Any suggestions for modern "nails"?

[ilikenails]

I know flex is in fashion, but for everyday writing on cheap paper (I use my pens for work and write a *lot*) I prefer stiff nibs, even though I'm a low pressure writer - I can feel the springiness in a delicate nib and find it distracting. I love Sheaffer Triumph nibs, but now I'm looking for modern pens that take cartridges (I like to syringe fill enough for several weeks and just get on with things.)

So if anyone can suggestion any modern cartridge converter nails, preferably cheaper rather than not and with nibs between Pilot Metro fine and medium, I'd appreciate it. I've already found the Baoer 100, but I'd like some more options.

Thanks!

(Question - is the Plaisir nib stiffer than Pilot ones? And I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who has used the Kaco Edge or Skyline.)

[Jon Szanto]

Fascinating question, I'll have to think about some of my modern pens. I, too, love Sheaffer nails, especially the big, thick nibs from the 1920s. It will be interesting to read the responses.

[aquafox]

Chinese pens, especially hooded ones. Sailor school line rocks some stiff nibs as well.

[aderoy]

Sheaffer Taranis (if you can find them) and Steadtler Lignum (current favourite daily carry for work)

[Jon Szanto]

Chinese pens, especially hooded ones. Sailor school line rocks some stiff nibs as well.

The only problem is that on at least some of the cheap(er) pens, the quality of the steel is so poor that it is very easy to bend. Very.

[aquafox]

I was thinking to higher end models, like Hero 100, Wing Sung 618 and 601 or Moonman 80 - although the list is longer, just think of all the high quality PenBBS offerings with open nibs!

[Pterodactylus]

You could take a look at the Cross Apogee, imo a very nice modern nail pen.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4157/33697110424_29059bce6f_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TkGuWu)Show_response_1059 (https://flic.kr/p/TkGuWu) by Ptero Pterodactylus (https://www.flickr.com/photos/117783735@N07/)

Cross Apogee Brushed Chrome - M ..... Diamine Sapphire Blue)
(Serwex MB - flex EMF ..... ESS Registrars Blue/Black)


A workhorse option for small money would be a Parker Vector, also already almost a classical pen which is still available.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/687/23179366635_4da775079c_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Bjhj9k)Show_response_365 (https://flic.kr/p/Bjhj9k) by Ptero Pterodactylus (https://www.flickr.com/photos/117783735@N07/)

(Parker Vector M)

Or maybe a Youngtimer like a Montblanc Noblesse, they are not really expensive, have excellent materials and building quality and are also stiff as a pen can be.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4266/34983729314_df2586620b_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/VioKUN)Quote 010 (https://flic.kr/p/VioKUN) by Ptero Pterodactylus (https://www.flickr.com/photos/117783735@N07/)

(Montblanc Noblesse 1122 - M ..... Pelikan 4001 Türkis)

A Parker 45 might also fit the bill, very good pens and really cheap to get.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/624/22552053923_12ed514a07_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/AmRaVV)Show_response_341 (https://flic.kr/p/AmRaVV) by Ptero Pterodactylus (https://www.flickr.com/photos/117783735@N07/)

(Parker 45 Flighter FP and BP)

[penwash]

I love Sheaffer Triumph nibs, but now I'm looking for modern pens that take cartridges (I like to syringe fill enough for several weeks and just get on with things.)


Since you like Sheaffer, get the "modern"-ish Imperial family with inlaid nibs (model 550 for example). Some of these are Touchdown, but a lot of them accept modern Sheaffer cartridges. And these nibs especially the 14K ones are very firm, but nice, just like vintage Sheaffer nibs.

[KBeezie]

From my perspective almost every modern c/c pen out there is typically a nail, even a Noodler's with a "flex" nib because of the extreme amount of pressure required to make it flex.

And nearly every vintage Parker capable of cartridges (such as the Parker 45) has been a nail for me, the 45, 51, 75, etc Though did have one 45 that had a springy 14k fine nib (most of their gold nibs weren't springy).

