Five Music Nibs Compared

[Strang]

Since doing the original comparison, I have acquired a modern Pilot music nib on a Custom 74. It does not measure up to its earlier brother. If picking my favourite music nib, this one would come last. With apologies for my bad photography:

 

 

 

http://i1150.photobucket.com/albums/o620/Einy1/Pilotmodernmusicnib.jpg

[raging.dragon]

Since doing the original comparison, I have acquired a modern Pilot music nib on a Custom 74. It does not measure up to its earlier brother. If picking my favourite music nib, this one would come last. With apologies for my bad photography:

 

In what way is it inferior to the others? I'm curious about music nibs, so any information you can provide will help me decide whether or not this nib belongs on my wishlist. Though from what I've seen so far the Platinum/Nakaya looks to be the best of the modern regular production music nib.

 

EDIT: I think a Platinum/Nakaya music nib custom ground for more line variation would be interesting.

Edited July 30, 2012 by raging.dragon

[Esterfella]

I've heard that Platinum's music nib has a stellar reputation, and some say it's the best stock music nib out there. Based on that, I've ordered a 3776 in calico coloring with the music nib, but it has not arrived yet. I'll weigh into this interesting post after my new pen arrives.

I do agree with Strang's assessment of a true music nib is.

[ethernautrix]

I missed this until today. I'm more and more interested in line variation, so far preferring subtle variation and stubs to italics (hard for me to write with italic nibs cos I hold the pen at a high angle).

 

Your review and photos were interesting, food for thought. Thanks, Strang!

[raging.dragon]

I missed this until today. I'm more and more interested in line variation, so far preferring subtle variation and stubs to italics (hard for me to write with italic nibs cos I hold the pen at a high angle).

 

Your review and photos were interesting, food for thought. Thanks, Strang!

 

Then you might like music nibs. From what I've read in other threads, music nibs are generally designed to be used at a very high angle when writing music. One of the main reasons the Platinum/Nakaya music nibs are so popular is that, unlike most other music nibs, they also work at a low angle for standard cursive writing.

[Strang]

Since doing the original comparison, I have acquired a modern Pilot music nib on a Custom 74. It does not measure up to its earlier brother. If picking my favourite music nib, this one would come last. With apologies for my bad photography:

In what way is it inferior to the others? I'm curious about music nibs, so any information you can provide will help me decide whether or not this nib belongs on my wishlist. Though from what I've seen so far the Platinum/Nakaya looks to be the best of the modern regular production music nib.EDIT: I think a Platinum/Nakaya music nib custom ground for more line variation would be interesting.

 

 

The modern Pilot nib, while smooth on the vertical strokes, is very scratchy on the horizontal strokes. If it was scratchy all the way around I would suspect that it needed work but somehow I wonder if this disparity might be endemic in this particular nib (Pilot #5 size) as none of the other music nibs I tested had anything like this problem. As always though, I may be incredibly wrong (again.)

[raging.dragon]

Since doing the original comparison, I have acquired a modern Pilot music nib on a Custom 74. It does not measure up to its earlier brother. If picking my favourite music nib, this one would come last. With apologies for my bad photography:

In what way is it inferior to the others? I'm curious about music nibs, so any information you can provide will help me decide whether or not this nib belongs on my wishlist. Though from what I've seen so far the Platinum/Nakaya looks to be the best of the modern regular production music nib.EDIT: I think a Platinum/Nakaya music nib custom ground for more line variation would be interesting.

 

 

The modern Pilot nib, while smooth on the vertical strokes, is very scratchy on the horizontal strokes. If it was scratchy all the way around I would suspect that it needed work but somehow I wonder if this disparity might be endemic in this particular nib (Pilot #5 size) as none of the other music nibs I tested had anything like this problem. As always though, I may be incredibly wrong (again.)

 

That sounds like the tines might be misaligned. If one tine is "lower" than it's neighbour(s) it'll catch on the paper when moving sideways.

[andru]

I really don't get it with music nibs. I would use an Arabic/Hebrew style nib, which gives a thick horizontal line and thin vertical line. Note stems are vertical and thin. Bar lines are thin. (Staff lines are usually already printed.) Whereas flags (hooks), beams, and phrase/slur/tie lines are thick in the horizontal (see an example though done with a dip pen). As for the note heads it wouldn't matter. There are a few symbols that would be more convenient with these "music" nibs, but the majority are better served with the Arabic style nib IMO.

[raging.dragon]

I really don't get it with music nibs. I would use an Arabic/Hebrew style nib, which gives a thick horizontal line and thin vertical line. Note stems are vertical and thin. Bar lines are thin. (Staff lines are usually already printed.) Whereas flags (hooks), beams, and phrase/slur/tie lines are thick in the horizontal (see an example though done with a dip pen). As for the note heads it wouldn't matter. There are a few symbols that would be more convenient with these "music" nibs, but the majority are better served with the Arabic style nib IMO.

 

There's a special technique for holding a music pen, and when the pen is held that way the music nib's line variation is correct for musical notation (I've seen it described and demonstrated somewhere, but can't remember where). However, if holding the pen in a standard tripod grip, you're absolutely correct that an Arabic/Hebrew nib would work better for musical notation.

