Lamy Oblique Nib thought?

[Doc Dan]

What do you all think of the Lamy Z50 Oblique nib? I was thinking about getting one for my Safari just to check it out. I was thinking an oblique broad. 

 

I normally like stub nibs, but this looks interesting. I've never used an oblique nib that I recall. 

[Mercian]

Lamy don’t make any oblique versions of their inexpensive steel nibs - the  Z50, Z52, or Z53.
(Well, ok, the ‘LH’ Z50 nib is an oblique - a ‘right-foot’ oblique, suitable for left-handed people to use.)

 

Oblique grinds are only available on their ‘premium’ gold nibs - the Z55, Z56, Z57, and Z58.
Oh, and the nibs for the 2000.

[Doc Dan]

8 hours ago, Mercian said:

Lamy don’t make any oblique versions of their inexpensive steel nibs - the  Z50, Z52, or Z53.
(Well, ok, the ‘LH’ Z50 nib is an oblique - a ‘right-foot’ oblique, suitable for left-handed people to use.)

 

Oblique grinds are only available on their ‘premium’ gold nibs - the Z55, Z56, Z57, and Z58.
Oh, and the nibs for the 2000.

Really? I could have sworn I saw a nib at the Lamy store marked OB. Maybe it was a gold nib and I didn't notice. I checked their website and you are right. They only make it in their gold nib. How disappointing. 

[manolo]

I have a OB steel nib for safari/al-star/etc. It came with a pen I bought from ebay, so maybe it is old. Its behaviour is nothing impressive, the cut is quite rounded.

But I always wonder about the gold-OB nibs. In pictures, they look very promising.

If you want an expressive OB, go with a german pen (Geha, Pelikan), a Sheaffer, or maybe a waterman 100/200. In my experience, these are the nicest.

[Doc Dan]

@manolo Thanks. I look into those. I drooling over an Aero right now. Since you said that, perhaps I wasn't seeing things. Maybe that shop really did have a steel OB nib that would fit a Safari. I'll go back over there and see as soon as I can cut loose. 

[Bo Bo Olson]

Go to Richard Binder's site for three days...and see what he has to say about CI and what not.

 

I have an 1990 Lamy Persona 18k, nail which was an absolutely no line variation OB.

Pendelton Brown made it a very nice CI....B.

A nail has no line variation if an oblique!!! They are a good nib to stub, but making them a CI is better.

....................... Pendelton Brown's writing and nothing was mentioned to what ink he used. So it was run of the mill from a decade ago.

This is what a nail CI will do for you....a nail OB, don't do anything.

 

I had words with someone who believed regular flex/Japanese 'soft' Obliques show line variation....by my book, not enough to worry about...got 5 or six of them...didn't go hunting them, sort of happened.

I have at least 35 oblique semi-flex nibs most are 15 Degree grind, & some 7 or 8 or more are 30 degree grinds....I've not counted in quite a while.

 

For good semi-flex obliques, you want German pens from the '50-70 era,....not Lamy which made nails.

 

I was very impressed by the discontinued Z55 (which is reputed to be a tad springier than the other two Z56/57...it is a 2X tines spread nib with good tine bend....If it went 3X it would be semi-flex...In I have oblique nibs that are regular flex/Japanese 'soft', that don't do anything, even with a honking big magnifying glass.

 

If you send it off to a nib master it is possible you could get an oblique almost  with luck near as good as a '50-54 Pelikan 400, or a '56-65 400nn.....both hold @2.00 ml ink...the '82-now 400/600 only has 1.35.

Geha 790 is pretty good too, be it gold or steel. Osmai...or older MB's that can be had cheaper than modern.

Lamy has always been the German 'Nail' pen company....Artus, Lamy's sub brand back in the day was regular flex...again nothing for oblique.

 

If you really want to get spoiled get the 400nn semi-flex...I think OB would be grand, in it's 1/2 a width narrower than modern so is a writing nib not a signature nib.......it only took me three years to decide it had a tad better balance than the previous 400 model.

 

The 400nn is my take one pen around the world in a zombie movie.

OB could be hard to find...I had that in a Pelikan 140...for a 400nn I have an OF which is just fine but wider will give more line variation. .

Look for OM....also.

Why settle for 6th or third class when the '50-70 German pen era has superb oblique semi-flex nibs.

 

Or get you Lamy nib made CI...M or B would give you nice variation.

 

Do look in Geramn Ebay for your 400nn, it should be no more than €120 if you Hunt...in the auction section ....Professional German dealers have US prices of $250-280, in they know they can get them and they got months to move that pen. Normal people put them up on the Auction section....and get what they can.

 

[Doc Dan]

Thank you @Bo Bo Olson. Good information. 

[ruby.monkey]

Z50 stubs are a good basis for cutting/grinding your own obliques - they're cheap, easy to swap, and have no tipping to worry about.