Best Italic Nib?

[dezzick3]

My mother is wanting to buy my father a nice pen for their anniversary, and I'm not quite sure what she should go for. He currently uses a TWSBI 580 italic which he loves. Can anyone recommend a somewhat more "orthodox" pen with a lovely italic nib?

 

Thanks!

[Arcadian]

Would a 1.1 mm stub suffice? If so, maybe an Edison?

 

- P.

[Uncial]

It will depend on your preferences for the nib too. I've listed below a few options I think are great, but they all differ slightly. There is also a very subtle difference to a stub and italic (which you notice more in terms of writing than visually looking at the nib). An italic can be quite sharp but will produce very nice crisp line variation. A stub will still give you line variation but not quite as crisp and will be a little more forgiving in terms of how you hold it. Anyway, my recommendations are:

 

Delta's fusion stub on the 82 models are quite good and the pens themselves are very nicely finished. They are very, very wet, forgive a lot and feel kind of mushy (very firm though) in the line they produce. Worth noting that the 'fusion' bit is glued on and will eventually come off.

 

TWSBI stubs/italics: I like them. Usually quite crisp, maybe a tiny touch sharp. Produce a lovely line. Some say they are dry. I'm not sure I'd go that far, but they aren't gushers. Good range of models to choose from and I think all models have an option for stub/italics.

 

Pilot Music Nib: you can pick this up on a custom model for a reasonable enough price. Technically not an italic/stub but sort of acts like one. Nib has a good bit of bounce and is nicely wet. A lot of fun to write with.

 

Lamy Safari & Al Star: stubs/italics at a good price. I find them both sharp and dry, but I've never had a bad one (some have).

 

Franklin Christoph: You can buy the nib on its own, tuned by Masuyama I think. The .8 or .9 italic is amazing. I have two and both are wet, quite sharp and produce a lovely crisp line. Very firm nibs.

 

Omas stub: If you have deep pockets and gallons of ink you want rid of quickly, this is the one for you. Truly delightful stubs - a true stub, not sharp, very forgiving, somewhat mushy line like the Delta's, but.....added bounce almost to the point of flexibility. It will lay gallons of ink on pages for you in a very short time. Not a nib you ever want touching cheap paper - it would create a terrible mess.

 

Conklin stubs: I have never tried one on the modern model Conklin's but those who have have often reported very pleasing results.

 

Hope that helps.

[Ghost Plane]

Auroras have sharp corners. I love 'em, but a beginner might not.

[Regulateur]

If your father loves the TWSBI 580 1.1mm, he will for sure appreciate an Edison italic 1.1mm steel nib. I own a few of both models and the Edison is a step above the TWSBI. I cannot talk about Edison's gold nibs as I have never tried them. I like the Collier better than the Beaumont which is a bit small.

 

Delta also have lovely italic nibs, both steel (Fusion) and gold.

 

My Parker Duofold International fine italic is disappointing; at best stubbish, not at all an italic nib.

 

Finally, the Visconti Homo Sapiens 1.3mm nib is not usuable for everyday writing, for me at least.

 

Good luck!

[EHV]

I think that if he likes the TWSBI, which I am assuming is the stock 1.1 stub, unless he has a custom grind of some sort, then he will like any of the pens that have JoWo 1.1 stubs but....I am also thinking that you are searching for something that may be a similar experience but maybe just a tad different so he can have something else available.

 

I would look to Franklin Christoph to be able to get lovely pens with nibs that are easily swappable and have terrific custom grinds.

 

You can start with their Stubs in different sizes or Cursive Calligraphy nibs or check out their S.I.G. nibs, (stub italic gradient) or the Mike Masuyama grinds in Stub or Cursive Italic.

 

All of these nibs are likely something that your dad may like. They have good explanations of them on their website as well as writing samples for most of them.

 

Secondly, Mr. Pen in the UK have some excellent stubs,cursive italic, etc. nib grinds in very decent pens that your Dad may like. Check their website too for good descriptions and explanations.

[Tasmith]

Check out Fpnibs.com: http://www.fpnibs.com

 

You can get custom ground when buying a pen.

Edited June 7, 2017 by Tasmith