Nemosine Singularity

[Lady Onogaro]

I have bought two of these things because I like how they look, but in the case of each of them, the nibs truly stink. I have tried smoothing them myself, but nothing I've tried have made them into good writers, no matter the paper. I bought one with an XF nib, and that ended up being a gusher and super scratchy, even with cartridges. I changed out the nib to a Goulet nib and that's a bit better, but I still cannot find love for it in my heart.

I then bought a Nemosine with a stub nib, and that one is even scratchier. I have tried to work with it, but I'm about to give up on it, too. I'd read of people being quite happy with these pens. Maybe it's just me or my bad luck. I love the way they look, but not the way they write. And I'm not having any luck with adjusting them myself. :(

[KBeezie]

Yea when I got my Nemosine Singularity with the Calligraphy 0.8 nib, I hated it, too dry/rubbery on paper. Didn't matter what I did.

I swapped that nib out for a Goulet 1.5 and it writes WONDERFULLY, so smooth and wet.

http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/nemosine_goulet/capped.jpg

They take a typical #6 nib, like the Jinhao X450/X750/159 or Monteverde. But I've not been a fan of Nemosine's cheap nibs.

But every pen I buy, I make sure to flush them with some soapy water to clean out the feed and such before I rinse them with clear water and ink them up. If you haven't cleaned your pens yet, try that.

I mainly still have the nemosine cuz I currently don't' have any other pens that will take a #6 nib that I'd like to put my stub into.

PS: I've not had a problem with Goulet's EF or Medium either.

Oh by the way, check around the inside of your cap, see if both of them have tiny cracks around them like mine, when I got mine it had no less than 25 micro-cracks around the lip of the cap.

[TMac]

I've been lucky so far. I have 2 Nemosines and 1 Knox pen and the nibs were okay. A little on the dry side but they were usable right after the initial rinse with soapy water.

[gbryal]

I have bought two of these things because I like how they look, but in the case of each of them, the nibs truly stink. I have tried smoothing them myself, but nothing I've tried have made them into good writers, no matter the paper. I bought one with an XF nib, and that ended up being a gusher and super scratchy, even with cartridges. I changed out the nib to a Goulet nib and that's a bit better, but I still cannot find love for it in my heart.


My EF nib is slightly scratchy and dry, with a very fine line. I smoothed it a little with mylar and it writes OK, but I wouldn't put it among my best EFs (some of which cost less.) Strange that the GP nib didn't help; my GP EF certainly writes better than my SIngularity, but I haven't tried it on that pen.

[Sailor Kenshin]

I guess I've been lucky, too. I have, uhmm, four of them. XF, F, M, .06. They write a little dry, and I 'Waverly-ized' the M so it's a gusher. But all smooth enough. I like the light weight and the width.

Maybe yours need a nib swap, Lady O?

[scrivelry]

A very timely thread for me, as I have been considering one of these, in an EF or a stub. Are there any further opinions? The Knox nibs are ok? Not that the GP nibs are unreasonable, but some of the pens I want to put them in cost 1/3 what the nib did, and I'll have to get over that if I can't get nibs more in line with what my possibly unreasonable brain thinks to look for...

I've also got some pens that need the other size of Knox nibs, for which Goulet does not have an equivalent, so any info on Singularity OR Knox nibs very welcome.

[KBeezie]

A very timely thread for me, as I have been considering one of these, in an EF or a stub. Are there any further opinions? The Knox nibs are ok? Not that the GP nibs are unreasonable, but some of the pens I want to put them in cost 1/3 what the nib did, and I'll have to get over that if I can't get nibs more in line with what my possibly unreasonable brain thinks to look for...

I've also got some pens that need the other size of Knox nibs, for which Goulet does not have an equivalent, so any info on Singularity OR Knox nibs very welcome.

Well Knox does have a 1.9 stub, also they have a Oblique Broad and Oblique Broad x2 now.

http://www.xfountainpens.com/collections/accessories/products/knox-fountain-pen-nib

I've not tried the Knox ones but I imagine just maybe they're the same folks who makes nemosine's nibs.

Some discussions on how the oblique ones aren't oblique at all and general feedback regarding Knox: http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/212678-ahab-with-knox-k35-bulow-nibs/

[Lady Onogaro]

I guess I've been lucky, too. I have, uhmm, four of them. XF, F, M, .06. They write a little dry, and I 'Waverly-ized' the M so it's a gusher. But all smooth enough. I like the light weight and the width.

