Stub nib in a daily writer?

[Mark9117]

I recently purchased a 1.5mm stub from Goulet. I bought it because I purchased a 1.1mm stub a few weeks ago and really liked writing with it. It actually made my sorry chicken scratch look downright elegant.

This is true if I take my time writing on decent paper that doesn't suck the pen dry and feather like a sandhill crane.

Does anybody use these broad stubs for daily writing (as opposed to calligraphic endeavors)?

Just asking.

Mark

[Bisquitlips]

I do. Although a 1.5 is a little wide for my daily writing / note taking I like the 1.1 italic the best.

Enjoy!

[tandaina]

Yup. 80% of my pens are italics or italic-like (antique Pelikan nibs have very flat tipping that gives a stub like writing experience on anything bigger than an M). These are my everyday writers.

However, to be clear, I write almost exclusively on Tomoe river paper. I stopped using cheap paper a long while ago. I have italics ground from nibs in size F to BBB. So I've got all the sizes I like. I just prefer italics, they are totally my everyday writers.

[Jon Szanto]

If given the choice, I'll use a stub/italic all the time. Having said that, for most daily writing and correspondence, I rarely go over the common 1.1mm width, and only use the wider ones that I have for greeting cards, special notes, or addresses. I sometimes feel that if I pick up a standard M or F non-italic nib, especially after writing with italics, it is almost like the color has gone out of the world. I just lose expressivity.

[kbrede]

Currently I'm writing with 100% italic nibs and concentrating on learning cursive italic. I mostly use broad italics that lay down a .8 to 1mm line, depending on which ink I'm using.

Kent

[rberg6868]

I have a lot of pens stub nibs but I recently got a medium cursive italic nib from Franklin Christoph that I put in a Levenger L-Tech. It utterly transformed the pen. I love writing with it now and it is so expressive. Fresh from Masuyama I found it to hook the paper a little too much so I quickly ran it through the three finest grits of the smoothing kit from Anderson pens and it is about as close to perfect a writing experience as I have had.

[dneal]

Most all of my daily writers are .5mm - .7mm stubs

[Potter]

I'll often reach for my 1.1mm italics, they seem to make my writing more expressive... (and readable)

[youstruckgold]

Another here for the cursive italics. Mottishaw makes a humdinger!

[View from the Loft]

My everyday writers are in the region of 1.1 to 1.3mm italics and stubs. The 1.5s I can use for everything, but I prefer to reserve them for work that needs to stand out. I'm no calligrapher, but I am used to fill in names and citations on certificates, and write the big presentation cheques. At home, I use the 1.5 nibs for labels and envelopes.

[Cob]

If given the choice, I'll use a stub/italic all the time. Having said that, for most daily writing and correspondence, I rarely go over the common 1.1mm width, and only use the wider ones that I have for greeting cards, special notes, or addresses. I sometimes feel that if I pick up a standard M or F non-italic nib, especially after writing with italics, it is almost like the color has gone out of the world. I just lose expressivity.

Perfectly put.

All I ask a a starting point is that the nib should have a least a quality of definition about it; I call it "edge" An Italic is an extreme example of this but so long as there is something then I am reasonably content. I am particularly impressed with a 1918 Swan I have which has a flexible broad stub; I find this delightful to use.

Cob

18366

[Fouez]

Most all of my daily writers are .5mm - .7mm stubs

Such as?

I'm looking for medium stubs but can't find many in modern pens. I like pens but don't want to tinker with vintage ones. I also fear cursive or true italic for dailey writing. Less sharpness and more smoothness is perfectly fine for me.

So, I would like to experiment before sending more valuable pens for a nib regrind.

Franklin Christoph offers a medium stubs... Nemosine? anything else?

EDIT: Pilot SU nib?

[Sailor Kenshin]

Fouez, the Nemos have very rounded edges...worth trying at the price.


I have a love/hate relationship with stubs/cursives/italics. I love the thick-thin lines. But as a southpaw hooker, I struggle with using them. The edges dig into the paper. The lines flatten out. I can even use Lamy's 1.5 without it looking too thick. But it still thins and flattens out due to my writing style.

Which is why I was overjoyed to buy a Pelikan with a TIPPED italic nib. It glides. It doesn't dig. And it still permits variation to creep into my line.