[andru]

I really don't get it with music nibs. I would use an Arabic/Hebrew style nib, which gives a thick horizontal line and thin vertical line. Note stems are vertical and thin. Bar lines are thin. (Staff lines are usually already printed.) Whereas flags (hooks), beams, and phrase/slur/tie lines are thick in the horizontal (see an example though done with a dip pen). As for the note heads it wouldn't matter. There are a few symbols that would be more convenient with these "music" nibs, but the majority are better served with the Arabic style nib IMO.

There's a special technique for holding a music pen, and when the pen is held that way the music nib's line variation is correct for musical notation (I've seen it described and demonstrated somewhere, but can't remember where). However, if holding the pen in a standard tripod grip, you're absolutely correct that an Arabic/Hebrew nib would work better for musical notation.

Maybe this page of Richard Binder's is what you remember having seen? Looks a bit like an over-writer posture some left-handed folk use. I can see why one would want stubby as opposed to crisp tip shape for such an unusual grip. Personally I need to use pencil anyway, there's so much erasing involved! Hey, has anyone tried making an erasable nano-graphite ink? I read just a day ago, here on FPN, about the existence of "liquid pencils" (although they seem to be unpopular), but erasable FP ink would be nifty.

[raging.dragon]

I really don't get it with music nibs. I would use an Arabic/Hebrew style nib, which gives a thick horizontal line and thin vertical line. Note stems are vertical and thin. Bar lines are thin. (Staff lines are usually already printed.) Whereas flags (hooks), beams, and phrase/slur/tie lines are thick in the horizontal (see an example though done with a dip pen). As for the note heads it wouldn't matter. There are a few symbols that would be more convenient with these "music" nibs, but the majority are better served with the Arabic style nib IMO.

There's a special technique for holding a music pen, and when the pen is held that way the music nib's line variation is correct for musical notation (I've seen it described and demonstrated somewhere, but can't remember where). However, if holding the pen in a standard tripod grip, you're absolutely correct that an Arabic/Hebrew nib would work better for musical notation.

Maybe this page of Richard Binder's is what you remember having seen? Looks a bit like an over-writer posture some left-handed folk use. I can see why one would want stubby as opposed to crisp tip shape for such an unusual grip. Personally I need to use pencil anyway, there's so much erasing involved! Hey, has anyone tried making an erasable nano-graphite ink? I read just a day ago, here on FPN, about the existence of "liquid pencils" (although they seem to be unpopular), but erasable FP ink would be nifty.

 

Yup, that's the page I saw.

 

I have no musical talent, so personally I'd just use a music nib as stub/italic for cursive writing.

[aardvark]

Thank you Strang for the mini review . Like Lisa, I somehow overlooked this post until now.

 

I do most of my writing with Music nibs. I have several pens with these nibs: 1 each Platinum/Nakaya; 2 regular Sailors and a Sailor Cross Music nibs. Maybe the Cross Music nib should not count since it writes more like an Arabic/Hebrew nib.

 

Guess I've been lucky since I haven't experienced any problems with any of these nibs and get good line variation with all of them .

 

//mark

[amberleadavis]

Thank you.

[Harlequin]

I know this is somewhat of an older thread, but I wanted to ask about something. One of the initial 5 nibs you compared only had two tines. In order to be considered a music nib, doesn't it always have to have three tines? Otherwise, how is a two tined music nib different than say a broad nib (or broad italic, stub, whatever variation is more applicable)?

[raging.dragon]

I know this is somewhat of an older thread, but I wanted to ask about something. One of the initial 5 nibs you compared only had two tines. In order to be considered a music nib, doesn't it always have to have three tines? Otherwise, how is a two tined music nib different than say a broad nib (or broad italic, stub, whatever variation is more applicable)?

 

A music nib will generally be broader and wetter with less line variation than a stub or italic from the same brand. But a two tine music nib is pretty much a stub.

[Harlequin]

Based on that info, are extra broad sizes like B2 or B4 nibs (only two tines though) pseudo music nibs as well, at least regarding the amount of ink that they lay down?

[raging.dragon]

Based on that info, are extra broad sizes like B2 or B4 nibs (only two tines though) pseudo music nibs as well, at least regarding the amount of ink that they lay down?

 

A music nib needs some line variation to write/draw the thin vertical line on each note. The Montblanc B and BB are wet and have quite a bit of line variation (about a 2:1 ratio) and would probably make a pretty decent alternative to a music nib. A large wet stub like the Visconti 1.3mm might work too; however, such nibs tend to be pickier about how they're held to the paper than a music nib or something like the MB B and BB.

Edited December 23, 2012 by raging.dragon

[Strang]

I know this is somewhat of an older thread, but I wanted to ask about something. One of the initial 5 nibs you compared only had two tines. In order to be considered a music nib, doesn't it always have to have three tines? Otherwise, how is a two tined music nib different than say a broad nib (or broad italic, stub, whatever variation is more applicable)?

 

I'm not sure whether the two-tine Sailor, in my original post, should be classified as a true music nib but, since that's what Sailor calls it, I included it. As ragingdragon suggests, it really performs (in my estimation) like a stub - and not a very broad stub at that as, as is usual with modern Japanese nibs, this nib would run about one full size narrower than most Western nibs.

[Hellmut]

Thanks for the review.

What is strange is that I was really expecting almost dramatic line variations, but...

Keeps me wondering if I really want one after all, or will order a broad italic instead.

[Mox]

The Sailor music nibs are a very good starting point to further customize them to italic nibs. The tipping material is abundant opening up a lot of options.