Tachikawa T25 Pen Holder + Mitchell elbow nib

[treehugger9]

I bought this elbow nib because I couldn't find an cheap oblique holder here where I live, I bought also a standard nib holder with metal ring and four prongs but I had some difficulties inserting that nib in it and I'm afraid to break something. Yesterday my brother came back from Japan and he bought me a tachikava T25 holder, so I tried to insert the elbow nib in it, but I can't. Is it my fault or aren't these holder adapt to Mitchell elbow nib? Maybe I have to apply more pressure?

[Moya]

Not your fault at all, treehugger!  The Mitchell elbow nibs are just a little bit wider than the standard metal ring and four prongs nib holder.  I don't use them so much any more, but I did when I was first learning (before I knew such a thing as an oblique holder existed) and I got around it by just forcing the nib into the holder and then using that holder as a dedicated Mitchel elbow-nib one.  (It did split the wooden holder - it was a very cheap one from an art store - but I wrapped tape around it and it has held together for many years now.  It had to split so that the metal ring could bend enough to let the nib in.)

I don't know if there are elbow-nib specific holders out there now, although I hope there are. But if you can't, and you have to do a patch job like I did, just comfort yourself by thinking that at least your tools look like they are used now - in a way, that's even prettier than shiny and new and never-touched

[treehugger9]

Oh! Thank you Moya!
When talking about calligraphy stuff I'm always afraid of saying stupid things because here nobody knows anything and I don't know who I can ask to. Fortunately I found this forum, but I have some problems with the language ahah, it would be so much easier if you all could speak Italian ahah but the other side of the coin is that this forum is an opportunity to practice my English too
Thank you very much! I think I'll do as you did since the holder I bought was very cheap and now I can use the T25 with the others nib.

[patweecia]

Wow! You and i just have the same problem. I also got the mitchell elbow nib last week ad was wondering what kind of holder it would fit in. Was actually about to post it here.

[Estefa]

I had the same problem as I started – I was actually bending the "holder side" of the nib a little by pressing it in a narrower half-circle with pliers, so I could fit it in my holder, if you know what I mean .

[treehugger9]

patweecia: I'm glad my topic is helpful for you too!

Danke Estefa! I thought the same thing, i will try and see which method, yours or Moya's, comes easier for me.
However, I find very strange that they produce that nib, which is supposed to be for beginners, and they don't care about the fact it doesn't fit in the common holders.. perhaps it's an example of a wrong marketing strategy :/

[AndyT]

I've never got on with that type of holder; they seem a bit too secure if you take my meaning, and there's also the distinct possibility of ink creeping between the ferrule and the nib with rusty results.  Probably they've found favour on grounds of easy installation - just a press fit into a hole.  I prefer the type in the pic below which are still easy to come by, here at least.  It's also no great problem to make make them (the middle one is homemade from a short piece of brass tube).

By the way, do you like the fancy nib in the foreground?