[dneal]

Most all of my daily writers are .5mm - .7mm stubs

Such as?

I'm looking for medium stubs but can't find many in modern pens. I like pens but don't want to tinker with vintage ones. I also fear cursive or true italic for dailey writing. Less sharpness and more smoothness is perfectly fine for me.

So, I would like to experiment before sending more valuable pens for a nib regrind.

Franklin Christoph offers a medium stubs... Nemosine? anything else?

EDIT: Pilot SU nib?

Hmmm

2 Conway Stewarts with factory IF and a 3rd I ground to a medium stub
Visconti Classic I ground to a stub
Omas Ogiva with a Pendleton Brown grind
M800 Tortoise I stubbed
M605 with a Pendleton Brown grind
M400 with a Binder stub
M200 and 300 I stubbed
Montblanc 145 with a Pendleton Brown grind
Kaweco Sport 883 by Visconti I stubbed
Kaweco Sport 11 with a messed up OM that I corrected to a stub
Lamy 2000 I stubbed
Nakaya Piccolo with a Mottishaw italic
Franklin Christoph 40 Pocket with a Masuyama italic

Maybe more, but that's all I can think of. Also, "Italic" and "Stub" don't have concrete definitions. Some add adjectives like "crisp" or "cursive". I've found that you can have a very smooth, easy writing nib with a very fine horizontal line; so when I say I've "stubbed" a pen, I've just ground it how I like and don't worry about specific descriptors. I like a thin horizontal, and most would probably be called "cursive italic" by others.

Send a medium nibbed pen to Pendleton Brown and get his "butter line stub", or pick up a FC with a Masuyama stub. I think you'll find that you end up with a nib that writes just as easily as any "normal" ball-tipped nib.

--edit--

Dug around my Photobucket for some pics...

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa163/roomdog/Pens/FM800%20001_zpss6irxwkz.jpg
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa163/roomdog/Pens/SmallStub001_zpsbabb8f41.jpg
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa163/roomdog/Pens/SmallStub002_zps52c2aec3.jpg
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa163/roomdog/Pens/SmallStubs1024002_zps0ddd52f4.jpg
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa163/roomdog/Pens/SmallStubs1024001_zps3d33d504.jpg
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa163/roomdog/Pens/StubComparo002_zps9f4b2e70.jpghttp://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa163/roomdog/Pens/StubComparo003_zps7bf49e28.jpg
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa163/roomdog/Pens/StubComparo004_zpsc0eefae0.jpghttp://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa163/roomdog/Pens/StubComparo005_zpsed1c3680.jpg
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa163/roomdog/Pens/StubComparo006_zps48f8d9cb.jpghttp://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa163/roomdog/Pens/StubComparo007_zps75f2d8a2.jpg
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa163/roomdog/Pens/StubComparo008_zpse1ec8379.jpg

[Mags]

I just enjoy regular Broad nibs with a rounder and more forgiving nib. But yes a stub is for me the very next best thing. I also enjoy a left foot oblique nib for everyday writing.

[Fouez]

Send a medium nibbed pen to Pendleton Brown and get his "butter line stub", or pick up a FC with a Masuyama stub. I think you'll find that you end up with a nib that writes just as easily as any "normal" ball-tipped nib.


I'm from Canada and, as far as I know, there's no renowned nibmeister in the country. So sending a pen to the USA for a regrind is kind of a pain. A costly pain because I'll probably have to pay custom fees on the way back. I know it'll get to that eventually but in the meantime I would like to "validate my theoretical love of the medium stub". Theoretically, a butter line medium stub would be perfect for me.

So I'm back to square one. It's going to be a FC Model 19 with a medium stub from Masuyama... or a Pilot Custom xxx with a sutab (SU) nib.

@Mark9117: I did'nt mean to hijack your thread but thought that my questions were closely related to yours :)

@dneal: TY for the detailed answer. Great pics too! Your FC model 40 is fitted with an italic but for extra smoothness you recommend that I go with the stub from Masuyama?

@fellow Canadian fountain pen enthusiasts: if you know of a nibmeister anywhere from coast to coast, please let me know.

