Dear all,

Sorry for my bad English. I am thinking of getting a Stipula Etruria Ambra. I have read that many of you like Stipula's italic nibs. As I usual write with EF nibs (at this moment I write with a Waterman Carene EF), I'm afraid to choose the 0.9 italic nib. Is it difficult or rather impossible to adapt my handwriting (which resembles Copperplate) to write with that broader nib easely?

Hi pietjebel,

First of all, welcome to our little fountain pen nut house on the digital prairie .

Regarding the use of an italic 0.9 Stipula nib, when you're used to writing with EF, that is rather tricky, and it entirely depends on your handwriting. You mention a copperplate like handwriting, and if that means fairly large sized characters with big loops and flourishes, and if the closed loops of smaller letters like "o" and "a" are approximately equal in size or bigger than 1/3 the height of the rules in a normal European notepad, or college pad, you should be able to write with it. However, you would have to use an entirely different script, namely uncial or chancery (look here: James Pickering's Chancery pages) or something similar, or a more standard roundhand (f.e, Brmingham roundhand). Essentially, the width/height ratio for the mentioned types of letters is about 1:4 or 1:5 with regard to the nib width, which means that the height of an "o" or "a" should be in the region of about 4 mm with a 0.9 italic.

Personally, I write as a standard with a European M nib, and I find that with the 0.9 Stipula italics I write smaller, but much more legibly than I do with a normal M nib . Any letter parts smaller than about 2.5 - 3 mm will end up closed up, no blank space IOW, if it has a structure written height wise, like the long loops in the letters "l" or "b".

HTH, warm regards, Wim

If I understand this correctly, I get the same results. Although my nib of choice is a fine. My handwriting becomes more legible but I work at it because my looped letters will close if I'm not cautious. I slow down considerably when using the Stipula stubs. I own both the 0.9 and the 1.1 and as a matter of fact, I've got the 1.1 out now just practicing with it. For me, it takes some work but it's worth it. I like the look when I write checks with the 1.1, makes this horrible monthly chore at least a little fun.

I prefer F nibs as well but also comfortable using M nibs (especially Japanese M nibs, which is more like a European F-M, depending on the pen). I have several Stipula factory .9mm italics -- two on Etrurias and one on a Castoni. I found it difficult to use at first. And because of that, I would never even think to use a 1.1mm italic. I know it would be too much for me and I tried to use one once when I was testing pens at a pen shop. I felt that if I had to use a 1.1mm italic, I might as well write with a cooking spatula.

If you're now comfortable using a Carene EF, I do believe the Stipula factory .9mm italic would be manageable for you as well -- but it will definitely take some time getting used to. Is it possible for you to test drive one at a local shop or pen show?

One way to test an italic, without too much cost, is to try your hand (literally) in using one of the cheap Sheaffer calligraphy beginner's set, sold here in the US for no more than $9 I think. I bought mine for $7.50 some where, but I can't remember where right now. The smallest of the Sheaffer calligraphy nibs (.9mm I think) would be comparable, and you could at least try and see if you even like the way an italic works.

By the way, I'm not saying that the Stipula .9mm italic is in anyway comparable to the Sheaffer .9mm italic on the Sheaffer calligraphy set. I know better than to express that kind of heresy around Wim.

I'm saying that the Sheaffer calligraphy set could be a good way to test an italic nib of comparable size, and it will give you a better idea of how to work with an italic if you decide to go for it.

I'm not sure where you're located, but I could send you mine to try if you'd like. But if you're not in the US, then this would be a rather impractical offer. Let us know how you decide.

I agree with most of this.
I have a Sheaffer calligraphy set and find the 0.03" nib (= 0.76MM) to be about right (perhaps a smidgin wide) for my medium-to-small 'cursive-italic' writing. They are easy to write with...even for me!
I also have a Stipula Saturno with a 0.9mm stub which is delightfully easy-writing, for me, but, unlike the calli nib, has very little variation in line-width.