Maybe yours need a nib swap, Lady O?

I think you are right, Sailor--a nib swap is definitely in order.

[Lady Onogaro]

I have bought two of these things because I like how they look, but in the case of each of them, the nibs truly stink. I have tried smoothing them myself, but nothing I've tried have made them into good writers, no matter the paper. I bought one with an XF nib, and that ended up being a gusher and super scratchy, even with cartridges. I changed out the nib to a Goulet nib and that's a bit better, but I still cannot find love for it in my heart.


My EF nib is slightly scratchy and dry, with a very fine line. I smoothed it a little with mylar and it writes OK, but I wouldn't put it among my best EFs (some of which cost less.) Strange that the GP nib didn't help; my GP EF certainly writes better than my SIngularity, but I haven't tried it on that pen.

The Goulet nib works well in the pen, I think I am having a problem with the converter, too. I've tried a long international cartridge, which does not fit, by the way (it's one of theirs, too), and now I am working with a Monteverde short international cartridge. I think that might solve the problem. But since I have so many other pleasant writers, I think this pen is one that is going into the pen graveyard.

[gbryal]

Is it possible that Nemosine nibs are made by Knox? With the xFountainPen connection, and the Buelow sporting Knox nibs, and if they are German nibs but aren't JoWo or Bock, what else would they be?

[gbryal]

But since I have so many other pleasant writers, I think this pen is one that is going into the pen graveyard.

*salutes the Singularity as it is lowered into the cold earth*

[bullshark]

I've had the opposite experience with my Singularity; the nibs were fine, the pen itself is junk, completely unusable(the worst of many problems is that the nib is loose in the section, so it wobble side to side as I (try to)write).
So I installed the .6mm stub in a Monteverde to get the line type, work fine, while the Nemosine pen itself will never see ink again.

[Sailor Kenshin]

I have bought two of these things because I like how they look, but in the case of each of them, the nibs truly stink. I have tried smoothing them myself, but nothing I've tried have made them into good writers, no matter the paper. I bought one with an XF nib, and that ended up being a gusher and super scratchy, even with cartridges. I changed out the nib to a Goulet nib and that's a bit better, but I still cannot find love for it in my heart.


My EF nib is slightly scratchy and dry, with a very fine line. I smoothed it a little with mylar and it writes OK, but I wouldn't put it among my best EFs (some of which cost less.) Strange that the GP nib didn't help; my GP EF certainly writes better than my SIngularity, but I haven't tried it on that pen.

The Goulet nib works well in the pen, I think I am having a problem with the converter, too. I've tried a long international cartridge, which does not fit, by the way (it's one of theirs, too), and now I am working with a Monteverde short international cartridge. I think that might solve the problem. But since I have so many other pleasant writers, I think this pen is one that is going into the pen graveyard.

Alas, poor Nemo! :(

[KBeezie]

Is it possible that Nemosine nibs are made by Knox? With the xFountainPen connection, and the Buelow sporting Knox nibs, and if they are German nibs but aren't JoWo or Bock, what else would they be?

Well the Buelow as from what I've seen are just Jinhao X450s that have been rebranded Buelow. They may have put in a high enough order to have their own brand applied to the pen itself. Likewise the ones the K26 nibs fit on are also the #5 sizes of Jinhao/Boaer pens.

[Austin_Malone]

I got a Nemosine Fission for a review, and it had a fine nib. It was not smooth at all, and stiff beyond belief, almost like it pushes back even under the lightest pressure, maybe that's the 50gms of pen but still.

[KBeezie]

I got a Nemosine Fission for a review, and it had a fine nib. It was not smooth at all, and stiff beyond belief, almost like it pushes back even under the lightest pressure, maybe that's the 50gms of pen but still.

The 0.8 I had felt the same, almost like writing on rubber almost.

I suspect that with many accounts of such feeling, that it means the surface of the nib's tipping simply isn't polished well enough, so it's not really a scratch at the edge of the tines but on a microscopic level it's probably grabbing paper along the surface.

If I had not sold one of my X750 with the 0.8 Calligraphy nib I would have gotten some lifesize macros of the surface.