[Mark9117]

Send a medium nibbed pen to Pendleton Brown and get his "butter line stub", or pick up a FC with a Masuyama stub. I think you'll find that you end up with a nib that writes just as easily as any "normal" ball-tipped nib.


I'm from Canada and, as far as I know, there's no renowned nibmeister in the country. So sending a pen to the USA for a regrind is kind of a pain. A costly pain because I'll probably have to pay custom fees on the way back. I know it'll get to that eventually but in the meantime I would like to "validate my theoretical love of the medium stub". Theoretically, a butter line medium stub would be perfect for me.

So I'm back to square one. It's going to be a FC Model 19 with a medium stub from Masuyama... or a Pilot Custom xxx with a sutab (SU) nib.

@Mark9117: I did'nt mean to hijack your thread but thought that my questions were closely related to yours :)

No problem. I'm learning a bit and enjoying it.

Mark

[dneal]

@dneal: TY for the detailed answer. Great pics too! Your FC model 40 is fitted with an italic but for extra smoothness you recommend that I go with the stub from Masuyama?


If you're new to them, then yes. You might sacrifice a bit of line variation by going with the stub. I found the Masuyama italic to be pretty crisp and unforgiving if you got out of the "sweet spot". I tweaked it a little, to smooth it out and make it easier to write with.

Pendleton Brown sells pre-ground pens as well. He's got some Lamy 2000's for around the same money as a FC with Masuyama nib, and some TWSBI's for $120 or so. You can also send him a TWSBI or Pelikan nib (without the rest of the pen), which may help you on customs.

Richard Binder had the easiest writing stubs, I think, but he's not selling pens or nibs anymore. Pendleton's offer the best compromise between line variation and ease of use. I really, really like them. They can feel a little crisp in regard to the feedback (particularly on the downstroke), but they don't snag or anything.

[Sammyo]

I was just in a week long meeting, I used a Edison Collier with a 1.1mm stub nib to take notes everyday. I love how it writes and have found no negative issues arising from it. Love the pen, love the nib. I also took a Parker 45 with a fine nib with me too... just in case, I only used it once to sign a get well soon card, and I love that pen too so it's not just favoritism ;)

[inklord]

I just love my stubs - a vintage 18k medium stub nib scavenged from a broken late 1980's Pelikan M600, now installed in a tortoiseshell M400, ca. 1985, a Michael Masuyama med. stub in a Franklin-Christoph pocket 66, and a plethora of Lamy and JoWo 1.1mm stainless nibs - they seem to bring out the best in most inks, make my scrawls look halfway decent and allow me to vary my writing depending on the alignment of the nib to the horizontal... lots of fun, every day of the week! Thanks to all the inspiring contributions to this thread, folks!

[KBeezie]

I do like a little italic to a nib, but generally I tend to prefer just your standard fine or extra-fine nibs. I do find that if I get a larger nib size, such as B, I can't stand it if it's not an italic, for example the 14K B on my Pelikan 140 does a broad line down, but a thin extra-fine line across, I find that much more tolerable to me than using the 18K B on my M805 or the steel 1.0 stub I used on my M250 (which is closer to an F across, an slightly thicker on the downstroke than the B).

[erpe]

Does anybody use these broad stubs for daily writing (as opposed to calligraphic endeavors)?


A large part of my daily writing is with an Edison Collier 1.1, Italix Parsons Essential meb. stub and A TWSBI classic 1.1 so it is certainly possible. Only thing you have to watch out for if somebody hands you an unknown piece (type) of paper to write on, it may not like your pen & ink. For those situations, I always carry a Preppey medium with Salix and a KaWeCo AlSport medium with 4001 BB.

[Dronak]

I have one stub nib, a 1.1mm on a Monteverde Impressa. It is nice, it adds a bit of flair without any real effort, and I do use it for non-calligraphy writing, but not very regularly. Maybe I just need to figure out exactly how I want to use it, since it is different from the rest of my pens.

[ac12]

My favorite inexpensive CI is a Lamy with a 1.1 italic nib. The corners of the Lamy italic nib are not sharp, so it is easy for me to write cursive/script with it. I always have one of my Lamys with a 1.1 nib on it, though the best feel (for me) is in the joy.
My other inexpensive stub is a Pilot 78G with a B/stub nib. The B nib measures about the same width as a Lamy 1.1.

