What is a Music nib?

[nhsmitty]

I'm sure these are repeat questions. I did a search and still confused. Thanks in advance for replies.

 

How is a music nib different from regular FP nibs or calligraphy nibs?

What kind of kind of line will a music nib lay down?

Are there different size music nibs?

 

Will it produce the expressive look of an extra fine calligraphy nib when used for handwriting, but with a finer line? If so, this may be what I am looking for!

 

A local art and crafts store has a Manuscript Artists Calligraphy set containing a music nib among the nibs provided in the set. Appears to be finer than the extra fine calligraphy nib I'm currently using. This is what sparked my interest since I'm using a couple of fine and extra fine calligraphy nibbed pens as daily pens. Even though I'm not practicing calligraphy, I like the look of my handwriting with the calligraphy nibs. Thus, my questions.

 

[Richard]

Here is my glossary's definition of a music nib:

 

music nib A nib that is relatively flexible and has a tip shaped like a broad stub italic with very soft edges (illustrated below) to allow for extreme freedom of use, especially at very high angles of elevation relative to the paper, as when a composer or arranger writes on the music desk while sitting at a piano. Music nibs often have three tines to support a very heavy flow.

 

http://www.richardspens.com/images/ref_info/glossary/music_shape.jpg

 

Some music nibs have two tines, some have three. It's fairly important to understand that just because a manufacturer calls it a music nib, that doesn't necessarily make it one. I've seen modern commercial "music nibs" that were stiff, had poor flow, and were shaped like clumsily-rounded boxes.

 

There are music nibs in different sizes; typically, modern commercial music nibs are on the order of 1.0 to 1.2 mm wide. Music nibs can produce "brush" calligraphy, but they aren't crisp enough to do "formal" italic work.

[nhsmitty]

Thanks, Richard.

 

Does anyone have experience with the Manuscript music nib thats in the Artists Calligraphy set?

[Elaine]

Interesting. I finally bought a Platinum Koi. I've wanted one for a long time. What sent me over the edge was the music nib. I figured I could use it for calligraphy. I misunderstood what a music nib is like and I've also seen your (Richard) comments on Platinum music nibs not being really a music nib. Now I'm in a bit of a quandary. The pen is absolutely gorgeous. Writing with it is a sensual experience. Perhaps it's just that it's a wide nib and therefore glides along on a generous pool of ink. The problem is that I prefer a less broad nib. I do enjoy writing with it, but I don't know how practical it is (practical, you want practical?). I've even thought of seeing if I could have it turned into an italic so I could use it for calligraphy. But I can't imagine doing anything to change this nib as it's so nice to write with. So, I'm probably just going to play with it as is for now.