[kidde]

I think Nemosine is a case of getting what you pay for. On the demos, if you don't have lip cracks you soon will. Mine took four months to start. I think it is poor design and too much pressure is applied by screwing them down. The nibs appear to be hit or miss. I have an EF that is as fine as my Pilot Penmanship. I had to scrub the feed with a soapy toothbrush to get it to flow right. I will assume Bock/Jowo/Knox make the nibs at a discounted rate with commensurate QC. When supplying cheap parts costs must be cut, no easier way than limiting what you reject.
I hope you can get one of these running properly. They can be nice writers, but that may be more of an exception than I originally thought.

Paul

[KBeezie]

I think Nemosine is a case of getting what you pay for. On the demos, if you don't have lip cracks you soon will. Mine took four months to start. I think it is poor design and too much pressure is applied by screwing them down. The nibs appear to be hit or miss. I have an EF that is as fine as my Pilot Penmanship. I had to scrub the feed with a soapy toothbrush to get it to flow right. I will assume Bock/Jowo/Knox make the nibs at a discounted rate with commensurate QC. When supplying cheap parts costs must be cut, no easier way than limiting what you reject.
I hope you can get one of these running properly. They can be nice writers, but that may be more of an exception than I originally thought.

Paul

On my 'purchase' of the demonstrator (my first dealings with Pens N' More, especially since they accidently sent m the pink one first instead of the demonstrator I ordered), brand new right out of the box, I have these:

http://static.karlblessing.com/reviews/nemosine_demonstrator/stress_cracks_2560.jpg

Larger copy: http://static.karlblessing.com/reviews/nemosine_demonstrator/stress_cracks_2560.jpg

I've heard the colored ones do the same too, but you don't notice it as much as you would on the demonstrator model.

It's one of the primary reasons I have not purchased another Nemosine.

PS: And yes with singularity I got, it never did flow right until I soaked that feed for a while (in hopes of making the calligraphy nib writing well, which it still sucked after the feed was cleaned, but any other nib was just fine, such as my Jinhao medium or Monteverde Black Coated fine).

I could say it's a matter of getting what you paid, but Pilot's nibs on their $15 metropolitans seem to do a world better than the equivalent priced Nemosine.

[gbryal]

I put a Goulet Pens EF on my Singularity today and it's a very pleasant nib to me, with Waterman's Mysterious Blue, feedback but no scratch, and in any case better than the stock nib which was a little stubborn and toothy.

But now that that's taken care of, I feel like there is just not enough weight in the section. I wrote a letter with it, and it's such a light pen that it seems to need some kind of balancing weight to it that isn't there. Minor to me, but I could see that being important.

[Sailor Kenshin]

I think Nemosine is a case of getting what you pay for. On the demos, if you don't have lip cracks you soon will. Mine took four months to start. I think it is poor design and too much pressure is applied by screwing them down. The nibs appear to be hit or miss. I have an EF that is as fine as my Pilot Penmanship. I had to scrub the feed with a soapy toothbrush to get it to flow right. I will assume Bock/Jowo/Knox make the nibs at a discounted rate with commensurate QC. When supplying cheap parts costs must be cut, no easier way than limiting what you reject.
I hope you can get one of these running properly. They can be nice writers, but that may be more of an exception than I originally thought.

Paul

On my 'purchase' of the demonstrator (my first dealings with Pens N' More, especially since they accidently sent m the pink one first instead of the demonstrator I ordered), brand new right out of the box, I have these:

http://static.karlblessing.com/reviews/nemosine_demonstrator/stress_cracks_2560.jpg

Larger copy: http://static.karlblessing.com/reviews/nemosine_demonstrator/stress_cracks_2560.jpg

I've heard the colored ones do the same too, but you don't notice it as much as you would on the demonstrator model.

It's one of the primary reasons I have not purchased another Nemosine.

PS: And yes with singularity I got, it never did flow right until I soaked that feed for a while (in hopes of making the calligraphy nib writing well, which it still sucked after the feed was cleaned, but any other nib was just fine, such as my Jinhao medium or Monteverde Black Coated fine).

I could say it's a matter of getting what you paid, but Pilot's nibs on their $15 metropolitans seem to do a world better than the equivalent priced Nemosine.

