. There are too many brands and materials (steele, gold, titanium, etc) and different people have different preferences. There's even variation within brands and nibs of the same type... sometimes nibs will need a bit of polishing or alignment to be perfect. That said, I think that most people would claim that JoWo and Bock gold #6 nibs are the best, with their steel counterparts in a close second place.
@@sobr24 Nice, condescending tone you got there. Just imagine, just for a moment, that some people really couldn't figure out the proper method to straighten the nib when they have tried it themselves and need a little bit of help or just a small hint to make it work. Just imagine that people aren't stupid, just because they ask for help or learn new things to achieve their goals. Quite the opposite is here the case, since a new method was learned and successfully applied. Just imagine that not everyone is such a genius like you who doesn't need help from anyone and figures everything out by himself! God...
7:32 I guess it's because of the air not freely flowing within the converter and creating a gap between the ink within the converter and the nib unit. A firm shake does the job. I have some Indian flex nib pens that don't even seem to work properly with the stock converters and eye dropping them solves the issue.
The attention to detail was very appreciated. There exists a LOT of videos on the same topic BUT few contain the level of detail found in yours. I, for one, prefer videos such as this.
Dude. Thank you SO much for this thorough, easy to follow, and helpful video! I was getting frustrated b/c so many videos say so many different things (one even said you have to cut the end of the G nib so it's shorter!), they only show the other models, and my nib wasn't fitting in as far as they were showing. Yours was the only one to explain WHY the G nib fits these specific pens (b/c the feed is a #6) so we can extrapolate that info to find other pens that also fit. You were the only one to use the Jinhao 159 as the example. Also, your close up shots showed that, when pushed in all the way in, the nib doesn't go in as far on the 159 as it does on the others. My 'G' wasn't right up against where it goes in and I thought I was doing something wrong. I'm writing with it now. It works great and I love it!
Glad to hear that someone is still finding this useful :-) When I first heard about this process, I watched a couple of random videos where people just took out the old nib and popped in the G-nib as though it would fit perfectly... still don't know how. It's been a while since I've done this, now, but I thought it was a lot of fun when I did it :-)
Thank you very much for this informative video. I followed your instructions on a Jinhao X450 but befor I use any tools, I thought of using the G nib as it ism and it worked! Although the ink flow was not always consistent but it did the job. I have also experimented with a number of different paper types and found that it works best on smooth, glossy paper. Thanks again for sharing this!
Ahh, I'm glad that it worked for you. I've heard a few people say that they were able to use the G-nib without modification, but it must be with a different type of pen than I've tried... they would never have even fit back together, much less written. Enjoy your pen!
Great video, thank you! Worked fab for me using the hammer and drill bit, needed a good few hefty swings to flatten the nib as they are stronger than you'd think! Delighted with how well the pen works as a calligraphy pen, you need to keep a glass of water and tissue at hand to clean the dried ink from the nib as you write, as you would with a dip pen, and give a vigorous shake intermittently to get the ink to flow again, but works as a great addition to dip pens. Thanks for the info👍
I love the way you explained everything clearly, and the visuals were really nice too. How do you think this pen will cope with shimmery/sheening inks? For example J. Herbin's inks or the diamine shimmertastic ones
I've tried Diamine Shimmertastic inks in one, and it worked just fine... no problems with clogs for me. It is a good idea to flush the pen with water regularly, but since these G-nibs corrode and need to be changed now and then, that's always a good time to wash out the feed... so it's pretty ideal for shimmer inks.
I recently did the conversion not long ago. I also used the Titanium nib. The method, I used 2 drill bits and pliers instead of a hammer. The size of the drill bits were 6 mm & 6.5 mm. I figured because of the springiness of the metal I first used the 6 mm bit to open up the nib then I used the 6.5 mm bit to expand the nib a little further than the size of the 6 mm feed and counted on the metal to spring back. I was able to achieve a near perfect fit to the plastic feed then installed it in an X450. When I get dry out, I just dip the nib in a little bit of water I put in an ink sample vial.
@@zeus52452 Nice! I haven't done this in a few years (I got an Osprey nib unit that accepts G nibs with no modification), but this was a really fun way to go about it while I was testing to see if I'd enjoy it.
Hi, I just found yours to be the most straightforward and best filmed video on how to do this. Thank you. Only question: is it necessary to rinse the nib if sitting more than two days? As a calligrapher, I use the Zebra G the most of all my nibs and find that it's best to rinse before storing so ink doesn't collect or clog the vent hole.
Actually, it's been a while since I've done this, but part of the reason is that... yes... you have to empty the pen and clean it if you're going to let it sit for more than a day or two, or the nibs corrode and it's a bit mess. Now, I don't use the expensive G nibs... I went with the cheap ones here... and the titanium ones are supposed to last longer, but I imagine that wouldn't buy you a lot of extra time. If you haven't seen it already, you might want to check out my video about flex nibs more generally and the FPR Ultra Flex. No need to clean that one up.
I have never found putting dip pen nibs on fountain pens to be very successful. I have even bought a fountain pen that was made to take a g nib and even it was not that good. The other thing I find odd is that in creating these sorts of pens no one seems to think of trying any other dip pen nib than the g nib. There are so many dip pen nibs of different sizes, it surprises me that no one seems to have ever been bothered to try something else. I also write with dip pens, so I know there are plenty nibs to choose from.
Liked AND subscribed. So many other videos say to line up the first fins with the slots in the G-Nib, but your method of aligning the REAR fins seems to work out a lot better. I tried the "Front fins" method on a previous X750 I attempted to mod and it didn't work at all. On the x750 arriving tomorrow, I will attempt your method as a whole from start to finish. This should keep me occupied for another month until my beloved pen arrives from overseas...
Thanks! I wish I could say that I was positive that the "rear fins" method was superior... it's just what I happen to do, and it usually works for me, but I also think that I get some slippage when I'm inserting the nib and feed, so who knows. Good luck! What pen are you getting from overseas? I just got a Diplomat Excellence from overseas and love it.
@@thewetpen I'm waiting on a Moonman Delike brass pen, going on 2 months now. I've lost patience with waiting on it, so I've ordered another Jinhaox750 and a few flex nibs and feeds from FPR. They will all arrive before the Moonman pen arrives and I'll have fun with the X750 and calligraphy. Since the Flexing will be taken care of easily, I'll focus on grinding the tip to an actual XF size.
And...the FPR flex-nib on X750 feed was a complete friggin FAILURE. WAAAAY too wet for my needs and line is a medium to start with. I need a fine line for anything. This isn't for me. Going back to video games and outdoor camping...this fountain pen bs is for the birds.
@@Detman101 Awww man. Sorry to hear that. My FPRs are definitely not EF with wet ink in it... it's more like a fine, and if I use ink that's more on the dry side, then I get problems with railroading. Anyway, good luck. I want to do some camping too.
@@thewetpen Thank you for letting me know that. I thought that somehow there would be a balance between sloppy and starvation. Apparently that is not the case and is impossible to meet. I'm not spending 300 dollars on a stupid manufactured flex-nib pen like the Pilot falcon. Trying to get a flex-nib pen is proving to be to expensive for my pocket and my patience. Gonna go break stuff and burn stuff in the woods and get back to good life. Can't believe I waste a whole gdamn month of time with this bs...
This may be helpful to start using my new Jinhao X750 with Zebra G nib (Christmas present). So far I haven’t been able to get any ink flow. I've managed to force some through which comes out at the exit point of the nib + holder and never reaches the end of the nib. I'm going to take it apart, after seeing here how to do it, then clean it with another present - an ultra sound cleaner. Fingers crossed 🤞
@@thewetpen Nothing has worked. I tried to remove the nib + feed but, even with cushioned pliers, couldn’t budge it. Probably time to throw it away - unused, and start again 🙁
@@royksk Ahh... that's too bad. Some of the Jinhao pens recently have had the feed glued in place. I don't understand it... it must save money somewhere along the line. Better luck with the next pen!
