What Makes A Nib Ultra Smooth?

December 11, 2016

I have a Pelikan M400 in Fine. It is smooth. 14k nib. I was very happy.

I have a Pelikan M400 in Medium. It is smoother(this is no surprise since it is medium). 14k nib. I was very happy.

I recently bought a Pelikan M800 in Fine. It is ultra smooth. Much smoother than both.

This really shocked me. so smooth that it literally feels like knife on butter. 18k nib

I am wondering what makes a nib ultra smooth?

Is it because of the following?

1. 18k gold vs 14k gold

2. Higher quality and fine tuning (extremely correct alignment and precise tipping?)

3. Different material of tipping

4. Different (larger) shape of the nib

Is it possible to make my Pelikan m400 nibs as smooth as m800?

December 11, 2016

Mostly tipping surface and polishing of that. The smaller the surface, the "toothier" it will be. The tines have to be aligned properly as well, so only the tipping surface comes into contact with the paper. Material, to the best of my knowledge, does not play any vital role in this regard.

There's also a huge difference from ink to ink - some inks are very lubricating and can make even a non-perfect nib glide, while others are dry.

December 11, 2016

#2....The tipping is the same 'iridium' mixture...you caught a nib grinder on a good day.

You are right a wider nib is smoother.

Gold, 18K-14K or steel; is it a good nib?...with good tipping. That's it. Having once been a gold snob, know better now.

I much prefer the stubbish semi-flex 14K nibs of the '50-65 era than the very good 'true' regular flex nib of the '82-97 era of the M400 in it's a softer more springy ride which I prefer over modern post '98 M400, ....and the 800's with the nice and springy 'true' regular flex nib on the W. Germany pen...I was lucky to trans-mail one.

I'd not waste money on the modern nail version. I have a nail in every width...what do I need another one for...actually a couple of more than the dead basic.

I find the 800 Large and Clunky (due to growing up in the Standard and Medium-Long era) but the modern fat, blobby, double ball tip of the semi-nail 400/600, are characterless. I do like the more nimble, better balanced 600 much more than the 800. I have a '54 400's semi-flex B on my 605.

The thin Snorkel is the only Large pen I have that has great balance....and it certainly was a shock to find that out.

Is it possible your 800 is so butter smooth because it is a nail and not a semi-nail like the modern 400....and you press so hard that the tines of the 400 actually expand out to 2X....the nail won't expand at all.

I was before I left fountain pens, and after I came back.....Ham Fisted . The amount of folks with a real light Hand...as noobies are like hen's teeth. Rare.

A year or so later when I got my 'first' semi-flex I was still Ham Fisted.

It took three months of using the semi-flex that spreads it's tines lots, and lots easier than your modern M400, before my Hand became only Slightly Ham Fisted.

Then came a maxi-semi-flex 400nn and after three months I wasn't Ham Fisted any more....still a tad heavy handed....but not Ham Fisted.

Hold your M400s like they are a featherless baby bird and see if they writes smoother. I suspect you have a heavy hand at least...or could well be Ham Fisted.

Yes, it is possible to smooth your 400 to butter smooth. No more slick paper though, in butter smooth slides right off....Do practice with dirt cheap throwaway pens first....Richard Binder has a deluxe smoothing kit with two cheap practice and throw away pens.

Many folks here have bought micro-mesh and lapping paper and smoothed their nibs...........many have screwed things up too. Costs $80 to get the screwed up tip ... re-tipped. There are many professionals that will make your pen butter smooth.

Do send a picture of your writing angle.....

Ah....do you post your 400s???? You should...they were so designed. Gives them their balance and makes the nib lighter on the paper.

Do you 'hold' the pen at a certain angle behind the big index knuckle....ie 45 degrees at all cost or do you let the pen rest where it wants...which could be 40 degrees at the start of the web of the thumb. By forcing the pen to stay at 45 degrees....you have to use more pressure.... be aware of the dreaded 'Death Grip'...and it's cousin the deadly 'Kung Fu Thumb Pinch'.