I haven't touched a modern Sheaffer though. (I think the newest Sheaffer I had access to was one of those 60s school pens). My favorite modern nails have been my Aurora Afrika LE with an 18K nib, and the Pelikan M640 SE with a 18K Medium. As most of the other modern ones might have a very tiny amount of bounce in comparison.

[Kulprit]

How about a Waterman Hemisphere? A nail of a nib if there ever was one, and they can be had used for not too much. Or for that matter, a Waterman Expert can be had for under $60 on Amazon if you’re patient and not picky about color.

That said, if I want a nail in the nib-width you’re describing, I’d still take the M Metro over anything else non-vintage.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Chrissy]

I was thinking of pens like a Parker 45 and a Waterman Hemisphere, but there are modern Sheaffer cartridge pens available and cheaper used ones can be found on ebay. You could easily pick up a nice Targa or Imperial type on there.
Or there's the Lamy Safari, Nexx or Al-Star.

[carlos.q]

Or there's the Lamy Safari, Nexx or Al-Star.

These are excellent nails!

[ilikenails]

There are some really great suggestions here!

- Those Montblancs are very interesting: I'd always had them down as having soft nibs, I don't know why.

- Sheaffer 550s seem a little expensive for what you get. I like to keep work pens at the sort of price where I can afford to lose them. And I need three of them. Ditto the Cross options.

- The Vector metal grip is a problem for me - I usually find them slippery if not lacquered. I did grab a Baoer 801 on ebay yesterday because they're so crazy cheap - they're a Vector-ish pen with, in my case, a hooded 0.38mm nib. About $1.50

- The P45 was my front runner before I found the Baoer 100 (which is a CC filling brass and laquer hooded nib pen.) I tried a Moonman 80 and the nib was a disaster, which seems common with them.

- P51 type pens never feel right to me. The nibs feel like felt tips (to me) and the body shape is subtly wrong for my tastes. I keep wondering if the flighter body would feel better: I might try a Jinhao 911.

- The Lamys - I can't take the grip on the Safari, and my experience is that Lamy EF nibs are broader than I like and not as smooth as the Chinese nibs of the same width - I think Lamys really come into their own for people who want broad nib options

- The PenBBS pens: I had no idea what their nibs were like - I can add them to the list now, thanks!

- Targas are nice and are at the top of my list with the P45 for back-up options if the B100's don't work out. Or if my neurotic "I can feel the nib" thing with the Pilot F doesn't go away with using it more.

[Barry B. Gabay]

Hello likenails,

I like nails too, but enjoy softer nibs as well. How about a Parker 51, if they fit your criteria as modern? They aren't current, but US & Canadian 51s have nail-like nibs, and F & EF nibs are right common. My experience with UK 51s is that their nibs are far softer and considerably wider. They are great writers, but won't suit your needs. For a very economical nail, I suggest the first or second generation Sheaffer No Nonsense, the ones with single-piece sections. Their nibs are reliable and comfortable nails. Happy hunting.

Have really enjoyed the handwriting examples in this thread. They are beautiful! Thank you for sharing.

Best wishes,
Barry

[Chrissy]

Hello likenails,

I like nails too, but enjoy softer nibs as well. How about a Parker 51, if they fit your criteria as modern? They aren't current, but US & Canadian 51s have nail-like nibs, and F & EF nibs are right common. My experience with UK 51s is that their nibs are far softer and considerably wider. They are great writers, but won't suit your needs. For a very economical nail, I suggest the first or second generation Sheaffer No Nonsense, the ones with single-piece sections. Their nibs are reliable and comfortable nails. Happy hunting.

Have really enjoyed the handwriting examples in this thread. They are beautiful! Thank you for sharing.

Best wishes,
Barry
Ilikenails is looking for a modern nail that takes cartridges and although I think I've heard of modern Parker 51's that use a converter or cartridge filling system, they are particularly rare and expensive beasts indeed.

