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View Full Version : Is it sacrilege to have a Mont Blanc nib reground to a stubby?



I like mango pudding
June 3rd, 2013, 04:34 PM
I really like the qualities of a stub nib, but my MB pen is only a B nib. Would it be sacrilege to have modifications done to it to become a stub nib? Do I see jaws dropping at even the mere thought of doing this, especially to a nib that belongs to a 146 or 149?

tandaina
June 3rd, 2013, 04:37 PM
No. A pen is worth nothing if you don't enjoy writing with it. A stubbed MB is worth more to me than a non stubbed MB cause I like stubs!

cwent2
June 3rd, 2013, 05:11 PM
I agree with tandaina - your pen, your enjoyment.

jar
June 3rd, 2013, 05:32 PM
Yup, if you want to get it stubbed, get it stubbed. But MB 146 and 149 nibs are usually pretty stubbish anyway.

orfew
June 3rd, 2013, 06:42 PM
It is your pen, it should suit your writing style.

I like mango pudding
June 3rd, 2013, 07:21 PM
okay, thanks. The jury is still out on whether or not I want to do modifications to the nib. The nib is an OB nib, and it is a bit "thick" for me at the moment. I can live with it but it's the dry starts that bug the sht out of me. I'll do a bit more writing with perhaps a different ink, to see if A, the dry starts disappear, and B, to see if I can get used to the OB nib. I have a 1.1 stubby that I really love to write with, and would like to emulate that nib profile, but don't want to do that just yet. My handwriting isn't coming out the way how the 1.1 stubby is coming out. The OB is making my handwriting into something else. Different than an M nib and different from the 1.1 stubby.

I like mango pudding
June 3rd, 2013, 08:34 PM
So, how much would it cost a nibmeister to modify a nib to a stubby?

cedargirl
June 3rd, 2013, 09:30 PM
You say it is an OB nib - At the risk of stating the obvious - you are aware, I hope, that you need to hold an oblique nib differently to a normal round nib or a stub nib.
It needs to be rotated a bit anti-clockwise, otherwise it will dry start.
Sorry if this was unnecessary.

I like mango pudding
June 3rd, 2013, 09:46 PM
yeah, don't worry, I am aware it is an OB nib and the pen needs to be held to the paper differently than a stub nib. I probably will stick with the OB on this, but I'm more thinking for my next MB purchase, most likely a 149.

cedargirl
June 3rd, 2013, 09:57 PM
Oh! I'd so love a 149 with an OB nib - actually probably a 146 - better for my handsize. Good luck with it.

I like mango pudding
June 3rd, 2013, 10:28 PM
yeah, I got the TWSBI mini with a 1.1 stubby and the 146 OB at the same time and my handwriting style lends better to the stubby. I'd hate to modify the 146 nib and would rather adjust my handwriting style to accommodate the OB rather than adjust the nib to accommodate my handwriting style. I think I'll buy some cheaper pens with different nibs and see what best suits my style of writing before I get a 149 with a particular nib profile.

I actually write with my fingers way past the finger grips and past the threading for the cap (almost half way up the pen at times), but normally my first knuckle of the middle finger rides on the threading, sometimes a bit higher. With the OB, my finger tips are right at the finger grip section. I really don't like writing that low.

cedargirl
June 3rd, 2013, 10:41 PM
Sounds like the 149 might suit your hand size better. But there are way cheaper pens to experiment with different nibs.

