Best Nib For Writing Quickly?

[joeahearn]

If you know you will be writing quickly, and you want a pen that can "keep up," which nib do you prefer? Are broader nibs really best for this? Any other preferences?

 

I am a writer and I sometimes have to write very quickly indeed. I have no pens broader than a European medium, but am thinking about going wider because I've heard one can write more quickly with them.

 

Thoughts?

[krokens]

IMHO the broader nib the faster writing. When I use a M or B nib, the pen is moving faster along the paper than the F nibs. With M nibs I have a Pelikan M600, Lamy Safari, Faber-Castell e-motion and Pilot 78G. With F's a Montblanc 144, several Parker 21 and Parker 45.

[benkalziqi]

I would imagine that a finer nib would be better--it may be harder to find a smoother fine nib, but since it is laying down less ink per second, it seems to me that, all other things equal, it should be easier for the ink feed to keep up with the ink demand.

[greencobra]

Ghost Plane has mentioned this several times, broad is best for writing quickly. I certainly can't speak for GP of course but I've picked up a couple B's myself and find that it's a true statement. I use a broad when I need to move along quickly on the paper.

[kuno]

In my experience, I think a medium-broad is the best compromise. Well lubricated enough to slick across paper, but not as broad as to be constricted by flow and having to WRITE BIG TO BE LEGIBLE. I guess custom nibs with improved flow might throw a wrench into my logic, but this has been the case with most factory nibs I've used.

[Aysedasi]

In my experience, I think a medium-broad is the best compromise. Well lubricated enough to slick across paper, but not as broad as to be constricted by flow and having to WRITE BIG TO BE LEGIBLE. I guess custom nibs with improved flow might throw a wrench into my logic, but this has been the case with most factory nibs I've used.

 

 

I go with kuno. My heart says seriously broad, but I find my medium/broad nibs seem to work the best at speed. Definitely not fine - if I tried to write fast with a fine nib, it'd be pointless - no one would be able to read it!

[Mickey]

As has been mentioned mannnnnnnnnny times, most such question are not resolved by nib size alone. Paper quality, ink flow and lubricity, feed responsiveness, and nib shape and flexibility all affect writing speed. A dry ink on toothy paper is going to make for slow going, regardless of the nib size. Likewise, a wet noodle or crisp italic is going to be slower than a round nail.

 

That said, a properly set up nib of a size consonant with the scale of your normal handwriting will provide the best speed. For most folks, that's a medium to broad nail. If you have to increase or decrease substantially the scale of your writing to use a particular nib, it's probably going to slow you down, at least initially.

Edited December 29, 2010 by Mickey

[mholve]

A broader nib is generally better than a finer one for fast writing, but as long as you have a smooth, wet nib (as opposed to a dry, scratchy one) you should be okay. Smoother, better paper of course also helps.

[Namo]

I wonder if the nib is the main variable here. The feed seems very important and a good, wet, lubrificated ink makes major changes.

[razr]

I think it depends on how much feedback or "tooth" you prefer for your nib. I usually write better/faster when I use a FP w/good pen-to-paper feedback.

[ethernautrix]

I write faster with a fine nib. Sailor and Nakaya make smooth F nibs.

 

My handwriting is too small for B nibs, so having to write larger would slow me down. And it would look weird, which would be distracting.

[Blade Runner]

The writers I know say they type much faster than they can write.

[Russ]

There are obviously many variables involved. My experience is that I have less fear of snagging a fine nib than the wide surface of a broad nib. I often reach for my Pelikan M1000 B or YOL Grand B when I really want to throw down some fast, serious ink. Broads are in a class of their own when it's time to become aggressive with ink. And the shading is lovely!

[ribbit]

I write faster with a fine nib. Sailor and Nakaya make smooth F nibs.

 

My handwriting is too small for B nibs, so having to write larger would slow me down. And it would look weird, which would be distracting.

 

This is me too. Unless I made a serious effort to WRITE BIG, my writing with a broad would look like blobs across the page. I can hardly use a medium though so YMMV.

[rwilsonedn]

If I understand correctly, nibs designed for shorthand are generally fine: rigid for US-style Gregg, and semi-flex for British shorthand. I suspect one reason is that a fine nib allows you to make relatively small letters in which the loops are still open. Smaller letters, other variables held constant, will mean less arm motion and therefore higher speed. Of course it's necessary for the nib/feed/ink/paper combination to give you adequate flow to reduce skipping. But if you are in a hurry, you aren't after a masterpiece of calligraphy; you are trying to get letters down fast that you will be able to decipher later. A little skipping won't be a big deal. Loops that have closed and connectors that have merged into adjacent letters will be a big deal. So I would stay with a fine, moderate-feeding pen and focus on improving your letter-forming speed. Or learn shorthand, of course. Speed drills are part of the process.

ron

[jde]

I'm a writer who writes fast with fine nibs. Quite happily.

[Ghost Plane]

B, OB, BB, IB, 1,3 stub, OBB, O3B - I think there's a pattern there... :hmm1:

[jniforat]

i usually use a really wet fine nib as B and BB nibs take up too much real estate on exams. heretical, i know, but i use my netbook if i need to write down every word / concept in a lecture.

[dsatco]

A fine stub will probably do the trick.

[Anne-Sophie]

I took high school, college, trading school and conference notes with medium european nibs.

 

But, my big handwriting and myself were delightfully happy when I bought my first bold nib.

 

I love it some much any new pen is bought in duplicate, one in medium, one in bold.