Well...the Nemos are like a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. Nibs range from XF to medium stub, but occasionally you get Earwax. ;)

[VertOlive]

Very helpful thread, I was eyeing a Nemosine this week. Going for a Lamy Vista instead!

[Lady Onogaro]

Definitely go for the Vista instead, Vert. You will be much happier with it. The Nemosine demonstrator is a waste of money.

[Dreck]

Very helpful thread, I was eyeing a Nemosine this week. Going for a Lamy Vista instead!

Oh, gosh, VO. Have I not told you my Nemosine Singularity horror story? It was nice to look at (walnut brown), but that was where the love affair ended. Even after a good flush, it was still a hesitant starter. I didn't mind the scratchy nib or the terrible plastic feed nearly as much as I did the section breaking off while I was writing (quite messy). When you described a pen as "distractingly lightweight," my Nemo was the 1st thing I thought of.

[VertOlive]

Snatched from the brink of FP Heartbreak !!!

[KBeezie]

Definitely go for the Vista instead, Vert. You will be much happier with it. The Nemosine demonstrator is a waste of money.

But you can't put Goulet nibs on a Lamy... :p

[Lady Onogaro]

Thankfully, you won't need to. :)

[KBeezie]

Thankfully, you won't need to. :)

I dunno, my Goulet Extra-Fine has been smoother than my Lamy Fine so far. (granted of course that Lamy Fine needed a good cleaning and alignment when I first got it). And my Goulet 1.5 is like butter lol.

I'm just not a fan of Lamy's tripod-ed grip, the one on the Nemosine is rounded, but there are also a number of pens that are rounded off as well on the grip. But course in the 30-50$ range there's also Monteverde which can also take a #6 friction-fit.

I guess the main point is, if I were looking at a $15 Nemosine, knowing then what I know now, I would have just went for the Pilot Metropolitan. However the Nemosine Singularity Demonstrator I have now is pretty much kept because it serves a purpose with my Goulet 1.5 and has been reliable-to-date, when it had the original nemosine nib on it, it was unreliable. (and because I got that one for free after all the mishaps with the retailer, it just costs 15 at the price of the nib, so there is some "value" bias there).

[velo]

I bought the Nemosine Fission a while ago purely to try out the 0.6 italic. Very smooth and it has a nice variation. I like it a lot and it served it's purpose. The pen body is what I don't like. I don't mind weighty pens but it's unbalanced to the point of where I'm always conscious of it.

[KBeezie]

I bought the Nemosine Fission a while ago purely to try out the 0.6 italic. Very smooth and it has a nice variation. I like it a lot and it served it's purpose. The pen body is what I don't like. I don't mind weighty pens but it's unbalanced to the point of where I'm always conscious of it.

You lucked out then.

[velo]

I bought the Nemosine Fission a while ago purely to try out the 0.6 italic. Very smooth and it has a nice variation. I like it a lot and it served it's purpose. The pen body is what I don't like. I don't mind weighty pens but it's unbalanced to the point of where I'm always conscious of it.

You lucked out then.

I've been trying to fit onto another pen body but no luck so far.

[KBeezie]

I bought the Nemosine Fission a while ago purely to try out the 0.6 italic. Very smooth and it has a nice variation. I like it a lot and it served it's purpose. The pen body is what I don't like. I don't mind weighty pens but it's unbalanced to the point of where I'm always conscious of it.

You lucked out then.

I've been trying to fit onto another pen body but no luck so far.

I hated the 0.8 that came with the nemosine singularity, but I put it on a Jinhao X750 in chessboard design and sold it to a classmate who absolutely loved the stub with the sample of R&K Scabiosa I had (plus some extra purple ink when she ran out of that). It was too dry and 'rubbing' for my taste but fine for her.

[gbryal]

Is it possible that Nemosine nibs are made by Knox? With the xFountainPen connection, and the Buelow sporting Knox nibs, and if they are German nibs but aren't JoWo or Bock, what else would they be?

Well the Buelow as from what I've seen are just Jinhao X450s that have been rebranded Buelow. They may have put in a high enough order to have their own brand applied to the pen itself. Likewise the ones the K26 nibs fit on are also the #5 sizes of Jinhao/Boaer pens.

