Pilot Custom Soft Vs Normal Nibs.

[minddance]

I have been writing with Pilot Custom 74sfm and 912sm, both soft nibs and I believe I am missing out on what the 'normal' nibs might offer.

 

Which do you own, what do you prefer and why?

[TSherbs]

My SFM nib on my 74 is my favorite nib. What don't you like about yours?

[friedrichwild]

I have been writing with Pilot Custom 74sfm and 912sm, both soft nibs and I believe I am missing out on what the 'normal' nibs might offer.

 

Which do you own, what do you prefer and why?

i think that with my normal custom nibs i can write quicker than i do with my custom soft nibs. that's one practical difference for me. i do not prefer one from another though. i may enjoy writing with my soft nibs a little bit more but i also enjoy the fact that harder nibs are more practical for everyday writing (note taking etc) for me.

Edited March 19, 2018 by friedrichwild

[minddance]

My SFM nib on my 74 is my favorite nib. What don't you like about yours?

Hi, I did not mention whether I like them or not, just trying to find out what life is like 'on the other side'. I know one is softer and the other is normal (also has a bit of spring?). What more, other than softness, is there?

Edited March 20, 2018 by minddance

[escribo]

I have a Falcon with a 14K SEF (stamped SE) which I don't much care for. The tines catch on the paper, though I am willing to acknowledge that I may be in large part responsible for that simply due to how I write. I do have other F and EF Pilots with steel nibs that seem smoother, though.

[TSherbs]

Hi, I did not mention whether I like them or not, just trying to find out what life is like 'on the other side'. I know one is softer and the other is normal (also has a bit of spring?). What more, other than softness, is there?

But you write with two of them already. So I don't understand your question. Sorry.

[minddance]

 

Which do you own, what do you prefer and why?

This is the question, and also the topic, soft vs normal.

[Kevan]

I have a Custom 74 with a SF nib and a Custom Heritage 91 with an SFM nib. I think they're both fantastic values for what they offer but both of them do run dry if you push them. Pilot's feed just doesn't keep up with what they're capable of. It's worth noting that I use both of them with Pilot ink cartridges and it's not like I'm flexing them all the time...they run dry if I just do a bit of "expressive" flourishes.

 

The normal nibs? Well for one, the normal Fine is drier out of the box. Every Pilot 14K Fine I've written with is on the dry side. I guess that's just how Pilot rolls. The Medium is a great nib, though. So is the WA nib.

 

I think a SF nib with a wetter feed would be a "Goldilocks" nib for me.

[Olya]

I don't have any soft nibs, but the "regular hard" nibs by Pilot are quite bouncy, not dry, lay down a good line of ink and are buttery smooth.

 

"Running out of ink" or ink starvation seems to be a general problem with Pilot nibs, going by my research... In any case, I find Pilot nibs very pleasant and love to use them on a daily basis.

 

Only you will know ultimately which nib you prefer once you try them! I for one am very happy with the standard n° 5 medium

[akrohn2010]

My only comparison is my Pilot CH 91 SF and Pilot Metro F, which are two different tiers of nibs (gold "next level" soft nib vs. steel starter nib). That being said...

 

Olya's comments sum it up well: I would describe the Metro's steel nib as juicy, well-flowing, and consistently smooth, if a bit rigid. The SF on my CH91 gives me more feedback (and some line variation). Like many users have described, it has some "cushion," and I find that my handwriting is actually much more controlled with it but the feedback sometimes makes it feel like it drags on the paper a bit. Not unpleasant, just different. I prefer the Metro for quick notes, the CH91 for letters or longer writing.

 

I'm curious to see how it compares with a high-quality tuned steel nib, but there's my 2 cents.

 

~AK

Edited March 20, 2018 by AK-47

[jar]

Flexing a Pilot nib generally moves the whole nib away from the feed and so creates starvation. It should and has nothing to do with the feed but rather with the abuser.

[TSherbs]

This is the question, and also the topic, soft vs normal.

I just wondered why you felt you were "missing" something. Are your soft nibs somehow dissatisfying? As I said, my SFM on my 74 is my favorite nib for two reasons, all summarized in the letters: s and f/m. I like the softness and I like the size.

[Olya]

Flexing a Pilot nib generally moves the whole nib away from the feed and so creates starvation. It should and has nothing to do with the feed but rather with the abuser.

In some cases, yes.

I personally never put pressure on nibs and haven't experienced ink starvation with my CH 91 (yet...?).

I have experienced it with my Prera, having a longer writing session (say ca. 2 A4 pages) and the ink becomes lighter and eventually stops (Pilot Blue btw), so I had to wait for it to resaturate the feed. Googling led me to discussions describing the same issue with the Metro (same nib & feed as Prera) and some say it also happens with Pilot's gold nibs, apparently the tines are too close together and touch where the tipping is, and by looking closely that is indeed the case, only I have experienced it with the Prera only so far, the 91 held up well.

That's pretty much my only disappointment with Pilot and I think it shouldn't happen to a company with such a great reputation. Regardless, Pilots remain one of my favourite pen makers and are in daily use.

