(This page revised September 30, 2016)
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Unlike the earlier dip pens, whose nibs could generally be interchanged in a moment, fountain pens usually had a nib/section assembly that made changing nibs a job for a professional. A few companies devised schemes using nibs that were pressed or molded together with their matching feed units and then threaded as an assembly into the pen’s section. Among vintage makers, Esterbrook, with its “Re-New-Point” design (U.S. Patent No 1,918,239, by Leon H. Ashmore), was perhaps the most successful of the vintage American companies. At various times, Re-New-Point nibs (later renamed Renew-Point) were available in 33 styles. The standard Renew-Point was the Duracrome series. For a short period beginning in late 1938, Esterbrook also produced the 3xxx series of Osmiridium Tip nibs; these nibs have a very attractive sunburst design. (There also exist certain 3xxx nibs that are gold plated and lack the sunburst imprint.) Production of 9000-series Master Series nibs began in 1940; like the 3xxx, these nibs were tipped with osmiridium and provided better performance and durability than the standard nibs. During the Second World War, Esterbrook made 8000-series nibs of 50% palladium alloy to conserve critical war resources.
The Wahl Personal-Point system (from the 1920s) and Sheaffer’s Fineline pens (from the 1940s and ’50s) used unique designs; but Osmiroid, Tuckersharpe, and some Venus pens could accept Esterbrook Renew-Point nibs. Venus even packaged its nibs in boxes bearing the words “Standard Thread.” The pen illustrated here, a Tuckersharpe, is interesting because of its transparent section and nib assembly.
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Click on the thumbnail to the left to see a 1959 Esterbrook in-store countertop nib chart. For comparison, click on the thumbnail to the right to see an Osmiroid nib chart. |
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Today, the most prominent maker of user-interchangeable nibs is Pelikan; but Pelikan’s nibs come in several sizes to fit different pen models, and not all sizes are interchangeable.
The table below lists all the known Renew-Point nibs.
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1xxx and 2xxx: Duracrome Nibs | |
| Number | Style | Use |
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| 1314 | Flexible stub | Social use and manuscript |
| 1461 | Rigid fine | Manifold |
| 1550 | Firm extra-fine | Bookkeeping |
| 1551 | Firm medium | Student |
| 1554 | Firm medium-fine | Clerical |
| 1555 | Firm fine | Gregg shorthand |
| 1556 | Firm fine | Fine writing |
| 2048 | Flexible fine | Shaded writing |
| 2128 | Flexible extra-fine | Fine penmanship (Pitman shorthand) |
| 2284 | Broad | Signature stub |
| 2312 | Medium italic | |
| 2314-B | Relief broad stub | |
| 2314-F | Relief fine stub | |
| 2314-M | Relief medium stub | Social correspondence |
| 2442 | Falcon fine stub | Backhand writing |
| 2450 | Extra-firm extra-fine | Posting |
| 2460 | Rigid medium | Manifold |
| 2461 | Rigid fine | Manifold |
| 2464 | Rigid broad | Manifold |
| 2550 | Firm extra-fine | Bookkeeping |
| 2555 | Firm fine | Gregg shorthand |
| 2556 | Firm fine | Fine writing |
| 2668 | Firm medium | General writing |
| 2788 | Flexible medium | Shaded writing |
| 2968 | Firm broad | General writing |
| FINE | Firm fine | General writing |
| MEDIUM | Firm medium | General writing |
| BROAD | Firm broad | General writing |
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3xxx: Gold-Plated Nibs (Made in U.K.) (Photo by Andrew Gnoza) |
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| Number | Style | Use |
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| 3312 | Relief medium italic | |
| 3314 | Relief medium stub | Social correspondence |
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3xxx: Osmiridium Tip “Sunburst” Nibs | |
| Number | Style | Use |
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| 3550 | Firm extra-fine | Bookkeeping |
| 3556 | Firm fine | Fine writing |
| 3668 | Firm medium | General writing |
| 3968 | Firm broad | Script |
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5xxx: Dip-Less Nibs | |
| Number | Style | Use |
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| 5284 | Broad | Signature stub |
| 5442 | Falcon fine stub | Backhand writing |
| 5460 | Firm medium | General writing and record keeping |
| 5461 | Rigid medium | Manifold |
| 5550 | Firm extra fine | Bookkeeping |
| 5554 | Firm fine | Penmanship and secretarial work |
| 5556 | Firm fine | Fine writing |
| 5668 | Firm medium | General writing |
| 5788 | Flexible medium | General writing |
| 5968 | Firm broad | General writing |
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6xxx: Conical Style Nibs (Nib wrapped only halfway around the feed) |
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| Number | Style | Use |
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| 6668 | Firm medium | General writing (U.S. Patent No D146,012; extremely rare, apparently an experimental design) |
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7xxx: Dip-Less Nibs | |
| Number | Style | Use |
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| 7550 | Firm extra fine | Bookkeeping |
| 7556 | Firm fine | Fine writing |
| 7668 | Firm medium | General writing |
| 7968 | Firm broad | General writing |
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8xxx: WWII Palladium Nibs | |
| Number | Style | Use |
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| 8440 | Firm extra-fine (“Superfine”) | Bookkeeping |
| 8461 | Rigid fine | Manifold |
| 8550 | Firm extra-fine | Bookkeeping |
| 8556 | Firm fine | Fine writing |
| 8668 | Firm medium | General writing |
| 8968 | Firm broad | Script |
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9xxx: Master Series Nibs | |
| Number | Style | Use |
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| 9048 | Flexible fine | Shaded writing |
| 9128 | Flexible extra-fine | Fine penmanship (Pitman shorthand) |
| 9284 | Broad | Signature stub |
| 9312 | Medium italic | |
| 9314-B | Relief broad stub | |
| 9314-F | Relief fine stub | |
| 9314-M | Relief medium stub | Social correspondence |
| 9450 | Extra-firm extra-fine | Posting |
| 9460 | Rigid medium | Manifold |
| 9461 | Rigid fine | Manifold |
| 9550 | Firm extra-fine | Bookkeeping |
| 9555 | Firm fine | Gregg shorthand |
| 9556 | Fine | Records and charts |
| 9650 | Medium | Manifold |
| 9668 | Firm medium | General writing |
| 9788 | Flexible medium | Shaded writing |
| 9968 | Firm broad | Script |
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These numberless nibs may reflect an effort to cut costs; or they may be an indicator of the public’s declining interest in nib variety due to the rise of ballpoint pens. 
Early 5000- and 7000-series Dip-Less nibs are technically not Renew-Point nibs; they slip with a mating feed into a threaded socket (which can accept either these nibs or Renew-Points) and are locked in place. I include the 5000 and 7000 series here because they bear 4-digit numbers and are contemporaneous with the Renew-Point. (Later versions of these series are Renew-Point interchangeable.) The photos of feeds shown here have been retouched to show the feeds’ features more clearly.
As illustrated here by an 8440, 8000-series specimens exist with a gold-plated variant of the 3000-style Sunburst design. I have no information on why these unusual and very attractive nibs were given numbers in the 8000 series.
The information in this article is as accurate as possible, but you should not take it as absolutely authoritative or complete. If you have additions or corrections to this page, please consider sharing them with us to improve the accuracy of our information. Information on gold-plated 3000-series nibs provided by Andrew Gnoza. Information on 5000- and 7000-series nibs provided, and nibs and feeds lent, by Brian Anderson. Osmiroid nib chart provided by Ray Ulrich.
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