Are Stub Italic Nibs Difficult To Write With?

[SolberM]

I'm getting my first stub nib, a Lamy 1.1mm. I've heard they can be tricky to write with. Being only a few months into the fountain pen world, I want to know: Are stub nibs as difficult to write with as some people say they are and are they okay for someone relatively new?

Edited August 8, 2016 by SolberM

[sandy101]

No, they are not particularly difficult to write with.

 

In my experience, you need to be more precise with the nib making contact with the paper - which means writing position and surface is more important. Certainly it's harder to use a stub when writing on your knee or making notes away from a desk.

 

Getting nice calligraphic script is an entirely different prospect.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Do go to Richard Binder com, it is the bible of nibs, filling systems and good advice on inks....it should take you at least three days to read through it.

 

No, I have a 1.5 Lamy on my Joy. I can write just normal, or try to draw Italic calligraphy as I will....if I practiced.

It is a nice rounded stub, not as sharp as CI or true italic.

 

Now a CI, cursive Italic is sharper and needs to fit where you hold the pen more. If ground for 45 degree hold and you normally hold at 40 there could be a tad of adjustment needed. You might need to hold it higher than you wish.

 

True Italic is sharp edged and must be held properly....and you should get a down load or a book on Italic calligraphy. You will get much more out of even you 1.1 Lamy nib, if you learn how to properly draw letters in calligraphy. There are many wonderful styles.

 

Don't listen to me....my book on my desk is rusted shut from the dust.

For normal writing there will be no problem....but you do have a nib to try some Italic calligraphy, so should take a look at learning to draw Fancy Letters.

 

Stiff Nib Italic is held differently than a normal fountain pen, it is held like a ball point before the big index knuckle and canted some 30-45 degrees, as you push pull the nib through the narrows and bellies of the fancy letter.

 

With everyone and his brother chasing superflex nibs for Copperplate and Spenserian, stiff nib Italic calligraphy gets mostly ignored here....out side of some times over Ink Reviews, where there is some who show marvelous italic scripts.

[Inky.Fingers]

Never too hard to learn anything... Get it and enjoy. It took me 8 months to learn to write in italics. be patience, get a good book and be broad about it.

[Runnin_Ute]

I have several. My first was getting a 1.1 nib for my Al Star to replace a F....

 

They reproduce......

 

TWSBI Eco 1.1 stub

TWSBI 580 B with Art Van Haselen's "Tomahawk" stub grind (artsnibs.com)

Jinhao 599 M with same grind

 

and I have kept it somewhat in check... others, well nearly everything is stub, CI or italic.

 

Very easy to learn even with regular cursive. If you want to learn a italic hand it takes more work. I just wanted a little flourish to my regular handwriting.

[linearM]

I really enjoy using a stub nib. It gives nice line variation and adds a bit more character to your script. As said above hold your pen so the stub is at a 45˚ angle to line you are writing on, not a 45˚ angle to your paper. I think you will enjoy using your stub.

[WirsPlm]

I use italic nibs in my regular writing fairly often, they are a bit trickier but not much and the result is well worth it.

[ac12]

The only trick is to get and keep the nib level on the page.

And, this means if you roll your pen as you write...DON'T.

 

I have and use the Lamy 1.1 for cursive writing, and I do not find it difficult at all to use for cursive.

Now a stub, with a more rounded off nib would be easier.

[Larry Barrieau]

What is a stub italic? I thought an italic was very sharp with keen corners, and a cursive italic has the corners rounded over to make it easier to use, and a stub is one with the corners ground even more for very smooth but less line change? A nib can be a stub italic? Interesting.

[SolberM]

What is a stub italic? I thought an italic was very sharp with keen corners, and a cursive italic has the corners rounded over to make it easier to use, and a stub is one with the corners ground even more for very smooth but less line change? A nib can be a stub italic? Interesting.

The nib with the sharp corners is called a Crisp Italic. I'm pretty sure both names, stub and stub italic, mean the same thing because a stub nib is simply a more rounded off cursive italic. I think I'll use just the words stub nib from now because it appears to be said more often.

[SolberM]

Thanks for the replies so far. I feel a lot better about ordering the stub nib. I can't wait for it, and the Lamy Safari (2016 edition), to get here!

[ac12]

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The nib with the sharp corners is called a Crisp Italic. I'm pretty sure both names, stub and stub italic, mean the same thing because a stub nib is simply a more rounded off cursive italic. I think I'll use just the words stub nib from now because it appears to be said more often.

 

It is a range with stub on one end and italic on the other. With everything else "someplace" in between.

And to make it more confusing, there is no real industry standard on what is a stub or an italic. Because:

- The B nib on a Pilot 78G is a stub, NOT a broad ball tip that a B nib would imply.

- The italic nib on the Lamy, to ME, is a cursive italic, as the corners are not SHARP.

And at what point does an italic turn into a cursive italic?

[SolberM]

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It is a range with stub on one end and italic on the other. With everything else "someplace" in between.

And to make it more confusing, there is no real industry standard on what is a stub or an italic. Because:

- The B nib on a Pilot 78G is a stub, NOT a broad ball tip that a B nib would imply.

- The italic nib on the Lamy, to ME, is a cursive italic, as the corners are not SHARP.

And at what point does an italic turn into a cursive italic?

Oh okay, that's interesting. Yeah, I've heard about the lack of standards and how that can make nibs a little more confusing, especially for someone new like me

[pepsiplease69]

If you grip the pen in the conventional way without rotating left or right, ie. if both tines are level with the page, then you shouldn't have problems with italics.

 

It's a bit difficult to screw up the grip on a safari which has a triangular section which forces you to grip it in a certain way.. the "right" way.

[Misfit]

My brother had a Visconti with the 1.3mm stub nib. He let me try it. It took me a bit to get the hang of it, but I got it that day. He helped me with suggestions. The angle is part of it. Trouble is, that was several years ago, so I don't remember his advice that helped.

 

It didn't take me long to like stub and italic nibs better.

 

Once you try yours, you might see the results and think no difference. I thought that until I used a different ink. I have a Safari with the 1.1mm nib and the Lamy Coral ink. I see the thick and thin variations with that ink. I wish Lamy had a 1.3mm.

[Larry Barrieau]

ac12, Than makes sense, thanks.

[PAKMAN]

If you accept that you may have to change the angle of your writing a little to adjust for the differences in writing or to achieve the best line variation then you should be fine with trying one of these very fun and interesting nibs.

[sexauerw]

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It is a range with stub on one end and italic on the other. With everything else "someplace" in between.

And to make it more confusing, there is no real industry standard on what is a stub or an italic. Because:

- The B nib on a Pilot 78G is a stub, NOT a broad ball tip that a B nib would imply.

- The italic nib on the Lamy, to ME, is a cursive italic, as the corners are not SHARP.

And at what point does an italic turn into a cursive italic?

And a Sheaffer Imperial or Targa marked S for Stub will invariably turn out to be very sharp. I happen to love those nibs but they catch a lot of people by surprise.

[ehemem]

And a Sheaffer Imperial or Targa marked S for Stub will invariably turn out to be very sharp. I happen to love those nibs but they catch a lot of people by surprise.

Just the corners, or the writing edge?

[ac12]

The tricky thing about older pens is you don't always know if the pen in your hand came from the factory like that.

I have an old Sheaffer calligraphy pen where the tip/edge of the nib is SHARP. I have no idea if it came from Sheaffer like that or if the prior owner sharpened it to be like that. As Bill said, it caught me off guard.

Edited August 9, 2016 by ac12