[ilikenails]

Hello likenails,

I like nails too, but enjoy softer nibs as well. How about a Parker 51, if they fit your criteria as modern? They aren't current, but US & Canadian 51s have nail-like nibs, and F & EF nibs are right common. My experience with UK 51s is that their nibs are far softer and considerably wider. They are great writers, but won't suit your needs. For a very economical nail, I suggest the first or second generation Sheaffer No Nonsense, the ones with single-piece sections. Their nibs are reliable and comfortable nails. Happy hunting.

Have really enjoyed the handwriting examples in this thread. They are beautiful! Thank you for sharing.

Best wishes,
Barry
Ilikenails is looking for a modern nail that takes cartridges and although I think I've heard of modern Parker 51's that use a converter or cartridge filling system, they are particularly rare and expensive beasts indeed.

The Jinhao 911 seems like the major exception to this rule - if you accept it as a P51.

The No Nonsense pen sounds like a good one to add to the list.

[AzJon]

I'll throw in the Moonman M100, which sports a schmidt fine nib. Really well made in beautiful colors. The nib is very stiff. The thicker lines in the image below are mostly from heavier ink flow than actual spreading of the tines, but it does move a bit.

http://i.imgur.com/2wbGrS0.jpg (https://imgur.com/2wbGrS0)

[dneal]

Faber Castell steel nibs literally (and I don't mean that figuratively) feel like nails to me - and I've used a 16d to scribble down measurements.

[Barry B. Gabay]

Chrissy: Thank you for correcting me. Once again, I was asleep at the keyboard.

ilikenails: The Jinhao 911 and Wingsung 612 are very moderately priced 51-like pens. You can find No Nonsense fountain pens for just a couple of bucks.

[calamus]

Have you considered one of the less expensive Sailors with a steel nib like the Lecoule or the Shikiori? I've heard good things about them, and have been tempted to buy one or two. May yet.

http://sailorpen.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/11-0558-203-e1530697789567.jpg

[Chrissy]

Chrissy: Thank you for correcting me. Once again, I was asleep at the keyboard.

ilikenails: The Jinhao 911 and Wingsung 612 are very moderately priced 51-like pens. You can find No Nonsense fountain pens for just a couple of bucks.

For a moment I thought you might have a supply of Parker 51 C/C pens. :) It's a pen that I've frequently looked for on ebay, but have never found one at anything like a reasonable price. :( Those that have appeared have been very popular indeed.

I bet someone once bought a random 51 cheaply and found a converter inside. :)

[aquafox]

If it is beater pens you're looking for, look no further than the Bic Easy Clic. If it is too school like for you, Pelikan Galaxia Iron is the way to go. Stepping it up a little I'd get a Platignum: it is just a generic Chinese pen dressed up in fancy aluminium body

[FredRydr]

...I love Sheaffer Triumph nibs, but now I'm looking for modern pens that take cartridges...
So if anyone can suggestion any modern cartridge converter nails, preferably cheaper rather than not....
Main Street Pens (Ron Zorn) has a '90s Sheaffer Imperial cartridge-only listed for $65 and with a 14k F nib! http://www.mainstreetpens.com/thealley.htm

[ilikenails]

Pelikan Galaxia Iron

That really sound like it should be a mecha in an anime...

[ilikenails]

...I love Sheaffer Triumph nibs, but now I'm looking for modern pens that take cartridges...
So if anyone can suggestion any modern cartridge converter nails, preferably cheaper rather than not....
Main Street Pens (Ron Zorn) has a '90s Sheaffer Imperial cartridge-only listed for $65 and with a 14k F nib! http://www.mainstreetpens.com/thealley.htm

That's another great option, thanks! I think I prefer the slimmer body of the P45 though.