I'm likely the only crazy one who cut the G nib and worked the nib base with piers until it fit a Noodler's Charlie (Redit says it's a number 5 or 2 nib). Does it cap? Nope, the tip is too long. But it fits so I'm able to quickly swipe when I want to draw with it. Do I recommend it? Nope. I also had to grind the base on stone to not cut myself nor destroy the feed housing... It was A LOT of work.
Hey, sorry I'm late to this vid but I just wanted to say how useful and well explained it was. And also can I ask which ink you used? I'm a fan of wet writers anyway and I think this nib needs it, otherwise it's just railroad central.
Thanks :-) I think I only used one ink in this video... there at the end... and it was Lamy Azurite. In my previous video, the inks were listed in the end credits (in the order of appearance), but I didn't think about it in this video, since the ink had such a minor cameo.
I bought the Jinhao x750 to do this conversion and that pen is VERY heavy and thick to hold. I also found that the nib didn't quite fit the feeder and so ink flow was very poor despite shaping the nib to fit better. I also found that after a few days of not using the cheaper Zebra G nibs they started to rust. So it would be far better to use the more expensive type, or remove the nib each time to clean and dry off. The best fit I found for the Zebra G nib is a vintage Platignum Silverline fountain pen with a medium nib. Fitted mine pretty spot on and there was no interruption in ink flow.
I have used the drill method but squeezing it on a table screw fastener. It's nice and easy. Hammer is much too alleatory. Thanks for such a jewel video.
Well, generally speaking, the Zebra G nib is used in dip pens. A fountain pen like the Jinhao has an ink supply stored inside the pen for a continuous ink supply. Of course, if you don't mind dipping your pen frequently, then there's no need, but I find the self-contained pen to be more convenient. That said, there are now some pens made specifically for use with G-nibs, but they cost more than the few dollars that these Jinhaos will cost.
Sir, thank you for the very informative video. May I ask, how long would the Zebra G Nib last? The one I used is the Titanium (gold) g nib, how long would it last and how would one figure that it is time to change the installed g nib?
To be honest, I'm not sure. The chrome nibs that I have are pretty terrible... I can't leave them in an inked pen for more than a couple of weeks. On the other hand, I have a titanium nib in an Osprey Madison, and it hasn't given me any problems, and I've used it off and on for about two years. With the chrome nibs, I get corrosion and rust... that's the main thing. If that weren't the problem, the next most obvious problem that you'll encounter is nib tines that are mis-aligned or bent or railroading. Otherwise, there are just general problems with the tips of the tines, from wear... they may get sharp or scratchy, or might wear down enough that the point is not as sharp as you want, etc. Hope that makes sense
I find that the coated zebra g nibs work just straight away in jinhao 750s pretty nuch, without all the mods. The only key thing is to line up the 1st groove in the feed with the groove on the nib... I'd just skip all the faffing about, more often than not it works.
Great video. I was inspired to try this myself. When it works it is a fantastic mod. However, I followed your process. and it is hard to start, then works fine, then railroads and stops. I have to shake it abruptly to get it going again. Can you advise how I can fix this?
Unfortunately, I haven't done this in a few years now, so I probably can't be much help. It does sound as though there might be too much of a gap between the feed and the nib, though, so you might try flattening it a bit more. If that's not the issue, you may need a bigger channel in your feed to keep up with the ink flow (though when I have my nib fitted properly, I don't find this to be as much of an issue as others have claimed). Sorry I can't be of more help!
Yeah... unfortunately, that's just sorta how it is (at least, for me). If it's very hard, then the nib might not be shaped enough to fit the feed, but even when it is.... the leather glove for grip and protection really helps.
I really love the video. It's very informative. I'm pretty new to this fountain pen world so what is a number 6 nib? I only know about ef, f, m, ... nib sizes and I can't find information about nib's number.
F, M and B all refer to the size of the tip of the nib. #6 or #5, for example, refer to the size of the body of the nib. Not all nibs have a number, but nibs that are originally made by the German manufacturer JoWo (a huge number of nibs are made by them but re-branded by pen manufacturers) come in a few standard sizes. #5 and #6 are the most common, but I think they go up to #8. Finding out which pens use a #6 nib can be a little tricky, but good pen reviewers will generally tell you.
It seems like it would be an easier fit, but I haven't had any luck with it... maybe you will! I've tried them on #5 feeds and also #5.5 feeds, which they seem to fit, but I can never actually get the nib and feed to fit into the pen/nib unit. I think that there's just too much extra metal in the dip nib and it wraps around the sides of the feed too far. If you try it and get it to work, let me know!
Thank you! Very clear video. I am stuck at the point of removing stock nib. Don't know why it seems glued completely so i can't open it.. i have another Jinhao x750 that worked fine. Any idea to open this one up?
I've been hearing this more and more recently, that the stock nib seems to be glued in. I haven't encountered it myself and I don't really know why they'd do it, but it seems like they might be. My answer to just about all of the problems I have with removing and inserting nibs is heavy leather gloves... but it sounds like that might not be enough in this case. If you figure something out, let me know!
I just purchased the Jinhao x750 fountain pen and am excited to convert it, but I cannot get the stock nib out. You did it very easily and I don't want to ruin my new pen. Do you think they're making them harder to remove and do you think there's another way to remove it without disaster? Thanks so much for your reply.
@John - I'm having the same issue with a recently acquired X750. It feels as if the nib is glued into the freaking pen. I soaked in warm water, tried reverse pounding, nothing has worked and I'm afraid if I try anything more extreme, I'll damage the pen. Does anyone have any other suggestions, other than drilling it out?
I'm planning to buy the G nib. Last time I use Tachikawa, the tines are spreading out, and it's hard to make it close again. I use the drill bit, but instead of a hammer, I use plier to apply pressure. For the installation part with the feed to the pen, it's a tricky situation because the nib body can't fit all through my 159. Tell me if I'm wrong
Sounds like you're on the right track, though I'd really recommend using the hammer with the drill bit method. I've never done this on a 159, so I'm not sure how that would change things, but if the nib isn't bent enough to match the feed's radius, you won't be able to get the nib and feed in to the pen. Good luck!
Hi! I just got a this pen with a G nib -- and somebody told me the nib rusts easily. Now I'm afraid to use it at all! I just end up dipping it in ink instead of filling the converter. Would you know how long you can actually use it before it rusts??
It depends on whether you're using the standard steel nib or a titanium one, and it also depends on the ink (some are more corrosive than others), but in my experience, it seems to take about 2-3 weeks before I start to see corrosion. I'd be really curious to hear what other people have to say on this topic, though.
That's exactly the recommendation: try not to keep the pen inked all the time, I've read of extreme cases where the nib starts corroding in less than a week, also avoid inks that are prone to nib creep as they accelerate the process.
I saw a TH-cam short where a girl used a wide mouth (fatter) pliers. She simply grabbed the distal end (pliers in line with the zebra G). She simply pressed once to flatten it a bit, placed it on the feed and it worked. She showed LIVE how it did not fit the feed, then one squeeze, and it did fit the feed. Pushed it in and it wrote well. I haven’t tried it yet, but I plan to.
It does take some force to get them out, but unfortunately, it seems that some of them seem to come glued in these days, too! Part of the reason that I recommend using these Jinhao pens is that they're cheap and you may ruin one or two while figuring things out. I did. I'd say use a little more force 🙂
@@thewetpen so i was able to do it and it can write, but my only problem is that it stops writing sometimes and i have to wait 1-10 minutes for it to get other ink back. Is that normal??
@@zba1010 It's not unusual, at any rate. You'll find that some inks will give you better performance and others will not flow as well. Some people modify the plastic feed to allow more ink through, or just slow down when they're writing. If it has this problem when you're not heavily flexing, then that's a sign of a bigger problem.
