Nib Advice For A New(Ish) User

[Gee Tee]

I am returning to fountain pens after a thirty year absence and have just fallen for a Parker Sonnet with a gold plated nib. It is smooth and easy straight off the bat whereas the solid gold nib Sonnet I tried was somewhat scratchy on first blush. I’m still thinking of getting the solid gold nib as I’m under the impression that after some use the solid gold will write smoother than the gold plated. Am I mistaken thinking that fountain pens like shoes where the best shoe is a little more uncomfortable at the beginning (a pair that fits just right at the beginning will be too large once they are broken in). After a hypothetical ten or twenty hours of writing with each nib would a solid gold nib feel much better than the gold plated nib?

[Frank C]

This is a common question on FPN. As such you will find about 10,000,000 different answers. The short answer is, it depends. Most modern nibs are tipped with a hard metal alloy called, "iridium", which traditionally contained iridium, but may not any longer. The gold or steel alloy supports the iridium tipping, but doesn't actually contact the paper.

 

Pens are scratchy for a variety of reasons. Some nibs just need a little polishing. This can be accomplished with some use, or polishing with a mild abrasive. Some people advocate writing on a paper bag for a while to polish a scratchy nib.

 

Some pens have misaligned nibs. They have to be straightened. No amount of polishing will straighten out those tines.

 

The basic difference between gold or steel nibs is that steel nibs tend to be stiffer. Having said that, there are many stiff gold nibs. Gold nibs tend to be easier to work on than steel nibs because the gold alloy is more malleable.

 

Stainless steel and gold alloys are used for nibs because they are relatively nonreactive materials. In the past, inks could be quite acidic or basic and could react with pen parts. Stainless Steel nibs are gold-plated for cosmetic reasons.

 

I have always found Parker pens to be good writers out of the box. What size nib did you get? A fine nib will be scratchier than a medium nib, especially if you tend to press on the pen. One advantage of fountain pens is that you don't really have to press at all to write. Many of were ruined by having to press on a ballpoint pen and holding it tightly in order to do that.

 

I wish you luck with your pens. I really like my Parker Sonnets. I have two with stainless steel nibs, one of which is gold-plated. If all else fails, you can return your pen to Parker and they will replace the nib.

Edited June 12, 2015 by Frank C

[Gee Tee]

Thank you Frank C. That is good info. I write with a medium and don't press down hard at all. I had bought a Sonnet a month ago with a gold-tipped nib and started to write A LOT. the flow and feel was a joy - and then I lost it! I am considering replacing it with an upgrade to gold but the solid gold nibs just felt a little on the scratchy side compared to the gold-tipped nib I tried and I'm not experienced enough to know if this will get better. Hmmmm....

[Gee Tee]

This is a common question on FPN. As such you will find about 10,000,000 different answers. The short answer is, it depends. Most modern nibs are tipped with a hard metal alloy called, "iridium", which traditionally contained iridium, but may not any longer. The gold or steel alloy supports the iridium tipping, but doesn't actually contact the paper.

 

Pens are scratchy for a variety of reasons. Some nibs just need a little polishing. This can be accomplished with some use, or polishing with a mild abrasive. Some people advocate writing on a paper bag for a while to polish a scratchy nib.

 

Some pens have misaligned nibs. They have to be straightened. No amount of polishing will straighten out those tines.

 

The basic difference between gold or steel nibs is that steel nibs tend to be stiffer. Having said that, there are many stiff gold nibs. Gold nibs tend to be easier to work on than steel nibs because the gold alloy is more malleable.

 

Stainless steel and gold alloys are used for nibs because they are relatively nonreactive materials. In the past, inks could be quite acidic or basic and could react with pen parts. Stainless Steel nibs are gold-plated for cosmetic reasons.

 

I have always found Parker pens to be good writers out of the box. What size nib did you get? A fine nib will be scratchier than a medium nib, especially if you tend to press on the pen. One advantage of fountain pens is that you don't really have to press at all to write. Many of were ruined by having to press on a ballpoint pen and holding it tightly in order to do that.

 

I wish you luck with your pens. I really like my Parker Sonnets. I have two with stainless steel nibs, one of which is gold-plated. If all else fails, you can return your pen to Parker and they will replace the nib.

 

This is a common question on FPN. As such you will find about 10,000,000 different answers. The short answer is, it depends. Most modern nibs are tipped with a hard metal alloy called, "iridium", which traditionally contained iridium, but may not any longer. The gold or steel alloy supports the iridium tipping, but doesn't actually contact the paper.

 

Pens are scratchy for a variety of reasons. Some nibs just need a little polishing. This can be accomplished with some use, or polishing with a mild abrasive. Some people advocate writing on a paper bag for a while to polish a scratchy nib.

