What makes a nib good to you?

[Keith with a capital K]

I can only say what is good for me as what I like might be quite different from what you like...

 

A good nib is just the most important part of a greater assembly of parts that makes a pen whole and functional and depending on the nib and how everything is fitted, you can have a great pen or a pen that drives you bonkers because it doesn't do what it's supposed to.

 

That nib is the final connection point between ourselves and the pens we use so I expect that nib to be smooth, but not too smooth. Some might prefer a nib that's as smooth as a buttered finger on glass with a sweet spot a mile wide but I prefer my nibs to have just a little tooth. I want to feel the pen as it moves across the paper and give me that subtle tactile feedback as well as that almost inaudible schwisssssh sound that a pen should make. Writing can be a very sensual experience...

 

When I do the final polish on nibs I use the feedback I get through my hands as well as my ears to determine how the work is proceeding as the feel and sound of the nib have to be just right.

 

I like expressive nibs so I lean pretty strongly to using pens with semi flex nibs, stubs, or italics and if the pen is "ordinary" it will probably have a fine or extra fine nib as opposed to a medium nib. With a fine or extra fine, the little changes in writing speed will affect the line widths more than it does with a wetter writing medium nib which I appreciate.

 

With that, I better get to the bench...

 

Cheers!

[mr_inky]

I like my nibs to be smooth, but not too smooth ( the M nib on my VP is almost too smooth, the F is just right ) with a slight flex. I like a slight line variation too when I can get it.

 

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If you are what you eat then I'm fast, cheap and easy!

[antoniosz]

Interesting nibs (flexs, italics, stubs, obliques, extra fines etc.) are my favorites, but I like a workhorse medium nib every now and then. A single broad nib (out of few hundred pens suffices.

 

I have concluded that there is a nib to match nib and paper - e.g., a very smooth paper needs toothy nibs while a rough paper goes better with smooth nibs.

Of course it is best to match ink flow too which makes the whole thing very Sisyphean.

[KendallJ]

1. M-F nib (like Antonios, my collection is spiced with some variants, but this is the nib size)

 

2. As wet as possible, but still allows for shading effects from inks that will do so.

 

3. Tooth. hard to describe here. I too often find super smooth nibs that are hard starters or squeak. Just enough tooth is needed to prevent this. Also, the little bit of toothiness will make it appropriate for a broader range of paper finishes.

 

4. Some "character" i.e. variability in line width. Don't care wether this is from flex, stubbiness, or what, but I don't like purely round nibs.

 

Ideal nib? Whenever I have my nibs tweaked by someone, I usually say "I want this to write like a Pelikan Fine". There you go...

Edited January 29, 2005 by KendallJ

[Stompy]

Kendall,

 

Keep me away from your pens, we have very similar tastes in nibs.

 

While I might flip and flop between medium and fine points as a preference, I much prefer a wet nib to a dry one. I quite like to write a sentence and still see the words glistening on the page as the ink slowly dries.

[Maja]

I don't like XF and I don't like BBB nibs, but as long as it isn't a "hard starter" or a "skipper"...I don't really care! (mind you, cursive italics and stubs are preferred by me...oh and obliques...regular italics can be very nice too...)

[KCat]

hm... I like expressive nibs. I like buttery smooth but necessarily a large sweet spot. This means I like what I call a "sharp stub" - something sharper than a Binder stub but not as sharp as a cursive italic. And slightly left-footed. When I grind nibs for myself, it is almost always in this configuration. Sometimes I might go a little softer.

 

medium-wet writers, dry writers don't get as much use from me and I usually end up adjusting them. yet I appreciate the shading I've seen from other writers who use drier nibs. It's just that I can't get comfortable with them. I feel like I'm struggling to get the ink out and the effort takes on an almost-ballpoint feel. I like flex, but not for all purposes. I prefer semi-flex to flex simply because of the control. Though someday I do want a "wet noodle" to play with.

 

From XF to Medium. The broad nibs I have are italics or 15-deg obliques. I have a couple of very wet mediums that approach broad - and they will eventually be altered.

 

My favorite nib is a fine (approaching XF) sharp left-footed demi-oblique stub. :-) My "invention". The first real stub I ground is still my favorite - from an XF Pelikan SS nib.

 

Anything beyond B would have to be italic else not get much use in this house.

 

I meant to add - I too think a buttery smooth nib is the right thing for not-so-smooth paper and that a nib with more feedback can be a delight on very smooth paper. But I often switch that around just for grins.

Edited January 30, 2005 by KCat