But for me, a stub/CI puts down too much ink for regular use.
I found for most of MY writing, I prefer a F or M nib.
I reserve the stub/CI nibs for special writing where I want the effect of an ink line with a changing width.
Although I suppose if I stuck to it, I could change to any nib that I wanted to, as my primary nib.

[KrazyIvan]

When I look for a pen, a stub or italic can be what pushes me over the edge to buy. 1.1 is my favorite.

[fpenpel]

Yup. 80% of my pens are italics or italic-like (antique Pelikan nibs have very flat tipping that gives a stub like writing experience on anything bigger than an M). These are my everyday writers.

However, to be clear, I write almost exclusively on Tomoe river paper. I stopped using cheap paper a long while ago. I have italics ground from nibs in size F to BBB. So I've got all the sizes I like. I just prefer italics, they are totally my everyday writers.

Couldn't agree more... I got hold (several years ago) of one old Pelikan 140 pen with one such nib (M), writes sort of stub-ish and it is just ... sublime...
The feel is there due to the bent nib (slight downward curvature of the nib, as well as the tipping that is (to my feeling) rather flat, as pointed out in the quoted post.
If I would send my nibs (on various pens) for grinding and possible slight bending downwards, I would love to find someone who can do a good job in emulating this nib.

Unfortunately, sometimes - due to the old ebonite feed and pen being disassembled earlier (nib & feed section) it writes a tad too wet, but still manageable.

[Medieval]

For a 1.1 stub It's one of the best for daily writing as it gives a touch of flair to one's writing. Wider is somewhat impractical after that.

[Robert]

I really like a good stub nib. Latest acquisition: a Pilot Vanishing Point (2018 LE "Crossed Lines") with a factory .7mm stub nib. Writes quite nicely and is a good daily writer.

[VertOlive]

Mark9117: you are not alone. All of my daily writers are 1.1 stubs or cursive italics. I use these nibs to make my psychotic scribbling appear as if it were made by a saner sort.

[amk]

I adore stubs and if offered the chance will always get one when buying a new pen - Pelikan IB, Edison factory stub, music nibs (if they count). It's not so often you get the chance! And I use them for daily work. The only thing I don't like stubs for is accounting - numbers seem to need a Japanese medium or fine. (That may just be me. I dunno.)

Cursive italics I find a bit crisper and just on the edge of what makes a good every day nib. For me, CI are more fun to write with but require a bit more attention.

[KrazyIvan]

I still enjoy my stubs. I have been getting rid of pens and one of the main deciding factors is whether it is a stub or not.

[amk]

It just occurred to me though. If you love your stubs... you probably spend a good bit more on paper and ink supplies than the guys who love UEFs.

I know I do :-)

[penwash]

My most favorite go-to writer is a Montblanc 344G that I bought from our own Piscov.

In normal mode it has this beautiful stub character that is hard to describe how lovely it is when writing.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/792/27530633678_e7ebe4bf50_c.jpg

[KBeezie]

My most favorite go-to writer is a Montblanc 344G that I bought from our own Piscov.

In normal mode it has this beautiful stub character that is hard to describe how lovely it is when writing.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/792/27530633678_e7ebe4bf50_c.jpg

I got a 1950s Export Pelikan 140 from him that had a semi-flex broad on it, that he himself ground to a cursive italic (didn't know til a little later that it was his own grind, but it was smood with a rather sharp looking cross stroke)

The second one from the left, last one in the second picture :

http://i.imgur.com/7WfN3ys.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/xl5udid.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/J7nTM66h.jpg

I don't presently have the 140 inked at the moment, so the only stub I have inked right now is my Danitrio Mae West, not exactly something I take out of the house since it's a cigar style pen.

https://i.imgur.com/w7Yw9jp.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/5hTDgQzh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/2dguCRkh.jpg

Not as likely to use above a 1.0mm stub for everyday writing, but if it's closer to a cursive italic (sharper cross stroke) and 1.0 or less on the downstroke I could easily see myself using that daily.

