Pen With Line Variation For Note Taking/everyday Use

[Misfit]

I get line variation from the Plumix as it comes with a M calligraphy nib. I got a Noodlers Ahab, and don’t really like having to press to get variation. It must depend on writing style.

 

The trouble with the Plumix is the oddly shaped cap that you don’t want to lose.

[Arkanabar]

It's also possible to find a Pilot Prera Iro-Ai with the same CM nib as the Plumix for just under $30 on Amazon.

 

As for FPR, the reviews on the site praise their flex nibs as surpassing Noodler's. But their stub nibs have barely any visible variation in writing. You can just barely pull it out with demonstration hatch lines.

[ParkerDuofold]

Sounds like a lotta work just to yell at you. Let's just hope the pen works well. Maybe I'll make a video and we can laugh at how poorly I write compared to the person in the video I posted.

 

That's just as well because there's already a queue for people waiting to yell at me.

 

I think you'll like it.

 

PLEASE DO a video if you're so inclined... ...or at least a regular review... I should do one myself... if I can ever find the time.

 

Enjoy... I hope.

 

 

- Anthony

[LizEF]

 

That's just as well because there's already a queue for people waiting to yell at me.

 

I think you'll like it.

 

PLEASE DO a video if you're so inclined... ...or at least a regular review... I should do one myself... if I can ever find the time.

 

Enjoy... I hope.

 

 

- Anthony

 

It's due to arrive next Thursday or Friday (why pay for shipping when you can practice patience? ). I should probably start figuring out an ink to put in it... Something that shades. I wish there was a list of inks that create an outline at the edges of the letter when you use a flex nib - love that effect, but I'm not sure any of my inks will do that.

[LizEF]

It's due to arrive next Thursday or Friday (why pay for shipping when you can practice patience? ). I should probably start figuring out an ink to put in it... Something that shades. I wish there was a list of inks that create an outline at the edges of the letter when you use a flex nib - love that effect, but I'm not sure any of my inks will do that.

 

It be here. What ink should I put in it? I narrowed it down by removing 9 inks I know I don't want to put in it...

1. Akkerman #09 Laan van Nieuw Oost-Indigo
2. Akkerman #10 IG
3. Anderson Pens Oshkosh Denim
4. De Atramentis Document Blue
5. De Atramentis Indigo Blue
6. De Atramentis Pigeon Blue
7. De Atramentis Steel Blue
8. Diamine 1864 Blue Black
9. Diamine Blue Lightning
10. Diamine Classic Green
11. Diamine Eau de Nil
12. Diamine Misty Blue
13. Diamine Regency Blue
14. Iroshizuku Asa-gao
15. Iroshizuku Fuyu-syogun
16. Iroshizuku Kiri-same
17. Iroshizuku Yama-budo
18. J. Herbin Emeraude de Chivor
19. J. Herbin Poussiere de Lune
20. KWZ #17
21. KWZ #27 IG
22. KWZ Brown Pink
23. Montblanc Leo Tolstoy Sky Blue (LE)
24. Montblanc Permanent Blue
25. Montblanc Royal Blue
26. Noodler's Dumas Tulipe Noir
27. Noodler's FPN Van Gogh Starry Night Blue
28. Noodler's Shah's Rose
29. Platinum Pigmented Blue
30. R&K Solferino
31. Robert Oster Blue Denim
32. Robert Oster Blue Night
33. Robert Oster Blue Sea
34. Robert Oster School Blue
35. Sailor Nioi-sumire
36. Sailor Sei Boku
37. Sailor Yama Dori
38. Visconti Blue
39. Waterman Audacious Red
40. Waterman Harmonious Green
41. Waterman Inspired Blue

...? The pen is warming up while I eat a very late breakfast (am starving). Then I'll wash it and check back for opinions....

[dan in montreal]

Getting back to the OP, if this is for quick note-taking, and if you don't really want a flex-nib, you can try to get something which is springy, such as the Platinum Balance ou Cool pens. They are sturdy and they will give you some line variation (not very much, but if you are going to use the pen to take notes, you should be fine).

 

If you want to go with a stub, the TWSBI (on the Eco, for example) and Pilot 1.1 nibs (on the Plumix or 78G) are good. Lamy also has 1.1 nibs for the Safari. All good options.

 

My personal experience with Noodler's and FPR flex nibs have been... quite ordinary. Even after tweaking the feeds, they are not the most reliable nibs / pens. I use them to draw and to write greeting cards and such. Notes? Not so much.

[dogpoet]

Certainly a Noodlers is the last thing you want to use to take notes quickly (quick for an Ahab or Konrad is it taking less than half an hour to et it writing, in my experience), and if the OP won't have something to lean on while taking notes, then they can forget about getting any line variation from a Noodlers barely flex nib in any case.

[Bo Bo Olson]

I've never had a problem with my Ahab...with out a Mod it's for super flex hard....semi-flex pressure needed to spread tines.

But I am use to semi-flex....and someone coming in from nail could easily a fat line.

 

A Safari is IMO with a 1.0 stub would be way too wide for note taking.

 

A Western F can be used to take notes....even if stubbed.

 

I think Japanese nibs which are @ 1 size narrower than some western nibs....would be too narrow to really notice. I see no real patterns when I look at a Western EF stub...which would be a Japanese F.

[LizEF]

OK, I posted my first impressions here. For the purposes of this thread, I actually think this could be a good pen* to fit the OP's needs, if his pen / ink / location don't conspire to make it blurp constantly like mine does (see the other post for details). Beyond that problem, the nib is fine and stiff enough to be able to take quick notes, but the flexing is quite easy, so one could use that to make headers or underlines or whatever. Also, it seems to be a wet writer, but I don't know if that's because mine is too wet and blurps, or if that's normal (you'd think a flex pen would be a bit wet, so the OP's desire for both not too wet and flex are probably self-contradicting).

