Nib Descriptors

[BaronWulfraed]

The only one's I've ever encountered are the Sheaffer Triumph nibs (I can lay my hands on four, and might have two more boxed up in the basement as a mismatched desk set). I believe they first appeared around 1948, and were definitely in use on various Touchdown/Snorkel pens; made it to some of the Imperial line, and last showed up in the late 80s Crest model.

 

In contrast, the inlaid nib shows up (I seem to recall) on the PFM, and then became the main nib style for the Imperial, Targa, Legacy, Intrigue, Valor lines. In the later years, "open" nibs showed up on the NoNonsense, its fancy version Connaisseur, and the Balance II.

[Jaywalker]

Thank you.

 

Do all nibs require pressure for line variation, or are there some that do so with constant pressure, simply by the design of the nib? (I'm thinking of the breadth of two tines on a downstroke and upstroke compared to the narrower cross section of a sideways stroke.)

 

I suppose I'm really asking how much effort it will take me to get line variation and whether there's a shortcut.

[A Smug Dill]

Do all nibs require pressure for line variation, or are there some that do so with constant pressure, simply by the design of the nib?

@Jaywalker, the simple answer is no.

 

A "pointed pen" equipped with a Music nib, or a nib with an "Architect's Point", or otherwise a nib that does not have a perfectly/largely round ball of metal tipping at its business end, can all give you line variation without your manually fluctuating the pressure you applied, if you don't rotate the pen.

 

A Sailor Zoom, Naginata Togi or Fude de Mannen nib will give line variation if you're able to vary the incident angle (as opposed to pressure applied) while your write.

 

Neither of those categories of nibs will give me the type of line variation that I personally want without varying pressure, and to me learning to control/vary the pressure exerted in part of the development of my penmanship skills.

 

Edited October 22, 2018 by A Smug Dill

[Jaywalker]

@Jaywalker, the simple answer is no.

 

A "pointed pen" equipped with a Music nib, or a nib with an "Architect's Point", or otherwise a nib that does not have a perfectly/largely round ball of metal tipping at its business end, can all give you line variation without your manually fluctuating the pressure you applied, if you don't rotate the pen.

 

A Sailor Zoom, Naginata Togi or Fude de Mannen nib will give line variation if you're able to vary the incident angle (as opposed to pressure applied) while your write.

 

Neither of those categories of nibs will give me the type of line variation that I personally want without varying pressure, and to me learning to control/vary the pressure exerted in part of the development of my penmanship skills.

 

That's an excellent answer! Thank you. For one thing it means I don't need to chase nibs in search of nice lines until I have worked on technique.

[A Smug Dill]

I don't know if this counts as writing with a 'nail':

[BaronWulfraed]

Thank you.

 

Do all nibs require pressure for line variation, or are there some that do so with constant pressure, simply by the design of the nib? (I'm thinking of the breadth of two tines on a downstroke and upstroke compared to the narrower cross section of a sideways stroke.)

 

I suppose I'm really asking how much effort it will take me to get line variation and whether there's a shortcut.

 

Stub, Music, Italic (there tend to be two variants: really sharp edged and rounded edges -- the latter more suited for routine writing, sharp edged italics are finicky), and calligraphy nibs all produce fatter lines longitudinal to the pen body, and thinner lines transverse. Variation is based, thereby, on stroke angle relative to the pen.

 

Flex nib variation is not tied to stroke angle as much, but to pressure. This means one can produce a straight draw/pull stroke that starts thin, expands wide, and finishes thin. Push strokes may not be as supportive of variation, and transverse likely none.

[A Smug Dill]

That's an excellent answer! Thank you.

You're most welcome. I'm glad it helped.

For one thing it means I don't need to chase nibs in search of nice lines until I have worked on technique.

One can get line variation out of something like the nib on a $10 (but Japanese-made all the same) Sailor fountain pen:

 

The Sailor 11-0073 desk pen is essentially a Sailor HiAce Neo with a different cap and barrel. I don't recall the HiAce Neo being offered with an EF nib, though. No big loss; the EF nib is terribly scratchy (and literally tears up the surface of the page) in spite of being moderately 'wet'. The F nib seems to be a bit better.

[Honeybadgers]

In regards to visconti dreamtouch, I like the term "Turd."

 

Most of them need a lot of work. Lovely when they're fixed though.