 

Also I find that the Prera and the CH 91 (n° 5 gold nib) feel very different. The 91 is wetter and lays down a fatter ink line, the nib is also bouncy/ softish, whilst the Prera is drier, stiffer, finer. Both are very very smooth though.

 

Sailors on the other hand are incredibly consistent, I notice no difference between the Somiko/ Young Profit and their 14k gold nibs. The Lecoule also worked perfectly for me. Ink flow was always consistent and flawless.

 

I can only speak for myself though, can't say what exactly other people did to their pens and what inks they used with their Pilots to experience this issue.

[minddance]

I just wondered why you felt you were "missing" something. Are your soft nibs somehow dissatisfying? As I said, my SFM on my 74 is my favorite nib for two reasons, all summarized in the letters: s and f/m. I like the softness and I like the size.

I believe I could be missing out on what the normal nibs might offer since I have not tried them. I am sure there are differences between the two types of nibs and hope to find out more.

 

Soft nibs surely can be missing out on something too, if anything at all, it is the rigidness that some people might like/require for certain tasks/writing habits.

 

My soft nibs are almost alright, just a tad dry. I am glad yours work for you

[rutherfordr]

Also I find that the Prera and the CH 91 (n° 5 gold nib) feel very different. The 91 is wetter and lays down a fatter ink line, the nib is also bouncy/ softish, whilst the Prera is drier, stiffer, finer. Both are very very smooth though.

 

 

Me too. Although I attribute it to the difference between steel and gold nibs. I've always felt Pilot's gold nibs are a little wetter and a little softer than their steel ones, but they're both very smooth.

 

I have the Pilot Custom 74 pens with the M and the SM nibs, and I can barely feel the difference between them, so I don't think you're missing out on anything. Same for the FM and the SFM nibs.

However, don't let that stop you from finding out for yourself!

[Bluey]

I have the Pilot Custom 74 pens with the M and the SM nibs, and I can barely feel the difference between them

 

I would say this is expected.

 

The wider the nib the less of a difference there will feel between the soft version and the non-soft version. The wider layer of ink provides an apparent cushion of softness between nib and paper. Most broad nibs appear at least slightly soft for this reason, even if the nib is super stiff.

 

Probably the maximum difference you'll feel between soft and non-soft will be with a fine nib.

[TSherbs]

I believe I could be missing out on what the normal nibs might offer since I have not tried them. I am sure there are differences between the two types of nibs and hope to find out more.

 

Soft nibs surely can be missing out on something too, if anything at all, it is the rigidness that some people might like/require for certain tasks/writing habits.

 

My soft nibs are almost alright, just a tad dry. I am glad yours work for you

My 74 SFM is a wet nib for its size.

[max dog]

My SFM nib on my 74 is my favorite nib. What don't you like about yours?

The 74 SFM is near perfection for me. Soft, wet, and smooth, and line width is comparable to a western fine for practicality. I have plenty of rigid nibs, so I have no desire to try one of the regular non soft 74 nibs.

 

I have a Falcon with a 14K SEF (stamped SE) which I don't much care for. The tines catch on the paper, though I am willing to acknowledge that I may be in large part responsible for that simply due to how I write. I do have other F and EF Pilots with steel nibs that seem smoother, though.

I have the Falcon Elabo SF, and it does have a lot more feedback than the 74 SFM, and I would bet the 74 SF too. A 74 SF or SFM might be worth looking at if you want similar softness as the Falcon but a smoother/pleasant writing experience.

 

But for flexy writing, I do find the Falcon nib has better snap back than the 74, but not to say there is anything wrong with the softness and line variation the 74 Soft nibs are capable of. Over the years, my Falcon SF nib has opened up a lot, and flexing it takes very little effort now and will do a 0.4 to 1.2 mm line variation consistently and reliably without railroading at all. I enjoy doing flourished writing with it a lot now.

 

As with all Pilot soft nibs, short,quick, precise down strokes yield the best line variation results, by shooting the ink down the widening tines more effectively this way to avoid any railroading. Also holding the pen at a slightly steeper than 45 angle helps too (let gravity work in your favor to get the maximum amount of ink down to the paper as the tines spread).

Edited March 23, 2018 by max dog

[displacermoose]

I've owned Preras in F, M, and the stub, a CH 92 with a FM, a 74 with a SF (stolen with my purse and not yet replaced ), and an 823 with a M nib (in the same purse that was stolen :angry: :angry: ).

 

The steel nibs do have a very different feel from the gold nibs. They are good nibs, very reliable, but very stiff. The gold nibs are all a bit springier. There is definitely a difference between the soft and the hard gold nibs, but both are lovely. I would describe the regular nibs as "practical". My CH 92 is a fantastic EDC pen but the nib itself doesn't have a ton of character. That makes it perfect for writing notes, lists, other everyday sorts of things.

 

The softer nibs have more character, and because of that I'm more inclined to do things like re-copy poems with them. I'm currently debating about replacing my 74 directly or instead getting a 91 in SF and swapping the nib with the CH 92. My long term Pilot collection plan involves a 743 with a soft nib which I may swap into my replacement 823.

[minddance]

Thank you all for your valuable input