The good news is that my Kakuno is feeling a lot better now. I changed the Pilot black for Pilot Blue Black and the irritating sensation went away. So I think what I'd been feeling was nib-drag on uncoated paper. Maybe the second cart seated better, or maybe PBB deserves its reputation as a wonder ink. And I have some Waterman Serenity on the way. If that tames the flow of the B100, which is too wet with the Diamine Damson I've got in it right now, then I have two options I like. (The Baeor is potentially the ultimate beater pen/work pen because the body would probably laugh at being stood on, and the nib is hooded, so is good with long pauses for thinking and talking.)

[aquafox]

Pelikan Galaxia Iron

That really sound like it should be a mecha in an anime...

:rolleyes: Maybe the pen transforms itself like a Transformer!

I personally find it cute. Small, yet cute.

https://www.pelikan.com/pulse/vfs-public/v2012/store/writing/school/galaxia-iron/galaxia-iron-turchese.tv.jpg

[stub]

I love Sheaffer Triumph nibs, but now I'm looking for modern pens that take cartridges (I like to syringe fill enough for several weeks and just get on with things.)


Then get a Sheaffer Triumph nib Vac fill. WAAAAAY more ink than a cartridge and a nib you already know you love. If restored properly will last a generation and be bomb proof. A vac fill Crest/Sentinal/Valiant or some such is great piece of kit.

The hardest nib I have ever used was a Pelikan D nib (Manifold) on a 400nn, which also famously holds a metric ton of ink. In fact one of the largest ink capacities ever in a piston filler.

As for an off the shelf affordable nail c/c pen. Faber Castel nibs are rock hard. Also. the half dozen I have had were excellent. A Faber Castel Loom or some such would fit the bill.


Yay for hard nibs.

[ilikenails]

I love Sheaffer Triumph nibs, but now I'm looking for modern pens that take cartridges (I like to syringe fill enough for several weeks and just get on with things.)


Then get a Sheaffer Triumph nib Vac fill. WAAAAAY more ink than a cartridge and a nib you already know you love.


I've got a nice Snorkel, I think the capacity is the same. I wouldn't say it's WAAAY more than a Pilot cart - maybe just under 2ml instead of 1ml. And I won't use a historical artefact, which is how I think of those pens, as work tools - the risk of pens being lost or falling off tables is too much. (Work equals lots of concentration, coffee, occasional long hours, etc.) And I need the fast mess-free refilling that only carts give.



The hardest nib I have ever used was a Pelikan D nib (Manifold) on a 400nn, which also famously holds a metric ton of ink. In fact one of the largest ink capacities ever in a piston filler.


That's interesting. But that pen carries only 2ml of ink, so given the high price on ebay, I think I'd rather just carry an extra cartridge. Or pen.



As for an off the shelf affordable nail c/c pen. Faber Castel nibs are rock hard. Also. the half dozen I have had were excellent. A Faber Castel Loom or some such would fit the bill.


Yay for hard nibs.

I was originally going to buy FC Basics if the XF was fine enough, but they've such a reputation for breaking that I binned the idea. The grip section on the Loom is a bit slippy for me. (Also some of the responses I read FC giving to the problems with the Basic, plus the uncorrected design flaws, moved the brand to my Do Not Buy list. Which is a pity because the Loom and Basic are attractive pens.)

[aquafox]

I love Sheaffer Triumph nibs, but now I'm looking for modern pens that take cartridges (I like to syringe fill enough for several weeks and just get on with things.)


Then get a Sheaffer Triumph nib Vac fill. WAAAAAY more ink than a cartridge and a nib you already know you love.


I've got a nice Snorkel, I think the capacity is the same. I wouldn't say it's WAAAY more than a Pilot cart - maybe just under 2ml instead of 1ml. And I won't use a historical artefact, which is how I think of those pens, as work tools - the risk of pens being lost or falling off tables is too much. (Work equals lots of concentration, coffee, occasional long hours, etc.) And I need the fast mess-free refilling that only carts give.



The hardest nib I have ever used was a Pelikan D nib (Manifold) on a 400nn, which also famously holds a metric ton of ink. In fact one of the largest ink capacities ever in a piston filler.