Can I insert feed first and then nib separately? There is groove for both nib and feed so I don't think I can misalign them by doing so, I actually did and it's working but I want to hear from you
How long before the nibs rust inside a fountain pen like this? I use g nib in a dip pen holder and the nibs rust pretty fast if they aren't perfectly cleaned after every use
@@andrewwright5025 Nice! I didn't have any luck with the pliers and bit... I prefer the hammer, but whatever works :-) I haven't tried any of the Desiderata or Osprey pens. However, I have found that on Aliexpress, they're now selling Jinhao pens with Zebra G nibs pre-installed. Not sure if they're using the same feed or not. I ended up buying an FPR Jaipur with an ultra-flex nib and ebonite feed; it's really reliable... so I've pretty much stopped looking for other options :-)
I have a FPR too and appreciate that it Just Works. I was doing this with a Noodler's Ahab because I really wanted the dynamism of the 'G' (or similar...) nib. So I'm curious to see how this does with corrosion over the next few days...
@@andrewwright5025 I agree that there's better contrast between the needle thin and the flex when using a dip nib. Are you using the titanium or the standard G-nibs? I've had a couple of standard G-nibs corrode in the pen, now, and in both cases I couldn't figure out any way to remove them without destroying the feed.
Just standard. In retrospect I'm not sure if my previous problems were corrosion or just ink drying in the gap between the feed and the nib. So I'm anxious to see how this works out over the next couple days. I haven't found removal from the Noodler's Ahab very difficult, but I can see how corrosion would make it worse.
I don't really know for sure, but I don't see why not. Some Speedball nibs are large and have a reservoir, so they might interfere with the caps of some pens. If you experiment, let us know!
Hello Matt 👋 I bought a Jinhao x750 pre-customized with a Zebra G nib. It wasn’t a titanium bib, and rusted up almost immediately! Now I can’t get the nib (and feed) out of the the pen to replace it. Do you have any suggestions, like what I could soak it in to get it out of the pen? So many people have given a good review to Jinhaos over the last year or so that they’ve become more difficult to find, and I really like the “rose gold” one that I have - I’d rather not just throw it away. Thanks for your help!
Hey Amanda, that's the second time this week I've heard the same thing about the stuck nib in the pen. The first guy said that he thought it was glued in. I've had a similar problem with nibs getting stuck after they've corroded for a bit. In any case, I'm sorry to say that I haven't found a reliable way to get them out. The feeds for these pens are really cheap ( you can buy bags of them for a few dollars), so don't worry too much about hurting it. If you manage it, let me know how!
Yes, very likely, but nothing is certain with these pens. Give it a try! If you can't get the G-nib to fit by following the instructions above, you should be able to just put your Jinhao nib back in place. Good luck!
I've bought three jinhao 750 pens and they were all impossible to remove the original nib/ feeder. It looks and feels like they've been glued in. Did you experience this or am I just super unlucky and got three duds?
I have definitely run into a couple that were really tight and hard to remove. For me, wearing the leather gloves really helps with that... I seem to be able to get a better grip and don't worry as much about damaging the nib and feed. I've also seen some places (Goulet, I think?) sell a little sheet of rubber to wrap around the nib for the same job, though I haven't tried it. Anyway, they'll come out eventually... they are just pressure fit... so keep at it :-) On the other hand, one time I left a steel G-nib and some ink in an x750 for a month or two (just forgot about it), and when I found it, the ink had dried and the nib had corroded, and I couldn't get it out again... even with pliers. That was stuck permanently, and I just threw it away after that... and was glad that it was only a $4 pen.
@@thewetpen So I ended up soaking the nib for a minute in hot water and that FINALLY did it. I used rubber gloves and managed to pull them out, I'm so relieved lol. I flattened the nib using your drill bit/hammer tip. I now I have a working modded pen! RELIEF! Thanks so much for your tutorial!
Didn't work, broke my nibs and my pen, after trying to fit the g nib in without success, when I put back the original nib in the pen it started leaking severely and I have no idea what caused that, the pen is the jinhao 750 exactly like the one shown in the video
I'm sorry to hear that! As I mentioned in the video, I ruined the first Jinhao pen that I tried this with, too... so it was a good thing that I bought a pack of 5. For me, the drill-bit method has been much more reliable than using pliers.
If you mean "India Ink", then the answer is... not for very long. India ink will dry in the nib and feed and once it's dry, it is permanent... so the feed will be clogged forever. It will work for a while, but if you want something that is equally permanent and won't destroy your pen, there are better options (pigmented fountain pen inks, mostly). If you mean fountain pen inks from India, then yes... it will absolutely work with them! Sulekha, Camel, Krishna, Bril, etc. Indian brands of fountain pen ink will work just fine.
Not a size difference... they're designed to fit into the same nib holder. I've never used one, so I can't say what the difference would be as far as the flexibility or size of the tip... but there's no special reason that you'd need to use Zebra G nibs rather than other brands or styles. But whatever brand, I'd still recommend using a nib that is corrosion resistant like the titanium G nibs, since the steel ones corrode so quickly.
Update-I was able to get the stock nib out, widened my Zebra G nib and for the life of me, it won't go in far enough. I've widened it, hammer and drill bit method, bit-by-bit but it still won't go in far enough. When I put the stock nib back in, it goes in easier and far enough. Any other suggestions?
Hey John, Glad you were able to get the old nib out... some of them are tighter than others, and I have heard reports that some are glued in on some Chinese pens (not Jinhao, but I was momentarily afraid that they had started). Anyway, it's not unusual for it to be difficult to push the Zebra G nib in. In fact, in the video here, you may notice a band-aid appear on one of my fingers in the video, which is from where I was trying to install a nib without the leather gloves on, and my hand slipped because I was pressing hard, and the edge of the nib cut my finger a bit. So, DO make sure that the radius of the G-nib matches the original nib as closely as possible before anything else, but then just go ahead and use some force (with some gloves or something else protective, if you can).
@@thewetpen Thanks so much for your reply. I think I may have to give up as I've been at it for a few hours and not sure it's worth it. I'm actually Jackie, John's wife, not sure why his email came up, and I'm an artist eager to draw with a flex nib without having to dip in the ink well a million times. When I go to push the feed and nib in, the feed will go in a little more than the nib, but it stops and just won't budge. I've tried hammering closer to the tip to open it up, but that doesn't work either. Oh, well, mission aborted, but I did find your video very helpful. Another artist posted the conversion and she just took the Zebra G nib without any adjustments and it went in easily. It may be that the feed is too tight? Ugh, I know I'll keep at it because my persistent side is very strong. Thanks again!
I’m thinking of trying this because I can’t get FPR nibs where I live but for some reason I’m so nervous about it. Do all fountain pen inks work with the G nib though? I find that when I use a dip pen fountain pen inks just don’t work at all.
I've never found an ink that didn't work at all, but some are certainly better than others. Some inks are too thin and immediately railroad if you try to flex at all, but they all handle normal writing pretty well. Again, the nib does have to be cleaned, or you may have problems regardless of the ink. But part of the fun is trying different inks and finding one that works well for your needs and writing style.
Thanks! You'd think that with the lockdown order I'd be able to find some time to make some new ones, but I've been swamped. I do have some ideas, though, and they'll be along eventually :-)
Merci beaucoup pour cette vidéo, j'ai acheté un jinhao X450 + plume Zebra G, petit coup de marteau sur une mèche diametre 7 => ca fonctionne parfaitement !!
I have success with another option, an Indian made Wality/Airmail 69TS pen which comes with an ebonite feed (you might find them on ebay), and a Gillott no 1068A nib. I increased the depth of the channel on the feed and made it a single lane. I have tested it with other nibs as well: Hunt Artist 100, Gillott 303 and 404. There is another pen in my collection called Kanwrite Zephyr, which already comes with a flex nib, and its pleasantly flexy. However I can change the stock nib with Gillott 290 nib, and it becomes super flexy. I have experimented with some jinhaos, but their feed is very fragile! Even if you manage to get it out and replace the nib, you'll still have to deal with the very dry feed.
