A while back, a reader asked about replacement nibs for the Surface Pro pen. I hadn't considered the question until that moment because many months ago I had replaced my standard pen with a Wacom Bamboo Stylus Feel - Carbon (a name only a Japanese company could bring to market).
Unlike the standard stylus, all replacement pens come with extra pen nibs. In addition to the Carbon, I've purchased three other Surface Pro compatible pens and I had assumed all along that the nibs were interchangeable. That assumption turned out to be incorrect.
The standard Surface Pro pen's blue nib (center) doesn't match either the older wider nib above or the shorter Stylus Feel nib below.
The older Samsung and Wacom stylii I reviewed here have a wider diameter and don't fit in the Surface Pro pen's barrel.
The nibs for the Bamboo Stylus Feel pens are the correct diameter, but almost imperceptibly shorter in length. Before realizing this, I put a Feel nib into the Surface Pro pen and had a devil of a time pulling it out again. I've seen some posts on the TabletPCReview.com forums state that the nibs are compatible. They are not. Take my word for this, DON'T TRY IT AT HOME!
Searching the Microsoft online store turned up no replacement nibs for sale.
Recently, the official Microsoft Surface blog posted a feature dedicated to the Surface Pro pen that included a new email address for "like-minded pen enthusiasts." I wrote asking for advice about nib replacements. Last night, Microsoft's Markus Weickenmeier, whose title is Manager - Surface wrote back confirming that Microsoft doesn't sell nib replacements.
So when your nib wears down (and it will), the only Microsoft solution is a replacement pen for $30.
My advice is to pick up one of the available alternative stylii and store the standard pen as a collectible or for when you pass it along on eBay or Gazelle. Although the alternatives cost the same or more, they feel better to write and draw with and come with several replacement nibs. And when you run out of those, additional sets of five nibs cost only $5 - $10 direct from the Wacom Store.
Wacom Customer Care overview of how and when to change the nib of a Bamboo or Bamboo Fun pen. The tips provided here apply to Surface Pro compatible stylii as well.
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