A Buttery Smooth Nib & Ergonomic Pen To Hold

[Glenn Atkins]

Not to keep harping on the 74, but the other thing that helps contribute to its smoothness is that the nib as some spring to it. It's not a nail like many other ~$150 gold nib pens. The 74 was the first "nice" "modern" pen that I got with a gold nib. it was so smooth on even crappy paper that it took me a little while to learn to control it.

 

Since, I have several Parker 51s with double and triple broad nibs that are just as smooth, but as you know, they are nail-like.

 

I may have overlooked this upthread, but have you thought about a Namiki/Pilot Falcon. These nibs are springy similar to the 74 and are very smooth.

 

Glenn

[dcwaites]

My most comfortable pen, size and weight-wise, with smooth nib is my Sailor 1911 Large with Naginata Togi NMF nib.

A close second is my Lamy 2000.

 

But, it really depends on what your hand wants.

Some really like the Jinhao 159, which usually comes with a very nice Medium fine nib, and is quite a fat pen. However, it is quite heavy, which some people like, and others don't.

[Maurizio]

Re Pilots: the nib on the Custom 74 is smaller than the nib on the Custom 823.

 

Perhaps try a broad nib?

 

I have a Pilot VP broad nib which is quite nice and smooth and wet.

 

I also have a Bexley Stalwart with a broad nib which is also a very nice smooth writer.

 

Check out the broadside, maybe you'll find what you're looking for.

[langere]

Yes, buttery smooth nibs are great for some people, but as Bo Bo points out, it's not the only nib in town.

 

That said, a Pelikan Souveran M400 sounds like what you want. Really light pen, but beautiful. And has a piston, so you can write and write and write...

 

A Visconti is great too and I love mine, but they are heavier pens than the Pelikans. A Van Gogh or something in that line does write beautifully smooth.

 

If you worry about balance, there is nothing like a Sheaffer, perhaps a Legacy? Nice inlaid nibs and great balance so you can write forever. Though again, not that light.

 

Erick

[max dog]

Pelikan M400 F is one of the smoothest nibs I have. Pelikan M600 F is also very smooth and finer than the M400. Cross Townsend are very smooth too. I find the Pilot Custom 74 Soft Fine Medium very pleasant too.

Edited September 25, 2017 by max dog

[Arkanabar]

Odds are, you'll wind up finding a pen that feels right, and sending it off to a nibmeister to correct any nib issues.

[DrDebG]

I would strongly recommend a Franklin Christoph Panther (or other pen that would suit your preference) fitted by Jim Rouse with a Masuyama Solid Gold nib. I really like my 14K medium cursive italic nib. It lays down a sharp line, but has just a bit of flex for expression. The Panther is a bit wider pen, but still lightweight with great balance even when posted.

[dukkimoon]

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?

 

Can I ask you what nib sizes you are using? I would say that Platinum 3776's vary widely depending on nib size. Broad and medium feel very different in comparison to F or SF. I absolutely love my Green Celluloid in medium and my Tortoise in broad for the "smooth" feel. Japanese mediums and broads are pretty usable in most applications. Agreed though, the fine 3776's have a toothiness to them, which most describe as the "feedback". Still love mine. Platinum makes some amazing nibs.

 

Similarly, for steel nibs, I like TWSBI and Kawecos, but I tend towards my medium nib options there, with which are pretty smooth to write.

 

I agree with other posters that Pilots are generally great right out of the box. Again, Japanese fines are really fine, and that can lead some (including myself) to describe them as less than smooth. My Pilot Custom 74 is a "Top-Five" for me.

 

With that said, Pilot VPs are, IMO, of the smoothest writing experiences right out of the box, including in F. Much smoother in medium or broad.

 

Have you tried using wetter inks? Usually, I find that, when I'm very close to an ideal "buttery"-ness, a wetter ink solves the issue in most cases. Paper choice also makes a difference (e.g., Rhodia paper is silky smooth on which to write).

[tgoto]

Odds are, you'll wind up finding a pen that feels right, and sending it off to a nibmeister to correct any nib issues.

That's what I ended up doing

I love Stipula Etruria but the nib was terrible. Ended up asking Mike Masuyama to grind the nib to ef. Perfect pen for markups now

[tgoto]

I would strongly recommend a Franklin Christoph Panther (or other pen that would suit your preference) fitted by Jim Rouse with a Masuyama Solid Gold nib. I really like my 14K medium cursive italic nib. It lays down a sharp line, but has just a bit of flex for expression. The Panther is a bit wider pen, but still lightweight with great balance even when posted.

