Sheaffer No Nonsense

[Quarzac]

I plan to review all my pens in due time! I know this one is rather common, but maybe it'll help someone out. Let me know if you have any questions!

[rwilsonedn]

Welcome! Very thoughtful review. I agree with your comments on quality and writing: Sheaffer NNs are a serious weakness of mine.

And thanks for taking the time to write it by hand. That adds an extra touch, at least for me.

ron

[jacksterp]

Terrific job. I really get a sense of this pen from your review.

 

The "ink spitting" is bothersome for me. I don't like ink where it shouldn't be.

[steb]

Nice review. The main reason I swore off the nn was the habit it has of doing this with even the smallest shake. I enjoyed writing with it but got sick of inky inky fingers.

[Harlequin]

You stated that it was an italic/stub. Was it really a stub, as in softer corners than the standard (very) sharp NNS italic nibs? I have been wondering if that was possible (well, more like a good idea instead of physically possible) with those nibs. They are huge too- even the fine italic is just shy of .8 mm, iirc. That of course is why it is such a wet pen and goes through ink so fast. The regular non-italic nibs don't do that. Likewise for the ink spitting, although to be honest I've not noticed that myself in any of the NNSes I have, so ymmv on that.

 

Great review on a great pen!

 

 

[bogiesan]

Thanks for posting your examination of the old No Nonsense calligrapy pens. If you research the line here you will find those are not wuite the same bodies or nibs as the more conventional No Nonsense pens. I have several units in my Sheaffer family and they came i a wide range of colors with furniture variations and a few different nib styles. The best, imnsho, are tipped steel. There are some nicely appointed marbel bodies sporting gold-plated tipped nibs on the market (Peyton has one or two left) but I don't have one of them. I do have some F and M tipped nibs in sections that thread into all of the NN barrels.

 

I have acquire many of the italic calligraphy sets from at least two different eras. The contemporary units look and feel cheap and sloppy. So I don't mind playing with the nibs, possibly destroying a few in the process of experimentation. I have been carefully grinding them down using an Arkansas sharpening stone. Rounding the squared sides and easing the sharp knife edge where the nib hits the paper. I've fashioned one broad italic into a goofy but useful roundish stubby thing that no longer digs in the paper. But without tipping material, the whole experience of writing with it is unpleasantly coarse and risky. And, as Harleq. noted, the thing drains a cartridge dry in short order; it lays down a lot of ink.

[Calamus plasticus]

Happy to find a review of this terrific, sometimes underrated pen.

I am sure it will be useful for many readers.

[Grayhart]

I found my mother's NN not too long after the OP. But since it was of such great value to her, I decided to buy the calligraphy set.

 

However, I favor finer (as in point) nibs. Unfortunately, the closest I could get is the Fine Italic and normal Medium. Is there any 0.5mm NN nib? I write quite small, so my e's turn into o's =P

[Harlequin]

There is a regular fine that is not too difficult to find. There is also a XF italic, but that is considerably harder to find. I don't know if the XF italic is that small however, as all the NNS italic nibs are on the absolutely huge side. The regular fine may be close enough to the size you want for you to use w/o problems though.

[plumeau]

I Have many No Nonsense fountainpens old Version Viewpoint made in USA in blue , red ,purple, green and black With M nib and one with F nib. With M nib It's for me the bests pens I have with Targa fountainpens.

[Sailor Kenshin]

I found my mother's NN not too long after the OP. But since it was of such great value to her, I decided to buy the calligraphy set.

 

However, I favor finer (as in point) nibs. Unfortunately, the closest I could get is the Fine Italic and normal Medium. Is there any 0.5mm NN nib? I write quite small, so my e's turn into o's =P

The sections of classic NN fountain pens are interchangeable, so you might find an F section on fleabay, or the whole pen.

 

I used to have a lot of extra sections, but gave them away.

[Grayhart]

The sections of classic NN fountain pens are interchangeable, so you might find an F section on fleabay, or the whole pen.

 

I used to have a lot of extra sections, but gave them away.

 

 

There is a regular fine that is not too difficult to find. There is also a XF italic, but that is considerably harder to find. I don't know if the XF italic is that small however, as all the NNS italic nibs are on the absolutely huge side. The regular fine may be close enough to the size you want for you to use w/o problems though.

 

Thank you all! Fortunately, I managed to contact Teri from PeytonStreets (thank you!) and they sent me a link to the nib line width comparison charts, which also include Italics, Western Round, Japanese Round, and Gel pens width: http://www.richardspens.com/pdf/strokewidths.pdf

 

Teri said it's between a Japanese and Western Round Fine (0.4mm and 0.5mm, respectively).

[Harlequin]

NNS fans gotta stick together ^_~

[Grayhart]

NNS fans gotta stick together ^_~

 

It just makes...sense! =D

[Harlequin]

<grooooaaaan>

[raging.dragon]

 

It just makes...sense! =D

 

Now, none of that nonsense!

[Harlequin]

bad pun? raging.dragon FTW

[pajaro]

Very nice and informative review. I have wondered what the fine italic NN nib would do and have thought about buying one. I have a couple of these pens with M and B italics. I wish I hadn't read the post about grinding them, as I have a couple of spares. Fooling around this morning, I found that one later Cross Solo section would screw down tight in my blue NN. I'm not sure what value that has, because that section is currently in a Parker Big Red, where it makes a nice Croaker. The NN is a lot of fun with its italics.

[stoof2010]

I have this pen after a very kind fellow fpn'R gave it to me as a gift to makr my vintage calligraphy set whole. I have all the carts, which im sure ill need to add eater to.

But the carts i have are very old and dont look at all like the new sheaffer carts. They dont have a "nipple" like the modern ones have where the seal is that holds in the ink... cant figure out how to use them. Seems like i just throw it in and let the cart get pierced by the feed.... i think...

Anyone have any insite? I was wonderi.g if it will take modern carts as well? Then maybe i can just extract the i.k from the old ones, rehydrate, then inject i.to a new one that has a nipple thing. Seems like the old carts would just leak all over...

[Jenks]

I had some ancient carts and I just pierced them with the pen and then injected some water and I've had some great peacock blue for over a week without any leaking at all. I actually don't have any experience with any of the new carts since the old pens will take the new converter and that's what I use when I don't use an old cart. Hope that helps.

Edited January 8, 2014 by Jenks