Welcome To The Broad Side...

[Misfit]

I got a Nemosine Singularity with 0.8 stub nib for Christmas. Finally bought a non-branded Edison 1.1mm italic for the Italix Parson’s Essential that was skipping and not writing well. Because eBay had a $10 coupon I got a Conklin Duragraph Orange Nights with a stub nib.

 

And for writing with sparkly inks, I got a Pilot Plumix with medium calligraphy nib that writes very well and is under $10.

 

Admission: I was going to buy a Levenger True Writer Water Lilies with M nib because that was all SpeerBob had. But then an email showed the order was canceled because that pen was no longer available. It was very pretty, but that Conklin stub writes prettier.

[Tom Kellie]

Thank you! It needed just a light kiss from fine micromesh to cure a hint of baby's bottom that was causing some hard-starts and skips, but now it's doing exactly what it should: laying down ink like a firehose! I love this thing!

 

~ ShneaSIG:

 

That's a fairly wild progression entertainingly told.

It's great that you've sidled into the kitchen where cookies are ever fresh and warm, ink flows freely and line variation is perpetually the order of the day.

Thank you for sharing your experience with us.

Tom K.

[Tom Kellie]

A new toy arrived recently. Attached to the simply elegant Sailor King Of Pen is the Nagahara Cross Point. This is the little brother to the King Eagle nib and the big brother to the Naginata Togi. Sometimes the middle child gets overlooked, but this nib may be more the "just right" size for this Goldilocks.

 

You can get a lot of different usable line variation out of the 4 tipping surfaces. For practical purposes I can write comfortably as an M/B at a high angle and then an closer to a 3B at my normal angle. Here is a sample with what the nib can do.

 

 

Of course, more of the variation is on the horizontal strokes as this is basically a jumbo architect point.

 

Why do I like this nib? All the line variation, the fact it is an architect point, and the consistent ink flow without creating puddles on the paper. This is a fun way to use up ink while still being usable for work notes

 

~ zaddick:

 

Now things fall into place...with your mention of the four tipping surfaces.

Thank you for this post with helpful images and an easy-to-understand explanation.

Yours truly knows absolutely nothing about such nibs, thus such a post as this is continuing education.

Tom K.

[Tom Kellie]

~ A single click, twice the posts!

To replace the unintended and inexplicable double post, my appreciation for this thread.

The nibs presented and explained here illustrate the nuances available on fountain pens.

That's not intended to disparage M nibs or their more slender siblings, as yours truly loves EEF nibs.

What the broader nibs featured in this thread have is the ability to display ink in quantity, whether shaded or otherwise.

This thread is a place of good cheer, no matter how overcast the skies outside may be.

Tom K.

Edited February 16, 2018 by Tom Kellie

[Tresconik]

Does this count?

Grail pen and nib!!

[Sadiq]

Do you guys find when using the BB OBB OBBB, writing cursive is mainly legible with plain blank paper?

 

Is it possible to use them with lined paper or will the writing be too cramped & untidy?

[Ghost Plane]

I do almost all my writing on lined paper. Big nibs can go very small with practice. The problem comes with cheap paper that soaks up ink.

 

If you look in the similarly named thread in the Montblanc forum, there are tons of pictures of big nibs wth writing samples on various lined & graph papers.

[zaddick]

I write mostly on lined paper, but I don't worry about conserving paper. I don't feel the need to write on every line. Paper is cheap.

[Sadiq]

Thanks.

 

Only reason I asked was that I have a medium nib pen that lays down a 0.65mm line, which I checked was close to a Montblanc B nib & I struggle to write neatly with 7mm lined paper.

 

I fear going broader, but maybe I should buy one & try them out for myself...

[Ghost Plane]

Heres an OB to inspire you.

[Sadiq]

Heres an OB to inspire you.

Beautiful! As are all the other pens in this thread. hence me wanting one.

[BlueJ]

A Montblanc B will write 0.8-1.0mm on downstrokes but more like 0.3-0.4mm on horizontal strokes, as it is essentially a stub nib. This is assuming neither flex (which can make downstrokes a little wider) nor feathering (which makes all strokes appear wider.)

 

Ink and paper properties have a lot to do with it. Assuming good FP-friendly paper and not too wet an ink, a Montblanc M should do quite well with 7mm line spacing (and a B also.)

 

Obliques can go even wider for many writers.

 

I note your avatar is a Parker 45. Assuming you have at least one, you could acquire some oblique or italic nib units for that pen and experiment with different sizes inexpensively.

Edited February 21, 2018 by BlueJ

[amberleadavis]

Ghostplane, I met with Dante and says hello. I also got to see the prototype pen and the new amazing broad flex stub nib.

[Ghost Plane]

Ghostplane, I met with Dante and says hello. I also got to see the prototype pen and the new amazing broad flex stub nib.

Ooooooooooh! When, what, where & how much?

 

Edited to add Im completely jealous!

[amberleadavis]

He was totally taken by you! And I did order one of his flex nibs in the non proto type pen. The Prototype looks similar to a skeleton pen but the design has honeycomb patterns. The retail price should be $800.

[Ghost Plane]

He was totally taken by you! And I did order one of his flex nibs in the non proto type pen. The Prototype looks similar to a skeleton pen but the design has honeycomb patterns. The retail price should be $800.

I’d love to spend a few hours playing pen designs with him. The things we could build...

[amberleadavis]

He will be in Houston (at Dromgoole's)next week. You should drive all the way there and go visit.

[Ghost Plane]

He will be in Houston (at Dromgoole's)next week. You should drive all the way there and go visit.

If only I could pay the bills that way...

[minddance]

A Montblanc B will write 0.8-1.0mm on downstrokes but more like 0.3-0.4mm on horizontal strokes, as it is essentially a stub nib. This is assuming neither flex (which can make downstrokes a little wider) nor feathering (which makes all strokes appear wider.)

 

Ink and paper properties have a lot to do with it. Assuming good FP-friendly paper and not too wet an ink, a Montblanc M should do quite well with 7mm line spacing (and a B also.)

 

Obliques can go even wider for many writers.

 

I note your avatar is a Parker 45. Assuming you have at least one, you could acquire some oblique or italic nib units for that pen and experiment with different sizes inexpensively.

Hi blueJ, I am pleased to know that MB Broad is a stub, I have two questions before taking the plunge:

1. Does this apply to all MB, 146, 149?

2. Is the current production like this?

[BlueJ]

I believe all Montblanc nibs size B and wider are essentially stubs, though fairly forgiving (they are not cursive italics, with the exception of a recent special edition 146 made for Fritz Schimpf, a German retailer.) For B, BB etc. I doubt this has changed much over time or between pen models, though older nibs may be more flexible. I am less familiar with the obliques, though the wider ones certainly also show a lot of line variation, just at different angles.

 

I hope others with more knowledge of the brand will correct or extend these comments.