Smoothest nibs

[Robert Ellis]

Pelikan is talked up quite a bit, and well deserved. Even my M250 puts more expensive pens to shame. Sailor also gets rave reviews for smoothness but much less frequently, though they are not as common as Pelikans. I pose the question to those who have experience with both, which is tops?

[Dillo]

Hi,

 

Sailor is the smoothest.

 

Dillon

[Apollo]

Difinitely Sailor.

[Larry T]

Sailor, by a nose.

[Betty]

Argh, my Sailor 1911 order keeps getting delayed because the factory doesn't have EF nibs I want it now so badly!

[wimg]

Hi Robert,

 

Generally, Sailor, although even Sailor fountain pens occasionally have scratchy nibs. And not because the tines are out of alignment. On average, though, I reckon Sailor nibs are much smoother than Pelikan nibs.

 

Of course, smoothness of nibs is also related to the type of nib. An M is smoother than an F or EF, and a B is smoother than an M, etc. Italic nibs generally are less smooth than normal nibs, and here it depends again on the width of the nib and the roundedness.

 

Provided the tipping material of a nib is of good quality, you can actually have all your pens made into very smooth writers.

 

HTH, warm regards, Wim

[Slush99]

Sailor, definetly.

[Robert Ellis]

I would love to buy a 1911, but since I've bought this darn pelikan I am put off converter pens. The next closest thing I've found as far as shape is the much more expensive Montblanc. I have not heard MB mentioned for smoothness as often as I have for Pelikan or as emphatically as I have for Sailor. Maybe I will have to buy all of them.

Edited January 11, 2006 by Robert Ellis

[Betty]

makes me want to sell my Pelikan M200 of 2 months. The pen is just so uninteresting, but the nib is really smooth. I now am in love with Parker 51s and Sailor 1911

[winedoc]

Between the two... Sailor! But then again, not everyone likes a super smooth nib. I enjoy Aurora simply because it has some tooth, and when writing, I like the tactile feedback. When the nib is TOO smooth, I tend to write more sloppy.

 

Kev

[Stylo]

I think modern Conway Stewarts are also extremely smooth. At least the one I dip tested was.

[Tricia]

Interesting. My experience is the opposite of most here - my two Pelikan 200s are both quite a bit smoother than my Sailor 1911M demo. The latter has a sweet spot, sort of, but it's hard to find so I usually reach for the Pelikans over the Sailor. I do have a 400 (tortoise - stunning!) that could use some smoothing, though.

[Blade Runner]

....But then again, not everyone likes a super smooth nib. I enjoy Aurora simply because it has some tooth, and when writing, I like the tactile feedback. When the nib is TOO smooth, I tend to write more sloppy.

 

Kev

That's exactly what I found.

J

[woodwindmaster06]

Sailor, but my comparision is to a vintage pelikan 140 with some flex so no basis yet, but the zoom and music nib I have are extra smooth and just amazing.

[John Cullen]

Hi, I sold my sailors and did not like the feel of their nibs. I prefer Pelikan. But if you are looking for a really silky smooth nib, you might try a MB 149 or a modern Conklin or some of the other ones people have mentioned. jc

[Matt]

I have a Sailor 1911 (F) and Pelikans 605 (F) and 200 (XF). The fine Pelikan is smoother but the Sailor is smoother than the XF Pelikan. I'd say it's a toss up. My guess is that a Sailor in a medium nib would be pretty sweet.

 

Matt

[ednerdtheonly]

Now that we've got a consensus on Sailor vs. Pelikan (Sailor wins), do we want to have a Sailor vs. Montblanc matchup? Since Bock makes nibs for both Danitrio and Pelikan, I'd guess that these two would be evenly matched. A Sailor/Montblanc comparison anyone?

[Dillo]

Hi,

 

They are both quite smooth, but I daresay that Sailor is smoother.

 

Dillon

[PaulK]

I enjoy feeling slight tooth in my pens which is why I likely gravitated towards Pelikans. I've never had the opportunity to test-drive a Sailor FP. How does the Sailor nib compare to Danitrio (since, like many, I recently picked up a Densho)?

[grasshopper]

sailor vs pelikan - sailor

sailor vs montblanc - haven't tried an MB properly yet to give an unbiased answer

sailor vs danis - same as MB

 

Planning to get me a Dani sometime this year, so i'll give you my answer later, if you don't mind, Paul. Unless someone gifts me an MB, I don't think I will ever know (can't help you at all, ed, sorry).