I emailed xFountainPens and they told me the Buelow does use Knox nibs. Looking at the Buelow they are clearly an x450, but I guess the nib is not Jinhao. They didn't say what nibs are on the Nemosine though. Actually, the wording was such that I couldn't tell:

Me: I was wondering who makes the nibs for Nemosine and Buelow
pens? Is that a trade secret? I assume Knox makes the
nibs for the Knox pens. Is that the same for the Buelow and
Nemosine?

Debra@xFountainPens: Thanks for your message! You are correct in your assumption. It is the same for Bulow and Knox.

[KBeezie]

Is it possible that Nemosine nibs are made by Knox? With the xFountainPen connection, and the Buelow sporting Knox nibs, and if they are German nibs but aren't JoWo or Bock, what else would they be?

Well the Buelow as from what I've seen are just Jinhao X450s that have been rebranded Buelow. They may have put in a high enough order to have their own brand applied to the pen itself. Likewise the ones the K26 nibs fit on are also the #5 sizes of Jinhao/Boaer pens.

I emailed xFountainPens and they told me the Buelow does use Knox nibs. Looking at the Buelow they are clearly an x450, but I guess the nib is not Jinhao. They didn't say what nibs are on the Nemosine though. Actually, the wording was such that I couldn't tell:

Me: I was wondering who makes the nibs for Nemosine and Buelow
pens? Is that a trade secret? I assume Knox makes the
nibs for the Knox pens. Is that the same for the Buelow and
Nemosine?

Debra@xFountainPens: Thanks for your message! You are correct in your assumption. It is the same for Bulow and Knox.

Far as "Buelow" goes, Jinhao will re-brand pens if you order a large enough quantity of them. It's possible they made a very large bulk order on some models in order to get them stamped with the Buelow branding, and are essentially the same thing as Jinhao.

Far as "Knox" goes, if they're claiming that Nemosine and Knox are the same thing, then you'll have to figure out who makes Nemosine's nibs. It's possible that xFountainPens did the same thing they did with the Buelow branding in terms of bulk ordering with a re-branding (similar to how Goulet gets their nibs from Jowo with their own brand on them).

I'm not even sure where a third party could order a nib from other than Jowo or Bock if they wanted their own branding done, especially at that price. It's possible the nibs are Chinese, but the nemosine website mentions the pen being made in Taiwan and Nib in Germany (but even some chinese nibs are still made in china, they're just tipped with hard metal from germany).

I'm wondering if Debras response is simply that a Knox K35 nib will fit into a Buelow (aka Jinhao X450/X750/etc) pen, and vice versa, since the K35 is a typical #6 nib just like the Nemosine, Goulet, Jinhao (X450/X750/159/etc, there are #5 ones like the 250), Monteverde, etc.

edit:

Also Nemosine in general seems uncertain, especially since Brian even contacted them in terms of potentially carrying them. But decided not to carrying them because their 'values' or such didn't seem to really match with theirs.

Note @ 12:31


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFKGEyD441Y

[mrcharlie]

When I read this it seems like people are treating "Knox" as if it were a brand/company separate from xFountainPens (my apologies if I'm reading that wrong). I'm pretty sure it is like the other non-major brands on the site, ie an invention/brand of the site itself. Most of the brands are direct one to one re-branding such as Jinhao, Diamine, and De Atramentis being Bulow, Chesterfield, and Architekt respectively. Nemosine seems to be a brand they use when they assemble a pen from parts sourced from multiple sources.

"Knox" is probably a rebranding of a German product (Schmidt is my guess). The German brands of nibs and nib assemblies you find in other brands of pens are Bock, Jowo, and Schmidt. According to some sources (such as Brian Gray of Edison/MeisterNib) Schmidt nib units are made with nibs sourced by Bock or Jowo, and others whose background I don't know assert Schmidt nibs are all Bock, or that Schmidt and Bock are nearly the same company in the same manner that Audi/VW/Porsche are all interrelated. If you can find the "Knox" brand sold by other retailers, I will rescind this point. If you can find pens that match the "Knox" pens on xFountainPens website under another brand that is a known manufacturer, and then that brand is probably who makes "Knox". I know Schmidt makes complete pens in a wide range of price categories as well as nearly every size and spec of nib unit and ball pen refill, which is why I'm guessing they are the source of "Knox".

