Does Anyone Else Only Ever Seem To Get Bum Gold Stub Nibs?

[Honeybadgers]

I am just about to swear off stub gold nibs. after going through THREE 18k bexley stubs through vanness and still not having one that writes properly (they all seem to hard start no matter the ink or rotation of my hand) I bought a stub for my pilot vanishing point. I mean, if anyone can make a stub properly, Pilot should be able to.

 

It's horrendous. the tines are perfectly aligned and it's nice and smooth, but there's some nasty baby's bottom RIGHT at the 45 degree angle where I hold the pen.

 

I'm hoping Jetpens will take the return well and exchange me another (after which it's just going to be swapped for a broad), but is it just me, or do these stub nibs just never seem to want to work properly when they're made out of gold?

 

 

[avlisyar]

I am just about to swear off stub gold nibs. after going through THREE 18k bexley stubs through vanness and still not having one that writes properly (they all seem to hard start no matter the ink or rotation of my hand) I bought a stub for my pilot vanishing point. I mean, if anyone can make a stub properly, Pilot should be able to.

 

It's horrendous. the tines are perfectly aligned and it's nice and smooth, but there's some nasty baby's bottom RIGHT at the 45 degree angle where I hold the pen.

 

I'm hoping Jetpens will take the return well and exchange me another (after which it's just going to be swapped for a broad), but is it just me, or do these stub nibs just never seem to want to work properly when they're made out of gold?

 

 

 

I've got at least six (6) Bexley Stubs and each one starts up first time, all of the time.

Maybe, I am just lucky but the Gold Bexley 18K nibs that I have ( another six (6) or so)

have never given me any issues.

 

Hope you get yours straightened out.

[Jamerelbe]

The Pilot VP stub seems to be designed to write at an angle that's almost perpendicular to the paper - I have the same problem when trying to write with mine at a 'natural' angle.

[Karmachanic]

I bought a stub for my pilot vanishing point. I mean, if anyone can make a stub properly, Pilot should be able to.

 

 

As I recall you needed to adjust your 912 MS. Kanji effect?

I have a vague wish to obtain a VP stub at some point. Just yesterday I watched a Goulet viddy where he compared 912 and VP stubs. For your viewing pleasure:

[Bo Bo Olson]

Fountainble stubbed my BB 605 down to 1.0 butter smooth and good writer. .

 

I have a number of '50-65 Pelikans and or 'to 70 other German pens of that era that are all stubs that work, including the obliques of that era...........they are how ever semi-flex.

 

Do have a '36 Canadian Parker factory BB stub nail on a '38 Vac, also a Australian BB factory stub Snorkel maxi-semi-flex.

PB turned a do nothing 18 K OB Lamy Persona nail into a nice CI.

 

With a 45 degree cant/rotation perhaps one should be looking for a stubbed oblique.

[Honeybadgers]

The Pilot VP stub seems to be designed to write at an angle that's almost perpendicular to the paper - I have the same problem when trying to write with mine at a 'natural' angle.

At that angle it writes like a regular broad, the nose is so flat and square.

 

Jetpens told me to try smoothing it before sending back, but one tine still has a rounded edge that would require taking off more than I would be comfortable with. So they are going to pay for return shipping

Edited November 16, 2018 by Honeybadgers

[Honeybadgers]

Fountainble stubbed my BB 605 down to 1.0 butter smooth and good writer. .

 

I have a number of '50-65 Pelikans and or 'to 70 other German pens of that era that are all stubs that work, including the obliques of that era...........they are how ever semi-flex.

 

Do have a '36 Canadian Parker factory BB stub nail on a '38 Vac, also a Australian BB factory stub Snorkel maxi-semi-flex.

PB turned a do nothing 18 K OB Lamy Persona nail into a nice CI.

 

With a 45 degree cant/rotation perhaps one should be looking for a stubbed oblique.

