Toothy Vs Scratchy Vs Feedback

[Nephelogete]

This might seem like a bit of a silly question... but a lot of pen reviewers seem to use the terms "feedback", "toothy" and "scratchy" quite often. The way I interpret "feedback" is like driving a car that really feels every bump on the road. "scratchy" I've seen people interpret that as catching and almost able to cut into the paper. What do reviewers mean by "toothy"? Interested to hear everyone's interpretation!

[Needhelp]

For me feedback means you can feel the vibrations and hear the sound of the nib moving across the page. Scratchy is when you feel that vibration FEELS unpleasant and i mean FEELS because some nibs sound scratchy but are very smooth so you have to FEEL it more that you hear it.

While toothy means like......go take a 2h or a higher h pencil and write with it. You will get your answer.

Toothy means that you can feel the nib write more than feedback and scratchy. So it is a mix between the two. Most finer nibs are toothy.(i am looking at you platinum ultra extra fine)

 

These are what i feel and are in my oppinion. So dont really rely on this. Wait for maybe someone else more EXPERT to answer the question.

 

Oh wait also toothy means a bit rough and draggy so if your nib has feedback and doesnt flow and glide across the page that could be called toothy.

Edited August 12, 2017 by Needhelp

[Bluey]

The difference can also be subject to perception.

If you hate the pen, it's scratchy. If you really want to like the pen because you paid a lot for it and you're intending to correct it, it's toothy. If the rest of the pen is amazing and you paid very little for it, or if you paid lots for it and you're determined you're going to like it because it came from the other side of the world and returning it would be a hassle, it's feedback.

[max dog]

The difference can also be subject to perception.

If you hate the pen, it's scratchy. If you really want to like the pen because you paid a lot for it and you're intending to correct it, it's toothy. If the rest of the pen is amazing and you paid very little for it, or if you paid lots for it and you're determined you're going to like it because it came from the other side of the world and returning it would be a hassle, it's feedback.

Good point. You never hear anyone praise a pen for being scratchy, but if they like the resistance, it's referred to as nice feedback.

Edited August 12, 2017 by max dog

[ac12]

For me things start to merge.

 

Scratchy is usually a misaligned nib. But it could also be a nib with a sharp edge. Or a formal italic nib. All have a sharp edge that is scratching the paper.

 

Feedback with one pen can be scratchy with another. On non smooth paper, a M nib might feel feedback, but with a XF or XXF nib, it is SCRATCHY, because that nib finds all the texture, and it feels scratchy.

 

Writing with a F nib on not smooth paper, produces an irritating vibration coming up the pen. To me that is scratchy, not feedback.

 

I have no idea about toothy.

 

I want very little friction when I write. And I want it smooth.

[Mech-for-i]

Ok I can only speak for myself, but these terms IMHO are quite easy to define

 

Scratchy - means the nib had problem or problems and want to fight the path of paper its on, digging into the material or basically dragging and scoring along

Toothy - means the nib is working but had a dampen factor whenever you want to move it along , this is different than scratchy as it does not imply the nib doing anything wrong its just the way its setup which is somewhat an opposition to Smoothness where the nib is said to glide on the paper like skating on ice, and toothy is more like roller skate on hard surface

Feedback - had nothing to do with smoothness or toothy ; it just mean a nib had a way to tell the user where the nib is pointing , going and how the user's input are being manifested into motion on the paper/nib interface ( aka how it write ). Its also independent of whether the nib is smooth or toothy. There are toothy nib that do not feedback well, and there are smooth nib that do feedback well.

[Nephelogete]

Thanks for the responses, everyone! It sounds like the interpretative ranges quite a bit. I agree with you, ac12. I like mine smooth as well!

[biancitwo]

I would eliminate one variable. A nib that digs in because I am not accustomed to it, and hold it at the wrong angle, is not scratchy, if it writes smoothly when aligned properly to the paper. I have a reverse oblique italic nib that is remarkably smooth when I have practiced with it. It scratches when I am out of practice. That is not a scratchy nib. It is perfectly smooth. Without practice, I am the problem.

[rwilsonedn]

The fact is little researched by grammarians, but the English language has declined nouns and adjectives, just like European languages. But they are rare and irregular. This is an unusual case in point: an adjective that must agree with the subject of the sentence, even though it does not modify the subject. To wit:

 

I have a nib with lovely feedback.

You have a nib that is rather toothy.

His nib is scratchy.

 

As long as you get the subject-adjective agreement right, it works out.

ron