Confession Regarding Fountain Pens...

[shinryu]

I really like the tactile experience of butter-smooth nibs. Trouble is, they shift my already terrible handwriting to borderline illegible territory, so I tend to go for something with just a hint of feedback. The basic 'stock' Jowo nibs have been working well for me in that regard.

 

Stubs are another story. As they don't tend to slip on the paper I want them as smooth as humanly possible

[1nkulus]

That's why a touch of resistance isn't bad... it also prevents baby's bottom, i.e., skipping and stalling... but if the nib feels like a pencil... than I don't want it... don't need it... don't give it to me.

+1

 

OTOH, the car analogy definitely got the 'point' across with or without feedback.

[OMASsimo]

 

Hi Sansenri, et al,

 

I know what you mean though, even though I do generally prefer a "Cadillac" nib... if I'm on "icy" paper... like Rhodia... I'm all over the road... ...if I'm not careful.

 

That's why a touch of resistance isn't bad... it also prevents baby's bottom, i.e., skipping and stalling... but if the nib feels like a pencil... than I don't want it... don't need it... don't give it to me.

 

Be well all.

 

 

- Anthony

 

Just for the fun of messing it up a bit more: Which hardness of pencil? You could pick from H6-B6.

 

And, baby bottom is just because of sloppy manufacturing and QC. Buttery smooth nibs without BB issues used to be made routinely by top producers. And I fixed BB issues myself and polished the tip back to buttery smooth without any problems. It's not a technical problem but a business decision.

 

Last but not least, the right degree of feedback depends on the paper used and personal preference. I like a VERY slight feedback because I'm used to subtle vintage pens and thus write with a very light hand. When I write on laid paper, especially vintage laid paper, the feedback of even the smoothest nib will be more than enough. The same nib on super slick Clairfontaine paper might feel like walking on ice. Most everyday papers will be somewhere in between. Thus, you might want to use different pens for different papers and applications.

 

And to make things worse, different papers have different properties regarding feathering and bleed through. So, you'd also have to take into consideration whether your pen is a dry or wet writer and what ink you use on what kind of paper.

 

Long story short: Perfection is a pain in the butt. But the pragmatic solution is, pick whatever pen you fancy and write with it anyway. It's fun if the pen is of good quality and more fun if it's beautiful on top. That's at least my opinion.

[ParkerDuofold]

+1

 

OTOH, the car analogy definitely got the 'point' across with or without feedback.

Hi 1nkulus,

 

Thank you. It was one my rare, lucid moments.

 

 

Just for the fun of messing it up a bit more: Which hardness of pencil? You could pick from H6-B6.

 

 

- Anthony

[ParkerDuofold]

And, baby bottom is just because of sloppy manufacturing and QC. Buttery smooth nibs without BB issues used to be made routinely by top producers. And I fixed BB issues myself and polished the tip back to buttery smooth without any problems. It's not a technical problem but a business decision.

 

Hi Omassimo,

 

Yes. This is true. There are a lot of quality issues now that never existed before.

 

 

...I like a VERY slight feedback...

 

I would say I fall into this camp, too. I guess I'm looking for a Cadillac with half-worn shocks.

 

Be well.

 

 

- Anthony

[1nkulus]

Hi 1nkulus,

 

Thank you. It was one my rare, lucid moments.

 

[1nkulus]

I would say I fall into this camp, too. I guess I'm looking for a Cadillac with half-worn shocks.

 

A sofa with feedback.

Might have to look for 'quality' half-worn shocks to get it just right.

[minddance]

every pen will have 'feedback', including roller ball pens and ball point pens. the issue is 'how much' and 'what kind'. the fact that something runs against paper will already produce friction and 'feedback'.

 

feedback is a rather vague term now used to describe a huge range of writing sensations. alot of poorer quality controlled pens will also have feedback, misaligned tines will have 'feedback', topnotch glass smooth pens will also have 'feedback', a well rounded back of a teaspoon on paper will have 'feedback'. your fingernails against paper will have 'feedback', a rubber eraser rubbing paper is 'feedback', a smooth glass tumbler moving on paper has 'feedback'.

[lectraplayer]

Yes, it is. Beware. Here be dragons.

Please give dragons a break. They just do what comes naturally. That's why I like them so much.

 

...but yeah. Sometimes it's hard to beat the grainy feel of a cheap caligraphy pen plowing paper, and sometimes the effortless glide of a fine nib is the way to go. Also remember your ink drastically changes the feel of the pen. For example, Noodler's Baystate Blue feels a bit more buttery than R 'n K Salix, both are inks I use heavily in the same pens.

Edited April 17, 2019 by lectraplayer

[txomsy]

Must agree on that. I also find BSB a lot softer than Salix or Scabiosa. Well, BSB is well known for its wetness while Salix and Scabiosa are on the dry side.

 

As for every pen having "feedback", yes. But some are so soft that the "feedback" is so minimal that it becomes queer (to me, that is).

 

And the dragons.. think of them like those in ancient maps. You can burn your fingers if you let yourself become too involved in any hobby. No matter how lovely those dragons be.

[1nkulus]

Must agree on that. I also find BSB a lot softer than Salix or Scabiosa. Well, BSB is well known for its wetness while Salix and Scabiosa are on the dry side.

