PDA

View Full Version : Are Aurora nibs known to be scratchy???



PizzaDude
March 10th, 2016, 09:06 AM
When I was visiting NYC a couple weeks ago I went to visit Fountain Pen Hospital with the intention of buying a Lamy Safari or a Noodlers Ahab and maybe a notebook or some paper. However, that was short lived once I saw all the wonderful pens there. I saw the Aurora Ipsilon in Satin Orange (F) and had to have it. I tried it out in the store and bought it immediately. When I got home I inked it up with Diamine Onyx Black and started writing on some scrap paper. I have to admit that it seemed less smooth than my Kaweco Sport (F) that cost a quarter of what the Ipsilon did. Switching over to Rhodia paper seemed to help as did lessening the amount pressure I used. Has anyone else had these issues?

Note: this is not an insult to the proprietors of Fountain Pen Hospital in any way, they were very helpful and when I left my free little aurora notebook in the shop they mailed it to me.

jar
March 10th, 2016, 09:10 AM
How is it the next day?

PizzaDude
March 10th, 2016, 10:05 AM
How is it the next day?

Lol... The pens is slowly getting better...

Or were you making a joke 🙄

migo984
March 10th, 2016, 10:17 AM
My Aurora fine nib isn't at all scratchy.

Sometimes it takes a page or two of writing for a nib to settle & work off some minor "edginess", or for the writer to get accustomed to a different pen. Perhaps try again & write with it for longer?

jar
March 10th, 2016, 10:34 AM
How is it the next day?

Lol... The pens is slowly getting better...

Or were you making a joke 

No joke. My experience is that often it takes a day or three for the user to adapt to a new pen. Fortunately humans are an adaptable multi-purpose tool.

Titivillus
March 10th, 2016, 11:27 AM
If there are any burrs on the weld between the iridium pellet and the base metal writing on the paper can fold them down and smooth out the writing experience.

KBeezie
March 10th, 2016, 07:29 PM
The nib on my Aurora Afrika is not by any means "Scratchy" but it does have a hard pencil feedback,

There's a difference between feedback and scratch, feedback is the tactile response, where as scratchy is a flaw/defect where it snags/scratches into paper prohibiting movement, perhaps from misalignment, how it's held/rotated, or other factors.

I mainly over-explain that because for some people if it's not glassy smooth it's automatically "Scratchy" to them. (personally I prefer that 'soft pencil' or almost velvety feedback where it doesn't drag, but it's not glassy smooth either, just feels like a soft pencil)

SteveE
March 14th, 2016, 08:44 AM
KBeezie hit it on this one. Aurora nibs have a reputation for being "toothy." They often exhibit more drag than other brands, but are not really scratchy. Their "tooth" seems to be even in all directions, just more resistance to motion, or drag. No spots that catch or tear the paper, just not as smooth as many other brands of their caliber.

You can either get used to it, or have the nib adjusted to reduce the toothiness. On my Optima, I slightly increased ink flow, then smoothed out the edges of the nib, and now it is fine for me.

ethernautrix
March 15th, 2016, 04:43 PM
Here's an oldie:


23787

pengeezer
March 16th, 2016, 05:55 AM
Here's an oldie:


23787

Gives new meaning to the term "stub nib".......


John

ethernautrix
March 16th, 2016, 06:02 AM
Here's an oldie:


23787

Gives new meaning to the term "stub nib".......


John

There was a thread on fpn years ago about Aurora nibs and toothiness, and I couldn't resist.

jar
March 16th, 2016, 07:11 AM
I happen to be using one of my Auroras and I had forgotten just how smooth some Aurora nibs can be. This is a Hastil and it is every bit as smooth as my ST Duponts.

PizzaDude
March 25th, 2016, 07:49 AM
KBeezie hit it on this one. Aurora nibs have a reputation for being "toothy." They often exhibit more drag than other brands, but are not really scratchy. Their "tooth" seems to be even in all directions, just more resistance to motion, or drag. No spots that catch or tear the paper, just not as smooth as many other brands of their caliber.

You can either get used to it, or have the nib adjusted to reduce the toothiness. On my Optima, I slightly increased ink flow, then smoothed out the edges of the nib, and now it is fine for me.