I like mango pudding
June 3rd, 2013, 10:50 PM
yeah, I went and got a Jinhao 159 just for that reason. I got it with a broad nib to practise on before I "splurge" on an expensive pen. I can write high up on the pen with a M nib, but the line variation is not speaking to me. I just viewed a youtube video of someone writing with stub nibs and flex nibs and I just fell in love with that handwriting.

here it is. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnItiNU5N2M

(if linking yt vids is against the rules here, someone let me know, I'll remove it)

cedargirl
June 3rd, 2013, 11:04 PM
Good choice - very MB 149-like.
I have been impressed with the quality of the Jinhaos. I have a couple of X750s and an X450. They have all written well straight out of the box.
From memory, they take size #6 nibs and you can get a full set - EF, F, M, B, OB, OBB - from xfoutainpens.com.
Might be worth doing this to work out which you prefer.

earthdawn
June 3rd, 2013, 11:09 PM
yeah, I went and got a Jinhao 159 just for that reason. I got it with a broad nib to practise on before I "splurge" on an expensive pen. I can write high up on the pen with a M nib, but the line variation is not speaking to me. I just viewed a youtube video of someone writing with stub nibs and flex nibs and I just fell in love with that handwriting.

here it is. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnItiNU5N2M


(if linking yt vids is against the rules here, someone let me know, I'll remove it)

It is not against the rules and Leigh Reyes... she is AMAZING !!!


& if you want it stubbed then get it stubbed.... I love a stubbed nib myself.

whych
June 3rd, 2013, 11:41 PM
My 2c worth.
It seems a pity to modify the nib when MB do stub nibs as well.
Oblique nibs aren't as common as they used to be.
Rather find a new stub nib for it and sell the OB nib.
It seems you already have plenty of takers for the nib.

I like mango pudding
June 3rd, 2013, 11:46 PM
I have every intention to keep my OB nib and most likely keep it unmodified unless absolutely necessary. I just need to know what options I have available to me.

whych
June 4th, 2013, 12:07 AM
Start looking for an MB with a broad stub nib then.
Try ebay.de and use translate.google.com. Most of the guys will ship outside Germany if you ask nicely.

I like mango pudding
June 4th, 2013, 12:22 AM
yup, that's what I am aiming for at the moment. But before I spend big bucks for one, I'm going to practise on my newly purchased Jinhao 159 with a B nib, and maybe get some nib replacements for that, just to get the feel of different nibs.

There is one stubbed B 149 on FPN, but he's asking for a premium for that. I'm not ready to lay down a chunk of change yet. Not until I hone down my ideal nib profile. I'm relatively new to fountain pen writing, after being absent for it for at least 10 or 15 years.

whych
June 4th, 2013, 01:23 AM
The cheapest stub option to discover whether you want a stub or plain nib is the Lamy Safari/Al Star type pen.
Their nibs are tipped and the 1.1 mm is a bit thinner than the thickness of the OB MB should be. Also seems there are some of them that are pretty collectable so you can kill 2 birds with one stone - try various nibs and have a collectable pen. ;)
If the MB has a problem starting, it could be a simple nib fix. They should all write pretty wet and be quite forgiving of pen rotation. The obliques give a more subtle line variation than the stub does but I find without the hassle of having to change to moving the pen closer to right angles with the line of writing.

cedargirl
June 4th, 2013, 02:24 AM
Hi whych - Do Lamy do oblique nibs?

peterpen53
June 4th, 2013, 02:43 AM
Since you're comfortable with a 1.1 stub, and if you absolutely want an MB, why don't you get a BB? They are very comfortable to write with and they achieve almost the same effect as a stub without all the attention you would need to give to writing angle etc with an oblique or a stub. And contrary to the above, MB DO NOT DO STUBS (excuse the shouting, but I'm constantly repeating myself). Their way of cutting their broad nibs and above gets them very near but they are not stubs. If a BB is not enough, there is always the OBB and (on the 149) the O3B.
You can find comparative writing samples of all MB nibs here (http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/131613-montblanc-nib-sizes/?p=1701647).

whych
June 4th, 2013, 02:59 AM
Hi whych - Do Lamy do oblique nibs?
No, Lamy don't with their current pens. Only their normal italic/stub nibs.
Like I said in my original reply - oblique nibs aren't popular any more and becoming difficult to find. The only obliques are on the older pens or as a special order from the likes of MB, Pelikan, etc. and only in gold.
The cheaper steel ones are not easy to find.
Most of the nib manufacturers like Bock, are only making stubs in gold for their clients.

carlos.q
June 4th, 2013, 05:57 AM
If you google "Lamy oblique nib" you will find there are some vendors that still offer OM, OB and even OBB Lamy nibs.

whych
June 4th, 2013, 07:27 AM
Just discovered, Cult Pens do Lamy OM and OB nibs.

