Best Modern Nibs

[pelicanachic]

what is the best modern f.p nibs you've ever experienced?

 

I prefer semi-flexible, responsive nib to rigid nail nib

 

so my choice would be like this

 

1. early 80ties Pelikan nibs(m800 14k nib, and especially old styled m600 one tone nib. this is the best modern nib I could think of)

 

2. Sheaffer connaisseur (butterly smooth, and very responsive)

 

3. late 80ties and early 90ties aurora 88(this one is different from contemporary aurora 88 nib. no tooth at all. semi flexible and very smooth)

 

 

what is your choice?

[stevlight]

MB 149--big responsive --gorgeous--hand ground so each one has its own flavor or feel.

 

Aurora 14K nibs--love the feedback--actually my favorite nib! BUT Do not love the pens they come on--Optima is too small and light weight and Talentum is a CC filler--I prefer internal filling systems.

 

Pelkan Polar Lights--for such a small nib it is very responsive.

 

Bexley 18K nibs --smooth and luxurious--like driving a luxury car.

[Bo Bo Olson]

I can't put the semi-vintage Pelikan/Aurora '80's nibs into a modern classification.

 

 

I am not sure when the other pen companies went over to the 'modern' nibs, stiffer and bigger blobs of iridium ...but there is a generation gap with the Pelikan/(Aurora) of '83-97.

 

So IMO they do not qualify as Modern nibs.

Even though I think of them pen wise as 'modern'.

[eric47]

Aurora 14K nibs--love the feedback--actually my favorite nib! BUT Do not love the pens they come on--Optima is too small and light weight and Talentum is a CC filler--I prefer internal filling systems.

 

And the 88 piston filler?!?

[eric47]

I can't put the semi-vintage Pelikan/Aurora '80's nibs into a modern classification.

 

I am not sure when the other pen companies went over to the 'modern' nibs, stiffer and bigger blobs of iridium ...but there is a generation gap with the Pelikan/(Aurora) of '83-97.

 

So IMO they do not qualify as Modern nibs.

Even though I think of them pen wise as 'modern'.

 

Pelikans suffer from the blob. Auroras do not in my experience. The interesting shift for Aurora in my opinion is from the long tines to the shorter tines on their screw-in pen units -- for the 88, Optima, and Talentum. But the longer tines are usually seen on the early 88s -- I've seen an Optima based LE (can't remember which) that also had a nib with the long tines. The longer tines have more give than the shorter tines. The softness of the short tines nibs are all over the map, there was a period when they were pretty much nails (with the 18Ks being slighly softer) although I've seen some recent nibs that have some give to them.

Edited February 21, 2011 by eric47

[Bo Bo Olson]

I don't have an Aurora yet...so I should have left them out...but didn't want to leave an impression only the Pelikan '80's nibs were so good.

 

I believe the only Non Pelikan '90+'s pen I still have is a Diplomat. It's nib is ok...nothing to drag it out and use; if I didn't have a lot of pens, it would be used. The other Diplomat from that time, I got rid of, it being a tad nailish.

[tonybelding]

2. Sheaffer connaisseur (butterly smooth, and very responsive)

 

I had one of those, and I didn't like it. I found it overly wet, flabby, soft-and-mooshy. It was the beginning of my distaste for 18K soft nibs.

 

One of the most perfect nibs I've ever encountered is the one on my Sheaffer Imperial VI: a true fine, wet-but-not-gushing, very smooth. It just feels right when I touch paper with it. However. . . That's on the borderline between vintage and modern pens. I think of it as a vintage pen, really.

 

As I look upon my modern pens, I see a lot of perfectly OK, functional nibs, but not many standouts. Most of the ones that are particularly good have been adjusted or customized in some way. My New Postal Jr writes well, but it was "Binderized" when I got it. My Edisons both have stubs that are pretty nifty, but they were both custom-ground. My TWSBI writes very nicely -- since I increased the flow on it.

 

My Reform Czar has a semi-flex nib that I rather like now, but it seemed stiff and dry and draggy at first. I guess it took a few years to get broken in.

