A Buttery Smooth Nib & Ergonomic Pen To Hold

[ibrahim]

Lamy 2000 has a bit of a tooth, and there is that spot that holds the clip that seemed to me in the way. Not the pen and had to give it away!

 

Pilot Falcon is smooth, but not buttery smooth and it feels strange in the hand... Not the right balance.

 

Waterman Carene seems to have a buttery smooth nib, but I don't like its weight, especially as I want to write for hours, and that is the whole purpose behind investing in a fountain pen that just glides across the page and is buttery smooth.

 

I heard that the Platinum 3776 is far from buttery smooth. It does have a touch of feedback.

 

So what is a buttery smooth nib & ergonomic pen to hold that seems to blend in the hand and is a joy to write with for hours and hours?

[dapprman]

It's all down to personal preference. I find Faber-Castel have some of the sweetest steel nibs out, however the Ambition can be too thin for some people, while the E-Motion can be too fat and heavy. Not tried a Loom or Ondoro.

 

It might be worth seeing if there's a fountain pen club near you as you might be able to try pens of some of the members while getting local advice. Key thing will be to find the weight and width that best suit you.

[ibrahim]

I tried Faber Castell Loom but it felt heavy for my taste. I did enjoy its nib though.

[tgoto]

OMAS pens have a great balance of weight and smooth nib out of factory but the company does not exist anymore.

 

I would recommend to find a pen that you feel comfortable holding and the nib can be smoothed out later. In my case Aurora Optima is the most comfortable pen in my hand but the nib has some feedback straight from the factory. All it took was to smooth the nib on a mylar paper and it is perfect for me.

 

Some retail shops tune the nib for you for free as well.

[Bluey]

A Pelikan m200 or Faber-castell would suit. There are caveats with having a nib too smooth though.

Edited September 24, 2017 by Bluey

[Mister5]

Maybe a Franklin Christoph Model 20 (Marietta)? Or a Lamy Studio?

I find the slip/snap caps have fewer things like threads getting in the way than screw on caps, but they aren't for everyone either.

As others have said when it comes to ergonomics it's so subjective. One person will fine the "ergonomic" Lamy Safari triangular grip just the thing, another will find it totally gets in the way of their writing. Personally I don't find the nubs on the Lamy 2000 get in the way, but they do for you, and that's all that counts

 

Going down the vintage avenue, I don't find the nubs on the Sheaffer PFM or the more affordable Imperials are as obtrusive. And there is the Parker 51 which don't have the nubs at all.

Edited September 24, 2017 by Mister5

[Glenn Atkins]

Pilot Custom 74 or Pilot Custom 823.

 

Glenn

[ac12]

Didn't you post this question before at least twice, maybe more?

I suggest you look at your old posts, as the answer isn't going to significantly change.

 

A WET, medium or broad nib on hard smooth paper (like Clairfontaine), and a light pen.

Edited September 24, 2017 by ac12

[ibrahim]

Didn't you post this question before at least twice, maybe more?

I suggest you look at your old posts, as the answer isn't going to significantly change.

 

A WET, medium or broad nib on hard smooth paper (like Clairfontaine), and a light pen.

 

 

I followed the suggestions that people previously gave me and I have not been satisfied yet. That is why I am asking the question again because I am still searching and hoping to find Mr. Right, that is, Mr Right Pen.

 

It makes sense that a medium or a broad nib might be smoother than others, but from what I recall my Waterman Phileas M felt a bit too much for me. I like for my handwriting to look neat too

 

So, tell me, what should I do now?

[ibrahim]

Pilot Custom 74 or Pilot Custom 823.

 

Glenn

 

I once tried Pilot Custom 74, and while I like it and all, I still felt it was not "buttery smooth"; it did have some texture. My guess is, Pilot Custom 823 will have the same exact nib on Pilot Custom 74, don't you think?

 

Thanks a lot for your input, Glenn.

[georgeb]

If you buy a pen from a vendor who checks and adjusts nibs you can get what you want.

 

You can check nibs dot com and indy-pen-dance dot com. There are probably others too.

 

If you like the ergonomics of the Waterman Carene you might like the Cross Aventura or Cross Solo.

 

The ergonomics of the Parker 21 Super are good too.

[Glenn Atkins]

My 74's and 823's are incredible right out of the box, stock. If you're getting into this range without finding what you need you may be in the territory of a Pelikan M800 with a Mottishaw custom grind or a Pelikan M1000 that Pendleton has worked his magic on.

 

Spendy? Yes. What it sounds like you're trying to achieve? Yes again. Also, for me at least, there is a point at which smooth as glass is too smooth. Sounds crazy I know, but I like just an ever so slight bit of feedback. The Mottishaw grind on an M800 is paradise on earth.

 

Keep us posted.

 

Glenn

 

 

 

I once tried Pilot Custom 74, and while I like it and all, I still felt it was not "buttery smooth"; it did have some texture. My guess is, Pilot Custom 823 will have the same exact nib on Pilot Custom 74, don't you think?

 

Thanks a lot for your input, Glenn.

[Bo Bo Olson]

I live in Germany, and was behind the power curve for getting gel pens....at least in the 200 free ball points I got rid of when I got into fountain pens again, some 8 years ago.

A few months ago, I went through the ball point pens that popped up out of the ground like mushrooms, and found a couple of gel and hybred ball points.My first.

