Nibs - How Have Your Tastes Changed?

[UncleNick]

I used a fountain pen as a child growing up in the UK. I hit a point (around 12 years old) when I started using ballpoints at school (FP was no longer required, the BP was "cooler"). Letters to friends and relatives were still written with my Sheaffer No-Nonsense FP or my Great-Grandma's Parker. After High School I didn't use a fountain pen for a long time. I used any old ballpoint or rollerball.

 

I did rediscover the fountain pen again in my thirties. I think it was the result of finding FPN via a post in the Rangefinderforum. I bought a Lamy Studio ( from Pasquale at Pens International - he was an interesting personality to sit and chat with!

 

I realised quite quickly that the broad nib was not for me. I took a lot of notes at work so I started to use fine and EF nibs. I felt as though there was not a lot of difference between (firm) fine nibs and a rollerball until I discovered nibs with a little spring.

 

I now love medium nibs that have a little flex or spring to them, the line variation makes my note taking so much more interesting.

 

My current favorites are: Danitrio Densho Raw Ebonite flexy fine, Delta Titanio medium, Lamy 2000 (with a stubby medium Lamy 99 nib).

 

How have your nib tastes changed as you explore the fountain pen world?

Nick

[logantrky]

I'm finding myself leaning more and more towards larger (bolder) nibs. I started out with mostly fine nibs and now I've found that my medium nibs are getting more attention. I suppose the next step will be to buy a B nibbed pen.

[sadiemagic]

I have been pretty consistent with broad nibs as my preference but I now have really gotten into cursive italic and stub nibs. If not factory made, then usually I have a nibmeister start with a B, BB or occasionally a medium nib to grind the CI or stub.

 

I have gotten more into flexible nibs, or nibs with a little spring. When I first started years ago, I tended to buy pens with nails for nibs but now I gravitate towards the ones that are a little more giving. The really stiff ones don't make it into rotation that often.

[ac12]

I still prefer my F nibs since over 30 years.

However I have expanded my horizon:

 

Italic Nibs

• I have and like using a Lamy 1.1 italic nib. It makes my cursive look more interesting without me doing much more work than adjusting for a wider nib. So it has found a permanent home on my CP1.
• I am also dabbling in calligraphy and tinkering with the Sheaffer italic nibs for that.

Medium nibs

• I did not use M nibs before, but I found that the M nibs are great for practicing penmanship on wide ruled paper. It forces me to write larger than I would with my F nibs, and that has helped improve my handwriting.
• M nibs are great for lighter color inks like turquoise which look washed out when written with a thinner nib.

[max dog]

When I first started using fountain pens smoothness was all important, and it had to be a fine line. I guess it had to write like a ballpoint/rollerbal as that was what I was use to.

 

Then I discovered spring and flex, and so all my fountain pens had to be smooth and springy.

 

Now I prefer broader, wetter nibs with some stubbish character for line variation and shading. I still like smooth and springy, but with a little more tactile feel and a nice sound that all give the nib more character and pleasure.

Edited October 22, 2013 by max dog

[akustyk]

I think so. Yes. My taste in nibs, though, is also motivated by the paper and ink. For example, some of the more "robust" papers, like Clairefontaine, require nibs with wet flow and broader widths for smooth writing. Conversely, ordinary office paper is better suited to finer nibs, with less wet flow. I usually go for long periods with just cheap paper, as buying only fine paper is not possible due to the high price of such paper. I do, however, treat myself occasionally to good paper, and then I reach for my broad and wet nibs.

[WaskiSquirrel]

For the most part, my tastes have been reaffirmed: the finer the nib, the better. I'm learning Chinese, and this is just reaffirming this even more.

 

However, I have also discovered that the stub italic nibs are kind of fun as well. I never would have guessed that before.

 

As for the broad or medium nibs: meh.

[c4bb0ose]

I started out wanting extra fine nibs with flex, now I would lovvvvvve to get my hands on an extra broad nib, with flex. I have also found that the more types of scripts or styles you learn, the more you will start to appreciate the different types of nibs.

