Nib Tuning For Ef: Dry Or Wet?

[jmwilder]

I've essentially resolved to buy a Sailor Pro Gear with an extra-fine nib. I'm intending to use this mostly for marking up documents in the margin. The vast bulk of this work will be on low-quality paper, e.g. Staples 30% recycled copy paper. My question: should I ask to have the nib tuned dry (to avoid feathering as I observe when I use my Custom 74 F for this purpose) or wet (to ensure the extra-fine nib isn't too scratchy when using the low-quality paper stock.) My handwriting is small to very small.

[BT-7274]

I'd ink it up with something safe and try it out first. You might not need to have the pen tuned outright as recycled paper isn't necessarily all bad.

[CAG_1787]

I'd give it a go with some Noodler's Black or some other dependable ink. An extra fine Asian nib might not need anything at all.

[jmwilder]

Thanks for the comments. To clarify, the seller offers this optimization service with the purchase of a new pen. I think I'm hearing that there no need to adjust the flow, up or down, at this point and that I can always send it in later for modification if inclined?

[alkman]

I have a Sailor 1911M with an EF nib that wrote and still writes wonderfully out of the box. The feed handles many inks well that are frustrating in other pens, e.g Noodlers' Tiannenmen and Sailor Tokiwa-mat. Both of those inks for some reason tend toward the dry side. Because it's so fine, most colors get really concentrated, which has its ups and downs, the Tiannenmen looks more black but Iroshizuku Fuyu Gaki takes on the appropriate persimmon color rather than the almost neon peach it has in broader nibs. The nib will have some feedback and perhaps alot more than most pens just due to the point size, but it shouldn't be scratchy. The out of the box flow on my pen was perhaps 6/10 with most Iroshizuku inks, if that helps.

 

The only Sailor nib that I find scratchy is the Saibi nib which is an inverted pyramid mounted at the point. On high quality paper the nib sings though.

 

Drop me a line if you any other questions.

[pokermon]

I would not adjust the flow. Since it is an EF, and you pointed out the two things you already might run into. Too dry and it might not be lubed enough and makes it scratchy. Too wet and you might have problems on cheap paper. I recently gave a Lamy Safari as a gift in EF. He uses it on cheap copy paper, and hasn't had feathering problems. Seems the combination of EF with medium flow works for him.

Edited February 1, 2013 by pokermon

[jmwilder]

Thanks for the responses. I'll follow your advice not to request that the nib be tuned dry or wet - and perhaps be forever deprived of being able to say that my pen is a 3/10 (or 7/10) on the wetness scale. All in due time, I suppose.

[akustyk]

I agree with the opinion that it's probably to be good out-of-the-box, as my Sailor Realo was. I noticed that, with use, the flow increased somewhat, which is to be expected, I guess. Anyway, an EF nib for bad paper needs to have medium flow, so that you can have some choice of ink. A too dry or too wet nib has the limitation of only allowing certain inks to be used, with a middle-of-the-road nib, you have more options when it comes to ink, and ink is going to be crucial for poor-quality paper. In my experience, I found three inks that perform superbly on bad paper (with an EF nib): Montblanc Midnight Blue, Rohrer and Klinger Salix, and Waterman Florida Blue. I should also mention Noodler's Black as a very good choice for bad paper, but I am not sure if you like black ink.

[Oranges and Apples]

Sounds like an ink problem not a flow problem.

[jde]

I've essentially resolved to buy a Sailor Pro Gear with an extra-fine nib. I'm intending to use this mostly for marking up documents in the margin. The vast bulk of this work will be on low-quality paper, e.g. Staples 30% recycled copy paper. My question: should I ask to have the nib tuned dry (to avoid feathering as I observe when I use my Custom 74 F for this purpose) or wet (to ensure the extra-fine nib isn't too scratchy when using the low-quality paper stock.) My handwriting is small to very small.

 

Since you say the seller offers tuning the nib to your liking, it makes sense, doesn't it, to discuss with him or her? Let the seller help you!

 

I see it as an opportunity to tell the seller how you will be using the pen, and ask the question about the ideal flow for your purpose. You may want it for example, as dry as you can get and still have the writing experience be very smooth.

 

Good luck. They are great pens/nibs.

Edited February 2, 2013 by jde

[UK Mike]

I would never have a feed tuned to be dry. But then I don't write so small that it becomes a problem. The only pens that I have rejected or had reworked have invariably been too dry for me. Even my Parker 61 way back in the 1960s had to be sent back to be made juicier.

 

Standard feed should be fine I would have thought - an EF nib won't be making big demands on the flow.

[rochester21]

The sailor 1911 that i had was already dry, any drier and it would stop writing. Better go with wet, especially considering the nib size.