metal vs plastic, & more

[Silver54321]

Metal vs plastic - Is it a matter of personal preference or of practicality and durability? I have three metal pens and two plastic.

 

How necessary is it to have a breather hole in the nib? (I noticed that the Waterman Phileas has no breather hole.)

 

Does nib size matter? I do not mean point size, but the nib as a whole. I've seen many different size nibs, despite their point size. The nib, as a whole, might be twice as large on pen "A" than on pen "B" even though they are both a fine point.

Edited January 22, 2008 by Silver54321

[DrPJM1]

In vino veritas or the proof is in the pudding. There are many different nib sizes and designs, but you have to experience each nib to see how it behaves and how you like it. The smallest-looking nib belongs to the great-writing Parker "51".

 

Oh, and don't worry about the breather hole. Some nib designs son't need it.

[fpfanatic5]

I don't think that metal pens are better or worse than plastic pens. I think it is a matter of preference, although metal may sometimes be more durable. Metal bodies usual mean a heavier pen, which some like.

 

The breather hole is not neccessary for some kinds of nibs. I don't know if you already have a Phileas and noticed, or if you were considering buying one and were discouraged by the lack of breather hole, but I assure you, it is a great pen.

 

It seems to me that nib size is more of an appearance factor than a quality one. "Flashier" pens such Mont Blancs and Pelikans seem to have longer nibs compared to others. Nib size also depends on the size of the pen, because manufacturers want them to look proportional. An expert will have to chime in on this one, but there may be a correlation between the length of a nib and the flex that it produces. I'm not saying that all big nibs will be

flexible, but just more flexible than they would be if they were shorter.

 

Hope this helps and isn't confusing!

[Goodwhiskers]

Some feed systems breathe through a hole at the upper end of the nib's slit, while others do not. The designs of the Waterman Phileas and Pelikan Pelikano seem to flaunt the fact that they don't breathe through the top side of the nib, while the Lamy Safari has a visible hole in the nib but breathes through a rectangular orifice on the underside.

[FrankB]

For me, metal versus plastic has always been a matter of taste. I generally do not prefer metal pens. I like a pen to have a warm feel and metal does not give me that feature. I also dislike metal sections. That is also a personal choice. If someone were to claim that metal pens are more durable than plastic, I would feel he had a valid arguement. However, that argument would not lead me to change my preferences.

 

Some nibs do not have a breather hole. It depends on the pen. I have found that my nibs that are sans hole perform perfectly well.

 

Nib size is also a personal preference, and something you learn from experience. I personally choose larger nibs as they suit my writing style better than small nibs. I happen to like Parker 51's, so I do use some pens with small nibs. But, for open nibs, I prefer larger ones.

[PigRatAndGoat]

I've never had a metal FP, but I want one for durability. My attraction to plastics lies mainly in lightness and the designs, which are usually better than metal ones. I don't know why, but when manufacturers make metal FPs, they either add in odd chunks of plastic that interrupt design flow, or make something that looks ugly (in my opinion). Some metal pens just don't look right to me.

As for nib sizes, it must be proportionate to the pen. But in general, I love large nibs (MB 149 sized is awesome). I haven't come across a pen that has a nib to big for it, and I don't think I ever will. The main problem is fitting nibs that are too small onto a pen. For example, the Omas Imagination (I think that the one. Hows that a metal pen done right!) is a large pen, with a disproportionately small nib. From pictures, many will agree. It's not a deal breaker, but a slight irk. Another example is the Graf von Faber Castel Pen of the Year. When posted, it is longer that the MB 149 (My pen benchmark. Hope to own one someday.), yet it has a tiny nib the same size as a M800. This wouldn't stop me from buying this pen, though. So, bring on the proportionately large nibs!

[Dillo]

Hi,

 

I believe metal and plastic is just mostly taste. Plastic can be a bit more resilient when resonding to shock. Metal would dent, but the plastic will not dent as badly if at all. If it is a good plastic, then it would absorb the shock without cracking.

 

The breather hole in the nib is only necessitated by certain feed designs. In many pens nowadays, it is just decoration. Pelikan Mxxx pens actually use the hole, but most other Pelikans for example, use a hole in the underside of the feed. Older Watermans, and such also use the hole.

 

The nib geometry sometimes affects the writing feel of the pen. But the way it affects the writing feel is dependent of the material used and how the material was tempered. The tipping material on the tip of the nib is a main factor in determining how the pen would write. For example, the Aurora Idea or Ipsilon (the pen in my avatar), feels stiff when writing on the paper. If I went to another Aurora, lets say, my modern 888C (88), the feel is very different, somewhat bouncier (I not talking about flexibility), it's somewhat hard to explain exactly. It's not very accurate to make a hard and fast generalization about size affecting bounciness or the lack of it. I've seen large nibs that were as hard as nails, and small nibs that were very bouncy. The feel is dependant on, nib geometry, material type, material temper, and tipping shape.

 

Dillon