I personally cannot get along with more 'pointed', more flexible, nibs, which require variations in pressure to alter line width.

I hope this helps.

Good!

I am watching you .... .

Warm regards, Wim

Thanks a lot for all your good advises. (I'm Flemisch (Belgium), so in Dutch for Wim: "Hartelijk dank Wim, voor je raad!")
As I will not be able to maintain 4 mm height for miniscules (I only reach max. 3 mm with ease), I will go for an EF nib. I hope I will be able to put some variation in linewidth by controle of pressure, variations in speed and by choice of the right ink. I was interested in the 0.9 italic nib because it is more a stub nib for I do not want the extreme line-variation of an Italic nib.

Warm regards,

pietjebel

Hello everyone,

This afternoon, I have grinded the nib of a cheap fountain pen to the size of approx. a 0.9 Italic nib. I am right handed and since I hold my pen inclined to the left (i.e between 10 and 11 o' clock) when writing, I can form miniscules of 3 mm height with open e's. The thickest parts of my characters are at the botom and at the top. My a, o's, ... are ellipse-shaped with their large axis at 15° to the right. So, I am still considering the Stipula 0.9 stub nib.

Warm regards,

pietjebel

Since I normally use an M nib, based on Wim's advice, I have ordered an amber piston-filling Etruria with a 0.9mm italic nib from Chuck Swisher. Unfortunately, he is out of stock at the moment and is awaiting a shipment from Italy, so I won't have the pen for a few weeks. Too bad Stipula does not have a U.S. distributor that maintains inventories here in the U.S.

Let's hope that I, too, will write "smaller, but much more legibly than I do with a normal M nib."

By the way, does anyone own the "Alter Ego" version of this pen? I've seen various photos of the pen, and the color seems different from photo to photo, in some cases looking very beautiful, but in other cases less so. What's it like in real life? Is it a bright orange, or is it more brownish?

Well, I happen to have both the PF and the c/c version of the Alter Ego .
It is a bright shiny orangy sienna or terracotta if that describes it well. It isn't brown, and very close to orange. It is gorgeous beyond words ...

BTW, due to the "pebbled" look, every pen is different, but all the ones I have seen so far, are gorgeous, gorgeous, and just plain gorgeous .

Regarding writing with it, I find that I automatically tend to write smaller with it than I normally do with my Edson Saphire M nib, which is a narrowish M nib. So I reckon the 0.9 writes like a F-M nib.

Warm regards, Wim

Well, if you are capable of doing your own nib grinding, even if the 0.9 too wide for you, which it likely isn't from your post, you could always make it narrower. For 3 mm height miniscules you can get away with a 0.7 italic in any case, which only means taking a small amount off of the sides of the point, if need be.

Warm regards, Wim

Yes, I am equally comfortable writing my 3mm+ minuscules with a Binder 0.7 cursive italic(the most crisp of the 3), a Stipula 0.9 Stub, or the most 'buttery', a Waterman Stub (width unspecified, but Medium)....they are all a pleasure to write with, but different

"Gorgeous, gorgeous, and just plain gorgeous"? Wim, you're killing me! I don't even have the Amber one in hand yet, and you've already got me trying to figure out how I can finance the Alter Ego.

So... since we're on the subject. What are your thoughts on the Volterra? I've heard two things about this pen: First, that it's the most beautiful of all the 2006 Etruria models. Second, that the layer of gold plating on the silver is too thin, causing it to peel off.

Here is a photo of some of my Etrurias, which I recently posted, among other photos, in the "Show us your Italians" thread:



Like Wim, I have two of the Alter Ego versions. They are on the furthest left and right in the photo. The one on the right is a c/c filler and the other one on the left is a piston filler. You can tell the difference by the piston nob ring on the bottom of the barrel. The celluloid on the Alter Egos is beautiful, but they are not identical -- as I hope the photo shows clearly. The colour reminds me of grilled salmon. Strange, but true.