I ruined my fountain pen 12 minutes after i got it... Edit: i didnt mess it up, and this worked. Most annoying part was trying to get the notches to lign up.
Ugh, sorry to hear that. As I think i mentioned in the video, I ruined the first pen that I tried this on, too. That's why it was good to buy a pack of 5 of them at about $3 each. Maybe I mentioned that in the flex nib video, now that I think about it...
@@thewetpen aactually i think it might be fine, i just messed up the frills on the feed a teeny bit, but i had a really hard time fitting the g nib in there, so i just reverted it to the original nib but im not sure if its fine yet cuz i dont have ink on hand today. But since i mostly draw, ill either try to do this at a later time with a little more foresight, or just get a cheap holder like a speedball and use that with fountain pen ink to try it out, cuz now i have ten unused g nibs lol. But anyway, just reply to this and ill delete my original comment since its not exactly useful, nor true anymore. Edit: ill just edit it
Yikes. Hope you didn't get one of these pens where the feed has been glued into the grip section. That would probably require an angle grinder :-) Good luck!
That is the unfortunate truth of the matter, although the titanium ones do seem to hold up better. That's why I like to use the drill bit method to process a bunch of nibs at the same time, and then switch them out when needed.
My advice if you're a artist... DO NOT BOTHER to try this, just suck up and use a dip pen. Based on hours of frustration of trying to get this to work I have come to the following conclusions. 1. Jinhao pens are absolute junk that leak, or have flow problems in the long or even short run and shamelessly rip off other pens. 2. Buy Japanese brush pens if you want varying thickness of line.
Best method I have found is as follows. Extract Jinhao nib and put it to the side. Now gather up the rest of the Jinhao pen along with the Jinhao nib you just removed. Throw them both in the bin and buy yourself a proper fountain pen made by a respected manufacturer. Don't waste your money on Chinese rubbish.
What's 5/16 in regular, international units, like millimeters!? Is it 5/16 or 5/16th? Of an inch? Or of Charles the Simple,'s pinky finger!? Why don't you just quit the nonsense and start behaving !?😂😂😂 Thanks for the tip! 💪😉
Ha! I wish that the US would switch to metric! If nothing else, it's such a pain buying two sets of tools... metric and SAE: two sets of drill bits, two sets of wrenches, two sets of sockets, etc. Although, I'm not sure I like metric for temperature. Doesn't seem precise enough :-)
@@Sadhakboy I actually have a Click Aristocrat with a semi-flex nib, and a Click President with an ultra-flex nib, and I'll do videos about them in the future, but next week I'm traveling, so it may be a couple of months.
In order to get the best ink flow especially while flexing you really want to align the notch on each side of the Nib, with the very first notch on the feed. It’s a bit tougher to get the alignment right that way but it really is the best performance. It helps to align the notches and then wrap a piece of tape around the nib and feed to keep the alignment while sliding them into the section because it is a tight fit. I also like to widen the feed Channels with an xacto knife and use sandpaper to decrease the circumference of the feed itself slightly to make room for the G Nib which is more thick hence the tight fit into the section. Great video man really enjoyed it
Thanks ! You are talking about widen the channel INSIDE the body of the pen? Or the feed under the nib?
Great advise, I'd never thought of sanding the feeder but you're totally right 👍
@@reekooism I’m talking about using the Xacto to widen the ink channel on the plastic feed underneath where the nib sits onto the feed. Not a whole lot just about the width of the xacto blade your using to do it. I also notch the ends of the feed channel i just created to make it wider at the end like a Y shape if that makes sense. This way where the ink flows from the converter into the feed it’s wide and able to keep up with non stop flex writing.
@@manuelsalazar3938 sanding the circumference makes it so much easier to get the nib and feed in and out of the section either for cleaning or color changes. I try to rinse and remove the nib if I’m not gonna be using it for more than a day or 2. I always store them clean and dry and I was destroying to many nuns trying to get them in and out with pliers so I figured there had to be an easier way. So I made an easier way :-)
@@pantalonious3984 The pliers don't destroy the nib and feed, when you put a piece of bicycle tube around both.
You have a voice that could launch a podcasting empire.
By far this is the best video on the subject. Since I have lots of tools I tried both methods to "flat" the "G" nib and I have to agree that using a 5/16" drill bit as an anvil and a hammer is the best way. I don't want to brag but I did 5 jinhao x750 conventions and they all work smoothly. Still, I owe the success to this video, Thanks. 😎👍
Awesome. Glad to hear that it worked out reliably for you! I have to say that I've had much better success with the drill-bit method, too... it was a little more hit and miss with pliers.
@@thewetpen I would like to add another bit of experience info. In don't know if I'm the only one but I also noticed that the titanium plated G nibs are better to mold and insert. I was trying to use some nickel plated G nibs and all three pens failed to insert in the pen feed. For a moment I thought that maybe the pens were to blame. I was going to give up but later I tried with the titanium plated ones and the went in without any trouble. Has anyone else had a similar experience?
Tried this with my Jinhao 159 and it took a bit of fiddling to get the nib placement just right, but once I did, it writes like a dream. It has a huge line variation and is an easy way to achieve a calligraphic effect from a cheap pen and nib. The idea with the hammer and drill bit was absolute genius. Other tutorials on this say to use pliers to bend the nib or try to heat set it by boiling the feed, both of which can easily damage the parts.
Glad to hear that it worked out! Pliers work for me in a pinch :--), but the drill bit method has been much more reliable for me... although I haven't had to do this recently. I eventually bought an Osprey Madison ($30) fountain pen that fits Zebra G nibs, and although I don't use it very often, it makes my life a lot easier than this sort of thing!
I know this is 2 years old and I haven't seen literally any of your other videos, but the quality and detail of the video earned a sub in my opinion. Really appreciate the work you put into sharing the info.
Thank you so much for this video!! I tried several times befor, but it did not work. Now I used your method with the drill bit and the hammer. For all those, who live in countries with metric system: a 5/16 drill bit is Nr. 8. Then I had the problem of putting it back into the pen, I am a weak old lady. but with the help of a little piece of bicycle inner tube and combination pliers I got it.
And also thank you to @Pantalonious: The next time I have to change the nib, I will use a sandpaper, to decrease the circumference of the feed! Super idea!
My pleasure... glad it worked for you! I have also tried to sand down the feed a bit, but for me, it has always ended up with a feed that isn't the perfect shape anymore and I get leaks. Maybe I need to be a little less aggressive 🙂
Thanks for posting this! I especially like your technique with the hammer and 5/16 drill bit, which worked perfectly. I found the pliers either didn't flatten the nib enough (even enough for heat-setting to fix), or else I ended up splitting the tines apart to where the ink wouldn't flow. But the hammer method did the job quickly, with no errors. For anyone who hasn't tried it yet, don't be afraid to hit pretty hard with the hammer, working back from about the label imprint area of the nib, to the end of the nib farthest from the tip, until it's flat down to the drill bit all along the nib. About a dozen sharp whacks, and it's done. Thanks again!
Glad I'm not the only one who had some success with this method!
@@thewetpen can use other number 6 size nibs?
@@didacusa3293 The Jinhao x750 can use all sorts of #6 size nibs, yes. Some #6 sized nibs are slightly different in size from each other (Kanwrite, maybe penBBS...) but for the most part, they'll fit in the Jinhao.
@@thewetpen what's the best nib you can fit onto the jinhao in terms of quality?
@@didacusa3293 I don't think that there's any consensus on that. There are too many brands and materials (steele, gold, titanium, etc) and different people have different preferences. There's even variation within brands and nibs of the same type... sometimes nibs will need a bit of polishing or alignment to be perfect. That said, I think that most people would claim that JoWo and Bock gold #6 nibs are the best, with their steel counterparts in a close second place.
