OK to write on the back of the nib?

[Archer]

is it ok/does it do harm to write on the back side of the pen nib, IOW, with the metal part with the pen name and ornamental engraving facing the paper and the black plastic fins facing upward?

 

I find that I can get a finer, sometimes more expressive line that way, but hesitate to write that way regularly for fear of damaging the nib.

 

thanks!

 

archer

[KendallJ]

Perfectly fine. In fact, some nibs (I am thinking of Richard Binder's ItaliFine) nib are specifically designed to write upside down.

 

With most nibs it is hit or miss as to wether they are good writers, but Richard assures his ItaliFine is a perfectly good fine when used upside down.

[Johnny Appleseed]

It was actully common for vintage nibs to be used that way, usually with a finer point on the "top" side of the nib. It is called a ball-point nib. Parker started doing it with their vacumatic nibs in the 1930s, and Sheaffer followed up with their Feathertouch nibs. When Waterman came out with their "color" nib series, the yellow nib was a ball-point, which could be held at any angle - though that was aimed more toward a left-handed market.

 

Richard Binder has more information here Link and offers ball-point regrinds for $15.

 

I find that many pens can be made into ball-point nibs, though some are harder than others. Often it takes no more than smoothing the reverse side. However, sometimes there are issues with getting the ink to flow to the top side that require more extensive re-grinding.

 

John

[TMLee]

Hi Archer...

I do that with my M400 left-foot oblique upside down to get crisper strokes. See my earlier sample posts.

[kenneth cooke]

Interesting thread- I tried writing on the back of my new Conway Stewart B Italic gold nib and yes is does give a drier finer attack whilst still maintaining an italic effect. I am not sure if it would be detremental to a gold nib as the metal is softer than steel thus spoiling it for colligraphy?

[*david*]

The gold never touches the paper. The tip is a hard metal, not gold (People say "iridium", and once upon a time some manufacturers did use iridium; but anyway it's a very durable tip welded onto the gold).

The only way you can ruin your gold nib in this context is by pressing hard enough to bend it, and you can do that equally well right side up or upside down.

 

So if your pen works upside down, and you find that useful, then go ahead without fear. If your pen doesn't work upside down and you wish it did, it can be modified to do so without affecting its right-side-up performance.

[Gutfinski]

Have others noticed, that of the Japanese Big 3 premium gold nib fountain pens, Platinums all seem to write excellently on the back of the nib, while Pilots and Sailors do not?

[peroride]

Have others noticed, that of the Japanese Big 3 premium gold nib fountain pens, Platinums all seem to write excellently on the back of the nib, while Pilots and Sailors do not?

 

Indeed, love my Platinum B for that reason

 

Pilot is a no go for reverse and Sailor kinda in the middle

[Inkyways]

I bought the sailor Pro.gear pen with the po Music nib. When I received it I was very disappointed of how it writes.

So to me it look liked a DBB nib very slippery. So people like this type of nibs and they called it BUTTERY.

So I thought I want try to grind it get some feed back effect on the writing. Well it changed the effect but I am not going to do any change so I put the pen away for a year or so.

Recently I was checking all my pens including all my sailors ( I have 5 pens) then it dip checking and used this music nib up side down.

 

Amazingly this is the best pen for upsidedown writing and line width was too perfect as it is a BB nib. I changed my mind not regrind this nib. Instead I am using it as a upside-down writing.

[EZ-A]

THe EZ-A pens I make are designed to be used on either side of the stainless steel ink plates no matter right or left handed. Both sides have a slight difference with thin line quality.