I like mango pudding
June 4th, 2013, 09:40 AM
The cheapest stub option to discover whether you want a stub or plain nib is the Lamy Safari/Al Star type pen.
Their nibs are tipped and the 1.1 mm is a bit thinner than the thickness of the OB MB should be. Also seems there are some of them that are pretty collectable so you can kill 2 birds with one stone - try various nibs and have a collectable pen. ;)
If the MB has a problem starting, it could be a simple nib fix. They should all write pretty wet and be quite forgiving of pen rotation. The obliques give a more subtle line variation than the stub does but I find without the hassle of having to change to moving the pen closer to right angles with the line of writing.

Hey there.

I was practising pretty much most of the night (didn't get much sleep ) and I pretty much got the angle at the comfortable sweet spot with my fingers riding up higher on the pen. It is much different on my TSWBI mini with a 1.1 stub. With that sweet spot the dry starts are starting to disappear, but still there. I think my problem with the dry starts was that I was holding the pen and starting to write using my standard pen holding position. As soon as I noticed the dry starts, I would subconciously move my wrist and pen to a better angle and the pen would get going.

Yes, it is true that the OB has a sublter line variation than the 1.1 stub, providing a bit thicker line. I can still write legibley with 1/8 inch character sizes though.

I truly am a geek when I peruse handwriting videos on youtube and practise my writing skills at 4 am in the morning :)

I like mango pudding
June 4th, 2013, 09:43 AM
Since you're comfortable with a 1.1 stub, and if you absolutely want an MB, why don't you get a BB? They are very comfortable to write with and they achieve almost the same effect as a stub without all the attention you would need to give to writing angle etc with an oblique or a stub. And contrary to the above, MB DO NOT DO STUBS (excuse the shouting, but I'm constantly repeating myself). Their way of cutting their broad nibs and above gets them very near but they are not stubs. If a BB is not enough, there is always the OBB and (on the 149) the O3B.
You can find comparative writing samples of all MB nibs here (http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/131613-montblanc-nib-sizes/?p=1701647).

thanks. I recall a website I was surfing on a while back that had about 8 different nib profiles shown with sample handwriting on it. I know that I am a B or a BB nib guy, and definitely a stub guy as well.

whych
June 4th, 2013, 11:46 AM
Most of the German pens with screw caps write better if you hold the pen on or about the threaded area. Play with the distance.
Also, get the nib to sit flat to the paper, and try rotating the page till so you are writing at a slant. Once you discover it works, you can make fine adjustments.

For a reference, try the Reference Pages on http://www.richardspens.com/

cedargirl
June 4th, 2013, 02:47 PM
If you google "Lamy oblique nib" you will find there are some vendors that still offer OM, OB and even OBB Lamy nibs.


Just discovered, Cult Pens do Lamy OM and OB nibs.

Thanks!

whych
June 4th, 2013, 03:07 PM
Remember. Lamy nibs are like nails compared to the MB. ;)

cedargirl
June 4th, 2013, 03:17 PM
True

tarheel1
June 24th, 2013, 06:58 PM
I have been thinking of doing this to my Jules Verne. Would that be sacrilege?

KrazyIvan
June 25th, 2013, 08:32 AM
It's your pen. In the end you will have a custom pen all your own that nobody else can have.

snedwos
June 25th, 2013, 12:56 PM
I think it would be sacrilege not to.

Playtime
July 2nd, 2013, 01:24 PM
It would be a sacrilege only if you were modifying a vintage MB nib(i.e., anything from the 50s or older)..........