Thank you so much for this, I did this conversion years ago and it never worked out, but following your new instruction it actually came out great.
Ahh, glad it worked out for you!
Youre really cant do it without its simple instruction? God...
@@sobr24 Nice, condescending tone you got there. Just imagine, just for a moment, that some people really couldn't figure out the proper method to straighten the nib when they have tried it themselves and need a little bit of help or just a small hint to make it work. Just imagine that people aren't stupid, just because they ask for help or learn new things to achieve their goals. Quite the opposite is here the case, since a new method was learned and successfully applied. Just imagine that not everyone is such a genius like you who doesn't need help from anyone and figures everything out by himself! God...
7:32 I guess it's because of the air not freely flowing within the converter and creating a gap between the ink within the converter and the nib unit. A firm shake does the job. I have some Indian flex nib pens that don't even seem to work properly with the stock converters and eye dropping them solves the issue.
Thanks for that thoughtful, well-produced video! I’ll give it a try with one of my X450s when my Zebra G nibs arrive in the morning.
The attention to detail was very appreciated. There exists a LOT of videos on the same topic BUT few contain the level of detail found in yours. I, for one, prefer videos such as this.
I can't get either the Jinhao 750 or 450 nibs to come out even after soaking the end assembly in boiling water.
Dude. Thank you SO much for this thorough, easy to follow, and helpful video! I was getting frustrated b/c so many videos say so many different things (one even said you have to cut the end of the G nib so it's shorter!), they only show the other models, and my nib wasn't fitting in as far as they were showing. Yours was the only one to explain WHY the G nib fits these specific pens (b/c the feed is a #6) so we can extrapolate that info to find other pens that also fit. You were the only one to use the Jinhao 159 as the example. Also, your close up shots showed that, when pushed in all the way in, the nib doesn't go in as far on the 159 as it does on the others. My 'G' wasn't right up against where it goes in and I thought I was doing something wrong. I'm writing with it now. It works great and I love it!
Glad to hear that someone is still finding this useful :-) When I first heard about this process, I watched a couple of random videos where people just took out the old nib and popped in the G-nib as though it would fit perfectly... still don't know how. It's been a while since I've done this, now, but I thought it was a lot of fun when I did it :-)
Nice video! The production quality and the visuals are fantastic :)
Thanks! Glad you liked it :-)
Thank you very much for this informative video. I followed your instructions on a Jinhao X450 but befor I use any tools, I thought of using the G nib as it ism and it worked! Although the ink flow was not always consistent but it did the job. I have also experimented with a number of different paper types and found that it works best on smooth, glossy paper. Thanks again for sharing this!
Ahh, I'm glad that it worked for you. I've heard a few people say that they were able to use the G-nib without modification, but it must be with a different type of pen than I've tried... they would never have even fit back together, much less written. Enjoy your pen!
Great video, thank you! Worked fab for me using the hammer and drill bit, needed a good few hefty swings to flatten the nib as they are stronger than you'd think! Delighted with how well the pen works as a calligraphy pen, you need to keep a glass of water and tissue at hand to clean the dried ink from the nib as you write, as you would with a dip pen, and give a vigorous shake intermittently to get the ink to flow again, but works as a great addition to dip pens. Thanks for the info👍
Damn I had tried a bunch of times with little to no success I followed THIS video and it worked great! Thanks.
Glad to hear it! This process always seems to take a little luck, too.
I love the way you explained everything clearly, and the visuals were really nice too.
How do you think this pen will cope with shimmery/sheening inks? For example J. Herbin's inks or the diamine shimmertastic ones
I've tried Diamine Shimmertastic inks in one, and it worked just fine... no problems with clogs for me. It is a good idea to flush the pen with water regularly, but since these G-nibs corrode and need to be changed now and then, that's always a good time to wash out the feed... so it's pretty ideal for shimmer inks.
Thank you! I was wondering how well they'll work for writing cards, etc - lots of glittery ink when it comes to Christmas for me :)
I recently did the conversion not long ago. I also used the Titanium nib. The method, I used 2 drill bits and pliers instead of a hammer. The size of the drill bits were 6 mm & 6.5 mm. I figured because of the springiness of the metal I first used the 6 mm bit to open up the nib then I used the 6.5 mm bit to expand the nib a little further than the size of the 6 mm feed and counted on the metal to spring back. I was able to achieve a near perfect fit to the plastic feed then installed it in an X450. When I get dry out, I just dip the nib in a little bit of water I put in an ink sample vial.
@@zeus52452 Nice! I haven't done this in a few years (I got an Osprey nib unit that accepts G nibs with no modification), but this was a really fun way to go about it while I was testing to see if I'd enjoy it.
@@thewetpen That is handy to know if one wants to use a pen that takes standard screw in nib units. Thanks.
Hi, I just found yours to be the most straightforward and best filmed video on how to do this. Thank you. Only question: is it necessary to rinse the nib if sitting more than two days? As a calligrapher, I use the Zebra G the most of all my nibs and find that it's best to rinse before storing so ink doesn't collect or clog the vent hole.
Actually, it's been a while since I've done this, but part of the reason is that... yes... you have to empty the pen and clean it if you're going to let it sit for more than a day or two, or the nibs corrode and it's a bit mess. Now, I don't use the expensive G nibs... I went with the cheap ones here... and the titanium ones are supposed to last longer, but I imagine that wouldn't buy you a lot of extra time. If you haven't seen it already, you might want to check out my video about flex nibs more generally and the FPR Ultra Flex. No need to clean that one up.
I have never found putting dip pen nibs on fountain pens to be very successful. I have even bought a fountain pen that was made to take a g nib and even it was not that good.
The other thing I find odd is that in creating these sorts of pens no one seems to think of trying any other dip pen nib than the g nib. There are so many dip pen nibs of different sizes, it surprises me that no one seems to have ever been bothered to try something else.
I also write with dip pens, so I know there are plenty nibs to choose from.
Super late, but it’s also done with Brause rose nibs.
It’s just that G nibs are way cheaper to do this kind of thing with
Liked AND subscribed.
So many other videos say to line up the first fins with the slots in the G-Nib, but your method of aligning the REAR fins seems to work out a lot better.
I tried the "Front fins" method on a previous X750 I attempted to mod and it didn't work at all.
On the x750 arriving tomorrow, I will attempt your method as a whole from start to finish.
This should keep me occupied for another month until my beloved pen arrives from overseas...
Thanks! I wish I could say that I was positive that the "rear fins" method was superior... it's just what I happen to do, and it usually works for me, but I also think that I get some slippage when I'm inserting the nib and feed, so who knows. Good luck!
What pen are you getting from overseas? I just got a Diplomat Excellence from overseas and love it.
@@thewetpen I'm waiting on a Moonman Delike brass pen, going on 2 months now.
I've lost patience with waiting on it, so I've ordered another Jinhaox750 and a few flex nibs and feeds from FPR.
They will all arrive before the Moonman pen arrives and I'll have fun with the X750 and calligraphy.
Since the Flexing will be taken care of easily, I'll focus on grinding the tip to an actual XF size.
And...the FPR flex-nib on X750 feed was a complete friggin FAILURE. WAAAAY too wet for my needs and line is a medium to start with. I need a fine line for anything.
This isn't for me. Going back to video games and outdoor camping...this fountain pen bs is for the birds.
@@Detman101 Awww man. Sorry to hear that. My FPRs are definitely not EF with wet ink in it... it's more like a fine, and if I use ink that's more on the dry side, then I get problems with railroading. Anyway, good luck. I want to do some camping too.
@@thewetpen Thank you for letting me know that. I thought that somehow there would be a balance between sloppy and starvation. Apparently that is not the case and is impossible to meet. I'm not spending 300 dollars on a stupid manufactured flex-nib pen like the Pilot falcon. Trying to get a flex-nib pen is proving to be to expensive for my pocket and my patience. Gonna go break stuff and burn stuff in the woods and get back to good life.
