Hello, everybody.

I am a novice fountain pen enthusiast. I've posted just a bit on this website and was happy to find that fountain pen folks are quite friendly and helpful.

In any case, here is my dilemma.

I intend to purchase a MB starwalker pen in the coming weeks. I have settled on the particular pen and am pleased with that choice. I simply can not decide, however, between a medium or a fine nib.

What are the respective merits of a "fine" versus "medium" nib? In particular, can anyone offer experience with the modern nibs on the MB pens?

Are there relative advantages and disadvantages to fine or medium? I have heard that MB pens run "wet." Do others find this to be the case? Does a fine tip limit expressiveness? Will the medium nib leave me in a sea of ink? I intend to use the pen for writing as well as signing. I suppose one could say I'd like my pen to be as flexible as possible with regard to different types of writing.

I would greatly appreciate any guidance on the subject, as I can't torture the poor people at MB store any more.

Thanks so much.

-Doc Schids

The collective experiences of those of us on this MB forum suggest that MB nibs vary in width even within the gradation standard (EF, F, M, etc). Some F nibs write like Ms, some M nibs write like Fs while others are almost B. A lot of the time the width of the line laid down by the nib is, in fact, a direct result of the ink you are using, and in other times it is a result of the quality of paper, or both.

Your best course of action is to write with the pen (in various nib sizes) that you want to buy and make sure the nib fits your writing style. Since you want your pen to be a utility pen, I'd recommend the F, since I suspect it may write a little wider than other manufacturers F nibs you are used to.

Regards, Eric

My Le Grand's fine writes exactly as wide as my Visconti Wall Street's medium and Cross Medium.

I guess it must be a consequence of varying flow characteristics. Maybe, but there are wide variances for sure. Here's my list...

146 Fine (2002)- Perfect, a little dry but lays down what I think is a perfect fine line
144 Fine - (2000)- A little wet, leaning slightly toward Medium
Boheme Extra Fine (2007) - Wet, writes wider than either of the others. Zt least a Fine Medium.

I would deffinately suggest the fine. I have a 149 that is extra fine but it writes a bigger line than my Waterman with fine nib. It seems to me that Mont Blanc nibs tend to be a bit bigger than they say.

I have a 145 (M) and a 146 (EF) and both write one line width bigger than indicated. I've heard many other MB users comment on the line width issue.

Doc, I was about to pile on with a recommendation for the F nib, but first you may need to consider a few things:
What will the main use for the MB be? For general writing, I would definately not go with anything larger than F.
If you will use it mostly for letter writing or signatures, you may want a M or even a B.
Also, what type of paper will you be using mostly? For most copy paper and the average legal pad, the F nib will definately look like a generous M nib.

I have four 149s and three 146s, all but two are EF nibs, which I find best for my general writing as a college instructor. I have little control over paper quality most of the time at work, and the EF comes out as a medium on most papers I have to write on. When I get to use a good quality paper like Clairefontaine, the EF nib looks like the average F.

I found very little difference between fine and medium nibs. I bought a fine nibbed MB and it writes a bit more like a medium.

Fine nibs use up less ink, the ink dries faster on the page as a result, and the pen (should) write for longer. Medium nibs provide greater inkflow, may take a little longer for the ink to dry on the paper, but the increased inkflow allows for greater lubrication of the nib, making it a smoother writing experience. Needless to say, this will deplete the ink-supply faster.