gold v. stainless steel nibs

[mchristi]

As I contemplate a possible pen purchase I have come to a question. What is the practical difference between a gold and a stainless steel nib on a modern pen? Other than the price, that is. All of my modern pens, so far, have steel nibs, so I don't have any personal basis for comparison.

 

Mark C.

[Keith with a capital K]

The tipping on a steel nib and a gold nib is the same so in the case of a modern firm nib, gold offers no real performance advantage.

 

Real flex is generally only found on vintage gold nibs so if that is what you are looking for then it would be time to take a ride in the wayback machine and find an older pen.

[chad234]

While a gold nib adds a certain cache to a pen, and a higher price, I find little difference in actual use.

 

If anything, some steel nibs, like the Pelikan 200, Waterman Phileas, etc write smoother than most gold nibs.

[KCat]

While a gold nib adds a certain cache to a pen, and a higher price, I find little difference in actual use.

 

If anything, some steel nibs, like the Pelikan 200, Waterman Phileas, etc write smoother than most gold nibs.

I prefer steel nibs. I have a few gold nibs that I like but I find 18K to be too mushy. I have two Sonnets - both nice pens, one has been Binderized because I was uncertain about working with such soft metal. But the other is a standard Sonnet nib (which may soon become a KCat "sharp" stub.) I say "mushy" because i can't say "flexible" else we start having to define flex. But I discovered yesterday that i can get significant line variation out of the unstubbed Sonnet. I like true flex for some writing efforts, but on a daily basis I prefer a nail with an ultra smooth but sharp stub. Gold content is only part of the flex/mush equation of course, but in general I find steel nibs to just be easier for me to handle. Much as I love Pelikans, I'm not wild about Pelikan gold nibs - often they seem to slither around the page and i feel I'm not in control. They do work well on rough papers like Cranes silk laid air mail paper. the paper then controls the pen.

 

and that's where stubbing them comes into play. gives you better feedback for more control - IMO.

[dleibow]

Regarding flexibility, the Mont Blancs made just before and during wartime had stainless stell nibs, that have fantastic flexibility.

[chad234]

The modern Montblanc gold nibs write fantastic in my experience. I have 4 MB's that are in my rotation: a 146 Legrand, a 145 Chopin, a Boheme Retractable and a Classic (Generations).

 

The Boheme is the smoothest of all, and I would put it up against any other pen I have used, it writes butter smooth, and lays down a beautiful line. With a light touch, it can be quite precise, but with just a tad of pressure, it has nice flex and is responsive with excellent feedback on good paper.

 

There is a definite Anti-MB sentiment among stylophislist, similar to how Rolex is treated by Watch mavens (where JLC, Patek Phillipe, Blancpain, etc reign).

 

Yet, both are highly functional tools and wonderful instruments apart from their "status".

 

While I think Caran d' Ache or Pelikan makes a better pen for the money spent, my montblanc pens write well and feel good in the hand.

 

That being said, a simple estie with a nicely polished steel nib writes very nicely and feels just as good for a fraction of the price.

 

I just got in an incredible gold Waterman with a delicous gold fine nib, has perfect flex and Noodler's gulf stream flows well through it. It writes a little on the dry side compared to most of my pens, which is fine since it makes a perfect companion for a moleskin journal.