 

The factory stub on my Waterman L'Etalon is a wonder. It doesn't produce really crisp line variation, but that's OK. It's big and wet and is the smoothest stub (and one of the smoothest nibs of any kind) that I've ever seen.

[goodguy]

Good modern nibs are (in no particular order)

 

1.Omas Paragon.

2.Lamy 2000

3.Montblanc WE/149/146

4.Visconti 18K

5.Sailor KOP and 1911

Edited February 21, 2011 by goodguy

[eric47]

1.Omas Paragon.

 

Inhouse (14K or 18K) or Bock?

Edited February 21, 2011 by eric47

[mdbrown]

Modern nibs... in no particular order: Pelikan 18k medium (M800), Sailor 1911 14k medium, Montblanc Generation 14k fine, Cross Townsend 14k medium.

[entity999]

Currently I'm enjoying using the 14k fine nib in my Lamy 2000 and the 14k medium nib in my Sailor Sapporo more than the nibs in my more expensive pens (Pelikan M800 and Montegrappa Espressione - both 18k fine nibs). Have I been wasting my cash here!!??

[dnb]

Omas 18k - don't know if it's in house or Bock. It's on a 360 Bronze Vision if anyone knows. This has wonderful spring to it.. The best of all my nibs. It's the one that made me realize that chase the nib not the pen is true if you are looking for the writing part of the experience.

[Silvermink]

Good modern nibs are (in no particular order)

 

1.Omas Paragon.

 

I just acquired an 80s Paragon (557/F) and the 14K nib on it is just beautiful, with a really nice amount of flex, so I'll happily second this recommendation.

Edited February 21, 2011 by Silvermink

[goodguy]

1.Omas Paragon.

 

Inhouse (14K or 18K) or Bock?

Well my old style Paragon is 18K and I believe its a Bock but I am not positive on that.

I will dare to say ANY Omas nib is good either Bock or in house even though I assume the in house are even better then the Bock ones.

Edited February 21, 2011 by goodguy

[georges zaslavsky]

here is my list:

1960-1970 mb 149 nibs

1970-1980 mb 146 nibs

dunhill ad 2000 nibs

pre 1998 pelikan m800 nibs

pelikan m1000 nibs

omas 360 nibs

omas paragon nibs

omas paragon arte italiana nibs

waterman le man 100 nibs

stipula eritruria nibs

sheaffer pfm nibs

nettuno 1911 nibs

[MCosta77777]

Good modern nibs are (in no particular order)

 

1.Omas Paragon or Milord.

2.Lamy 2000

3.Montblanc WE/149/146

4.Visconti 18K

5.Sailor KOP and 1911

 

I do agree with this list but would also like to add the Dupont Olimpio Xlarge size nib. Perfect writer.

 

Ahhhh

 

And the delta Dolce Vita Oversized,

The Conway Stewart Winston,

The Parker Duofold,

The Stipula D'Inverno,

Pilot 823,

Dunhill AD2000 with the Namiki nib,

 

Sorry, getting away with myself here....

...so many great pens and nibs

[aawhite]

Aurora Optima/Talentum/88 nibs.

 

I have a broad, a medium and a stub. All great witers with pleasant feedbacks. My favorite is the stub ... nice feedback but not much in line variation. It is fitted in my Talentum, and with Aurora black ink, it is perfect.

[RMN]

I have many pens that are nice writers, and some expensive ones that are mediocre.

 

I am not interested in flex very much, but want to mention the Pilot Falcon nib that is rather nice.

 

I like the Lamy gold nibs, like on my Accent and Dialog3.

The Stipula Italic nibs are very nice, as are the Conway Stewart Italics

 

 

D.ick

[fpc]

For flex and feel I like the Pilot or Namiki Falcon pens.

 

Don

[Faulkner]

My apologies for the off-topic but why some modern 14k nibs are more flexible than 18k nibs (Montblanc), whereas others (Aurora) show the opposite behavior?