+1

 

every pen will have 'feedback', including roller ball pens and ball point pens. the issue is 'how much' and 'what kind'. the fact that something runs against paper will already produce friction and 'feedback'.

+1

[bemon]

Hi Arijitdutta

 

That's the great thing about this hobby... some of us like to feel the road...

 

http://i.imgur.com/1egMgBG.jpg

 

 

...and some of us do not...

 

http://i.imgur.com/5ylEYaA.jpg

I read you loud and clear in Canada. Gimme that Caddy! But I think we’ve had this conversation.

 

...and then there's some of us who like a bit of both...

 

http://i.imgur.com/KFgiqbb.jpg

 

 

...yet we all fit into the FPN garage.

 

 

Be well and enjoy life... and your scratchy pens.

 

 

- Anthony

 

P.S.: That was a joke. Being an international forum... you never know how these things will be received... ...hardly seems worth it, now... ...

[RudraDev]

On most days, I enjoy nibs with a little feedback; it lets you write with precision and satisfaction. Most of the nibs on my pens have a little feedback and I enjoy them a lot.

BUT, on some days, I want something smooth, something so smooth that it just slips off the paper. On these says, I look to my custom-tuned Pilot Custom 74.

[ParkerDuofold]

 

Hi Arijitdutta

 

That's the great thing about this hobby... some of us like to feel the road...

 

http://i.imgur.com/1egMgBG.jpg

 

 

...and some of us do not...

 

http://i.imgur.com/5ylEYaA.jpg

I read you loud and clear in Canada. Gimme that Caddy! But I think weve had this conversation.

 

...and then there's some of us who like a bit of both...

 

http://i.imgur.com/KFgiqbb.jpg

 

 

...yet we all fit into the FPN garage.

 

 

Be well and enjoy life... and your scratchy pens.

 

 

- Anthony

 

P.S.: That was a joke. Being an international forum... you never know how these things will be received... ...hardly seems worth it, now... ...

Hi Bemon,

 

Yes... that Eldorado is gorgeous.

 

I'm sure we have had this conversation before, but that's okay... discussions about great cars are never redundant.

 

Be well.

 

 

- Anthony

[bemon]

Hi Bemon,

 

Yes... that Eldorado is gorgeous.

 

I'm sure we have had this conversation before, but that's okay... discussions about great cars are never redundant.

 

Be well.

 

True enough. Ever watch Motorweeks Retro Reviews on YouTube?

 

https://youtu.be/Hf0o-Rj0wmQ

 

Its an entirely different car, but these videos will take you back.

 

 

- Anthony

[ParkerDuofold]

Hi Bemon,

 

Yes. I do.

 

(Paranthetically, those old Eldo Touring Coupes weren't as cornball as a lot of people probably think... they weren't nearly as performance-oriented as the Allante,... but for the time... and the marque's first foray into that arena... they weren't so bad. ).

 

In fact, I started watching that show... every Sunday afternoon @ 4 pm in Jersey... in around '82 or '83, when those reviews were current. (Watching them on YouTube now brings back memories... some of them I even remember from their original run).

 

 

I also enjoyed the Goss' Garage segments. As strange as it seems... I was never that keen on the Future Look segments... despite it's pretty hostess... ...and I'm not sure why???

 

Maybe because it was all too speculative... and I preferred to concentrate on hard reality.

 

 

I think that show is still being made,... but I haven't watched it in years... these modern cars just don't capture or hold my interest.

 

Well, there are a scant few,... but it's not like the old days... when even utilitarian compacts would pique my curiosity.

 

 

Be well and have a Blessed Easter Season.

 

 

- Anthony

[langere]

Back to pens - what I find interesting in all of this discussion is that, for those of us who have many different pens, one has to relearn just a bit how to write with each one because of the different performance of each. Thus, "toothier" nibs, just as those from Aurora, must be used slightly differently from really smooth nibs. I, for one, prefer to have a little bit of feedback. I find that, with very smooth nibs, the pen is just skating along and I am not enough in control. I guess that is why I like the Sailor and Aurora pens so much.

 

To each his own - let a thousand flowers bloom!

 

And yes, I enjoy relearning how to write with each different pen and enjoy those differences.

 

Erick

[georges zaslavsky]

I always check and study what I buy . I don't like feedback, I prefer smooth nibs and semi flex to flex nibs even though I own some nails that write extremely well. Not toothy or scratchy nibs for me.

[minddance]

pens of all kind give me great pleasure. I have very smooth pens, some with 'feedback' or write slightly rougher than others, some with slightly misaligned tines which I don't intend to rectify- just for 'flavour'. But I am not advocating that, it's just me. On some days it would be a Platinum 3776 EF, on others, a Pelikan m800, or even a m200, or some vintage Waterman.

 

of course, the usual checking with high powered magnification applies when you think there is a problem or something you don't like about a pen. And then decide if you want to keep, modify or return the pen. As always, have fun!

 

but this thread is about confessions, here is mine: I am very partial to very slight baby's bottom with a generous flow to negate the effects of baby's bottom so that I won't feel the paper fibres.

Edited April 21, 2019 by minddance

[miwishi63]

Confessions are good for the soul. While I still don't like "smooth as glass nibs" I find myself gravitating toward wider dibs, but still want just enough feedback to give me the impression that I'm in control of the writing process.