[AzJon]

Can we even have a discussion about stub nib Montblancs without mentioning my favorite pen to play with?

http://i.imgur.com/zLTfIbZ.jpg (https://imgur.com/zLTfIbZ)

https://i.imgur.com/6XSg2vf.jpg

[penwash]

Can we even have a discussion about stub nib Montblancs without mentioning my favorite pen to play with?

https://i.imgur.com/6XSg2vf.jpg

I love that pen!!

[KBeezie]

Thic...

[inklord]

i'm essentially regrinding all my M and B nibs into stubs, a few into a more crisp cursive italic, mainly because my favorite notebook brand uses an uncoated paper by munken that makes the lines widen a little (not feathering, the lines are very clean, just a tad wider); the regrinding makes my handwriting more crisp on this paper. so, yes, stubs and italics work for me as daily writers...

[aquafox]

Meh, I like stubs, I have a Lamy 1.1 but my tiny handwriting doesn't work well with it.
I tried to look up some easy lessons, or ideas to copy a nice script, to no avail.

I still quite fancy it for signatures and Italic handwriting for leisure though.

[penwash]

Meh, I like stubs, I have a Lamy 1.1 but my tiny handwriting doesn't work well with it.
I tried to look up some easy lessons, or ideas to copy a nice script, to no avail.

I still quite fancy it for signatures and Italic handwriting for leisure though.

As implied in the comments above, there are stub nibs that are way less than 1.1mm wide.

[KBeezie]

Meh, I like stubs, I have a Lamy 1.1 but my tiny handwriting doesn't work well with it.
I tried to look up some easy lessons, or ideas to copy a nice script, to no avail.

I still quite fancy it for signatures and Italic handwriting for leisure though.

As implied in the comments above, there are stub nibs that are way less than 1.1mm wide.

And then there are also Cursive Italics (and the harder to handle if you don't have a light hand formal 'italics')

A bit nit picky I know, but, I see a stub as being a bit too blobby/rounded at the corners, and getting a much thinner line across than the downstroke seems to make a huge difference when you start going smaller than the .9~1.1+ range).

Stub nibs like the ones Lamy offers, and most of what you can find pre-made like the Jowo #6 fittings, are going to be the easiest for most users to get used to without having to adjust their writing angle or pressure as much, compared to a Cursive Italic or Italic that offers a nicer contrast in the line variation. I personally like cursive italics with my light to medium hand, never owned a formal italic though, but I imagine I would have to go much more slowly with those.

I need to find myself a nice 0.7~0.8 cursive italic for my set.

[aquafox]

There are some that swear by the cheap Sheaffer Viewpoint: the fine nib is 0.8, described as sharp italic.

Although it is a right oblique, more for hand lettering that actual, day to day writing

[wingwiper]

Another here for the cursive italics. Mottishaw makes a humdinger!

absolutely..................!

i have quite a few of his pens:bump2:

[carlos.q]

Meh, I like stubs, I have a Lamy 1.1 but my tiny handwriting doesn't work well with it.
I tried to look up some easy lessons, or ideas to copy a nice script, to no avail.

I still quite fancy it for signatures and Italic handwriting for leisure though.

As implied in the comments above, there are stub nibs that are way less than 1.1mm wide.

That is very true. I have a nice 0.5mm Binder stubbed Pelikan M600 nib on my M450. :thumb:

43102

[jodylud]

I have small handwriting and have a list of pens that I'd like to have ground to cursive italic. Question being... are the EF and F nibs too small to even make the effort for a CI grind?

Pelikan M120 EF & F
Pelikan M400 EF
Lamy 2000 EF
Kaweco Dia2 EF (14k)

[penwash]

I have small handwriting and have a list of pens that I'd like to have ground to cursive italic. Question being... are the EF and F nibs too small to even make the effort for a CI grind?

Pelikan M120 EF & F
Pelikan M400 EF
Lamy 2000 EF
Kaweco Dia2 EF (14k)

I don't know about EF especially EF as found on Japan pens.
But I have seen the result of a skilled nibmeister (Mike Masuyama) creating a CI out of an Pelikan F nib. It's beautiful.

[KrazyIvan]

One of my favorite stubs is on a Sheaffer Javelin. The previous owner ground it himself and I must say I like his work. I wish I could remember his name. I am not even sure if he still frequents FPN anymore. He ground it from a stock Sheaffer M nib. I have modeled a lot of my stubs after his just because I like it so much.