I'm just curious about your opinions. I'm thinking of getting one soon.

Hey JD -

The Pilot VP I use as a daily writer in the clinic and the OR has a Binder ItaliFine nib.

The broad cursive italic side is wet, reliable, and smooth. The reverse side is fine, and perfect for filling in all those pesky forms with all those tiny little boxes crafted by tiny little minds.

The ItaliFine is admittedly a compromise. The sweet spot of the broad side and the sweet spot of the fine side are each a bit smaller than a dedicated single use nib. Most pens can be used inverted and put down a finer line, but the inverted regular nib is often very scratchy. The ItaliFine is a big improvement on that regular inverted nib use.

The metal body of the Vanishing Point seems rugged and up to the mission of daily drops and abuse. And because most of my writing is stop-and-start, I like the one handed click-to-extrude / click-to-retract nib - it keeps the nib from drying out between notes, and avoids that French Nib Kissing thing to restart a dry nib. There are too many cell phone cameras around to do that anymore.

I'd like to hear opinions on this nib, too. I've spent quite a while poring over Richard Binder's more exotic offerings nibs (only via his web site, alas, not in person), of which the ItaliFine strikes me as a particularly wonderful idea, given its elegant combination of two distinct nibs.

I have one on a MB 149. I agree with the sentiments of the yachtsilverswan. They are nice, but it is a compromise. I found that it works best with a free-flowing ink, and I have to say I really like it. It is wide medium on one side, and a fine on the other. Very fun to write with.

My experience with the ItaliFine is better than other posters in this thread, it seems. I have one on my Omas Galileo that started life as a factory B.
I don't use the fine side very often, but it is very convenient to have it a rotation away.
The Italic side is as nice an italic nib as I've ever used. I use italics and stubs almost exclusively, including factory nibs and those crafted by Minuskin, Mottishaw and Kinney.
The italic side of the italifine is equal to, or better than, any of those.

Regards, greg

I look forward to the responses too, I think this would be a great idea.

I just don't know if I can wait six months.

I have a Binder Italifine in a Pelikan M200 that has been my everyday carry pen for at least a few years. The nib is good for the occasional label job, signing credit card receipts, and I have used It for marking lumber that I am about to cut more than once. I don't think I have ever used anything but Noodlers Verdun in this pen so I can't comment on how it handles other inks. This isn't what I use for writing snails, but I easily could. If anything ever happens to this pen I will replace it with the same thing.
Best regards, Ken.

That's totally cool.

I have the Binder ItaliFine in a Bexley (I'll finally get around to doing an actual review of the pen in the next couple of days). It's a sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet nib. .5mm cursive and XF on the flip. Both sides are very smooth and write extremely well. I would buy another pen with the ItaliFine option in a heartbeat. Mine completely and totally R-O-C-K-S. No doubt quite satisfied am I.

I can imagine on a Pelikan, this configuration would be quite the satisfying writer.

I have an Itali-fine in a 450, and it's always a treat to write with. One of my favorite writers. I use the cursive side the most, but I like flipping it and writing with the fine nib when needed.

First let me say that I do like mine. I don't get the variation that I had hoped for on the italic side and the fine writes wider than I had hoped for. Even so it is a wonderful, smooth and fun to write with nib. By the way if you get an instock nib (ie Pelikan or VP) there is no wait, he will have it on the way to you very quickly. It just takes a while if you send your pen to be modified.

If you're referring to the six month backlog for customization and repair work on Mr. Binder's workbench, there are two ways to get the nib you want without the wait.

If you purchase a new pen from the Nibmeister, he will grind the nib you want immediately and ship in out within a day or two. You can also buy pre-ground ItaliFine nib units for the Vanishing Point in different primary widths.

Second, Mr. Binder, like most nibmeisters, does custom work at Pen Shows. The shows he attends are listed on his website www.richardspens.com. (No affiliation, your mileage may vary...)