 

*Unless it doesn't last, but I see no reason it ought not to, just mentioning since I just barely got this pen.

 

Edit: It was all my fault - I thought I had the nib and feed well-seated after cleaning (they're a very, very tight fit), but they weren't quite in all the way. At Anthony's suggestion, I tried again and got them to go in a hair farther. After 7 minutes of writing, no sign of blups, and the ink color is more normal, the flow not as wet. I can now recommend this without concern as something that would meet the OP's needs - he just needs to know that the nib and feed are really tight, so if you take them out for cleaning, make extra certain you've got them back in all the way!

Edited November 10, 2017 by LizEF

[Ted A]

 

It be here. What ink should I put in it? I narrowed it down by removing 9 inks I know I don't want to put in it...

 

Go to random.org. Enter 41, the number of inks you have, and spin the wheel of fortune.

[LizEF]

Go to random.org. Enter 41, the number of inks you have, and spin the wheel of fortune.

 

Thanks! Too late for this time, but good idea for the next time I get all indecisive (with inks, that's pretty common ).

[inkstainedruth]

 

Maps are available in most NJ gift shops... in the legend, refer to the attraction known as the "One man crazy house."

 

Btw, that's a great video... it's amazing what you can get out of a pen when you know what you're doing.

 

- A.C.

 

As opposed to a postcard I saw years ago (probably in one of the rest areas on the Garden State Parkway) showing "the NJ State Airforce": a close up of a mosquito....

Back on topic: I would also suggest a Noodler's FPC. They're smaller than Konrads, so that may be an issue (but cheaper, at just over $16 US). I found that I get more flex out of the smaller nibs than I do out of the #6 nibs on my Konrads.

If you want line variation, rather than flex, the Nemosine Singularities are pretty inexpensive (the other Nemosine pens are a bit on the heavy side for me -- YMMV). If I could find a pen color I liked well enough, the .6 mm stub is very nice (I got to try all the nib widths except for the .8 mm pens a while back in Birmingham Pens).

There's also the possibility of vintage pens with oblique nibs, but not sure what would be in the budget (I'll suggest those over flex nibs for vintage, which are likely to be budget breakers...).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[ac12]

When I take notes, I want a NAIL.

I want to take notes without any distractions, and a flexy nib is a distraction.

 

When I want to write flexy, I use a different pen with a flex nib, usually a G nib in an oblique dip pen holder.

 

The other option is a CI nib like a Lamy 1.1

[carlos.q]

When I take notes, I want a NAIL.

I want to take notes without any distractions, and a flexy nib is a distraction.

 

I find nails to be better for fast note taking. The only non-nail nib I use for note taking is a M200/205 springy steel Pelikan.

[ParkerDuofold]

As opposed to a postcard I saw years ago (probably in one of the rest areas on the Garden State Parkway) showing "the NJ State Airforce": a close up of a mosquito....

 

Yeah, it's also been called the state bird... but the mosquito is not without competition. There was a referendum a few years ago on whether we should should endorse the mosquito or the greenhead fly as our state "mascot."

 

It was a landslide for the greenhead fly in the coastal/wetlands districts, but the mosquito won out in all of the larger, inland districts.

 

 

Btw, the Singularities are good pens, too.

 

 

-Anthony

 

 

EDITED to correct quote.

Edited November 11, 2017 by ParkerDuofold

[pajaro]

Pilot Plumix. Pilot prera with an italic nib. Generally they write mediumish with line variation. Usually a medium italic or stub is the smallest nib that gives very noticeable line variation. The fine stubs I have , not that much. These are OK pens.

 

For real fun, Sheaffer Prelude with an italic nib, Montblanc 144 with an italic nib or a Parker 51 with broad stub. They are the ones I use for everyday line variation. Note taking, a Pelikan K400 ballpoint.

[friedrichwild]

maybe you should save some money and get a pilot falcon or even a pilot elite (E956s). Both have soft nibs (falcon's is softer) and they are great pens in general with 1k gold nibs and the do not need tweaking as much noodlers need in order to write properly. Plus, noodlers tend to leak more easily.

[Runnin_Ute]

I prefer something that doesn't flex for quick note taking. Although I can get away with my Pelikan 140 which has a bit of flex.

[dan in montreal]

A Safari is IMO with a 1.0 stub would be way too wide for note taking.

It's actually not that wide. I've used it for that very purpose for years. Depends on your handwriting, I suppose.

[thiagojp]

I love writing with interesting nibs, and it seems to me that thats what you want. In your budget, how about a dip pen? You will get the best hairlines and best swells with them, but loose the practical carry-it-everywhere a fountain len has. Not for note taking, but for leisure.

For note taking the best cost-ratio benefit in my opinion is not a flex nib. There is no modern flexible nib, only a few elastic or springy nibs, and most waaay outside your price range. I dont recommend Noodlers ( even though I began with a Noodler Ahab) because they have very poor QC and usually require extensive adjustments to write minimally decent, if at all. And also require huge strength to flex, wich isnt very comfortable.

I have a Pilot plumix and it is a lovely fine stub, but crisper than western stubs. A good modern stub is a Lamy Safary with a 1,9; 1,5 or 1,1 stub. They are not very crisp but have a very good line contrast and are quite user friendly. Plus you can buy one pen and several nibs, and switch as you like. Another good option is a Sheaffer calligraphy kit, it usually comes with 3 different italic nibs ( F, M and and is quite cheap. Or a Manuscript pen. I heard Kaweco calligraphy kits are good but I have never tryed it, so cant really back them up, but they do have good reviews.

Anyway, have fun writing! Welcome to that addiction, youll see how it will grow and grow...