Help With Italic Nib Pen

[bracer028]

can anyone recommend a good italic nib pen, with piston filler, twist cap, and heavier than the pelikan 205 series

[Algester]

TWSBI AL?

MB 149 oblique?

Edited September 23, 2014 by Algester

[da vinci]

I think Pelikan do an Italic nib for the m800 if you are keen on Pelikans.

 

Let us know your budget and I am sure folks on here will be happy to help you spend it

[Algester]

I think Pelikan do an Italic nib for the m800 if you are keen on Pelikans.

 

Let us know your budget and I am sure folks on here will be happy to help you spend it

Pelikan is retiring their obliques and they dont have a 1.1 and up

Edited September 23, 2014 by Algester

[Bronze]

Aurora Optima or 88 with italic nib.

 

Or just get any pen you want and then have someone italicize it for you.

[View from the Loft]

Pelikan M600 with a BB custom ground to suit?

[tarheel1]

Pelikan m800 with a 1.5 broad italic nib.

[pmhudepo]

I am unsure about weight, but the TWSBI 580 in either 1.1 or 1.5 stub italic should fit the bill nicely.

 

Mind you, for a formal, crisp italic, you'll probably need to have a nibmeister grind one for you, perhaps from a factory BB nib. As far as I can tell, fountain pen makers themselves only offer stub italic nibs. They are easier to use, but not as crisp as a formal italic.

[Mickey]

I am unsure about weight, but the TWSBI 580 in either 1.1 or 1.5 stub italic should fit the bill nicely.

 

Mind you, for a formal, crisp italic, you'll probably need to have a nibmeister grind one for you, perhaps from a factory BB nib. As far as I can tell, fountain pen makers themselves only offer stub italic nibs. They are easier to use, but not as crisp as a formal italic.

 

I notice you specified formal and crisp, which is consonant with my understanding. Crisp describes the edge. If the edge is sharp enough that push strokes are impractical or difficult, the pen is crisp. If the corners are sharp, allowing the nib to be turned up onto a corner for serifs, hairlines, etc., it is formal. So it's possible for a nib to be either crisp or formal or both crisp and formal. This makes it important to be clear what one requests from a nibgrinder, as I'm not convinced all of them quite respect this distinction. My personal taste in an italic carry pen is for an informal, borderline crisp nib, i.e., one that is sharp edged, but with beveled shoulders. (If I wish to write one of the formal hands - which is almost never - I use dip pens.)

 

The first generation Parker Duofold Centennials had very nice italic nibs (3 sizes). In terms of size and weight, this might be a good choice for the OP.

[pmhudepo]

Mickey: thanks for making the distinction between formal and crisp. I thought those terms were interchangeable and included them both in one sentence because perhaps some people might not be familiar with one of the terms. Apparently, my knowledge was incomplete as well!

 

I have, so far, only used stub italics (e.g., TWSBI 580 1.1, Delta Fusion 1.3) and might like to acquire a formal and/or crisp italic in the near future, but have not yet found a new pen that isn't a stub. And now I have a bit more to think about before asking a nibmeister to work on a nib.

[pmhudepo]

For reference, I always had the range "stub - cursive italic - formal italic" in mind, like so:

 

http://nibs.com/Fountain-Pen-Nib-Customizations.htm

[Mickey]

Mickey: thanks for making the distinction between formal and crisp. I thought those terms were interchangeable and included them both in one sentence because perhaps some people might not be familiar with one of the terms. Apparently, my knowledge was incomplete as well!

 

I have, so far, only used stub italics (e.g., TWSBI 580 1.1, Delta Fusion 1.3) and might like to acquire a formal and/or crisp italic in the near future, but have not yet found a new pen that isn't a stub. And now I have a bit more to think about before asking a nibmeister to work on a nib.

 

I'm not sure if the terminological distinction I made is definitive or even in common use among adepts. It's simply my understanding of the grind. BTW, almost any nib can be made to write 'crisper' simply by making sure the edge orientation does not waver: the pen barrel neither rotates relative to the writing line nor turns in the hand. Stubs often seem less crisp because they do not enforce edge discipline, whereas crisp and or formal grinds do. A good stub can yield reasonably crisp text if properly used. Likewise, reducing ink flow and using papers which hold a tight line will firm up output of 'soggy' stubs.

[itsallkg]

I second any TWSBI stub italic. I used a 1.1 italic once, and it seemed like a solid buy.

[Mickey]

For reference, I always had the range "stub - cursive italic - formal italic" in mind, like so:

 

http://nibs.com/Fountain-Pen-Nib-Customizations.htm

 

The real determiner is how fat the edge is and whether the corner bevel only 'breaks' (chamfers) the corner or also effectively broadens the edge. This is to some degree a product of the grind, but also a product of the user habits. Held at one angle, a cursive grind can write very crisp text (high wide/thin ratios), but held at too low an angle, the bevel will contact the page, making the thins fatter, reducing the ratio. This is why pen hold angle is an especially critical consideration in edged pen grinds.

 

At the SF show, John touched up the grind on an oblique he'd done for me. I hold fountain pens at a bit over 50 degree above the writing surface, which is slightly steeper than many FP users. Oddly enough, until redone, there was little line variation from this nib and push strokes were still difficult. Accommodating my hold angle fixed all that.

[dms525]

Many options have been cited. Which is most suitable depends on the use to which the OP intends to put the nib and his/her budget.

 

If the budget is over $400 or so, I am currently enamored of the Aurora factory italic nibs, both the 14Kt and the 18Kt gold models. They are almost perfect out of the box, and, with a bit of a tweak from Michael Masuyama, are indistinguishable from perfect. YMMV, as always.

 

David

[benincanada]

Pelikan M215 with a Italic nib ground from Mr Binder

[da vinci]

can anyone recommend a good italic nib pen, with piston filler, twist cap, and heavier than the pelikan 205 series

So what are your thoughts so far?

[arran]

Pelikan m600 or 800 by nichepens grinding by Ross Adams

Conid bulkfiller with ground stub by fountainbel

Onoto magna with oxonian specified to your wishes

 

Personally I stopped buying factory italics or stubs

[FoszFay]

M600 or M800, B or BB, custom ground to a 'Cursive Italic' would give you the best end product.

 

Tom.