 

Some pens have misaligned nibs. They have to be straightened. No amount of polishing will straighten out those tines.

 

The basic difference between gold or steel nibs is that steel nibs tend to be stiffer. Having said that, there are many stiff gold nibs. Gold nibs tend to be easier to work on than steel nibs because the gold alloy is more malleable.

 

Stainless steel and gold alloys are used for nibs because they are relatively nonreactive materials. In the past, inks could be quite acidic or basic and could react with pen parts. Stainless Steel nibs are gold-plated for cosmetic reasons.

 

I have always found Parker pens to be good writers out of the box. What size nib did you get? A fine nib will be scratchier than a medium nib, especially if you tend to press on the pen. One advantage of fountain pens is that you don't really have to press at all to write. Many of were ruined by having to press on a ballpoint pen and holding it tightly in order to do that.

 

I wish you luck with your pens. I really like my Parker Sonnets. I have two with stainless steel nibs, one of which is gold-plated. If all else fails, you can return your pen to Parker and they will replace the nib.

 

This is a common question on FPN. As such you will find about 10,000,000 different answers. The short answer is, it depends. Most modern nibs are tipped with a hard metal alloy called, "iridium", which traditionally contained iridium, but may not any longer. The gold or steel alloy supports the iridium tipping, but doesn't actually contact the paper.

 

Pens are scratchy for a variety of reasons. Some nibs just need a little polishing. This can be accomplished with some use, or polishing with a mild abrasive. Some people advocate writing on a paper bag for a while to polish a scratchy nib.

 

Some pens have misaligned nibs. They have to be straightened. No amount of polishing will straighten out those tines.

 

The basic difference between gold or steel nibs is that steel nibs tend to be stiffer. Having said that, there are many stiff gold nibs. Gold nibs tend to be easier to work on than steel nibs because the gold alloy is more malleable.

 

Stainless steel and gold alloys are used for nibs because they are relatively nonreactive materials. In the past, inks could be quite acidic or basic and could react with pen parts. Stainless Steel nibs are gold-plated for cosmetic reasons.

 

I have always found Parker pens to be good writers out of the box. What size nib did you get? A fine nib will be scratchier than a medium nib, especially if you tend to press on the pen. One advantage of fountain pens is that you don't really have to press at all to write. Many of were ruined by having to press on a ballpoint pen and holding it tightly in order to do that.

 

I wish you luck with your pens. I really like my Parker Sonnets. I have two with stainless steel nibs, one of which is gold-plated. If all else fails, you can return your pen to Parker and they will replace the nib.

Thank you Frank C. That is good info. I write with a medium and don't press down hard at all. I had bought a Sonnet a month ago with a gold-tipped nib and started to write A LOT. the flow and feel was a joy - and then I lost it! I am considering replacing it with an upgrade to gold but the solid gold nibs I tried at Penfriend in London just felt a little on the scratchy side compared to the gold-tipped nib I tried. The off thing is is that when I tried the solid gold in the Fountain Pen Hospital in New York it felt just as smooth. As I write with a light hand with a medium nib, it sounds like there might not be much of a difference. I do like a wet feel when I write. My question is: "Can I go wrong getting a solid gold nib"? Even though it feels scratchier now, once it's broken in, it can't be scratchier than a gold plated and it might even be better, right?

Edited June 13, 2015 by Gee Tee

[ac12]

Thank you Frank C. That is good info. I write with a medium and don't press down hard at all. I had bought a Sonnet a month ago with a gold-tipped nib and started to write A LOT. the flow and feel was a joy - and then I lost it! I am considering replacing it with an upgrade to gold but the solid gold nibs just felt a little on the scratchy side compared to the gold-tipped nib I tried and I'm not experienced enough to know if this will get better. Hmmmm....

 

Send the pen to a nib meister (such as Mike Masuyama, or any of a bunch of others). Tell him what you want/are looking for, and send a few sheets of the paper you use. Then let him adjust/polish the nib.

 

I use both gold and SS nibs. And with a light hand, I cannot tell the difference.

 

If you want an experience, get a Pilot Metropolitan with a M nib. The Pilot M will be like a Parker F. Load it up with a good ink, like Waterman, and be prepared to be impressed, I was. It was SMOOTH. At only $18, it really made the expensive pens look bad.

Edited June 13, 2015 by ac12

[mmg122]

As AC12 mentioned, high performance steel nibs made today are every bit as nice to write with as gold and I can't tell the difference most times. Gold nibs are a little softer and write a little wetter than SS nibs. Broad nibs write smoother than fine nibs in most cases. If you have a Pen Club where you live, maybe you could get one of the members to take a look at your pen and help you determine why it's scratchy and teach you how to smooth a nib. There are also several good YouTube videos that can teach you how to diagnose the problem and what can be done to fix it. Lots of help can be found in the repair forums here also. Good luck.