[Sailor Kenshin]

As an aside, I filled my Nemo demonstrator and its garden-hose M nib with Diamine Apple Glory. And I looked at the cap under a magnifying glass...and if I didn't see the same 'cracks' as KB's picture shows!

This makes me wonder if they really are cracks or manufacturing marks. In any case, I'm gonna treat it reeeeeeel gently from now on.

[KBeezie]

As an aside, I filled my Nemo demonstrator and its garden-hose M nib with Diamine Apple Glory. And I looked at the cap under a magnifying glass...and if I didn't see the same 'cracks' as KB's picture shows!

This makes me wonder if they really are cracks or manufacturing marks. In any case, I'm gonna treat it reeeeeeel gently from now on.

I'm confused, did you see the same kind of cracks?

I'd say they're actual "stress" cracks caused by screwing the section into the cap too tightly for the plastic. If it didn't have that metal band there, it would probably split up further.

[Sailor Kenshin]

Yeah, I saw the cracks. But I wouldn't have spotted them with the naked eye!

[bone215]

I must be lucky. My two Nemosine Singularity pens with the F nib write very very smoothly.
My Bulow x450 has the Knox Fine nib and it is a very solid dependable nice writing pen.

[gbryal]

As an aside, I filled my Nemo demonstrator and its garden-hose M nib with Diamine Apple Glory. And I looked at the cap under a magnifying glass...and if I didn't see the same 'cracks' as KB's picture shows!

This makes me wonder if they really are cracks or manufacturing marks. In any case, I'm gonna treat it reeeeeeel gently from now on.

I wonder if it's just the demonstrators. I have a black Singularity and don't see any cracks, but will look again.

[gbryal]

When I read this it seems like people are treating "Knox" as if it were a brand/company separate from xFountainPens (my apologies if I'm reading that wrong). I'm pretty sure it is like the other non-major brands on the site, ie an invention/brand of the site itself. Most of the brands are direct one to one re-branding such as Jinhao, Diamine, and De Atramentis being Bulow, Chesterfield, and Architekt respectively. Nemosine seems to be a brand they use when they assemble a pen from parts sourced from multiple sources.

I also believe that this is the case, though without them saying so, it's just conjecture. I like it when a company is forthright about these things. Especially on the low end, knowing the source of the parts can be a big help in finding a pen that writes on the first try. I know not every pen store is going to have a Goulet/Anderson online presence, and I don't know anything about marketing, maybe all this rebranding is a good idea.

Still, Peyton Street Pens for example reassembles pens and is up-front about it and I really like that. We got the body from here, the nib from here, and this is what we did, here's our value add.

I haven't been here long enough to know if xFountainPens has a presence on FPGeeks, but it would be neat if they'd come here and tell us a few things, like what is the relationship between Nemosine and xFountainPens, is Knox a house brand, who makes Knox nibs (or is there really a German nib-maker called Knox). Maybe there are agreements with the makers of these things to keep them from saying.

I still bear them goodwill, I'd just like them more if they were transparent.

[KBeezie]

As an aside, I filled my Nemo demonstrator and its garden-hose M nib with Diamine Apple Glory. And I looked at the cap under a magnifying glass...and if I didn't see the same 'cracks' as KB's picture shows!

This makes me wonder if they really are cracks or manufacturing marks. In any case, I'm gonna treat it reeeeeeel gently from now on.

I wonder if it's just the demonstrators. I have a black Singularity and don't see any cracks, but will look again.
In the time I had mine I seen reports of the colored ones having the stress cracks too but only visible from within the cap and not nearly as noticeable as the demonstrator if they are there.

[gbryal]

As an aside, I filled my Nemo demonstrator and its garden-hose M nib with Diamine Apple Glory. And I looked at the cap under a magnifying glass...and if I didn't see the same 'cracks' as KB's picture shows!

This makes me wonder if they really are cracks or manufacturing marks. In any case, I'm gonna treat it reeeeeeel gently from now on.

I wonder if it's just the demonstrators. I have a black Singularity and don't see any cracks, but will look again.
In the time I had mine I seen reports of the colored ones having the stress cracks too but only visible from within the cap and not nearly as noticeable as the demonstrator if they are there.

I checked again with my illuminated loupe, and yeah, I do have very very fine lines, some that run to the band and some that don't. On mine they're not noticeable without magnification, but there are maybe 8 of them spaced around it. They don't look like they are doing any harm and my cap fits tightly, but I can see it being annoying in a demonstrator or a different color where it's more visible.