Thanks for this response... I think "toothy" better describes it, and it is writing much better now. However, between this Aurora and my FC Loom (also with a fine nib) I've come to the realization that I favor medium and broad nibs.

jar
March 25th, 2016, 07:50 AM
One of the smoothest nibs I have is on an Aurora Hastil.

migo984
March 25th, 2016, 08:57 AM
My Aurora Archivi Storici is very smooth too.

jar
March 25th, 2016, 09:12 AM
My Aurora Archivi Storici is very smooth too.

I have several of them as well as a 98 from the 50s/60s and all are smooth. Same for my modern small 88 stub and my Taslentum and my vintage 88s and 888s and 88Ps.

What is this toothy folk speak of?

dms
March 25th, 2016, 11:48 PM
Here's an oldie:


23787

Okay. I'll bite. ... I believe that is what we call a "nibble."

And now, back to your regularly schedule handwriting practice.

David

jkingrph
March 27th, 2016, 02:34 PM
I have two rather new Talentum's, one broad, the other fine, both are smooth.

dam
March 31st, 2016, 06:45 AM
All I have are 2 Styles, in F and M and both are toothy nails. The Style is their cheapest model. I like using them, but they are not my favorites. I liked them a lot at first but I've gone off them a bit. The comment about them feeling a little bit like a pencil pretty much describes my experience.

RuiFromUK
March 31st, 2016, 07:27 AM
Here's an oldie:


23787

Does it give toothache or just a headache?

amk
April 1st, 2016, 01:29 AM
All my aurora 88s started out a bit scratchy, and I have been told that's fairly common. But two of them also started out bust, so I have had a bit of work to do...

Jerome Tarshis
April 1st, 2016, 01:58 PM
One of the smoothest nibs I have is on an Aurora Hastil.

I'm with jar on this. Both of the two Aurora pens I've owned, a Hastil and a postmodern 88, came with entirely smooth nibs. It does seem to be rather often said that Aurora nibs give feedback, like it or not. My admittedly small sample doesn't bear that out.

Tertulluls
May 1st, 2016, 04:33 PM
My Aurora 88 is very smooth, with just a touch of feedback to keep me from chasing the pen across the paper. In fact, it is my favorite nib of all the pens that I own.

SteveE
May 3rd, 2016, 08:48 AM
One of the smoothest nibs I have is on an Aurora Hastil.

I'm with jar on this. Both of the two Aurora pens I've owned, a Hastil and a postmodern 88, came with entirely smooth nibs. It does seem to be rather often said that Aurora nibs give feedback, like it or not. My admittedly small sample doesn't bear that out.

Could this condition be age and model-dependent? Some years back it was (IIRC) the common opinion on FPN and Pentrace that Aurora nibs were toothy. Mine was, until it was adjusted a bit.

jar
May 3rd, 2016, 09:31 AM
One of the smoothest nibs I have is on an Aurora Hastil.

I'm with jar on this. Both of the two Aurora pens I've owned, a Hastil and a postmodern 88, came with entirely smooth nibs. It does seem to be rather often said that Aurora nibs give feedback, like it or not. My admittedly small sample doesn't bear that out.

Could this condition be age and model-dependent? Some years back it was (IIRC) the common opinion on FPN and Pentrace that Aurora nibs were toothy. Mine was, until it was adjusted a bit.


I've found that quite often common opinion is simply common opinion.

Jerome Tarshis
May 4th, 2016, 09:20 PM
One of the smoothest nibs I have is on an Aurora Hastil.

I'm with jar on this. Both of the two Aurora pens I've owned, a Hastil and a postmodern 88, came with entirely smooth nibs. It does seem to be rather often said that Aurora nibs give feedback, like it or not. My admittedly small sample doesn't bear that out.

Could this condition be age and model-dependent? Some years back it was (IIRC) the common opinion on FPN and Pentrace that Aurora nibs were toothy. Mine was, until it was adjusted a bit.