Suddenly I discovered why almost all noobies want 'butter smooth' at all costs. They had gel pens.

 

Many noobies do change their minds about 'must be butter smooth at all costs', with some experience. Many spend lots of time making the nib butter smooth, or hunting for that. Later I've seen posts were they asked how to get rid of butter smooth.

Butter smooth has a bad reputation on slick papers.

 

I do have a couple butter smooth pens, have a few toothy ones too. Toothy is like writing with a pencil.

Most of what I have is 'good and smooth' the next level under butter smooth. It allows some control of the nib on slick paper, and is smooth enough, if written with a light Hand.

 

Much more smoothness with any nib can be achieved with the proper inks and papers.....and lightening up the grip (Death Grip) and writing pressure.

 

How much of ergonomics is balance for you? Or do you just mean you want a fat pen?

 

I find vintage/semi-vintage (or the 200) standard and medium-large pens which are posted to have fine balance.

I find Large pens to have poor balance, un-posted, and even worse posted....outside the Snorkel, or a 52 Waterman.

 

If you want butter smooth, good balance .... posted, the light and nimble Pelikan 600 has nice girth, more than standard and less than the 800 (IMO a clunky fat pen)

 

IMO the nib of the modern semi-nail 400/600 nibs are fat and blobby, double Kugal/double ball so you can hold it like a ball point and write..........they are butter smooth.....with nothing else to offer in character or fun.

They will eventually when you get more experience and wish more from a nib, make nice stubs and Cursive Italic nibs, in there is enough tipping to do so. You can also have the top ground to give you a narrower nib on top than the bottom.....come the day.

You can get a stub made out of a semi-nail 600 that is butter smooth. I have one, it was butter smooth as a fat round ball nib also.

The 600's offer some of the prettiest pens in the world. :notworthy1:

The real great thing is it will accept semi-flex '50-65 era Pelikan twist in nibs. Do only buy German nibbed Oblique pens from that era, in they are stubbed & semi-flex and give a real nice line variation pattern with out you having to do anything. (I find Obliques that are not semi-flex to be a waste of money unless you are left handed or left eye dominant. If the last, the '50-65 German obliques will do the trick like Houdini.

 

So a 600 has nice girth, is very well balanced posted, has a 'butter smooth' nib.....that can be improved when you are ready for more fun with a nib than just 'butter smooth'.

 

If you wax your pen when you get it, you will never have posting mars.

If you refuse to post a pen, get a Large fat clunky or oversize giant 149/1000.

The Large 146 is for a large pen ,light, good girth....perhaps the new ones are butter smooth, like my Woolf...which is heavier.

I do prefer the balance and nib of a '50's medium-large 146 (great semi-flex nib) over the Large 146. My '70-80's 146 is a regular flex nib that is not butter smooth. So if you buy a used 146 make sure it's a modern one....for butter smooth. Used the 146 is affordable.

But for a new pen, one of the very pretty 600's would do you very well...and is butter smooth.

[corgicoupe]

When I read a thread like this, I am glad that I have fairly broad standards of acceptabiliy.

[Flippy]

Hi,

 

I like a glass smooth nib, but you may find over time that buttery smooth nibs might not always suit you. I agree with Glenn, get a 74. They have really smooth nibs that write well out of the box.

 

As for ergonomics, well, that depends on your hand size. Some pens might be more comfortable than others, which leaves you to resort to trying out.

 

Josh

[Flippy]

When I read a thread like this, I am glad that I have fairly broad standards of acceptabiliy.

Oh no, I am the opposite.

[Flippy]

 

 

I followed the suggestions that people previously gave me and I have not been satisfied yet. That is why I am asking the question again because I am still searching and hoping to find Mr. Right, that is, Mr Right Pen.

 

It makes sense that a medium or a broad nib might be smoother than others, but from what I recall my Waterman Phileas M felt a bit too much for me. I like for my handwriting to look neat too

 

So, tell me, what should I do now?

It's very hard to get a pen that you actually 100% like, and not everything is gonna be perfect. That's what 3 puny years of pen collecting taught me. If anything, I would recommend that you don't ignore the other pens you listed. They are very good quality pens that I wish to I had the salary for.

[sandy101]

An MB146 may be the answer or a Pelikan MXXX.

 

It's made of resin, which means it's not as heavy as the other pens you've tried, and comes with a western medium nib, which makes it smoother than the Japanese pen. I agree that the Platinum pens have a bit of tooth, but that isn't a bad thing.

 

Visconti's Rembrandt might also be worthy of consideration. The steel nib and resin rear puts the weight to the front, which is good - but it is about the same weight as the Lamy 2K.

 

I have the Carene and it is a heavier pen, but from my experience from the one pen one month, it might be worthwhile persevering with the Carene for a couple of weeks and your hand might adapt to it.

[senzen]

There are several parameters, starting with what you or I would consider smooth, the paper, the sweet spot for each nib, even the ink: a lowly Muji can glide with Sailor Souten, but not with Callifolio Équinoxe 6, on the same HP 32 lbs paper...

 

I haven't tried it but a Pilot 912 with a WA nib might just be answer, seems like a forgiving nib. What paper are you using?

[TheRealMikeDr]

If smooth is what you seek then wet is what you seek - I would take a look at the Visconti Van Gogh.

Edited September 24, 2017 by TheRealMikeDr