Yes, Mike's grind is one of the best

[max dog]

I think buttery smooth is over rated. You can take a Jinhao and smooth the nib to get it buttery smooth. Just buttery smooth is boring after a while. What I want is a nib with character, that is responsive, wet, gives some nice shading, and some pleasant tactile feedback. Have a look at some Montblancs, new or used, Pelikans too. The Lamy 2000 nibs are nice, but not sure why yours had an unpleasant tooth. I also like the soft Japanese nibs from Pilot. As I mentioned previously Pilot Custom 74 Soft fine medium is really pleasant with some good line variation to boot.

[SpecTP]

Cross nibs are pretty smooth

[max dog]

Cross nibs are pretty smooth

Indeed.

Edited September 27, 2017 by max dog

[SpecTP]

I think the best path would be to bring your favorite pen to a nibmeister at a show and have them work their craft to make the nib behave the way you want it.

[ibrahim]

Can't I get a pen that is perfect straight form the box? I don't like somebody to grind a nib and mess with the tip of it. Nibmeister operate on a completely subjective basis, for instance, how you hold the pen. I love how buttery smooth the waterman is but the heft is a bit too much. One Waterman that I loved its gorgeous nib seemed to be above 40 grams. For a writer this is too much. I need a pen to journal with, to write extensively with, not to show off with.

 

Thanks a lot everybody for your excellent input.

[sandy101]

You want a light pen and a smooth nib.

 

Most of the cheaper pens that come with smooth nibs are brass - Mr Pens' range are lovely, but you'll have the same problem as you have with the Waterman. An exception might be Mr Pen's English curate, which like the Visconti Rembrant has a metal section, but a resin body - which works rather well, as the weight is concentrated at the business end making it more comfortable to use.

 

There are lighter metal pens but they are slim - so you might want to look at Caran D'ache who have the Madison or the Ecridor range, and S T Dupont have some as well I believe - certainly they have vintage ones that are light, but very slim and slim pens don't suit everyone.

 

The next step up is resin/plastic - the Japanese pens I have (from Platinum) are not buttery smooth - they grip the paper - but not in an unpleasant way, but I only have medium nibs. Maybe the broad will give you more smoothness. Resin with smooth nibs you start looking at Montblanc 144, 145 or 146 which do have smooth nibs. an MB dealer should let you visit their store and try them out.

 

This is based solely on my experience (although I'm sure someone with more knowledge of S T Dupont will chime in here). If you like slim and smooth, then look at Caran D'ache. If you want a broader grip and smooth - take a look at MB and if you want something inbetween, the English Curate http://www.mrpen.co.uk/contents/en-uk/d204_Page_160.html might do, if you can handle a metal section.

 

Would Bexley Pens in the US offer you something at a more reasonable price. They've got resin pens at more affordable prices. Maybe look at them?

 

Is there a pen club or show coming near you anytime soon? At least you'll get to try a range before you buy.

Edited September 27, 2017 by sandy101

[SpecTP]

The most 'buttery smooth' pens that I have experienced without any nibmeister adjustment were the GvFC, ST Dupont, Cross, and MB Writer's (Johnathan Swift). Everything else needed some adjustment or another.

[ibrahim]

Cross is buttery smooth? I don't think so. We have a Cross pen and it is an okay pen. Not buttery smooth or anything.

 

St Dupont may be the one but it is too slim for my taste. I wish it didn't have the metal grip and it was not such slim on the grip... It would feel like holding a pencil.

 

I love to have a Mont Blanc but they are SO expensive... I mean their pen is usually over 400 dollars. Isn't it so expensive?

 

I want a pen that is so comfortable to hold, never so slim, but not too fat, and reasonable weight, and it glides on the page so much so I won't hear a thing as it writes. Am I asking for a lot here?

[SpecTP]

yes.. that is asking quite a bit. As I pointed out, the services of a nibmeister would be more economical than paying for a MB writer's series or GvFC.

[ibrahim]

yes.. that is asking quite a bit. As I pointed out, the services of a nibmeister would be more economical than paying for a MB writer's series or GvFC.

 

 

 

To begin with, a nibmeister will charge no less than 50 dollars, at the minimum, and I am responsible for shipping and handling, sending the pen and receiving the pen.