What inks do you use? What ink were you using for the 800? Was that the same ink for the 400s?

The more lubricated or wet an ink is the smoother the nib is. ...Do you want just a big, wide juicy line...many 'noobies' think that's where it's at.

I prefer two toned shading inks....on the whole somewhat dryer than vivid monotone boring supersaturated inks.

Then there is what paper are you using? What do you want the paper to do?....Do you want a paper that can shade? One that don't feather?

There are an ungodly amount of choices of ink and paper to make to go with your butter smooth nib....which is actually real good on laid paper.....I find any nib a feather nib on 100-50% cotton paper...but some are sinfully good to write on. 25% cotton is normally a good non-feathering paper.

Ah....nails are often turned into stubs and Cursive Italic, to give the nib a bit of character. Stubbs can be maintained as butter smooth.

Yes, one should have a butter smooth nibbed pen or two....a toothy nibbed pen or two....and the good and smooth nib like on your 400s that will work with all papers.

Many, many 'noobies' want only butter smooth...for about a year before they start asking odd questions like how to I get rid of the butter smooth on my nib?

How to make a regular nib toothy?

December 12, 2016

Proper alignment and a well polished tipping with good tuning help to make the nibs super smooth. A feed that provides a generous flow of ink doesn't hurt either. Gold content, material, and shape don't play into it much as far as I'm aware. I've got small stainless steel nibs as good (or better) than large 18C nibs.

January 1, 2017

I have a Pelikan M400 in Fine. It is smooth. 14k nib. I was very happy.
I have a Pelikan M400 in Medium. It is smoother(this is no surprise since it is medium). 14k nib. I was very happy.
I recently bought a Pelikan M800 in Fine. It is ultra smooth. Much smoother than both.
This really shocked me. so smooth that it literally feels like knife on butter. 18k nib

I am wondering what makes a nib ultra smooth?

Is it because of the following?
1. 18k gold vs 14k gold
2. Higher quality and fine tuning (extremely correct alignment and precise tipping?)
3. Different material of tipping
4. Different (larger) shape of the nib

Is it possible to make my Pelikan m400 nibs as smooth as m800?

If you look at the principles - if the ink flow is correct, and the writing pressure correct the nib tip should float on the film of ink and not touch paper. If the paper is rough then it will touch. Also if the tip is fine the pressure per area would be high and it will snatch and not feel smooth.

It is the balance between ink flow (capillarity) and the surface area of the tips that determine how smooth the nib is. ink flow adjustment is the key as also general geometry of the tip.

If you buy a new pen the nib adjusts itself to the writer with time assuming the writer finds the best gliding contact pressure and angle.

I prefer a stiff nib as rigid nibs spread over a larger surface area and the capillarity may then restrict ink flow. I suppose one has to learn the best combination of writing pressure and also paper surface characteristics to get the best from any pen. Wet broad nibs of good quality bond paper work fine. Fine nibs need better quality paper.

Edited January 1, 2017 by Venk

January 2, 2017

Stiff nibs/nails don't spread at all.....

Stiff nib?? semi-nail?

No new nib really adjusts it's self to the writer with out 5 or so years of 8 hours a day.

The user gets use to it.....outside the non 'iridium' rolled steel tips.

Is your Pelikan 400 a 're-97 or later post 98....post 98 will be easier to make butter smooth in it is a much wider/deeper double balled semi-nail nib than the earlier 400's narrower springier 'true' regular flex.

With a bit of very smooth micro-mesh and lapping paper there is no reason why your double kugal 400 can't be as smooth as the double kugal 600.

I am surprised it is not so to start with.

As you can tell I'm not a fan of butter smooth, fat and blobby, characterless semi-nail 400/600 nails. I am so lucky I have real nibs made for fountain pen users....instead of the bookkeepers excuse of they can continue to hold it like a ball point and it is now strong enough....it won't bend when ball point barbarians get their hands on one.

After all the idea is to sell more ball points...there is more profit.