[Lorna Reed]

As my eyesight deteriorates, I am going for broader italic nibs, although I still have to use fine nibs for some things at work.

[elderberry]

I used to have tiny handwriting so only fine or extra fine nibs were even possible. As I didn't want to be limited to those, along with a variety of other reasons, I put some effort into my handwriting and changed it thoroughly. During the process I found broader nibs to be more forgiving than fine ones and also re-discovered italics (I used to have a Lamy Joy back in my school days which I liked a lot despite it being so broad).

 

I still own a few fine nibs but these are mainly used for drawing. I'm still having trouble to make my handwriting look nice using a fine nib, especially if it is a large nib - it seems to be easier if the nib is small and thus the hand closer to the paper. Eventually I want to be able to use almost any nib size with good results.

[Bo Bo Olson]

I have some 35 of the @ 45 nib widths and flexes including CI and Stubs and vintage German Obliques. I normally write with semi-flex or 'flexy'/maxi-semi-flex.(I'll not ever own a second modern Oblique (lack true line variation) and have 13 pre'66 German ones with some flex.)

 

How ever for some inks I've found that regular flex** M or F is a better nib. They are drier. So I find my self using them more.... some times even with the ink that makes them shine, some times with just any ink.

Yep, regular flex** can be OK.

 

**(vintage of course, a tad narrower, a tad more springy...no reason to go with second class blobby modern.)

[lahlahlaw]

I started with medium nibs because I thought I would enjoy the ink more if there was more of it to see. While this is true, fine nibs are more friendly to my small handwriting.

[pajaro]

Finer nibs.

[bogiesan]

I like some extra fine nibs for careful note-taking and precise writing such as formal letter.

I like those mediums for speed and italic nibs for expressiveness.

I have come to really enjoy the two broads in my Sheaffer stable for the lovely shading of certain inks.

 

One needs a good cross section of nib sizes and styles (and, by inference, inks) if one is going to own a few fountain pens for writing as opposed to collecting a barrel style, color or brand.

[Lyander0012]

Hmm, I once started out craving EF and F nibs, but nowadays I gravitate towards Western Mediums and Eastern Broad nibs. There's something very fun about laying down a huge line of ink. Also, the miniscule variation that comes with a feed not being able to supply ink quite fast enough reminds me of the strokes made by a brush pen; pure awesomeness.

 

Haha, I've yet to try CIs or stubs, though, so there are still those to consider before making any final decisions about which type of nib is my favourite.

 

Cheers!

 

Kevin

[stuartk]

I started out with medium nibs and still like them, but I'm using more F and XF nibs now that I've learned how to smooth them for myself.

[mrchan]

I started off liking flex nibs like everyone else but now I prefer a good solid EF or EF-F. I mean flex is fun every now and then but eventually for work purposes where I use my pen the most, I think a regular EF is the most useful for my type of writing script. I do like a good stub too. As for Mediums and Broads, UGH!

[pmhudepo]

About five years ago I re-discovered fountain pens and bought a Waterman Expert II with fine nib. After that, I bought bigger nibs, and obliques. Next I started practising Business Writing ("Palmer") and moved back to finer nibs. I started to develop a much "lighter" hand when I bought a Waterman 52 with a flexible EF nib. Boy, that sure requires a very light touch. I dare not use it at work -- really prefer a sturdy, fairly wet M nib for quick scribbles.

 

So, I guess I'm all over the place. Literally from Pilot Metal Falcon SEF to Montblanc 149 OBB and Pilot Parallel 6mm.

[vondauster]

Same here: I like nibs of all kinds except extra-fine-scratchy. But over the last twenty years my tastes seem to have migrated from broads and stubs to Japanese mediums. Oddly, my handwriting has actually gotten smaller and more precise with age and deteriorating near field vision, but that just means I don't write without reading glasses. I still like to change things up periodically and pull out a stub italic for a thank you note and such, but tend to journal with those mediums.

 

Will

[vistafan]

I started off preferring broad and medium nibs, however recently I have started using fine nibs. Now, the question is, what do I do with my broad-nibbed pens?