That's interesting. But that pen carries only 2ml of ink, so given the high price on ebay, I think I'd rather just carry an extra cartridge. Or pen.



As for an off the shelf affordable nail c/c pen. Faber Castel nibs are rock hard. Also. the half dozen I have had were excellent. A Faber Castel Loom or some such would fit the bill.


Yay for hard nibs.

I was originally going to buy FC Basics if the XF was fine enough, but they've such a reputation for breaking that I binned the idea. The grip section on the Loom is a bit slippy for me. (Also some of the responses I read FC giving to the problems with the Basic, plus the uncorrected design flaws, moved the brand to my Do Not Buy list. Which is a pity because the Loom and Basic are attractive pens.)

The new model of the basic is named Tradio IIRC, an it seems that Faber-Castell acknowledged that the Basic was a bad design and thus has developed a new pen.

[stub]

I've got a nice Snorkel, I think the capacity is the same. I wouldn't say it's WAAAY more than a Pilot cart -


I have no idea what you are talking about here. I said absolutely nothing about Snorkels. Snorkels (while I personally love them) don't hold a lot of ink and have to accommodate the snorkel tube in the barrel of the pen and therefore hold even less than many TD pens. This is besides the point however, as again I did not recommend a Snorkel or any pneumatic pen but a Vacuum filler (a.k.a. Plunger) which indeed holds a lot of ink.



That's interesting. But that pen carries only 2ml of ink, so given the high price on ebay, I think I'd rather just carry an extra cartridge. Or pen.


I agree whole heartedly with the "just carry an extra pen" strategy. I am often mystified by this mania for pens with absurd capacities. If we stopped and frisked anyone on this board I think you would 90% find that many travel with way more than one pen. I do. If you have a 3-pen case with say, a TWSBI Eco (another pen you should consider, ugly as it is), a Parker 51 and a Pilot Custom 74 you could write for an entire work day w/o stopping and still have ink to spare.

--
But I have to take issue with your odd assertion of the Pelikan 400nn "only holding 2ml of ink". I don't see how you reasonably can say "only" as 2ml is pretty much the maximum for self-filling pens. There may be rare exceptions. However, the vast majority of pens with integrated fillers hold way less than that (and for good reasons). There are pens that hold more than that (some holding as much as 3 to 6 ml), none of them are filler pens but eyedroppers.

If a pen is a controlled leak, then controlling that leak becomes vastly more difficult above 2ml. There are things that can be done but pens that hold more than that often are prone to burping, leaking and to uncontrolled flow, especially at the end of a fill when the pen barrel is filled with air. That is why your pen writes wetter at the end of a fill. A pen is a controlled leak and part of that control is air/ink exchange. Once the filler itself becomes a chamber of as much air as ink that air is gonna make shit messy. That one reason why eyedropper pens have (often) thicker barrels or valves.

[stub]

Snorkels (while I personally love them) don't hold a lot of ink

I should just quickly note the one exception (I often forget that this is technically a snorkel) the PFM which hold much more ink than other Snorkels b/c the barrel of the pen accommodates a much larger sac.

[stub]

So if you insist on carts you are then looking for a good cartilage pen that has decent capacity and a hard nib.

The best you will get is a pen that takes the long Standard International size cartridges. I don't know of any that hold more. That would limit things some.
(Franklin Christoph, Pelikan, Italix, etc.)

I don't know how nail-y you need to get or how much ink (if you are just swapping cartridges after all) but my favorite C/C systems are:
1. Pilot. Good capacitiy. No surface tension. Good (YMMV) standard inks.
2. Parker. Parker ink sucks. But the system is fine, nice long cartridge and you can get Aurora ink in Parker style cartridges as Aurora switched over to the Parker size carts many years ago.
3. Anything that takes Standard International.


Cheaps: Sheaffer Skripsert pens, Sheaffer Nononsense (G.O.A.T.), Sheaffer Prelude (Wildly overlooked and PLENTY NAIL). Parker 45 (steel nibs) (also: Parker 61 c/c but that is not cheap), Parker 25.

