Finest Line Width From Sheaffer "waverly" Nibs?

[Lloyd]

A member (not me) is looking for a true needlepoint (≤ 0.1mm) waverly style nib (e.g. conical Snorkels). He had a custom needlepoint waverly nib from Binder on his Pelikan that was stolen and now Binder doesn't make such a nib. I thought that maybe a Sheaffer upturned nib might give him a similar experience if it was fine enough.

 

Any other suggestions are welcome.

[Sandy1]

Hi,

 

Condolences to your friend.

 

perhaps the most narrow Waverley nib I've use was an EF on a Sheaffer 444. To keep the line narrow it was a bit dry, so pairing with a slightly free flowing ink hit the mark.

 

Most certainly the conical Sheaffer nibs are amongst the most comfy very narrow nibs in my hand. (So sorry Estie 9450.)

 

Not to plump a Vendor, but I'd keep an eye on the offerings from Main Street pens.

 

__ __

 

ETA: It used to be that when purchasing a pen from the renowned Mr Binder's monthly Pen Tray, one could ask for some nib work (Binderisation) to be done. I don't know if that service is still offered, so an email / ph call should clarify. To grind or not to grind? Or wait for a pen with the preferred nib width to suddenly appear?

 

Bye,

S1

Edited June 21, 2017 by Sandy1

[ink-syringe]

I don't think you will get >.1mm from a stock XF Conical nib. The F and XF are great nibs and (personally) have had luck with Palladium Silver F nibs for music copywork but that much of a needle is going to require a grind. Though in the days when I needed that fine a point the rapidograph was my way to go. I never look for points that fine in Sheaffer I would say the F is .3(ish) and don't have an XF handy to measure but I'll eat my hat if it gets down to >.1mm in Xf, G or accountant. Best of luck. I would think your best bet would be to get the pen you want in an F or XF and send it to Masuyama.

[Honeybadgers]

Mine is a western EF, bordering on EEF, and reversed it's equally smooth (from what I understand they were designed to write reversed as well, and I can attest that it's just as good, if a bit drier, though it never skips) and easily a EEF, maybe even finer than the 0.2 japanese EF.

 

Reverse writing will get you there, it's as needlepoint as a pen can reasonably be without actually being the scratchy, unwieldy, prone to catch on paper true needlepoints. Mine's just gorgeously smooth and fairly wet for how fine it is.

 

compared to the REAL needlepoint on my customized wahl eversharp spencerian, writing normally it's a bit wider, maybe 0.2-0.3, but reversed, it's 0.1-0.2. I used it to write the tiniest notes I've ever done for a math final (blue), the red is a pilot EF, which is much wider.

 

Honestly, this is probably my personal favorite nib from a daily writing perspective. it's just so satisfying to hold and write, and the conical nib is beautiful.

 

paid $85, fully restored by Nathaniel Cerf over at thepenmarket.com. Keep an eye on his website, his prices are pretty much unbeatable.

Edited June 22, 2017 by Honeybadgers