Italic / Stub Nib For Everyday Writing

[Honeybadgers]

I can't stand stubs for the most part, but italics suit me just fine.

 

It's all preference.

[DrAtomic]

I find that my writing preferences have changed over the years, as I started with a sharp as a pin extra-fine Japanese nib as I preferred the precise, small, exacting lettering it allowed. As time went on, I ventured into medium European nibs, and now find that there are times when a stub nib is just perfect for the writing of the day. Also, there is nothing quite like a stub nib to bring out the variations in inks. You just can't get the same shading with an extra-fine.

That said, my preferred stub is a 1.1 mm titanium nib as it adds a bit of variation. I do like the steel stub nibs, but the titanium just feels better.

As has been said so many times, it's all personal preference. And those preferences change with time (and day, apparently!).

Good luck on your stub adventure!

[A Smug Dill]

I agree with Smug Dill's comment that "Some people... here keep asking questions that ultimately comes to subjective experiences they haven't had yet". That certainly does include me so don't worry about singling me out! But ultimately this is a fountain pen forum and, although you may get irritated by the beginner questions, if we can't come here to ask them then where else can we go?!

I think that's a fair comment, most of us have been in the same position initially (certainly I know I have), and even when subjective questions are asked it's always because we hope and know there is bound to be someone who has almost our same preferences and can give us guidance and advice!

 

So as to avoid being accused (again) of intentionally derailing a narrowly focused discussion thread, I'm replying by way of a new thread here:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/352534-beginners-beginner-questions-and-personal-responsibility/

[bobje]

My recommendation would be a 1.0 mm stub on a Pilot Metropolitan. I can think of no other combination of nib and pen more reliable, and useful forever. Less than $20.

 

https://www.gouletpens.com/collections/pilot-metropolitan-fountain-pens/products/pilot-metropolitan-fountain-pen-retro-pop-gray?variant=11884885147691

[Tasmith]

Had my MB 146 fine reground into a cursive italic, ended up being .56mm:

 

 

Love writing with this nib.

[A Smug Dill]

My recommendation would be a 1.0 mm stub on a Pilot Metropolitan. I can think of no other combination of nib and pen more reliable, and useful forever.

 

My reservations about that combination would be:

• the Pilot MR (and/or Cocoon) is not very effective at preventing ink evaporation when capped, from my experience with the six that we have here; and
• the Pilot steel CM nib (that fits an MR, as well as a 78G, Kakuno, Plumix, etc.) puts down a ~0.7mm wide line on downstrokes, and I don't know whether the O.P. desires a broader line (at the widest) in his/her "everyday writing".

Even if a fountain pen is being used literally every day, evaporation of ink still occurs when the pen is capped and unused overnight, and the effective ink colour will darken over a matter of a fortnight if the cap is ineffective at sealing the nib and feed. An ink such as Diamine Marine or Ferris Wheel Press Bluegrass Velvet would quickly lose its characteristic colour and/or shading in such a pen.

 

It's been at least a month, and quite possibly two, since I've last written with my PenBBS 308 and 309 pens into which I have transplanted Nemosine (EF and 0.8 Stub) nibs. I just checked them, and both of those pens still had about half of a full fill by volume of ink in them, and wrote immediately when uncapped without any hard starts. Therefore, as much as I prefer Japanese pens and have sufficient respect for Pilot as a brand, I'd have to say a PenBBS 308/309 fitted with a Nemosine 0.6/0.8/1.1 Stub nib would be more reliable (if assembled properly in the first place) than a Pilot MR with a CM nib.

Edited March 2, 2020 by A Smug Dill

[senzen]

There is only one way to know.

Get a cheap stub nib and experiment!

+1. I don't think I'd have too much trouble writing daily with my one stub, in a cheap Pilot Plumix, but it depends on your handwriting.

[A Smug Dill]

I've been browsing writing samples here and elsewhere online and, like anyone else, have been endlessly drawn to the beautiful script written with some of these lovely vintage and modern stub nibs.

 

My question is about how such a nib would perform as an "everyday" writer. I generally use my own to take notes and write lists at work. No more than a page or two at a time, generally, but speed and precision is important.

_...‹snip›...

I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

My other thought is that you could elect to leave your expressive and/or fancy handwriting — in which you'll take pleasure in producing and presumably revisiting later — outside of your use case in the workplace, whether the core intent is artistic or meditative, for self-cultivation or for vanity. I love writing with my narrow italic nibs that were customised by Dan Smith at my request, but personally I don't worry about whether my shopping lists, customs declaration forms, and other operational paperwork are written in beautiful script exhibiting line variation and ink shading.

[bobje]

Thank you, Dill. The three Metropolitans I’ve used have been reliable in preventing ink evaporation. For a consistent, everyday writer, it would be a good choice. I think you’re right on width ... the 1.0 mm dimension listed on the Goulet site seems generous.

[GClef]

http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/m496/gclef1114/New%20Stuff/3DD23CBB-409D-4C9B-A92C-80476CF8D1BD.jpg

[Tasmith]

http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/m496/gclef1114/New%20Stuff/3DD23CBB-409D-4C9B-A92C-80476CF8D1BD.jpg

Awesome indeed!