[ilikenails]

The new model of the basic is named Tradio IIRC, an it seems that Faber-Castell acknowledged that the Basic was a bad design and thus has developed a new pen.

Wow - you know your Faber Castells!

[ilikenails]

I have no idea what you are talking about here. I said absolutely nothing about Snorkels.

That was why I wrote "I think the ink capacity is the same", yes?

Re. eyedroppers, I just don't regard them as a work safe pen because of burping.

Re. the PFM, I actually have a NOS one in the box - I dip tested it one time, the nib really is nice. But I wouldn't use it as a work pen, because eventually it would get lost or destroyed and I'd feel like a desecrator.

[ilikenails]

So if you insist on carts you are then looking for a good cartilage pen that has decent capacity and a hard nib.

The best you will get is a pen that takes the long Standard International size cartridges. I don't know of any that hold more. That would limit things some.
(Franklin Christoph, Pelikan, Italix, etc.)

I don't know how nail-y you need to get or how much ink (if you are just swapping cartridges after all) but my favorite C/C systems are:
1. Pilot. Good capacitiy. No surface tension. Good (YMMV) standard inks.

2. Parker. Parker ink sucks. But the system is fine, nice long cartridge and you can get Aurora ink in Parker style cartridges as Aurora switched over to the Parker size carts many years ago.
3. Anything that takes Standard International.


Cheaps: Sheaffer Skripsert pens, Sheaffer Nononsense (G.O.A.T.), Sheaffer Prelude (Wildly overlooked and PLENTY NAIL). Parker 45 (steel nibs) (also: Parker 61 c/c but that is not cheap), Parker 25.


Re inks, I'd syringe fill carts in batches, so brand isn't a problem. Btw, if anyone is interested in doing this and isn't happy with the method they are using for sealing carts now, let me know. I've made reusable caps for my cartridges using polymorph - it's a type of solid nylon that d goes soft when heated (a mug of very hot water will do) but then sets hard again when it cools. So perfect for stuff like this.

My caps look awful, but they provide a long seal over the outside of the cart and block the hole with a spigot. They twist off easily and you can re-use them - eg to stop the cart you just removed (and presumably want to save) from leaking ink traces.

[stub]

I have no idea what you are talking about here. I said absolutely nothing about Snorkels.

That was why I wrote "I think the ink capacity is the same", yes?

Re. eyedroppers, I just don't regard them as a work safe pen because of burping.

Re. the PFM, I actually have a NOS one in the box - I dip tested it one time, the nib really is nice. But I wouldn't use it as a work pen, because eventually it would get lost or destroyed and I'd feel like a desecrator.

I am still not sure entirely that I follow you but you seem to have a highly idiosyncratic and interesting way of working & some ideas and requirements that are quite far from my own.

But that is what makes this "hobby" so neat I guess. Everyone finds their own way.

I would never bother to use cartridges in that way and I would never hesitate to use a great vintage pen and don't consider my own use of a PFM (the one I use now was NOS and had chalk marks on it when I got it, though I had it restored and had the inlaid nib sealed afresh with Captain Tolley's) as a desecration.

Sounds like you have your own interesting ways and unique requirements. Fascinating. Hope you find pens that work for you. Best of luck.

[ilikenails]

I would never bother to use cartridges in that way and I would never hesitate to use a great vintage pen and don't consider my own use of a PFM (the one I use now was NOS and had chalk marks on it when I got it, though I had it restored and had the inlaid nib sealed afresh with Captain Tolley's) as a desecration.

Sounds like you have your own interesting ways and unique requirements. Fascinating. Hope you find pens that work for you. Best of luck.

Using a PFM is fine. Abusing or losing it, which is what would happen during eventually during an emergency work binge, when I've been awake for 18 hours and I need to stay up for several more hours to get the ideas in my head down, isn't. I'm sure that you're not a Pen Abuser. In my professional life, I am. So I operate a strict rule: only pens in current production get used for work, that way I don't feel guilty if they get junked. (I'd bend this rule for P45s because they're recent, there are so many of them, and there is the Moonman 80, even if the nibs do seem problematic.)