Can't believe I waste a whole gdamn month of time with this bs...
This may be helpful to start using my new Jinhao X750 with Zebra G nib (Christmas present). So far I haven’t been able to get any ink flow. I've managed to force some through which comes out at the exit point of the nib + holder and never reaches the end of the nib. I'm going to take it apart, after seeing here how to do it, then clean it with another present - an ultra sound cleaner. Fingers crossed 🤞
Good luck! A little soapy water is probably all the cleaning you need, but if you HAVE and ultra sonic cleaner, then it probably needs it :-)
@@thewetpen
Nothing has worked. I tried to remove the nib + feed but, even with cushioned pliers, couldn’t budge it. Probably time to throw it away - unused, and start again 🙁
@@royksk Ahh... that's too bad. Some of the Jinhao pens recently have had the feed glued in place. I don't understand it... it must save money somewhere along the line. Better luck with the next pen!
I'm likely the only crazy one who cut the G nib and worked the nib base with piers until it fit a Noodler's Charlie (Redit says it's a number 5 or 2 nib). Does it cap? Nope, the tip is too long. But it fits so I'm able to quickly swipe when I want to draw with it. Do I recommend it? Nope. I also had to grind the base on stone to not cut myself nor destroy the feed housing... It was A LOT of work.
Yikes. That does sound like a lot of work :-) Probably very satisfying to get it to work, though.
Hey, sorry I'm late to this vid but I just wanted to say how useful and well explained it was. And also can I ask which ink you used? I'm a fan of wet writers anyway and I think this nib needs it, otherwise it's just railroad central.
Thanks :-) I think I only used one ink in this video... there at the end... and it was Lamy Azurite. In my previous video, the inks were listed in the end credits (in the order of appearance), but I didn't think about it in this video, since the ink had such a minor cameo.
I bought the Jinhao x750 to do this conversion and that pen is VERY heavy and thick to hold. I also found that the nib didn't quite fit the feeder and so ink flow was very poor despite shaping the nib to fit better. I also found that after a few days of not using the cheaper Zebra G nibs they started to rust. So it would be far better to use the more expensive type, or remove the nib each time to clean and dry off.
The best fit I found for the Zebra G nib is a vintage Platignum Silverline fountain pen with a medium nib. Fitted mine pretty spot on and there was no interruption in ink flow.
I have used the drill method but squeezing it on a table screw fastener. It's nice and easy. Hammer is much too alleatory. Thanks for such a jewel video.
Nice video. But what am I missing? Why are we converting one pen nib to another? Why not just use the Zebra G-Nib?
Well, generally speaking, the Zebra G nib is used in dip pens. A fountain pen like the Jinhao has an ink supply stored inside the pen for a continuous ink supply. Of course, if you don't mind dipping your pen frequently, then there's no need, but I find the self-contained pen to be more convenient. That said, there are now some pens made specifically for use with G-nibs, but they cost more than the few dollars that these Jinhaos will cost.
Sir, thank you for the very informative video. May I ask, how long would
the Zebra G Nib last? The one I used is the Titanium (gold) g nib, how
long would it last and how would one figure that it is time to change
the installed g nib?
To be honest, I'm not sure. The chrome nibs that I have are pretty terrible... I can't leave them in an inked pen for more than a couple of weeks. On the other hand, I have a titanium nib in an Osprey Madison, and it hasn't given me any problems, and I've used it off and on for about two years. With the chrome nibs, I get corrosion and rust... that's the main thing. If that weren't the problem, the next most obvious problem that you'll encounter is nib tines that are mis-aligned or bent or railroading. Otherwise, there are just general problems with the tips of the tines, from wear... they may get sharp or scratchy, or might wear down enough that the point is not as sharp as you want, etc. Hope that makes sense
@@thewetpen thank you very much for the reply and it sort of painted a picture for me on what to expect. Much appreciated! 😊
I find that the coated zebra g nibs work just straight away in jinhao 750s pretty nuch, without all the mods. The only key thing is to line up the 1st groove in the feed with the groove on the nib... I'd just skip all the faffing about, more often than not it works.
i tried it with my jinhao 159 but sadly my two nibs broke while trying to shape them
Great video. I was inspired to try this myself. When it works it is a fantastic mod. However, I followed your process. and it is hard to start, then works fine, then railroads and stops. I have to shake it abruptly to get it going again. Can you advise how I can fix this?
Unfortunately, I haven't done this in a few years now, so I probably can't be much help. It does sound as though there might be too much of a gap between the feed and the nib, though, so you might try flattening it a bit more. If that's not the issue, you may need a bigger channel in your feed to keep up with the ink flow (though when I have my nib fitted properly, I don't find this to be as much of an issue as others have claimed). Sorry I can't be of more help!
I can't get the nib and the feeder in both. It's very hard, the feeder slips into first
Yeah... unfortunately, that's just sorta how it is (at least, for me). If it's very hard, then the nib might not be shaped enough to fit the feed, but even when it is.... the leather glove for grip and protection really helps.
I really love the video. It's very informative. I'm pretty new to this fountain pen world so what is a number 6 nib? I only know about ef, f, m, ... nib sizes and I can't find information about nib's number.
F, M and B all refer to the size of the tip of the nib. #6 or #5, for example, refer to the size of the body of the nib. Not all nibs have a number, but nibs that are originally made by the German manufacturer JoWo (a huge number of nibs are made by them but re-branded by pen manufacturers) come in a few standard sizes. #5 and #6 are the most common, but I think they go up to #8. Finding out which pens use a #6 nib can be a little tricky, but good pen reviewers will generally tell you.
@@thewetpen Thanks, that helps a lot
Excellent guide. Can I put in on a #5 pen though? Afterall, it seems that it could fit in a #5 feed.
It seems like it would be an easier fit, but I haven't had any luck with it... maybe you will! I've tried them on #5 feeds and also #5.5 feeds, which they seem to fit, but I can never actually get the nib and feed to fit into the pen/nib unit. I think that there's just too much extra metal in the dip nib and it wraps around the sides of the feed too far. If you try it and get it to work, let me know!
your voice is so nice and the content is nice very refined
Thank you! Very clear video. I am stuck at the point of removing stock nib. Don't know why it seems glued completely so i can't open it.. i have another Jinhao x750 that worked fine. Any idea to open this one up?
I've been hearing this more and more recently, that the stock nib seems to be glued in. I haven't encountered it myself and I don't really know why they'd do it, but it seems like they might be. My answer to just about all of the problems I have with removing and inserting nibs is heavy leather gloves... but it sounds like that might not be enough in this case. If you figure something out, let me know!
Thanks very much. I’m curious to try as I have a bunch of G nibs. What converter did you use with it - is that a sailor one?
The converter is the stock one that came with the Jinhao pen (or it might be a Jinhao extra that I ordered, but it's the same thing). Good luck!
I just purchased the Jinhao x750 fountain pen and am excited to convert it, but I cannot get the stock nib out. You did it very easily and I don't want to ruin my new pen. Do you think they're making them harder to remove and do you think there's another way to remove it without disaster? Thanks so much for your reply.
@John - I'm having the same issue with a recently acquired X750. It feels as if the nib is glued into the freaking pen. I soaked in warm water, tried reverse pounding, nothing has worked and I'm afraid if I try anything more extreme, I'll damage the pen. Does anyone have any other suggestions, other than drilling it out?
I'm planning to buy the G nib. Last time I use Tachikawa, the tines are spreading out, and it's hard to make it close again. I use the drill bit, but instead of a hammer, I use plier to apply pressure. For the installation part with the feed to the pen, it's a tricky situation because the nib body can't fit all through my 159. Tell me if I'm wrong
Sounds like you're on the right track, though I'd really recommend using the hammer with the drill bit method. I've never done this on a 159, so I'm not sure how that would change things, but if the nib isn't bent enough to match the feed's radius, you won't be able to get the nib and feed in to the pen. Good luck!
