Music nib vs cursive italic? Need advice.

[tarheel1]

I am curious what the major differences are between these two. I have a sailor music nib on its way and wondering if it would worth it to get a cursive italic pen also. I would like a flex nib but have yet to find a pen I truly like the looks of with a flex nib. If anyone has any for sale let me know. I would be wanting something no smaller than a mb146/sailor 1911 size. But back to the topic. How much difference is there between these 2 nibs.

[DrPJM1]

Sailor's Music nib is not a true music nib, it is much more like a cursive italic extra broad nib. You may want to try writing with the nib upside down for a more italic feel. Otherwise why not try a flex nib? Richard Binder's customized Falcon nib is really nice, and I am sure there are many other less expensive alternatives in the vintage market. Finally, do try going to a Pen Show.

[DrPJM1]

Sailor's Music nib is not a true music nib, it is much more like a cursive italic extra broad nib. You may want to try writing with the nib upside down for a more italic feel. Otherwise why not try a flex nib? Richard Binder's customized Falcon nib is really nice, and I am sure there are many other less expensive alternatives in the vintage market. Finally, do try going to a Pen Show.

[The Grim Sheaffer]

The Sailor music nib is just a fat nib, I does not have much variation. For real fun get a vintage broad stub with flex. The downside is the vintage pens tend to be quite small.

 

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[FrankB]

My experience with music nibs is limited. I have found them to be like very wet stub nibs. And I mean very wet. I use B nibs regularly, and BB nibs for certain types of writing, but music nibs are just too wet for me. I love a good stub nib with moderate ink flow because of the smooth, "flat" feel on paper. Italic nibs, both cursive and formal, give good line variation that I do not get with a stub or music nib. I own a large number of italic nibs, but I currently own no music nibs.

[krandallkraus]

Look at the Pilot 7 series. 742, 743. Checdk out Parkerbeta's posts and you'll find a really knowledgeable discussion of all their 15 nib selections.

[gregamckinney]

The Platinum music nib offers very good variation. Much more like a stub than the Sailor music nibs.

 

Regards, greg

[jorgerp1]

you always neet to try !!!

[jgrasty]

I have a Pilot Custom 742 with a music nib, and I think of it as a very broad cursive italic, a little on the crisp side.

[dizzypen]

So what is the benefit of three tines as opposed to two? Just increased flow or is there something else?

[Rabbit]

I like the definition on Richard Binder's website. You can read it for yourself here: (link)

From reading that, it seems that major property that makes it a "music nib" is that the edges are smooth enough and with enough ink flow to make it useable at higher or lower than normal writing angles as would be the case when writing on music staff paper placed on a music stand.

 

Edit to add: it doesn't necessarily have to have three tines. The extra nib slit just increases the amount of ink flow.

 

--Stephen

Edited January 2, 2010 by Rabbit

[Richard]

I like the definition on Richard Binder's website. You can read it for yourself here: (link)

The critical point you've missed is flexibility. A music nib isn't a wild flexie, but it does have some flexibility. The idea is that when you're writing music you can flex it when you draw solid note bodies (quarter note/quaver) and shorter; this gives you a momentary big flow, and with the spread tines it results in a nice fat body.

 

I will point out here that Japanese "music" nibs are not flexible, at least not the ones I've seen from Platinum and Sailor. They're firm -- Platinum's is actually nail-like -- and they're not shaped correctly. The last Sailor "music" nib I handled was sent to me to have 2/3 of the tipping (both top and bottom surfaces) ground away to make it into a good cursive italic. Before I started working on it, the bottom surface had been ground at an angle, so that the outside edge of the left tine was thicker than the outside edge of the right tine. Basically, it was as boxy as an ice cream sandwich that had been sat on a little bit. Oh, and it didn't flow worth a darn, either.

[Rabbit]

... The last Sailor "music" nib I handled was sent to me to have 2/3 of the tipping (both top and bottom surfaces) ground away to make it into a good cursive italic. Before I started working on it, the bottom surface had been ground at an angle, so that the outside edge of the left tine was thicker than the outside edge of the right tine. Basically, it was as boxy as an ice cream sandwich that had been sat on a little bit. Oh, and it didn't flow worth a darn, either.

Ooh, I'm glad you mentioned this. I've had my eye on a Sailor 1911 for a while and have been debating about getting a "music" nib or just a standard medium or fine. The chart on John Mottishaw's site describes it as 1.15mm which may be a little wider than I'd prefer anyway. I may go with a standard nib now if I do decide to get one. (the standard sizes seem to be easier to find anyway)

 

--Stephen

[jgrasty]

I like the definition on Richard Binder's website. You can read it for yourself here: (link)

The critical point you've missed is flexibility. A music nib isn't a wild flexie, but it does have some flexibility. The idea is that when you're writing music you can flex it when you draw solid note bodies (quarter note/quaver) and shorter; this gives you a momentary big flow, and with the spread tines it results in a nice fat body.

 

I will point out here that Japanese "music" nibs are not flexible, at least not the ones I've seen from Platinum and Sailor. They're firm -- Platinum's is actually nail-like -- and they're not shaped correctly. The last Sailor "music" nib I handled was sent to me to have 2/3 of the tipping (both top and bottom surfaces) ground away to make it into a good cursive italic. Before I started working on it, the bottom surface had been ground at an angle, so that the outside edge of the left tine was thicker than the outside edge of the right tine. Basically, it was as boxy as an ice cream sandwich that had been sat on a little bit. Oh, and it didn't flow worth a darn, either.

 

I can confirm that the Pilot Custom 742 music nib has no flex at all.