[Gee Tee]

 

Send the pen to a nib meister (such as Mike Masuyama, or any of a bunch of others). Tell him what you want/are looking for, and send a few sheets of the paper you use. Then let him adjust/polish the nib.

 

I use both gold and SS nibs. And with a light hand, I cannot tell the difference.

 

If you want an experience, get a Pilot Metropolitan with a M nib. The Pilot M will be like a Parker F. Load it up with a good ink, like Waterman, and be prepared to be impressed, I was. It was SMOOTH. At only $18, it really made the expensive pens look bad.

Thank you ac12. I will try out the Pilot. Since I lost my previous Parker I've actually been running around with a Lammy which has a wonderful feel to it. I like a wet feel to my writing (I write with a medium) but it sounds like as I have a light hand, I won'y feel the difference. I guess my question is: "Can I go wrong getting a solid gold nib? Even though it feels scratchier now, once it's broken in, it can't be scratchier than a gold plated and it might even be better, right?

[Gee Tee]

As AC12 mentioned, high performance steel nibs made today are every bit as nice to write with as gold and I can't tell the difference most times. Gold nibs are a little softer and write a little wetter than SS nibs. Broad nibs write smoother than fine nibs in most cases. If you have a Pen Club where you live, maybe you could get one of the members to take a look at your pen and help you determine why it's scratchy and teach you how to smooth a nib. There are also several good YouTube videos that can teach you how to diagnose the problem and what can be done to fix it. Lots of help can be found in the repair forums here also. Good luck.

As I write with a light hand with a medium nib, it sounds like there might not be much of a difference. I do like a wet feel when I write. My question is: "Can I go wrong getting a solid gold nib"? Even though it feels scratchier now, once it's broken in, it can't be scratchier than a gold plated and it might even be better, right?

[beanbag]

I would buy a loupe of 10x or greater magnification and take a good look at the nib. This will most likely tell you the source of your problem. Then adjust the nib to make sure the tines are aligned. There are many youtube videos on how to do this. Then either rub the nib, along with some ink for lubrication, on a piece of smooth glass, or buy some super fine micro-mesh sandpaper from any of the pen-selling stores.

[jar]

As I write with a light hand with a medium nib, it sounds like there might not be much of a difference. I do like a wet feel when I write. My question is: "Can I go wrong getting a solid gold nib"? Even though it feels scratchier now, once it's broken in, it can't be scratchier than a gold plated and it might even be better, right?

 

Modern pens don't "break in" although users do. The tipping material today is hard enough that it's unlikely just writing will make much difference regardless of the nib material. If a nib is scratchy these days it is almost always because the tines are out of alignment.

[ac12]

IMHO, on a standard pen, a gold nib is just for visual effect.

Some pens do look better with a gold or gold plated nib, rather than a silver (stainless steel) nib. This is simply how the colors of the pen match up and complement each other, and your own personal color preference.

 

And as other have said, a fountain pen nib does NOT break in. The tipping material is too hard. If you write lightly, it "might" wear in, in about 30 years. Which is to say, it won't "break in." Check the nib alignment first. In my experience 80% of my scratchy pens were fixed simply by aligning the nib that was out of alignment. Now I will grant you that you need equipment (a 10x loupe) and some dexterity for fine work to move the tines a tiny amount without wrecking the nib. This is not very difficult to learn, but I would not learn on a $100 pen. Get a CHEAP $5 pen to practice nib adjustments. That way, if you wreck the nib, it is only a $5 pen.

Edited June 15, 2015 by ac12

[Bo Bo Olson]

With a 10-12 X loupe....yep, you can if very careful fix a $100 nib.

 

Look at the front of the tip with your loupe, to see which is the up tine.

 

Press the up nib tine down gently from the breather hole** until it is under the low tine. Hold that 2-3 seconds. Do that 2-3-4 times....look & write after every adjustment.

 

**Have thumb on the nib tine, not low enough to touch the tip area with the thumb. You are not trying to bend the tip tine, but the whole wing tine of the nib down a tiny bit at a time.

 

It seems daunting....but it is something we all learn....if you got a cheap pen to practice on great. Push one tine down....then see how starchy it becomes from misalignment. Then push the other tine wing down.

You will not really be pushing the nib too far out of alignment that the regular writing will bring both tines up to 'normal'.

 

If you have pressed one nib tine too far down, you can lift it....again, in tiny increments. with your fingernail on the under side.

From my experience, if you go gentle, in pressing the up tine down from the breather hole, for those few seconds, a couple of times you will fix your problem.