[Jon Szanto]

These pens sell for around $15.00, right? Is anyone confusing this pen for something that is going to last a lifetime?

[KBeezie]

These pens sell for around $15.00, right? Is anyone confusing this pen for something that is going to last a lifetime?


Well least for more than a year, material wise they don't feel that much different than the light plastic used in a $140-180 Pilot pen (still all plastic), and for not much more than a Singularity ($15-20) or Fission ($20-25), there's the Lamy Safari at $30+ that users tend to claim are indestructible.

Some of the old vintage cheapies made of resin and what not outlast some of the plastic pens we have today.

However granted that nothing last forever, I would have expected a brand new pen, never opened, to not have 20-30 stress cracks right out of the box. At least give me 6 months to a year to get to that state. That being said, my singularity crack and durability wise is still about the same state as when I got it back in Late February/Early March. It's not my everyday carry, but I've taken it with me to places, and it mainly just sits in my coffee mug on my desk until I need to address something. To top it off I been using it with Iron Gall ink since around March (R&K Salix) with my Goulet 1.5 stub nib, and no melted feed or corroded nib. I mainly still have it because it serves a purpose with the stub and that specific ink.

[Jon Szanto]

$15.00 Nemosine has cracks.
$15.00 Pilot Metro has no cracks.

Easy choice. I just can never figure out how these pens end up having such lengthy, in-depth discussions. Then again, it's a pen forum - what else to discuss, right? :)

[gbryal]

Because we already have both? Besides, why can't a $15 item last a lifetime? $1500 is no guarantee something will last, either.

[Jon Szanto]

Besides, why can't a $15 item last a lifetime? $1500 is no guarantee something will last, either.

As to the former, I didn't say it couldn't, though I'd hardly put my money on it (so to speak). As to the latter, I never made that claim, and wouldn't.

More often than not, though, a cheap pen is a cheap pen. There are exceptions, though, and those are the ones that are fun.

[Sailor Kenshin]

$15.00 Nemosine has cracks.
$15.00 Pilot Metro has no cracks.

Easy choice. I just can never figure out how these pens end up having such lengthy, in-depth discussions. Then again, it's a pen forum - what else to discuss, right? :)


No....easy choice for you. Perhaps others. But as for me... I have given up metal pens.

I have one Met, and too many other metal pens. I'm done with those. And I can't be the only one who wants a lightweight pen made from not-metal.

[scrivelry]

...But as for me... I have given up metal pens.

I have one Met, and too many other metal pens. I'm done with those. And I can't be the only one who wants a lightweight pen made from not-metal.

I have a Metropolitan and some Jinhaos, which are heavy, but by and large I like writing with lighter pens. I have a bunch of vintage celluloid pens, and within that grouping I have some Esterbrooks, of which I prefer the large if I have a choice, and some more modern pens. I especially like Chinese pens from the 80's 90's which look like traditional fountain pens, generally have a finish tip, and are plastic.

I can take a little weight, but mostly I write with pens that are probably on the lighter side.

[KBeezie]

$15.00 Nemosine has cracks.
$15.00 Pilot Metro has no cracks.

Easy choice. I just can never figure out how these pens end up having such lengthy, in-depth discussions. Then again, it's a pen forum - what else to discuss, right? :)

I didn't even try a Pilot Metropolitan until after I had the Nemosine (and due to some issues with my order and the way support was handled I eventually got a full refund on the nemosine and got to keep the Singularity).

The Nemosine Singularity mainly has one benefit that the Metropolitan does not have. It takes #6 nibs, there's nothing in the sub $50 range that I know of that Pilot offers that comes close to the size and smoothness of the Goulet 1.5 nib I have in the Nemosine. Granted I could just have easily put the same nib into a Jinhao for a fraction of the cost of the Nemosine, it would have dried out much more quickly.

And I've tried the Broad/Stub on a Pilot 78G which is roughly a 0.7 (similar to Nemosine's Calligraphy nib), and while the Pilot Broad/Stub is much smoother than my experience with the Nemosine 0.8 that came with my Singularity, it doesn't flow quite as well as my Goulet 1.5, it's inconsistent with the way it puts ink down despite all the different kinds of inks I've used (where as the Goulet nib handles them all consistently and evenly without fail).

