Nibs and Handwriting

[minemap]

 

I picked up a cheap stub nib this morning that I haven't touched in awhile, and noticed my handwriting looked much better with it than my regular FPs. Has anyone else noticed a particular nib size/type that improves their handwriting?

 

Just wondering

[Strang]

I find that it is a combination of the nib, the ink, and the paper I am using. Some combinations improve my handwriting measurably, some make it worse.

[Aysedasi]

Yes, I believe so. My writing looks much better with stub nibs. I'm a very firm stub convert these days.....

[Randal6393]

Traditional fountain pens have a ball or universal point and all control is in the hand of the writer. Suitable for many writing forms but requires careful control by the pen wielder.

 

A stub has a broad-edged nib that looks (under magnification) like a chisel. A stub nib moves more easily in one direction than another and requires less control than a ball nib. (In general, many exceptions to this.) So a writer might find it easier to write with a stub (or italic) nib than with a more traditional pen. Yes, I think stubs do give a certain panache to one's writing. Should study italic/gothic hands a bit to get the hang of getting the most out of a stub, though.

 

The third common category of Western nib is the finely-pointed, flexible nib. Used for Copperplate/Spenserian writing and requires a LOT (IMHO) of practice to use well. Also should study Copperplate or Spenserian before using the pen. If done well, is a lovely script hand.

 

Enjoy,

Edited December 1, 2008 by Randal6393

[Fernan]

I find it's a question of taste mainly, and finding the right expression for whatever you want to say. Sometimes I prefer using a round nib, other times I will prefer a stub, or a nib with much flex.

 

Whatever suits your fantasy at the moment.

 

 

Fernan

[asimplemaestro]

I'm a firm follower of the stub or italic nibs. I still use the ball nibs for instances where I'm writing for bulk or speed (taking notes, long compositions at work, and everyday carriers) but when I actually want to take the time to write a letter or something for others to read it's always a stub or italic. I'm actually about to buy a MB Chopin medium and have it reground to an italic.

[OldGriz]

Traditional fountain pens have a ball or universal point and all control is in the hand of the writer. Suitable for many writing forms but requires careful control by the pen wielder.

 

A stub has a broad-edged nib that looks (under magnification) like a chisel. A stub nib moves more easily in one direction than another and requires less control than a ball nib. (In general, many exceptions to this.) So a writer might find it easier to write with a stub (or italic) nib than with a more traditional pen. Yes, I think stubs do give a certain panache to one's writing. Should study italic/gothic hands a bit to get the hang of getting the most out of a stub, though.

 

The third common category of Western nib is the finely-pointed, flexible nib. Used for Copperplate/Spenserian writing and requires a LOT (IMHO) of practice to use well. Also should study Copperplate or Spenserian before using the pen. If done well, is a lovely script hand.

 

Enjoy,

 

Actually, a stub requires one to be a bit more careful of nib placement and writing direction than a standard nib, NOT the other way around....

The standard nib found on most fountain pens allows the user the ability to slightly rotate the point as they write without causing any difference in the line being written

With a stub the "sweet spot" is a lot more defined and the user needs to keep the stub perfectly aligned on the paper in order to get the thin/thick variation this nib provides...

Also a stub should move easily in both directions IF it has been ground properly.... an Italic nib which is sharper on the edges than a stub and will give a more definitive thin/thick line delineation will be more apt to catch in one direction, generally the horizontal movement.,

 

[ANM]

Does the nib make a difference? Does the Pope were white? If the nib didn't make a difference, I doubt I'd have so many pens. It seems each one has it's own personality.

[Fernan]

Pen, ink and paper are all elements of a system.

 

Some nibs go better with certain inks on certain papers.

 

For example, I have found that extra fine nibs are more convenient with my Moleskines notebooks, but not any nib with any kind of ink.

 

Experiment... you'll find combinations that are better than others, depending on the purpose of the task at hand.

 

 

Fernan

[DrPJM1]

My handwriting is horrible with fine nibs but quite nice with medium and wide italic nibs. It takes some discipline to maintain the correct hold without rotating the nib, but it was well worth it!

[BobR]

My handwritng is immeasureably better with a nib that's a bit "springy" or soft but not very flexible. It's definitely better than with a firm nib. Any fountain pen is better than anything else!

[Rainwalker]

I picked up a cheap stub nib this morning that I haven't touched in awhile, and noticed my handwriting looked much better with it than my regular FPs. Has anyone else noticed a particular nib size/type that improves their handwriting?

 

Just wondering

Absolutely! My Binder .7mm cursive italic nib makes my handwriting dramatically better.

 

[Ondina]

My handwriting is horrible with fine nibs but quite nice with medium and wide italic nibs. It takes some discipline to maintain the correct hold without rotating the nib, but it was well worth it!

 

Exact same experience here, and even better with some flex.

[biffybeans]

Firm nibbed pens, I seem to have better handwriting. Cursive Italics, I write slower,, thus also neater.

[I am not a number]

I picked up a cheap stub nib this morning that I haven't touched in awhile, and noticed my handwriting looked much better with it than my regular FPs. Has anyone else noticed a particular nib size/type that improves their handwriting?

 

Just wondering

Stubs and Italics make my handwriting almost readable.

 

Almost...

[dennisraines]

Nib and ink for me- but also the size and weight of my pen too, and wetness. I write totally different with my Lamy AL-Star than I do with my Pilot VP.

[PaulT00]

My Conway 73 with a soft fine nib makes my handwriting flow much better, and the letters come out much more regularly sized and spaced. The Waterman 52 1/2V with fine flexy also seems to encourage better handwriting flow, but unfortunately it doesn't hold very much ink! An XF Parker '51' can be very neat or horribly scribbly depending on how I'm feeling on any given day... and my fine-point PFM is almost as flattering as the Conway.

 

YMMV, of course!

 

[DanF]

My handwriting looks better when I use a cursive italic nib. I have ground my three main users to something between CI and stub. I'll have to get one professionally done just to see how mine compare.

 

Dan

[Goodwhiskers]

The broader the point, the more I'm forced to write better (and not necessarily slower).

[lapis]

Hmm, not a bad question.

For me, the nib plays of course an important role in my hadwriting but it isn't the size of the nib alone. Let's say I prefer (and have) basically Just Ms and Bs But they themselves (the nibs) as well as the barells' weights and sizes all lead me to holding each pen differently. Also the ink and the paper. Or my speed or patience in writing. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad. It depends on too much. Therefore I can't say the nib is responsible for everything.

Mike