Can I use Tachikawa G nib for modified?
Hi! I just got a this pen with a G nib -- and somebody told me the nib rusts easily. Now I'm afraid to use it at all! I just end up dipping it in ink instead of filling the converter. Would you know how long you can actually use it before it rusts??
It depends on whether you're using the standard steel nib or a titanium one, and it also depends on the ink (some are more corrosive than others), but in my experience, it seems to take about 2-3 weeks before I start to see corrosion. I'd be really curious to hear what other people have to say on this topic, though.
That's exactly the recommendation: try not to keep the pen inked all the time, I've read of extreme cases where the nib starts corroding in less than a week, also avoid inks that are prone to nib creep as they accelerate the process.
I saw a TH-cam short where a girl used a wide mouth (fatter) pliers. She simply grabbed the distal end (pliers in line with the zebra G). She simply pressed once to flatten it a bit, placed it on the feed and it worked.
She showed LIVE how it did not fit the feed, then one squeeze, and it did fit the feed. Pushed it in and it wrote well.
I haven’t tried it yet, but I plan to.
help the original nib on my pen isnt coming off idk if im weak, if i am nervous i will break something or it is just stuck in there
It does take some force to get them out, but unfortunately, it seems that some of them seem to come glued in these days, too! Part of the reason that I recommend using these Jinhao pens is that they're cheap and you may ruin one or two while figuring things out. I did. I'd say use a little more force 🙂
@@thewetpen so i was able to do it and it can write, but my only problem is that it stops writing sometimes and i have to wait 1-10 minutes for it to get other ink back. Is that normal??
@@zba1010 It's not unusual, at any rate. You'll find that some inks will give you better performance and others will not flow as well. Some people modify the plastic feed to allow more ink through, or just slow down when they're writing. If it has this problem when you're not heavily flexing, then that's a sign of a bigger problem.
@@thewetpen thanks man now its working properly lol
Still a lot of railroading(if thats the correct term) but its all good
100% working very well.
Clever skill , thank you very much 😊
Can I insert feed first and then nib separately? There is groove for both nib and feed so I don't think I can misalign them by doing so, I actually did and it's working but I want to hear from you
As I say, I'm no expert with these things. My policy is ... give it a try! With a cheap pen. :-)
How long before the nibs rust inside a fountain pen like this? I use g nib in a dip pen holder and the nibs rust pretty fast if they aren't perfectly cleaned after every use
@insertaghere They rust pretty quickly. Takes about a week. I hope the titanium ones last longer, but I don't know.
I'm going to try the drill bit and a c clamp right now!
Have you tried the Desiderata or an Osprey Scholar?
I found a drill bit and pliers better, actually. The drill bit is definitely the missing piece!
@@andrewwright5025 Nice! I didn't have any luck with the pliers and bit... I prefer the hammer, but whatever works :-) I haven't tried any of the Desiderata or Osprey pens. However, I have found that on Aliexpress, they're now selling Jinhao pens with Zebra G nibs pre-installed. Not sure if they're using the same feed or not. I ended up buying an FPR Jaipur with an ultra-flex nib and ebonite feed; it's really reliable... so I've pretty much stopped looking for other options :-)
I have a FPR too and appreciate that it Just Works. I was doing this with a Noodler's Ahab because I really wanted the dynamism of the 'G' (or similar...) nib. So I'm curious to see how this does with corrosion over the next few days...
@@andrewwright5025 I agree that there's better contrast between the needle thin and the flex when using a dip nib. Are you using the titanium or the standard G-nibs? I've had a couple of standard G-nibs corrode in the pen, now, and in both cases I couldn't figure out any way to remove them without destroying the feed.
Just standard. In retrospect I'm not sure if my previous problems were corrosion or just ink drying in the gap between the feed and the nib. So I'm anxious to see how this works out over the next couple days.
I haven't found removal from the Noodler's Ahab very difficult, but I can see how corrosion would make it worse.
Will the same process work for say the various SPEEDBALL or other dip pen nibs.
I don't really know for sure, but I don't see why not. Some Speedball nibs are large and have a reservoir, so they might interfere with the caps of some pens. If you experiment, let us know!
Hello Matt 👋
I bought a Jinhao x750 pre-customized with a Zebra G nib. It wasn’t a titanium bib, and rusted up almost immediately! Now I can’t get the nib (and feed) out of the the pen to replace it. Do you have any suggestions, like what I could soak it in to get it out of the pen? So many people have given a good review to Jinhaos over the last year or so that they’ve become more difficult to find, and I really like the “rose gold” one that I have - I’d rather not just throw it away.
Thanks for your help!
Hey Amanda, that's the second time this week I've heard the same thing about the stuck nib in the pen. The first guy said that he thought it was glued in. I've had a similar problem with nibs getting stuck after they've corroded for a bit. In any case, I'm sorry to say that I haven't found a reliable way to get them out. The feeds for these pens are really cheap ( you can buy bags of them for a few dollars), so don't worry too much about hurting it. If you manage it, let me know how!
i have a gold leaf x750 nib point medium 0.7mm so can i put a gebra G nib in it
Yes, very likely, but nothing is certain with these pens. Give it a try! If you can't get the G-nib to fit by following the instructions above, you should be able to just put your Jinhao nib back in place. Good luck!
I've bought three jinhao 750 pens and they were all impossible to remove the original nib/ feeder. It looks and feels like they've been glued in. Did you experience this or am I just super unlucky and got three duds?
I have definitely run into a couple that were really tight and hard to remove. For me, wearing the leather gloves really helps with that... I seem to be able to get a better grip and don't worry as much about damaging the nib and feed. I've also seen some places (Goulet, I think?) sell a little sheet of rubber to wrap around the nib for the same job, though I haven't tried it. Anyway, they'll come out eventually... they are just pressure fit... so keep at it :-) On the other hand, one time I left a steel G-nib and some ink in an x750 for a month or two (just forgot about it), and when I found it, the ink had dried and the nib had corroded, and I couldn't get it out again... even with pliers. That was stuck permanently, and I just threw it away after that... and was glad that it was only a $4 pen.
@@thewetpen So I ended up soaking the nib for a minute in hot water and that FINALLY did it. I used rubber gloves and managed to pull them out, I'm so relieved lol. I flattened the nib using your drill bit/hammer tip. I now I have a working modded pen! RELIEF! Thanks so much for your tutorial!
@@MrYukieme Nice! Glad it worked for you :-)
Thank you very informative
Glad it was helpful!
Didn't work, broke my nibs and my pen, after trying to fit the g nib in without success, when I put back the original nib in the pen it started leaking severely and I have no idea what caused that, the pen is the jinhao 750 exactly like the one shown in the video
I'm sorry to hear that! As I mentioned in the video, I ruined the first Jinhao pen that I tried this with, too... so it was a good thing that I bought a pack of 5. For me, the drill-bit method has been much more reliable than using pliers.
Hi, would it be possible to use indian ink with this type of pen?
If you mean "India Ink", then the answer is... not for very long. India ink will dry in the nib and feed and once it's dry, it is permanent... so the feed will be clogged forever. It will work for a while, but if you want something that is equally permanent and won't destroy your pen, there are better options (pigmented fountain pen inks, mostly). If you mean fountain pen inks from India, then yes... it will absolutely work with them! Sulekha, Camel, Krishna, Bril, etc. Indian brands of fountain pen ink will work just fine.
@@thewetpen Hi, thanks for the fast reply and yes, I meant india ink. Understood, I'll not use india ink but look for pigment ink, thanks again.
Is there a difference between a Zebra G nib & a Nikko G nib? Thank you
Not a size difference... they're designed to fit into the same nib holder. I've never used one, so I can't say what the difference would be as far as the flexibility or size of the tip... but there's no special reason that you'd need to use Zebra G nibs rather than other brands or styles. But whatever brand, I'd still recommend using a nib that is corrosion resistant like the titanium G nibs, since the steel ones corrode so quickly.