[amberleadavis]

What about the Neomsines that are on clearance?

[A Smug Dill]

What about the Neomsines that are on clearance?

 

 

Aren't they all sold out yet?

 

...

 

OK, I see one Nemosine Stub option on one (non-Nemosine) pen model only still available.

[AL01]

Stubs are O.K., but I can't say much more than that.

 

My preference are Oblique nibs, because they can be used for cramming in as many words as possible, and for lovely expression.

 

If you change the angle you hold an oblique nib, (with respect to the slant on the nib), then you have yourself a pen that can not only serve as a daily writer, but also as a wonderful extension of your hand.

 

(Enough of my rambling.)

 

[Driften]

For me, I like stubs and cursive italics but I write much faster with my round nibs. Somewhat it's mental that with a stub I slow down to make my writing look nicer.

[Intensity]

You can easily use a stub or cursive italic for daily writing, particularly if you get a finer kind. There are medium and fine cursive italics, though your best bet would be to get this done by a nibmeister. On the budget end, Lamy's 1.1mm nib is actually more narrow and an be used in daily writing easily.

[A Smug Dill]

I generally use my own to take notes and write lists at work. No more than a page or two at a time, generally, but speed and precision is important.

_...‹snip›...

How do you think I'd get on if I were to swap my medium nib for a 1.1 stub or a medium italic? Would it slow me down or prevent me from using my pen in the way I need to?

You can easily use a stub or cursive italic for daily writing, particularly if you get a finer kind.

 

@Intensity, I trust that you can. I probably can, without compromising the style of "everyday" handwriting and the speed at which I execute it, using my Stub-nibbed pens on my paper of choice. But the O.P. wants to know if he can, and that's not an objective frame of reference; and nobody else here "is" him, or use exactly the same handwriting technique and same selections of inks and paper for "everyday" writing and with exactly the same requirements in terms of "speed and precision".

 

My "problem" is that the O.P. hasn't even showed videos of him writing (to illustrate the handwriting style, technique and speed in question), or photos of writing samples, or described in several hundred words how he writes. How are we supposed to grasp his actual specifications, requirements and constraints without that, and give him a "simple" yes-no (or X% probability) answer?

[TheDutchGuy]

On the budget end, Lamy's 1.1mm nib is actually more narrow and an be used in daily writing easily.

 

 

I once ordered a bunch of steel stubs from the likes of Kaweco and Lamy. Turned out that the Lamy 1.1 is an italic, which was not clear to me before I bought it (in the same sense that it wasn’t initially clear to me that a MB 146 EF nib would get me an architect nib). So that was a surprise. On the plus side, it’s wonderfully crisp with razor-sharp line demarcation. On the down side, well, it’s razor sharp. You don’t want to rotate that nib even a tiny bit or it will bite the paper.

 

Writing-wise, I’ve found that for me, ‘big stubs’ are usable only for headers and calligraphy and such. ‘Narrow stubs’, on the other hand, are fantastic for cursive writing or even ordinary writing. I recently did a re-grind on a Parker 51 M (which really was much more like a big, fat and turned it into a mini-stub. Wonderful stuff.

 

Here are some writing samples.

 

[tinta]

Wrote oblique for 34 + years with a Pelikan OBB as a daily writer (a sort of a stub).

 

My first venture into the world of stubs started with a Sailor 14c MS (a 1.15 mm stub-like nib). It was suggested that I get that Music nib modified to a 0.8 mm stub. I sent it to John Mottishaw & the rest became history.

 

This worked well for a while & with each new Sailor pen I continued to use the same 14c MS nib as the base for customization: first a 1.1 mm. CI, & a 0.7 mm. stub by John, then a round-nosed 6.0 mm. cursive italic nib from Mike Masuyama. The more I used the wider italics for daily writing, the more I wished that these nibs would be a bit narrower. My cursive writing has been getting smaller as I age. Narrower stubs tend to keep my loops open.

 

Pendleton Brown ground some 14c Kaweco/Bock 060 nibs for me from a BB, then two Bs & an finally an M. All were ground to Pendleton's signature BLS (Butter-Line-Stubs). As the stubs got narrower, my writing pleasure increased. So did my writing speed.

For me, the "sweet spot" for a stub width, for writing manouverability, seems to be around a European "M", (between 0.4 - 0.5 mm).

 

I'm now (patiently) waiting for a Sailor 14c B nib to be stubbed a (B-L-S). Sailor nibs seem narrower than what their size indicate. A Sailor "B" nib may be as narrow as a European "M".

It will be in my 'sweet spot' size to produce a terrific daily writer. I can't wait for this particular Sailor to arrive.

 

Some of my wider cursive italics I have given to a dear relative & pen-friend. The variety of wider italics I still own will serve me well for specific writing or printing jobs. But a medium to small stub is best for my daily writing.

[Andrew_L]

https://images.vfl.ru/ii/1585406161/8ea23aed/30029566.jpg
ASA Patriot w/Italic Crisp F, Diamine Bilberry, Podillya 48p square.

https://images.vfl.ru/ii/1585406161/05cc8f8f/30029567.jpg