Strangely Liking A Fine Nib When I Use Broads And Double Broads!

[zenshrink]

I just bought a Montblanc 146 size silver fountain pen with chevron engraving, mother of pearl star, and diamond in the clip. The one I purchased has a Fine nib and I can exchange the nib within 6 weeks. I basically like Broad and Double Broad nibs and never Fines. Oddly, I am very attracted to this nib and it writes like no Fine I've written with. It is a very smooth, wide writer, and very wet. It writes almost a medium line. I love line variation and have many stubs and cursive italics. This pen doesn't have much line variation but has some odd "personality" that I enjoy.

 

I keep thinking of sending it back for a broader nib but hesitate. I know some of you will say, " just keep it and enjoy it." I think I'm curious if others have ever experienced this.

 

Thanks

[inkstainedruth]

Yup.

I started out with a couple of cheapie Parker cartridge pens, that had M nibs. They eventually got replaced with a Vector, which I wasn't sure I was going to like at first, because it had an F nib -- until I saw how much further an ink cartridge went.

When I started buying mostly vintage pens, I was mostly finding Fs. It's only recently that I've started swinging towards the other end of the pendulum: I got a 1950s era Pelikan 400 with an OB nib, and liked it so much that when I bought an M200 Café Crème I decided to go for broke and get a B nib for it. And I like it a lot.

But I still really like writing with my F nib pens too.... Especially that first Vector, which now seems to write like a B, it's so juicy (much more so than I remembered it being before I left it someplace -- and in the search for a replacement, before I got it back, I eventually stumbled across FPN; the rest, of course, is history...).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Medsen Fey]

If I need to do a lot of writing, a fine or EF can really make it easier and faster. MB fines seem to be smooth and wet as a general rule, and are really nice to use. The 146 is a great size so that makes a terrific combination. I do love medium and broad (up to 1.1) cursive italics for the beautiful line variation, but for heavy volume writing, a fine is much easier. I really find I have no use for regular medium or bold nibs. I doubt you'll have regrets if you stick with a fine.

Edited May 4, 2015 by Medsen Fey

[Russ]

I too prefer broad nibs yet a good penman can make any nib create elegant writing. I enjoy no longer being so concerned about the width or softness of a nib but rather about enjoying the ability to use any nib to good effect. That is quite satisfying!