My cartridge-only policy comes from the same experience: messing with ink bottles when you're caffineated, overdue for sleep, and pre-occupied is asking for the sort of trouble that ends in buying a new carpet. Or worse, ownership of a blue-black cat.

[alexwi]

Hi,

Based on what I've seen listed so far in this discussion, I guess I'm a "nail person."

I like the Pilot Metropolitan.

Then there's Platinum's Cool or the Preppy. The Pelikan Jazz is quite "naily," but the grip is horrendously slippery - it's not just metal, but POLISHED metal, but the stiffest of all my nibs would have to be a Pelikan Celebry that I sometimes use when I feel like having something completely rigid. Sheaffer's Prelude would be another good candidate for this list. Its nib is stiff but a very smooth writer.

Alex

[pajaro]

Sheaffer 300. Weighs a ton, you could beat off muggers with it.

[Scrawler]

Sheaffer 300. Weighs a ton, you could beat off muggers with it.

That is what I like the Rotring 600 for. It also doubles as a windshield breaker, for those times your car slides off the road and into a lake.

[ilikenails]

Sheaffer 300. Weighs a ton, you could beat off muggers with it.

That is what I like the Rotring 600 for. It also doubles as a windshield breaker, for those times your car slides off the road and into a lake.

I've got a Rotring 600 pencil that I never use. If it came to a fight between them, I'd actually bet on the Baoer 100 (sort of a Chinese Aurora 88 - the original hooded 88.) The build quality is amazing.

[ilikenails]

Hi,

Based on what I've seen listed so far in this discussion, I guess I'm a "nail person."

I like the Pilot Metropolitan.

Then there's Platinum's Cool or the Preppy. The Pelikan Jazz is quite "naily," but the grip is horrendously slippery - it's not just metal, but POLISHED metal, but the stiffest of all my nibs would have to be a Pelikan Celebry

Alex

Alex - I think you meant the Plasir, not the Cool? The Cool has a different nib to the Preppy and is actually exceptionally flexible. (It's amazing that it's not a better known pen...)

[alexwi]

Hi,

Based on what I've seen listed so far in this discussion, I guess I'm a "nail person."

I like the Pilot Metropolitan.

Then there's Platinum's Cool or the Preppy. The Pelikan Jazz is quite "naily," but the grip is horrendously slippery - it's not just metal, but POLISHED metal, but the stiffest of all my nibs would have to be a Pelikan Celebry

Alex

Alex - I think you meant the Plasir, not the Cool? The Cool has a different nib to the Preppy and is actually exceptionally flexible. (It's amazing that it's not a better known pen...)

You're right I should've written "the Cool AND the Preppy." I think they're both pretty stiff, although the Cool gives a bit more, and you're also right in that their nibs are different.

Alex

[ilikenails]

Hi,

Based on what I've seen listed so far in this discussion, I guess I'm a "nail person."

I like the Pilot Metropolitan.

Then there's Platinum's Cool or the Preppy. The Pelikan Jazz is quite "naily," but the grip is horrendously slippery - it's not just metal, but POLISHED metal, but the stiffest of all my nibs would have to be a Pelikan Celebry

Alex

Alex - I think you meant the Plasir, not the Cool? The Cool has a different nib to the Preppy and is actually exceptionally flexible. (It's amazing that it's not a better known pen...)

You're right I should've written "the Cool AND the Preppy." I think they're both pretty stiff, although the Cool gives a bit more, and you're also right in that their nibs are different.

Alex

My understanding is that Cool gives to an exceptional amount. Not as much as a Falcon or Ahab, but well outside the normal range -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u51HSPFterw

https://blog.wonderpens.ca/platinum-cool-fountain-pen/
https://wonderpens.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/p1011341.jpg