I also have the Etruria de Architectura/Gaudi from Swisher Pens, but it's not in the photo. My favourite Etruria celluloid is the 991 (second from the right) and the Amber (second from the left). The Volterra LE is in the center of the photo. I love the Volterra because it happens to be the only Etruria in my collection with gold trim, and it matches the celluloid perfectly. I wish the Amber also had gold trim; it would match the celluloid perfectly as well. But that's my preference. The celluloid on the Amber version also looks exactly (at least to me) like the celluloid that Stipula used in the Novecento REX LE.

Edit: Fixed photo link, plus syntax suffers when one is knackered.

I agree, and wish I was brave enough to grind my own nibs -- but I leave that task to the nibmeisters. I would probably make the Stipula factory .9mm italic just a hair narrower if I could do it myself. My preferred cursive italic is in the .5mm to .7mm range. The Stipula .9mm writes more like a stub than a cursive, so it is manageable for someone like me who prefers F nibs but can also manage M nibs. What's good about the .9mm italic is it really slows down my writing. If you're comfy making your own modifications to the Stipula .9mm italic, then by all means, it would be worth getting one.

Hi Charlie,

Ok, with a total of 27 Etrurias, soon to be 29, I guess I am a little biased .

Well, I would have a problem choosing between the Volterra and the Alter Ego... One thing I don't entirely like about the Volterra celluloid is that the flecks of green embedded in it are little stripes, rather than more rounded pieces. I think it would have been better with rounded pieces rather than stripes or platelets.

If you have a problem choosing, do like I did: get both .

However, since the Volterra is an LE, of only 193, get that one first, and then the Alter Ego... .

Oh? Never noticed that. I thought it was gold, not gold plating on silver. I'll check when I am back home again, Friday or Saturday.

Warm regards, Wim

Oh, I have to remember that! Excellent description!

Keep a lookout for the old Amber Grande PF, not the Convertible, but the PF: it was availble in two editions, with gold trim and with silver trim .

Yes, it is. There are slight differences between the older Amber Grandes, and the newer Convertibles, Rex, and 2006 Amber models, because AFAIK, the older ones were made of cellulose nitrate, the newer ones of cellulose acrylate. I am not sure about the Retractible; I think that that is made of cellulose nitrate as well, considering its shrinking rate .

Oh, and thanks for the photo! Maybe I should just bring my light tent and other equipment along when out on business...

Warm regards, Wim

I must have missed girlieg33k's photo when she posted it earlier in the Italian forum. All I can say is..... WOW! Those are some BEAUTIFUL pens!

I think Wim and girlieg33k should get an award for best Etruria collections. I'm in awe. I suspect Handlebar is in awe, too. These are his type of pens.

Wim: would love to see your photos too.

Well, let's see: Wim has 27 Etrurias (soon to be 29), and I have 7 all together. Even if I stole handlebar's and greencobra's Etrurias, plus yours, I'd still be woefully in Wim's dust. Deep sigh and all that...

It had, in its first old version. And it was not vermeil, it was 9 kt gold (clip and ring).


P.S. sorry, Wim, I didn't see your latest post; of course, you knew...

Thank you, Susana! I love the one in the photo you've posted. The Etruria in Amber with gold just fits... I also need to find the Etrurias in the Media size. Anyone know how common the Media versions are in the wild? The current production Etrurias are relatively large pens for me. I think the Media version would probably be more comfortable (for me) for long writing sessions.

Hi Susanna! Any chance you could use your good influence as a famous Italian pen seller to convince our friends at Stipula that they need to make an Etruria with amber celluloid and GOLD trim? It would make a nice addition to the family!

By the way, we appreciate your involvement in FPN. You have a lot of knowledge as a retailer that we as users don't have, and we're delighted to be the beneficiaries of your insight.

Hi Susanna,


I think I got mine from you, when you had it on sale ....

Warm regards, Wim