My vintage stubs and obliques are all great. I just seem to only get screwed on modern ones

[katerchen]

I ended up grinding my own. It *is* a leap of faith to put your gold nibs to the grinding stone and then the micromesh, but they turned out pretty decent. Not as pretty looking as those from the big names (Pendleton Brown, Mike Masuyam, etc.) but functional.

[Honeybadgers]

I can grind down an EF and am good at turning steel stubs into crisp italics, but I just don't think I'm willing to do much do this nib when JetPens is willing to exchange it after letting me try to tune it.

[Ted A]

The Pilot VP stub seems to be designed to write at an angle that's almost perpendicular to the paper - I have the same problem when trying to write with mine at a 'natural' angle.

I only have the one, but I’ve found the same thing. Get it more vertical and it writes well.

[Jamerelbe]

I can grind down an EF and am good at turning steel stubs into crisp italics, but I just don't think I'm willing to do much do this nib when JetPens is willing to exchange it after letting me try to tune it.

 

With a gold nib - and a retailer willing to help you out - I wouldn't be taking the risk either! Good to hear that JetPens are willing to replace for you.

[Honeybadgers]

They're also prepaying for shipping and will test the replacement before shipment, so count me down as a happy customer thusfar. It's nice when a retailer says "go ahead and try to tune it yourself before we make you take the time to send it back" - I haven't seen another retailer do that.

 

Mine writes like butts at a vertical angle. it's consistent, but the cross strokes become super fat.

 

If the replacement won't write at a human angle (my hand position is very adaptable to the pen I'm using, so I can tolerate pens with very picky writing angles) then I'll just ask them to swap it one last time for a broad and be done with it.

[Honeybadgers]

Picture of example /w quick writing. I did the same test with my pilot steel italic and had zero problems. I know I'm not rotating my hand despite this being a sample of quick, messy writing (I do this about 10% of my writing, so if a pen can't handle it, there's a problem)

 

[A Smug Dill]

The Pilot VP stub seems to be designed to write at an angle that's almost perpendicular to the paper - I have the same problem when trying to write with mine at a 'natural' angle.

You guys got me intrigued, so I ordered two Pilot Capless Stub nib assemblies (being rhodium-plated and black ion-plated, respectively) from the US to test. They managed to get here just in time for pre-Christmas delivery. I've tested the rhodium-plated one only, and these are the results.

 

 

 

Actually, I had problems with hard starts with this nib, and it took a bit of flossing (with the plastic film that came with a Pilot Parallel pen) to get the ink to flow, and then some more again to get it to write consistently when held in upside-down orientation. Its output in the 'reverse writing' sample above is much closer to what I'm after in a 'broad' Stub nib, but now in normal orientation the nib leaves far too broad and wet a line for my liking.

[Bo Bo Olson]

It was good that you tested at various angles of hold......and if you normally cant your nib, an oblique could do well.................I of course like the semi-flex ones of German vintage pens. Semi-flex = flair not "Flex".

Unless one is a pure nail user, then regular flex is also a 'flex' nib.

 

I find the pattern of stubbed semi-flex 15 Degree semi-flex to be very good, and natural; one don't have to 'do anything' to get the pattern.

There is of course the 30 degree grind, that can be found by luck. More of a good thing.....if one wants it. Not everyone wanted a max on that or there would have been manufacture info on it.

There was once the fabled 'Corner Pen Shoppe' with pen technicians as salesmen.

 

Osmia marks it's maxi-semi-flex nibs..........the Supra ones. The rest of the manufactures, it's just pure luck.........WAG.....1 in 5.

Due to ease of tine bend and spread a maxi is more of a do something nib than semi.

[TheDutchGuy]

Smug Dill, I'm in awe of your handwriting, your ability to depict Asian characters and your wish to deliver us from Ebay :-) . Awesome.

 

Stubs are personal. A colleague let me try a very bouncy, feathery Stipula stub once that he adored. I picked it up and all I got were skips and hard starts. Then he wrote with it, and all was fine.