This afternoon my VP arrived from Richard. I ordered it with a .5mm stub. The pen is beautiful. It's by far the nicest pen I own, and I love the mechanism. The nib, however, isn't quite what I was looking for.

(Just a note, I'm comparing it to a Cross ATX, Medium point, and a Cross Century II, ground to a .5mm stub by Pendemonium.)

The Binder nib is broader than I expected. Initially it wrote very broadly (and far too wet), but this lessened. I think it was just excess ink in the feed after filling. Even still, the line is slightly broader than the ATX, which I always thought was a fairly broad medium. It's also slightly broader than the downstroke of the Pendemonium stub. The Binder stub is about right for wetness. I requested a 6 on his wetness scale. After writing for a few minutes, the nib feels slightly drier than the ATX, which was always a bit too wet for me.

My biggest complaint is the lack of line variation. I can't really see any difference between vertical and horizontal strokes. Sometimes if I have it and just the right angle, there is some variation, but it's nothing like the Pendemonium stub.

It's funny, but the Binder nib shows much more variation when held upside-down. Not really an option with the VP clip, however.

I'm wondering if I even have the right nib. Maybe it's in my hand or something, but I'm kind of disappointed. I'll try to post some writing samples. I've sent an email, and I'm pretty confident that this will get worked out.

Anyone have a similar experience?

Here are some pictures. They aren't perfect, you can see the difference between the nibs.

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Hey Hunter. I bought the Binder .6mm stub Vanishing point for my sister, and it certainly has visible line variation with her handwriting. However, I can barely use this pen with my present grip and writing style, as the pen has to be held rather straight to work right. I also have a Cross ATX medium nib, like you, and your observations about that pen are spot on. Maybe Richard rounded off the stub too much in your pen?

The pen shows lots of variation with the nib upside-down. At first I thought that maybe I wasn't holding it at a steep enough angle, but even at steeper angles the nib shows almost no variation. Something isn't right...

You got a loupe to look at the nib shape? Methinks it's not a stub.

From the writing sample, this doesn't look like a stub, but keep in mind that a .5mm stub won't offer much in the way of variation in the first place. To be honest, I don't see much variation in your Pendemonium sample either. However, did you try contacting Richard privately before posting this? He can help you more than any of us can. Best,
David

Richard always works hard to make his customers happy. You should contact him directly about your issues with the nib, let him know more precisely what you're looking for and why you are dissatisfied, perhaps with writing samples, and let him adjust it or replace it for you.

My thought is that it's not a stub. You're right, there isn't much variation in the Pendemonium nib (My crummy handwriting doesn't really show off a stub), but it is noticeable when you look closely. Not so with the VP. These pictures have been brightened a bit with Picasa, but you can see the line thickness.

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I'm really not trying to trash Richard. Mostly I wanted some reassurance that I wasn't crazy. This only my second custom nib, and I wasn't exactly sure what to look for.

I've sent an email about this. Like I said, I have no doubt that it will be resolved. Richard's fantastic reputation didn't come from nothing.

I'm sorry to hear you're having issues with your new nib. I know how frustrating that can be. I have a few thoughts on your situation.

First, I would encourage you to discuss this issue with Richard, preferably before taking it public. I know in the combination excitement / disappointment it's easy to want reassurance, but as a courtesy it's always best to talk to the seller first. Imagine if the roles were reversed and the first you heard about a customer's dissatisfaction was on an internet discussion board.

Second, and this is really basic but a mistake I made in the past, check the angle of the nib with the paper. My grip was such that the nib was at a 45 degree angle when I made verticals and horizontals. The result: they looked the same. To check the line variation, make sure you hit the right angles. Simple, I know, and I'm not trying to be insulting/condescending/etc., it's just one of those "been there, done that, go the t-shirt" moments.

Finally, simply due to it's small size, a 0.5 mm stub isn't going to give a whole lot of variation, but it should be noticeable, particularly when enlarged. Any chance you can take a close-up of the nib?

I hope you get it worked out and let us know.

