Upgrading from a Plumix

[fqgouvea]

Of the several pens that I have given her, one of my wife's favorites is a Pilot Plumix, whose nib, she says, transforms her handwriting. She also prefers slender pens, which seem to be kind of rare these days. So does anyone have a suggestion for a pen that writes like a Plumix, is not too fat, and looks nice?


Fernando Gouvêa -- fqgouvea@roadrunner.com

[Laurie]

Hi Fernando
I can recommend the following pens which I have and which are slender pens. The silver one is a Waterman Hemisphere which I bought for $40AUD. It had a steel nib and was a very smooth enjoyable writer. The other is a Sheaffer Targa which has a gold medium nib. Not quiet as smooth as the Waterman but again very smooth writer. I would prefer the Waterman slightly. They are a lot more expensive than the Plumix but if you shop around I am sure you can buy them cheaply second hand.


2003820039

[sgtstretch]

Have you looked at the Pilot Prera? Same nib if you get the CM version, and a nicer body. You could also get a Pilot Metro and swap the nib from the Plumix.

[Neo]

Have you looked at the Pilot Prera? Same nib if you get the CM version, and a nicer body. You could also get a Pilot Metro and swap the nib from the Plumix.

+1....

[Laura N]

It sounds like what she likes about the Plumix is the nib, which is stubbish, and that's probably what she means by transforming her handwriting.

That nib and feed is friction-fit and you can swap it into Pilot's other lower-level offerings, like the Cavalier, which is thin, and the Prera, which is not thin but is short. The Cavalier has a gold-colored nib and trim, so she'd have to be okay with having a silver-colored nib on that pen. The Prera has the silver-colored trim. If you look on Jetpens, you can find a larger selection of Pilot pens that would fit that nib, because they import more pens from Japan than Pilot USA does. You can get a converter from them if that's of interest. No connection, of course, except for being a satisfied customer. :)

[Dronak]

It sounds like what she likes about the Plumix is the nib, which is stubbish, and that's probably what she means by transforming her handwriting.

That was my impression, too. The only nibs I have like that are on the Plumix and a Monteverde Impressa, which is quite a bit more expensive. As you and others noted, a number of Pilot's pens have interchangeable nibs, so you could find a body you like and put the Plumix's nib on it. I think this may be one of the better lower-cost options available. The Metropolitan might be good for a nib swap, but I think the Prera might be a little too fat and it is quite short IMO. There must be other options as well, but I don't know enough about what brands have stub/italic nibs to comment much about them. Perhaps others can though. I hope this is of some help.

[Wile E Coyote]

If it is the stubosity of the nib, try a Lamy Safari/Al Star with a 1.1 italic nib.

[fqgouvea]

I think it is the stubosity, yes. And I'm willing to go more expensive. Perhaps even buy a fancier pen and have someone alter the nib?

I'll take a look at the Lamy italic nib, that sounds interesting. And I'll also investigate the Impressa.

We stopped at a small pen store when visiting Chicago the other day and asked if the had any slim pens. All he could offer was a Cross, which was slim indeed but very limited (e.g., only specially made cartridges). So still looking, but having fun.


Fernando Gouvêa -- fqgouvea@roadrunner.com

[Wile E Coyote]

Another nice thing about the Lamy Safari/Al Star is you can buy extra nibs and change them to suit your current nib mood. Most pens don't offer that flexibility. The pens and nibs are also relatively inexpensive and give good performance for their price.

[reprieve]

If you're looking for a slender pen with an italic nib, take a look at the Lamy Logo or CP1. You might also look at the Lamy Studio or the Scala, though they're heftier and thicker than the Logo and CP1. They take the same nibs as the Safari/Al-Star (so you can get a 1.1mm or 1.5mm italic) but they might have more aesthetic appeal.

[Kaputnik]

Now you've got me wanting to take my Plumix out for the first time in several years and give it another try. :rolleyes:

The Plumix isn't just slender, it has a contoured grip somewhat like the Lamy Safari. Some people like that, others don't, but if that's what your wife likes, then just getting another thin pen may not do it.

But about that stub nib. Maybe the thing to do is to shop just the nib at first, there are already some suggestions in the previous posts. Then, once you find a nib that looks like a good possibility, see if that maker puts it in a pen that you'd like otherwise. Franklin Christoph will put any of their nibs in any of their pens, and they have 1.1 and 1.4 mm cursive italics. Of course, these are fairly expensive pens. The suggestions for Lamys or for the Pilot CM nib are worth thinking about.

Many vintage fountain pens tend to be slender compared to modern ones, and there are some stub or italic options to be found. Esterbrooks have screw in replaceable nibs, so you can often just buy the pen with whatever it has in it, and find the nib you want somewhere else. I like their 2442, 2314F and 2314M stubs, but these are left oblique nibs, which need to be rotated substantially to write with them. It helps to be willing to restore an Esterbrook yourself. If you get one that's in good condition except for needing a new sac (and even the internal J-Bar), they aren't that hard.

Having a nib customized can be a good option, if you're quite sure of what you want and can communicate it to the nibmeister. It's not cheap, and the better nibmeisters often have long waiting periods.

[Lt. Tom]

The Pilot 78g is a handsome, slender pen that comes with fine, medium, or that same size stub nib. (It's sometimes listed as a broad, but it's a 1.1 mm stub).

[VertOlive]

Pendleton Brown is offering a TWSBI 580 Lumi with his "Butterline Stub" nib treatment here: http://pendletonspens.com/Pens_for_Sale/ He does a really nice job with any nib if you prefer a different pen.

[MyPenNeedsInk]

Pendleton Brown is offering a TWSBI 580 Lumi with his "Butterline Stub" nib treatment here: http://pendletonspens.com/Pens_for_Sale/ He does a really nice job with any nib if you prefer a different pen.
+1 for Pendleton's work, I just picked up a 580 from him and love it. His are typically not as wide as a Plumix though.