Do You Prefer Pens With Breather Holes Or No Breather Holes?

[modernovervintage]

And why?

[praxim]

and why not.

[corniche]

With. A nib without a hole just ain't natural.

 

 

Sean

[txomsy]

You mean in the cap, don't you?

 

It all depends. A cap with no breather hole can be a pain to open under changes to lower atmospheric pressure. It can also leak ink out if the pen is shaken.

 

Generally, I prefer without and threaded caps, but as I say, it all depends.

 

Did you mean nibs?

 

I do not care that much. I like nibs with it, but must recognize my MB Noblesse or Slimline have nibs without holes and they write gorgeously (though hard as nails). So, again, it depends. A hole is -I believe- better for flex, not so relevant otherwise in a well engineered nib, then it is a matter of aesthetics.

[KBeezie]

With. A nib without a hole just ain't natural.

 

 

Sean

Even a Lamy 2000 nib has a breather hole... you just can't see it. (though my Montblanc 14 and 225, do not)

[corniche]

Even a Lamy 2000 nib has a breather hole... you just can't see it.

I know, it's the same story with 51s, 61s & 45s, (and I think 41s, too).

[corniche]

I forgot to mention the 21, too.

[Karmachanic]

I'm happy to have a breather hole

[BaronWulfraed]

All of my pens have "breather holes" -- typically on the bottom running the length of the feed (the Carene having just a small hole on the bottom of the section.

 

Most of my pens have a strain relief hole at the end of the nib slit, though there are a few exceptions (Noodler "flex" nibs tend to be slit all the way up to the section)

[WLSpec]

With. A nib without a hole just ain't natural.

 

 

Sean

+1

[KBeezie]

Guess you could have two breather holes if one isn't enough : https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/euw9zj/two_breather_holes/

[sandy101]

I like heart shaped breather holes.

[bbs]

I like heart shaped breather holes.

.... and on a mellow vintage rose-gold nib (not the brassy colour that passes as rose-gold these days!)

[wallylynn]

I no longer care. First I learned that "breathing" isn't done through the hole in the nib, but through the underside of the feed. The hole area is where ink comes down to the slit, if air went up and in, then you'd be unable to write. Later someone posted an old nib-making guide saying the hole isn't even needed for stress relief. It's just aesthetics. My current pen has a hooded nib so I don't even know.

[Bookman]

I want the little feller to breathe.

[Tseg]

My new Diplomat Excellence A2 has no breather hole. The nib is a bit sleeker looking. This pen is only a few days in and seems to be improving with ink flow... but my initial perception is this pen needs/needed a better manual prime than most of my other pens to keep up with steady ink flow. I also don't know to what extent the issue was related to a converter suction issue? With that said, today my pen is now gushing well so maybe my initial perceptions are now behind me.

 

[txomsy]

My MB Noblesse/Slimlines have no breather hole and have never had any issue with ink flow, so I think that if there is any flow issue in that Diplomat Excellence A2 it should not be ascribed to the nib, but rather to the design of the feeder.

 

That said, the hole on the nib is (or should be) a matter of aesthetics.

[jchch1950]

Lamy calligraphy nibs have no breather holes.

[sidthecat]

I have a few pens with dip nibs, and they’re a lot of fun. Since I’m a lefty I don’t need a really wet nib, so that isn’t an issue for me. Flex, however, is, and if you crave flex it’s a good way to go.

[tinta]

A breather hole, yes & centered too.

 

The last 14c. Kaweco/Bock M nib I received came with an off-center breather hole that I didn't notice on my first usual inspection with my 3.5 X glass, then with a 10 X Belomo loupe. I always check if the ink channel is centered within the hole. It was.

 

When I got the nib back from my favourite nib guy, I inspected the stub to find that one of the tines was slightly fatter than the other. It was then that I discovered the off-center breather hole. The space between the tines, as it met the breather made the shape of a printed "b". Yet, the nib was fitted (set) on the center of the feed & the ink channel ran smack dab in the middle of the hole. Go figure.

 

This wonky stub nevertheless wrote like an absolute dream . When I inquired with the nib tech about the off-center hole, he said that he has come across a number of them.