@@thewetpen Thank you for your quick informative reply.
@@larryglatt2548 Any time 🙂
Update-I was able to get the stock nib out, widened my Zebra G nib and for the life of me, it won't go in far enough. I've widened it, hammer and drill bit method, bit-by-bit but it still won't go in far enough. When I put the stock nib back in, it goes in easier and far enough. Any other suggestions?
Hey John, Glad you were able to get the old nib out... some of them are tighter than others, and I have heard reports that some are glued in on some Chinese pens (not Jinhao, but I was momentarily afraid that they had started). Anyway, it's not unusual for it to be difficult to push the Zebra G nib in. In fact, in the video here, you may notice a band-aid appear on one of my fingers in the video, which is from where I was trying to install a nib without the leather gloves on, and my hand slipped because I was pressing hard, and the edge of the nib cut my finger a bit. So, DO make sure that the radius of the G-nib matches the original nib as closely as possible before anything else, but then just go ahead and use some force (with some gloves or something else protective, if you can).
@@thewetpen Thanks so much for your reply. I think I may have to give up as I've been at it for a few hours and not sure it's worth it. I'm actually Jackie, John's wife, not sure why his email came up, and I'm an artist eager to draw with a flex nib without having to dip in the ink well a million times. When I go to push the feed and nib in, the feed will go in a little more than the nib, but it stops and just won't budge. I've tried hammering closer to the tip to open it up, but that doesn't work either. Oh, well, mission aborted, but I did find your video very helpful. Another artist posted the conversion and she just took the Zebra G nib without any adjustments and it went in easily. It may be that the feed is too tight? Ugh, I know I'll keep at it because my persistent side is very strong. Thanks again!
I’m thinking of trying this because I can’t get FPR nibs where I live but for some reason I’m so nervous about it. Do all fountain pen inks work with the G nib though? I find that when I use a dip pen fountain pen inks just don’t work at all.
I've never found an ink that didn't work at all, but some are certainly better than others. Some inks are too thin and immediately railroad if you try to flex at all, but they all handle normal writing pretty well. Again, the nib does have to be cleaned, or you may have problems regardless of the ink. But part of the fun is trying different inks and finding one that works well for your needs and writing style.
Thanks for making this video.
My pleasure :-)
Do more videos my friend!
Thanks! You'd think that with the lockdown order I'd be able to find some time to make some new ones, but I've been swamped. I do have some ideas, though, and they'll be along eventually :-)
Thank you so much!!!!
Can you put the cap on?
Yep, the cap still fits on no problem :-)
Muito bom!
Parabéns!
Very good!
Congratulations!
Thanks! Glad you liked it
Just put a Zero G bin on my sons Jin Hao Fountain Pen. Now he must learn how to use it.
Buy a small metal vise it will give you better force control
Merci beaucoup pour cette vidéo, j'ai acheté un jinhao X450 + plume Zebra G, petit coup de marteau sur une mèche diametre 7 => ca fonctionne parfaitement !!
Glad to hear that it worked for you! Enjoy your pen 🙂
Suuuper useful! Thank you!
I have success with another option, an Indian made Wality/Airmail 69TS pen which comes with an ebonite feed (you might find them on ebay), and a Gillott no 1068A nib. I increased the depth of the channel on the feed and made it a single lane. I have tested it with other nibs as well: Hunt Artist 100, Gillott 303 and 404. There is another pen in my collection called Kanwrite Zephyr, which already comes with a flex nib, and its pleasantly flexy. However I can change the stock nib with Gillott 290 nib, and it becomes super flexy. I have experimented with some jinhaos, but their feed is very fragile! Even if you manage to get it out and replace the nib, you'll still have to deal with the very dry feed.
I'll take a look around and see if Gillot nibs are available here. Thanks!
@@thewetpen I ordered the nibs from paperinkarts, they have a copperplate set with those nibs.
Great video!
Génial ! Thank you so much ! :-)
My jinhao steps while writing, the nib fails....so I'll try doing this.
If it doesn't work it Will go to the garbage 😢
Sounds like it's worth a shot, although there are some things that can help fix a pen that skips. Good luck!
I ruined my fountain pen 12 minutes after i got it...
Edit: i didnt mess it up, and this worked. Most annoying part was trying to get the notches to lign up.
Ugh, sorry to hear that. As I think i mentioned in the video, I ruined the first pen that I tried this on, too. That's why it was good to buy a pack of 5 of them at about $3 each. Maybe I mentioned that in the flex nib video, now that I think about it...
@@thewetpen aactually i think it might be fine, i just messed up the frills on the feed a teeny bit, but i had a really hard time fitting the g nib in there, so i just reverted it to the original nib but im not sure if its fine yet cuz i dont have ink on hand today. But since i mostly draw, ill either try to do this at a later time with a little more foresight, or just get a cheap holder like a speedball and use that with fountain pen ink to try it out, cuz now i have ten unused g nibs lol. But anyway, just reply to this and ill delete my original comment since its not exactly useful, nor true anymore.
Edit: ill just edit it
I tried 5 nibs and they all broke 😢 I'm in debt I bought the most expensive ones
Use a brass hammer... They are inexpensive at Harbor Freight. Hold the pen upright to bleed the air out of the converter.
Not as inexpensive as something that I already have 🙂 In this case, I wasn't bleeding air out, I was pushing extra ink into the feed
Great thanks！ I'lltry！！
Good luck!
👏👏👏
You forgot to add the angle grinder in tools list :P :D .
Yikes. Hope you didn't get one of these pens where the feed has been glued into the grip section. That would probably require an angle grinder :-) Good luck!
@@thewetpen LOL, no, I meant it as a joke - when you pulled the hammer I busted out laughing a little, it was unexpected :).
and then do this whole process every couple weeks due to nib corrosion lol
That is the unfortunate truth of the matter, although the titanium ones do seem to hold up better. That's why I like to use the drill bit method to process a bunch of nibs at the same time, and then switch them out when needed.
Im here because I rather do this to a Jinhao 159 than buy another Noodler Ahab (which are crap)
Potresti scaldarlo con acqua calda, invece di usare il martello, o almeno mettere uno straccio, una cosa morbida tra la pinza e il nib
noam el martillo de geolog jejeje
My advice if you're a artist... DO NOT BOTHER to try this, just suck up and use a dip pen. Based on hours of frustration of trying to get this to work I have come to the following conclusions.
1. Jinhao pens are absolute junk that leak, or have flow problems in the long or even short run and shamelessly rip off other pens.
2. Buy Japanese brush pens if you want varying thickness of line.
Best method I have found is as follows. Extract Jinhao nib and put it to the side. Now gather up the rest of the Jinhao pen along with the Jinhao nib you just removed. Throw them both in the bin and buy yourself a proper fountain pen made by a respected manufacturer. Don't waste your money on Chinese rubbish.
What's 5/16 in regular, international units, like millimeters!? Is it 5/16 or 5/16th? Of an inch? Or of Charles the Simple,'s pinky finger!?
Why don't you just quit the nonsense and start behaving !?😂😂😂
Thanks for the tip! 💪😉
Ha! I wish that the US would switch to metric! If nothing else, it's such a pain buying two sets of tools... metric and SAE: two sets of drill bits, two sets of wrenches, two sets of sockets, etc. Although, I'm not sure I like metric for temperature. Doesn't seem precise enough :-)
If we hai 7 number nib
I don't know; you'll have to try and see! :-)
@@thewetpen and can you make a video on Ledos Click Aristocrat Sky Blue Demonstrator Fountain Pen 3in1 Ink Filling System Flex Nib it's a Indian brand
@@Sadhakboy I actually have a Click Aristocrat with a semi-flex nib, and a Click President with an ultra-flex nib, and I'll do videos about them in the future, but next week I'm traveling, so it may be a couple of months.