Dip Pen Nibs: What Do You Use/ Like?

[larsenproject]

Currently, for both lettering and drawing, I am using mostly vintage nibs: Gilbert & Blanzy-Poure Nibs (specifically the No.2552), which I bought a small lot of about a year ago (I have nearly 30 of them in pristine condition. 2 are in current rotation for black/ colored ink). I also have a modest stockpile of Baignol & Frajon 2730 (about five with one in a holder).

 

My other two pen holders are loaded with Tachikawa (the spoon model and soft maru mapping model) for tighter lines with less variation. (These are great for hatching.)

 

For comic lettering I have been bouncing between Brause (No.180) and Tachikawa round tip (1mm). I have a bunch of random hunt, brause, leonardt and nikkon nibs, but I can't say I use them with any frequency. I bought a few random samples from my usual nib haunts to try them out, and found I liked them okay, but what I had was fairly better (for my taste). Some were to scratchy, some caught on watercolor paper too easily and some were just too finicky for me. I like drawing quick and dirty, and need a nib that will keep up with that.

 

Lately, I have been eyeballing Easterbrook nibs, because I seem to come across them everywhere. I was wondering if any of the nib users have come across them, and how they like the quality. The vintage nibs I have on hand now I like for springiness, line variation and consistency. They also almost never dump ink, even though I use them with a coil reservoir.

 

So, I was wondering if anyone out there had any thoughts on various nibs, what they like to use and why (what properties do they have). I'm a nib hound in the sense that I like to try everything, but I am also not precious. I care more about performance than aesthetics. Of course, price is a concern too. I don't mind paying a little more for a vintage nib, but if finding something obscure is going to cost me a small fortune, that nib better draw a picture on its own.

 

ETA: It occurs to me that I should also list the ink I am using. I use mostly Dr. Martin's Black Star Matte or Hi Carb black, Dr. Martin's Bombay colored india inks (mixable) or Speedball acrylic inks (also mixable). All are lightfast and waterproof. Different nibs behave better with different inks. I remember my Brause Rose nib loved thin inks, but the only thicker ink I could get it to work with was the DM Matte.

Edited November 8, 2014 by larsenproject

[Paddler]

I use dip nibs all the time, for writing. (My artistic talents run more to music than to graphics.) That said, I can't say that I have a favorite. I have so many types of nibs that, by the time I rotate through the entire hoard, I can't remember what the starters were like.

 

I am not a nib collector, but whenever I see some untried ones at a flea market, I usually end up buying them if the price is right. Some write well with fountain pen ink; some like India ink better. For fountain pen ink, my current workhorse is the Spencerian "Service Pen" No. 49. The Spencerian "Congressional" No. 28 stub is the current favorite for India ink. Who knows, tomorrow afternoon I may like Esterbrook's "Lady Falcon" better.

[larsenproject]

How do you like the bend on the Easterbrook and Spencerian? Are they stiff nibs or somewhat bendy? I see them on Etsy all the time. There is this one lady selling an impressive set of various nibs, but since I haven't used one before, I feel more tempted to try her single selections. That said, I'd like to buy a few at a time to save on shipping, but I don't know where to start.

[ac12]

Nikko G for most of my writing. It isn't as sharp as the 556, so is more forgiving.

Esterbrook 556 for a sharper hairline, but the point will snag if I am not careful.

Hiro 41 for more flex.

The Nikko G and Hiro 41 are still in production, so no worries about not being able to find it.

 

And I use a couple of oblique pen holders. They make the flexing on the down stroke much easier than with a straight holder.

 

As for ink prep on the nibs, I wipe the nib with alcohol before using. Something about the alcohol gets the ink to stick better to the nib.

 

Inks; I use Higgins Eternal and Speedball acrylic dip pen inks.

I also use any fountain pen ink that I feel like using. Ever since discovering the alcohol trick, I have not run into a FP ink that would not work with my dip pens.

[larsenproject]

Ah, see, it's good to know that pen snags. I ink a lot on watercolor paper, so I usually don't go for super sharp points. I found the Tachikawa soft maru to be a really great pen for fine line work, especially hatching, but I could see how the thin handle the nib requires might put people off. (I actually really like the feel of a straight handle, only because it is more like using a brush).

 

I've never had a problem using fountain pen inks in my dip pens because I clean them with alcohol instead of water when I am done with a session. But usually, i am looking for a more opaque line and waterproofness, which fountain pen ink doesn't usually provide. (The Noodler's Polar Black is nice for this, but I prefer to keep it in my fountain pens because of the price). The DM Black Star inks work really well for the look I want out of my blacks (and are also opaque when applied with a brush, which I use a LOT), and speedball covers any opaque colors I want while Bombay takes care of the semi-transparent stuff, and they all allow me to do watercolor washes over them later. But I can see, in terms of writing, why it would be nice to get a two-toned fountain pen ink on a dip pen. (I have been eyeballing that Noodler's Apache Sunset, because it looks so pretty, but can't justify buying a bottle for something I might use, maybe, perhaps... I did find that Goulet Pens lets you buy samples, so my next order from them may be a few Noodler's sample sizes to dip into.

 

I still have a few Nikko Gs in my nib box, and I like them arright in terms of performance, but they are very stiff. Too stiff for my taste, I think, but they are good, reliable comicking pens that almost never dump ink and go a long way with a dip, if you like thinner lines.

 

It's nice to see another Speedball user! They scan so well. I love, love that primrose yellow! I hate that I cannot find it in the larger bottle size!