Again, two pens are a very small sample. But in my case the condition doesn't seem to have been age- or model-dependent. The two pens were of different models. What's more, they were of different time periods. The Hastil, put forward in 1969 or 1970, belongs to the age of high modernism, and particularly of modernist reductive design. It's a very non-ornate pen. The other pen, the postmodern 88, a thing of the 1990s, quite abandons reductive design; it's supposed to look like pens made a long time earlier. On the inside it's a cartridge pen; on the outside it's one of a long line of black pens with gold trim and a cigar-like outline. And a spirit of ornament.

The idea I would put forward is that there just might be, at times, differences between individual pens.

Eabo
August 11th, 2017, 02:39 PM
My 360 Monviso was quite toothy...I sent it to Mottishaw at nibs.com and it now is silky smooth.

Ahriman4891
August 11th, 2017, 03:53 PM
My 88 Medium has noticeable but pleasant (especially on Fabriano 85 gsm paper) feedback. Quite different from the feedback offered by Sailor 21k Hard-Broad or Pilot Falcon Soft-Fine. Unlike the Japanese, the Aurora nib exhibits consistent feedback regardless of the pen's roll/yaw.

RocketRyan
August 11th, 2017, 10:16 PM
Yes, but much like platinum you either love it or hate it.

Hawk
August 12th, 2017, 08:54 PM
I purchased an Aurora Ipsilon at a good price. The previous owner said the nib was scratchy. It was, in fact after writing awhile the top of the nib had paper 'shavings' (sorry the proper name escapes me) on it. Being left handed pushing the nib made it worse. Finally I had enough of it and decided to smoothen the nib. No way am I an expert however, it turned out reasonably well. My wife agreed with me also. I don't think any pen should be sold with a nib performing like it did. I don't expect perfection but reasonably smooth. Try gentle nib alignment and gentle smoothing and see what happens. If not, send it to an expert, pay for quality work or sell it.

Jon Szanto
August 12th, 2017, 09:09 PM
I don't think any pen should be sold with a nib performing like it did.

There *is* the possibility the previous owner tried to correct it and made it worse. You don't actually know how it was when it was first sold.

Jon Szanto
August 12th, 2017, 09:12 PM
My Aurora 88 is very smooth, with just a touch of feedback to keep me from chasing the pen across the paper. In fact, it is my favorite nib of all the pens that I own.

My experience as well. I bought mine a year ago from Dan Smith while sitting across the table from him while he worked on some of my other pens. He asked me if I wanted it smoothed, and I said I didn't. It had just enough surface to keep it from gliding like ice on a hot pan (which I don't care for). I have no complaints.

Hawk
August 13th, 2017, 11:56 AM
I don't think any pen should be sold with a nib performing like it did.

There *is* the possibility the previous owner tried to correct it and made it worse. You don't actually know how it was when it was first sold.

Jon, true, I never asked the previous owner if they did anything to the nib prior to me getting it. I was speaking in general.
I meant to say but didn't say: I don't think any new pen should be sold wirh a nib performing like it did.

Jon Szanto
August 13th, 2017, 12:15 PM
Jon, true, I never asked the previous owner if they did anything to the nib prior to me getting it. I was speaking in general.
I meant to say but didn't say: I don't think any new pen should be sold wirh a nib performing like it did.

Right, I assumed as much but felt clarification would be good. And I agree: at least on upscale/major pens, the nib should perform well when received. <sigh> Not always the case, eh?

Cyril
August 19th, 2017, 10:57 AM
How is it the next day?

Lol... The pens is slowly getting better...

Or were you making a joke 

No joke. My experience is that often it takes a day or three for the user to adapt to a new pen. Fortunately humans are an adaptable multi-purpose tool.

I agree...
When I tasted something first time I did not like the the taste. but again and again I tasted it and my brain says I like this as I kow the taste already.
I listened to some sounds ( Music ) first time it sounds to me "Bizzar" but after sometimes my mind says OH ... something familier I know sounds good.
I wrote something and first time it did not plesed me at all as it was a new instument. I kept on wrting with that instrument and suddenly find myself it is giving me a new prospective to my writing.
Now I know the secret. By the way .. I am going to buy a pair of new shoes and I am sure that is going to give me a new experience of new way of walking.:applause: