Looking for Juicy F nibs

[JFT]

Hello all,

 

I've finally settled on what my next pen should have and/or be:

- Wet F nib (I dont mind if the F turn to M due to flow)

- Not a nail, I want some springiness.

- My main pen is a Patrician so I tend to like larger pen with some heft (but as long it is bigger than a M200 I could consider)

- Pelikan M200/M400 are too small

- I like smooth nib but I could live with some tooth (after reading the italian pen forum I'm getting curious!)

- C/C is ok with me as I like to change ink color often (only 1 pen in working condition )

- I like to post my pen

- 200-250$ budget new

 

I love my Patrician but the medium nib is not wet enough with some inks that I'd really like to use. With those the color is too ligh hence why I'm looking for a juicy nib.

 

 

Here's a short list of what I had in mind so far but I'd really appreciate any input and suggestion

 

- Visconti Van Gogh Maxi F (I actually tried one but only dipped)

- Stipula Castoni F (just from reading the review here)

- Sailor Professional Gear F (never held one in my hand as I couldn't find a Sailor dealer in Montreal yet )

 

Dipping a pen at a shop never says the "real" story as whether is is a dry or wet pen hence why I'm very much looking forward for advices.

 

Thank you!

 

 

 

[langere]

Wow, great choices! I know the Sailor and the Visconti. I can tell you that the Sailor is not that flexible - the Visconti is more so. The Visconti Van Gogh is IMO aesthetically much more interesting. But both have relatively wet F nibs - that's what I have for both. I don't know about the Stipula, however.

 

I think you can't really go wrong with any of them, though as I said the Sailor is not very flexible in my experience. As always, it depends on your own taste.

 

Good luck!

 

Erick

[Steven]

I find the following pens with fine nibs to write wet and smooth: Pilot VP, Lamy 2000, and Lamy Studio Palladium. The Palladium has more flex then the others. The Pilot is the smoothest. All are great writers.

[simonrob]

Hello all,

 

I've finally settled on what my next pen should have and/or be:

- Wet F nib (I dont mind if the F turn to M due to flow)

- Not a nail, I want some springiness.

- My main pen is a Patrician so I tend to like larger pen with some heft (but as long it is bigger than a M200 I could consider)

- Pelikan M200/M400 are too small

- I like smooth nib but I could live with some tooth (after reading the italian pen forum I'm getting curious!)

- C/C is ok with me as I like to change ink color often (only 1 pen in working condition )

- I like to post my pen

- 200-250$ budget new

 

I love my Patrician but the medium nib is not wet enough with some inks that I'd really like to use. With those the color is too ligh hence why I'm looking for a juicy nib.

 

 

Here's a short list of what I had in mind so far but I'd really appreciate any input and suggestion

 

- Visconti Van Gogh Maxi F (I actually tried one but only dipped)

- Stipula Castoni F (just from reading the review here)

- Sailor Professional Gear F (never held one in my hand as I couldn't find a Sailor dealer in Montreal yet )

 

Dipping a pen at a shop never says the "real" story as whether is is a dry or wet pen hence why I'm very much looking forward for advices.

 

Thank you!

 

If you want enough spring for the nib to qualify as semi-flexible, consider buying a Namiki Falcon from richardspens.com or nibs.com. They don't have much heft (very light, actually) but are longer than Pelikan M200 and have marvelous, springy nibs that even allow for some line variation if you want it. The two I have are on the wet side (flexible nibs have to be), but if you buy one from either of those two sources they will make it as wet as you want before sending it to you. (nibs.com also sell Sailor, so if you want one of those consider buying that from them too for the same reason - though they aren't flexible/springy; neither sells Visconti or Stipula.) Considering how wonderfully they write, they're quite a bargain. Then again, they're available in black only these days, so if you want other colours....

 

I'm very fond of the look of Visconti Maxis and in my experience they tend to be fairly wet, so they may suit, but while the nibs have some spring, that's all it is - there's no real flexing going on (though maybe you don't want that). As for Stipula, maybe I've just been unlucky, but the four I've tried all have problems skipping at the start of downstrokes, so I've pretty much written them off....

 

Simon

[TMLee]

Juicy fine nib = PILOT Custom flexy 742 FA nib (falcon nib)

[JFT]

Thanks you all for your advice, keep them coming

 

 

Wow, great choices! I know the Sailor and the Visconti. I can tell you that the Sailor is not that flexible - the Visconti is more so. The Visconti Van Gogh is IMO aesthetically much more interesting. But both have relatively wet F nibs - that's what I have for both. I don't know about the Stipula, however.

 

I think you can't really go wrong with any of them, though as I said the Sailor is not very flexible in my experience. As always, it depends on your own taste.

 

Good luck!

 

Erick

 

That is very good news indeed. I'm just looking for some spring, not necessarily for flex. Is the Sailor a nail?

 

 

I find the following pens with fine nibs to write wet and smooth: Pilot VP, Lamy 2000, and Lamy Studio Palladium. The Palladium has more flex then the others. The Pilot is the smoothest. All are great writers.

 

Thanks for the suggestion, of the 3 the Palladium might have been interesting but from the look of it it seems way too thin. I have not yet "matured" into hooded, semi-hooded and or retractable nib I'm sure it is just a question of time but for now I'm still immune to them. (I was "immune" to demonstrator and now I'm starting to feel drawn to them so I guess it's just a question of time before hooded nib becomes attractive )

 

 

If you want enough spring for the nib to qualify as semi-flexible, consider buying a Namiki Falcon from richardspens.com or nibs.com. They don't have much heft (very light, actually) but are longer than Pelikan M200 and have marvelous, springy nibs that even allow for some line variation if you want it. The two I have are on the wet side (flexible nibs have to be), but if you buy one from either of those two sources they will make it as wet as you want before sending it to you. (nibs.com also sell Sailor, so if you want one of those consider buying that from them too for the same reason - though they aren't flexible/springy; neither sells Visconti or Stipula.) Considering how wonderfully they write, they're quite a bargain. Then again, they're available in black only these days, so if you want other colours....

 

I'm very fond of the look of Visconti Maxis and in my experience they tend to be fairly wet, so they may suit, but while the nibs have some spring, that's all it is - there's no real flexing going on (though maybe you don't want that). As for Stipula, maybe I've just been unlucky, but the four I've tried all have problems skipping at the start of downstrokes, so I've pretty much written them off....

 

Simon

 

I must admit I am curious of the Falcon, but I didn't saw any "in the flesh" yet. However they appears very small in pictures, somewhere around M200 size thickness, is that the case? I get cramp whenever I write with M200 sized pen so Happy to know the Falcon is longer but is it thicker as well?

 

The Falcon flexiness is sure catching my interest! What I'm looking for, for now, doesn't need to be flex just to have some spring.

 

 

Juicy fine nib = PILOT Custom flexy 742 FA nib (falcon nib)

 

One question: Where do I find these? Ever since learning of the 742 and 743 I would be VERY interested in seeing/trying one. But they seem unavailable Is there a way other than ebay to buy these? And can one be had for 250$ ?

 

 

Thanks again to all that answered so far, keep the advice coming!

 

 

[Titivillus]

...

Here's a short list of what I had in mind so far but I'd really appreciate any input and suggestion

 

- Visconti Van Gogh Maxi F (I actually tried one but only dipped)

 

 

I've got a Visconti Van Gogh in the Swisher laguna green that is a much juicer fine that I want. I've been trying to figure out how to make it dryer so maybe the way is to find another pen :ltcapd: Maybe we can deal

 

Kurt

[Jeff E]

...

Here's a short list of what I had in mind so far but I'd really appreciate any input and suggestion

 

- Visconti Van Gogh Maxi F (I actually tried one but only dipped)

 

 

I've got a Visconti Van Gogh in the Swisher laguna green that is a much juicer fine that I want. I've been trying to figure out how to make it dryer so maybe the way is to find another pen :ltcapd: Maybe we can deal

 

Kurt

 

I also own a Visconti Van Gogh in laguna green with a fine nib. It has a wonderful, smooth wet nib. I love it and would not trade or sell it. IMHO, go with the Van Gogh!

 

Jeff

[simonrob]

If you want enough spring for the nib to qualify as semi-flexible, consider buying a Namiki Falcon from richardspens.com or nibs.com. They don't have much heft (very light, actually) but are longer than Pelikan M200 and have marvelous, springy nibs that even allow for some line variation if you want it. The two I have are on the wet side (flexible nibs have to be), but if you buy one from either of those two sources they will make it as wet as you want before sending it to you. (nibs.com also sell Sailor, so if you want one of those consider buying that from them too for the same reason - though they aren't flexible/springy; neither sells Visconti or Stipula.) Considering how wonderfully they write, they're quite a bargain. Then again, they're available in black only these days, so if you want other colours....

 

I'm very fond of the look of Visconti Maxis and in my experience they tend to be fairly wet, so they may suit, but while the nibs have some spring, that's all it is - there's no real flexing going on (though maybe you don't want that). As for Stipula, maybe I've just been unlucky, but the four I've tried all have problems skipping at the start of downstrokes, so I've pretty much written them off....

 

Simon

 

I must admit I am curious of the Falcon, but I didn't saw any "in the flesh" yet. However they appears very small in pictures, somewhere around M200 size thickness, is that the case? I get cramp whenever I write with M200 sized pen so Happy to know the Falcon is longer but is it thicker as well?

 

The Falcon flexiness is sure catching my interest! What I'm looking for, for now, doesn't need to be flex just to have some spring.

 

 

Juicy fine nib = PILOT Custom flexy 742 FA nib (falcon nib)

 

One question: Where do I find these? Ever since learning of the 742 and 743 I would be VERY interested in seeing/trying one. But they seem unavailable Is there a way other than ebay to buy these? And can one be had for 250$ ?

 

 

Every now and then the Pilot FAs show up on the pentrace greenboard or the market forum here; that's where I got mine. Or you can import one from here:

 

http://ujuku.jpn.ph/KAIMONO/penframe.htm

 

But before buying one you should read some of the reviews/comments here. They're very fine, and the tines spread a surprising amount for a modern pen, but the ink supply doesn't keep up if you write fast and flex for more than a fairly short distance; the result is two very fine parallel lines .... Richard Binder apparently has a solution for this - I'm looking forward to trying it when I get it back from him. If you're more interested in spring than actual flex, try one of the Pilots with a "soft" nib: presumably they won't have that particular problem (I've not tried one myself, however); there are several at the ujuku site. You won't find these too small!

 

As for the Namiki Falcon, no, I don't think it's thicker than a Pelikan 200 (but mine's at the office, and I'm not, so I can't check for sure). But if you get the chance to try one in person, do so anyway - there's more to comfort than thickness: weight, balance, etc. matter too.

 

Simon