Extra-fine nibs

[Judybug]

I've sort of got my eye on a vintage pen that has an extra-fine nib. I've never written with an EF nib. I'm imagining something very scratchy. Is there a possibility that a vintage EF nib could be smooth or at least comfortably toothy?

 

My next question will reveal my ignorance about what a nibmeister can do. If I purchase this pen [a Sheaffer Balance BTW] and the nib turns out to be too fine and scratchy, can a nibmeister turn it into something a little broader and smoother? If so, can anyone give me a ball park idea of how much this would cost.

 

Judybug

[Elaine]

It depends on the nib. I prefer fine and sometimes extra fine nibs. I have xf from Richard and it's quite smooth as long as you don't put much pressure on the nib.

 

If you have a scratchy extra fine nib, a nibmeister can certainly smooth it - but there might be a limit. Wider? Sort of, but not really. I'll let a nibmeister answer that one.

[meanwhile]

It's very possible to write smoothly with both a modern XF (usually Japanese nibs are best - they label their XFs as Fs) and a vintage XF. Search this forum for recent threads on XF nib buying advice, and the Reviews for examples of XF nib pens - eg my own vintage Sheaffer Balance.

Edited September 14, 2006 by meanwhile

[kissing]

No proper nib should be intended to be excessively scratchy

 

Regardless of nib size, these were designed for writing comfort A good EF nib shouldn't feel uncomfortably scratchy, though they may not be as smooth as Mediums.

[Velma]

I have a Sheaffer Craftsman with a needlepoint nib (the way it originally came) and it's pleasantly toothy, but not too much so, and a Sheaffer Legacy Heritage with an extrafine nib, that is quite smooth. And many of the Heroes and Pilots that I have with the Asian fine nibs are on the smooth to hint-of-tooth side.

 

I think price ranges for nib modifications run from $30-$90, depending upon the condition of the pen, the modifications done, how well the nibmeister knows you and your writing style, etc.

[HesNot]

I have a Sheaffer Sentinel with an EF triumph nib that is the best EF nib I've used - it's not glass smooth but certainly pleasant considering. I admit that I had a Pelikan 200 with an EF nib that was also a nice writer but, of course, even an EF Pelikan nib is still fairly wide due to "nib inflation"

[KendallJ]

The answer to the meaning of life, and smooth XF nibs?

 

a snorkel...

 

Seriously, the Triumph fine and XF nibs, I've found to be as smooth as they come in general.

[Judybug]

Thanks for the input! One more question - in shopping around for a Balance on the web, I've noticed that some nibs have "Lifetime" written on them. The one in particular that I'm thinking about has "Sheaffer" and the number "3" on the nib. What is the difference?

 

Judybug

P. S. Meanwhile - I did read your review - very helpful.

[Judybug]

I hate to be a pest with all these questions. I've done a good bit of reading on various websites - trying to find my own answers. But I can't seem to find out what the difference is between a Lifetime model Sheaffer Balance and a non-Lifetime model? Can anyone supply this information?

 

Judybug

[meanwhile]

Judy -

 

The best way to research something like this is usually to look at eg www.richardspens.com or Penoply. But as I remember matters: the lifetime thing was the level of guarantee provided, rather than a true quality difference. Then after a certain time the guarantee had to be dropped for legal reasons.

 

Quick use of a search engine:

 

http://www.rickconner.net/penoply/sh.1.html

 

The Lifetime Point was another bit of Sheaffer marketing genius. In reality, there was very little to distinguish the Lifetime from a standard Sheaffer pen, but the serially-numbered point and white dot set these apart from the junior offerings in the line, and the additional price of the Lifetime ($8.25 for the jade green model at left) plus the nominal return fee, made the occasional repair or exchange very affordable for Sheaffer.

 

Once you start recongnizing the sites with decent information, you'll find that answering questions like this with a search engine is quite easy - although at first, yes, it does look impossible to wade through the junk!

 

If you still can't find an answer, then the best thing on a brand specific question like this is probably to go to the brand forum at FPN, and start a new thread.

 

In practice, I'd suggest buying a Balance that has the finish you like, and from a regular seller and restorer of pens with a high reputation and not worrying about whether it is Lifetime or not. Lever fillers are considered much safer bets than Vacs. But there are real Sheaffer experts here who know a thousand times more than I do.

Edited September 15, 2006 by meanwhile

[kissing]

Well, the only Extra-Fine pen I have is a Pelikan M150, but it writes more like a fine medium

 

Has a bit of tooth, but I like it.

 

Good EF nibs should feel pleasantly smooth with a touch of scratch. Just look out for bad ones that feel like writing with a rusty knife

[Judybug]

Many thanks for all the helpful information. I did stumble on rickconner.com as I was looking around. ------------ Anyway, last night I decided to put myself out of the misery of indecision, bite the bullet, and order this pen that's been haunting me on EBay. Yes, I've had some experience ordering non-fountain pen items from EBay and I know it can be risky business. If I post an "I'm SO HAPPY with my EBay purchase!" message in a few days, y'all will know this turned out all right. If you never again see me type "EBay" and "fountain pen" in the same sentence, you'll know the outcome was less than OK. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

 

Judybug

[johnr55]

I have several Pelikan 200's, all with XF nibs, they aren't scratchy for me, and I write all the time on legal pads. I have an XF nib on my Montblanc Meister and it is also quite smooth. I have several Sheaffers with the inlaid points, have both steel and gold XF nibs, they write beautifully.

 

I always try to buy XF if I can; I've found the #9461 Esterbrook nib is ideal, too.