Take care,
Michael

I've got some close-ups of the nib, but I'll refrain from posting anything else until I hear from Richard. Again, I really wasn't trying to whine about the nib or the service. Just looking from some advice from the community.

Evening Hunter -

I'm sorry to hear about your pen. I think I may have been one of the folks who recommended a Binder VP to you for line variation.

I just posted a handwriting sample of two Binder Cursive Italic Vanishing Points in my review tonight of a Michel Perchin Blue Serpent - it's listed under the Review Section. Look at the line variation with those two Binder Cursive Italic Nibs and compare the writing sample to the round stock nib on the Michel Perchin. The difference is dramatic.

Sorry Hunter - send Mr. Binder and email - I have faith he will do what is needed to get you what you wanted.

Here's the handwriting sample I told you about:

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Maybe what you were looking for was a Cursive Italic, and not a Stub nib?

I agree, discuss this with Richard Binder. I only had two nibs done by him, but I was very happy with his work and his service!

I have a .6mm stub from Richard and it writes very differently to the samples that you have posted. I really like mine so hopefully you will get it sorted with Richard and share the experience.

Chiming in to essentially confirm what others already have noted... A .5mm stub will not offer much line variation, but it certainly won't write like a rounded nib either. There's also going to be a difference between a stub and cursive italic. A .5mm cursive italic will offer a bit more variation than a stub. If you contact the Binders, they will sort it out for you... Richard is my go-to-grind man and I've never been disappointed.

It does. I own a 0.5 mm Cursive Italic from Richard for my VP and that rascal can work magic. Depending on how I hold it, I can get all kinds of variation.

I've been in contact with Richard about this already. It seems that there was a mix-up, and I have somebody else's nib. Just a matter of shipping it back and waiting for the correct one, so no big deal at all.

Just a note, I'm not really expecting a ton of line variation. I think I'll go with a cursive italic for my next re-grind, but with this first VP nib, I'm looking for smoothness and ease-of-use. I suppose it's a good thing that the nibs can be changed so easily. (this hobby will bankrupt me yet)

Richard has been amazingly quick with his communication, and I'm already considering the matter resolved. Now it's just a matter of being patient for a few more days. I suppose it is a virtue.


--Mike

You have experienced the pleasure of working with one of the most rational, reasonable and skilled mastercraftsmen on the pen scene today. The FPN is blessed to have Richard and the other nibmeisters who are members and available to us. Insights gained by validating observations, cross checking facts and sharing examples with members is an invaluable resource and one of the multitude of joys that membership can bring. Thanks to each and every person for making this a wonderful place to spend time.

PS: hunter186: Good eye and nice catch!

Blasphemy!

I'm glad this is going to work out for you Mike. Later, if you decide to add a Cursive Italic to your toolkit, you can order only the pre-ground nib / cartridge unit from Richard - that's significantly cheaper than buying the whole pen.

If you order again, be sure to give Richard feedback on your soon-to-arrive nib and how it fits what you wanted. Do you want a nib that's wetter or drier than the soon-to-arrive pen? Do you want a nib that's smoother - or one that has more tactile feedback?

Have fun when your new toy arrives. Burn some ink.

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It came! This nib is amazing. I haven't put much ink through it yet, but it's perfect. Just a bit of variation, and incredibly smooth.

I loaded it with Noodler's Swishmix Lakeshore Spruce. It's been problematic in some pens, and normally I wouldn't use it as the first ink in a new pen, but I really wanted to use this color. It's a really nice green, and suits the pen really well.

Anyways, it performs better than any pen I own. The rest of my pens are going to get lonely.

The only thing better than the pen is the service provided by Mr. Binder. The mix-up was resolved right away, and communication with Richard and Barbara was smooth. Couldn't have been better.

To top it off, I just heard back from Robyn at Mainstreet Pens with an estimate on Balance I sent in. Can't wait to get that restored. A good pen day, to say the least.

Hey Mike -

Congrats! I love it when a plan comes together.

Burn some ink with that new Binder nib.