Course when you consider that a Singularity + Goulet becomes $30 or so, in which case could probably get a Lamy Safari with a 1.1, 1.5 or 1.9 stub nib. I've only briefly messed with a Lamy 1.9 and they're not bad, on the cross stroke it's thinner than the Goulet 1.5, and on the vertical it's naturally wider than the Goulet 1.5, I'd imagine the Lamy 1.5 would have the same thinness on the cross stroke as the 1.9, the Goulet 1.5 is a little smoother though. I was trying to see if a Monteverde was an option, but not seeing any under $40 that could just swap out with a standard #6 nib (or came with a 1.1 stub which appears to be their largest).

But far as the nemosine goes, for me it's primarily a case of "Had I known then, what I know now..."

Concerning 'heavy', the Pilot 78G appears to be the best alternative to the Nemosine Singularity while being nearly as cheap as the Jinhao sold domestically (around $10) with the option of Japanese Fine, Medium or Broad/Stub (~0.7/0.8).

[gbryal]

If for some reason you ever want at least 3000 replacements for your Singularity, Alibaba and Bizrice both have the CM93F, which looks quite similar to me, except for the imprint and the nib embossing. I don't know if its the same nib or if Nemosine gets theirs somewhere else (or has someone else manufacture the pen.) Just thought it was sort of interesting.

http://www.bizrice.com/upload/20120314/High_Quality_CM93F_Solid_Series_Plastic_Fountain.j pg

[Jon Szanto]

@Karl: as the Master said:Brevity is the soul of Wit.

@Singularity: Just as life is too short to drink cheap wines, it is also too short to spend inordinate amounts of time with cheap pens. Not inexpensive ones, cheap.

[KBeezie]

@Karl: as the Master said:Brevity is the soul of Wit.


I like being analytical at times. (ok... most of the time) :P

[Dreck]

@Singularity: Just as life is too short to drink cheap wines, it is also too short to spend inordinate amounts of time with cheap pens. Not inexpensive ones, cheap.

Amen!

[Sailor Kenshin]

All I wanted was a lightweight, fattish pen that took standard internationals and offered a choice of many nibs.

I thought the Nemo fit the bill, but the only one that seems to work as it should is the M demonstrator. Sob.

[KBeezie]

All I wanted was a lightweight, fattish pen that took standard internationals and offered a choice of many nibs.

I thought the Nemo fit the bill, but the only one that seems to work as it should is the M demonstrator. Sob.
Kaweco classic sport? (matches two points {light and about as thick if not thicker than a nemosine, and takes std international} , but not sure about the nibs, I know the nibs for the AL Sport {EF, f, m, b} will not fit on them)

[Sailor Kenshin]

Thanks for the suggestion. I had one, didn't really take to it, and it's about twice as much as the Nemo.

Funny, too, that my Nemos do not seem to work with carts, only cons! I wanted them all in a cute little glass as ink testers. But I'm stubborn, so I WILL find a way! ;)

[scrivelry]

All I wanted was a lightweight, fattish pen that took standard internationals and offered a choice of many nibs.

I thought the Nemo fit the bill, but the only one that seems to work as it should is the M demonstrator. Sob.

I feel your pain.

I currently have an Ahab which has a converter but I think they take carts. It is working well for me. Of course, Noodler's pens have a reputation of being a bit of a grab-bag. It's a bit wider, I think they take #6 nibs, and it's not heavy. Have you tried one?

(I think these are probably very much a case of "if you got a good one the first time, great, and you will probably be optimistic about them in the future, but if you get a bad one the first time, you loose patience and who can blame you." So a bit of a risk, but this one I have does work for me.)

[Sailor Kenshin]

I do have an Ahab. Every now and then I take it out, work the piston, and squint at it.

;)

[Glennhkc]

I've had variable but mostly good luck with the Nemosine nibs. Four have been good with minor tuning and one is requiring more. I've not not had such good luck with Knox, but excellent results with the GP branded JoWo which isn't surprising. At half the price of the GP nibs I'm willing to spend some time getting the Nemosine nibs where I want them. For 15 bucks I don't have high expectations of many pens and I've certainly paid plenty more for pens that aren't as good as the Singularity.