Jump to content

XF Nibs


jdboucher

Recommended Posts

Physical laws apply.

 

If you compare two nibs in the same pen and whose undersides are finished properly and are adjusted in the same way -- by Richard Binder say -- the xf will not be as smooth. Even if the writer does not apply any pressure at all, the weight of the pen will create some, and that pressure will be higher for the nib with a smaller surface area. As a result, the nib will go further into the paper and encounter more resistance.

 

I think Mr. Griz was just saying some extra-fines can be smoother than some Mediums.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 31
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • officesupplygeek

    5

  • WillSW

    3

  • OldGriz

    2

  • gyasko

    2

Top Posters In This Topic

Physical laws apply.

 

If you compare two nibs in the same pen and whose undersides are finished properly and are adjusted in the same way -- by Richard Binder say -- the xf will not be as smooth. Even if the writer does not apply any pressure at all, the weight of the pen will create some, and that pressure will be higher for the nib with a smaller surface area. As a result, the nib will go further into the paper and encounter more resistance.

 

I think Mr. Griz was just saying some extra-fines can be smoother than some Mediums.

 

And also some "XF" can also be larger than others and more like a F or M, no?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a Sailor Sapporo with EF nib, tested, adjusted, and bought from Mottishaw. The pen feeds ink perfectly, with no skip or uneveness. Having said that, the laws of physics do apply. The nib is stiff and offers little feedback. It works well on good paper, will dig into cheap paper. And it does not have that sensuous, smooth, wet feel of a European/American F or M nib of good quality. It is an unemotional tool. Also, I find that the EF nib does not show off the delicate shading of different brands of ink - for example, all blues look pretty much the same.

 

As you can tell, this is not my ideal pen. To me, the finest nib I have that still is pleasurable to write with is my Parker 51 with F nib.

 

Bob

Pelikan 100; Parker Duofold; Sheaffer Balance; Eversharp Skyline; Aurora 88 Piston; Aurora 88 hooded; Kaweco Sport; Sailor Pro Gear

 

Eca de Queroiz: "Politicians and diapers should be changed frequently, and for the same reason."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bob, if you don't love your sapporo I'll give it a loving home. :)

 

I have a Sailor Sapporo with EF nib, tested, adjusted, and bought from Mottishaw. The pen feeds ink perfectly, with no skip or uneveness. Having said that, the laws of physics do apply. The nib is stiff and offers little feedback. It works well on good paper, will dig into cheap paper. And it does not have that sensuous, smooth, wet feel of a European/American F or M nib of good quality. It is an unemotional tool. Also, I find that the EF nib does not show off the delicate shading of different brands of ink - for example, all blues look pretty much the same.

 

As you can tell, this is not my ideal pen. To me, the finest nib I have that still is pleasurable to write with is my Parker 51 with F nib.

 

Bob

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a Lamy 2000 EF and it writes smoother than my Lamy Safari F. I don't have other pens so I can't compare different brands. I would say that smoothness depends on the brand and the pen model (nib design).

My Flickr | My Blog

 

http://winsonli.com/bottledinkicons/small/visconti-blue.png http://winsonli.com/bottledinkicons/small/waterman-brown.png Bottled Ink Icons version 0.3 | Forum Thread

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hope this is not a dumb question, but is there ever a difference between the same size nib between two different pens of the same brand? Like should a Lamy Studio EF compared to a Lamy 2000 EF be almost identical?

 

There is often, I'd think, if the brand uses different nibs for its pens. Your example is one such case. The Lamy Studio usually comes with Lamy's steel nib and the 2000 comes with its gold. The steel nibs write more true to the accepted definition of XF, while the 2000's XF could be considered a medium.

 

I've also seen Bexleys that use steel nibs that I know are wider than advertised, while I'd guess their gold nibs are more accurately tuned.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is often, I'd think, if the brand uses different nibs for its pens. Your example is one such case. The Lamy Studio usually comes with Lamy's steel nib and the 2000 comes with its gold. The steel nibs write more true to the accepted definition of XF, while the 2000's XF could be considered a medium.

The 2000 is a completely different pen & nib; everything else in Lamy's lineup, from the ABC to the Studio, uses the same nib system (regardless of finish). But the 2000 is not comparable to the rest of them. (Not saying better or worse, just completely different; it's certainly a brilliant cost-containment move to standardize so much, which may be why Lamy is still in business when so many other pen makers are owned by trash can companies.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Can XF nibs be smooth? I'm worried that getting one would make the writing experience not as good when compared with a medium.

 

 

I have a Binder XXXF that is smooth. I've also used a Pilot Petit xf given to me by Skyppere that I found quite smooth. Probably not as nice a my Binder nib, but then, at about four bucks it doesn't have to be. Neither example seemed any more toothy than a M nib. If you want to try the nib size on the cheap, my advice would be to get a Japanese pen, like the Pilot Petit, and see if it makes you insane or not. Japanese pens tend to be on the money out of the box.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My Safari EF's are wonderful, but they are not true EF's. Lamy nibs all run wide. My F 1911 is much thinner than any of my Lamy's, including the studio.

 

The thinner the nib, the smaller the sweet spot will be, and for some that lean hard on their nibs, they could appear to be scratchy. I find that thinner nibs seem to appreciate a lighter touch.

<span style='font-family: Georgia'><span style='font-size: 14px;'><strong class='bbc'> Stephanie "Biffybeans" Smith</strong></span><p><a href='http://www.biffybeans.com/' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>Blog: Spiritual Evolution of the Bean</a><p><a href='http://www.etsy.com/shop/biffybeans?ref=si_shop' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>Purchase Stephanie "Biffybeans" Smith's Original Art on Etsy</a>

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hope this is not a dumb question, but is there ever a difference between the same size nib between two different pens of the same brand? Like should a Lamy Studio EF compared to a Lamy 2000 EF be almost identical?

I know this is not what you are asking, but I have experienced different nib sizes between same pens of the same brand.

 

I have had a number of Namiki Impressions pens, and noticed some variation among the medium nibs (only had one each of the fine and broad nibs). I have two Waterman Phileas pens with fine nibs, and one writes a slightly narrower line than the other. There is also variation with my two Aurora Optima medium nibs, and my four Parker Duofold Jr. fine nibs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33501
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26627
    5. jar
      jar
      26101
  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o
  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More
  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...