Italix nibs: gold vs steel

[victordomingos]

One of the fountain pens I have been hearing nice reviews is the Italix Parsons Essential. It seems to me like a classic design in a relatively inexpensive pen. I have a question for those who have tried those nibs: are the gold nibs worth the money, or are they a gimmicky that has little relation with the actual performance of the pen?

[KBeezie]

I don't know about the Gold vs Steel, but I do know that while the Italix nibs are Jowo made, they are hand ground and tuned by Italix staff themselves.

If all things are the same the main reason to get gold over steel is the resistance to tarnishing, and that gold does not corrode.

[stub]

The gold nibs are also stock M gold nibs. The steel come in regular round, stub and italic so if you want something other than round M you need to get the steel.

I have the medium stub. It is very nice.

[victordomingos]

The gold nibs are also stock M gold nibs. The steel come in regular round, stub and italic so if you want something other than round M you need to get the steel.

I have the medium stub. It is very nice.

What is the "maximum width" of that medium stub? Is it like a regular medium in width but ground thiner in height?

[TSherbs]

The gold nibs are also stock M gold nibs. The steel come in regular round, stub and italic so if you want something other than round M you need to get the steel.

I have the medium stub. It is very nice.

What is the "maximum width" of that medium stub? Is it like a regular medium in width but ground thiner in height?

Aren't there examples of the line widths on the Mr. Pen web site? My medium stub from Italix is wider than a typical medium nib line, but I have never measured it.

[victordomingos]

That would be a useful resource. I haven't found any samples to compare, beside a few video reviews or some handwritten reviews. A side-by-side sample comparison seems to be missing, as far as I know...

[TSherbs]

This is from the Mr. Pen website, under the Parson's Essential section:

Italic or conventional nib options (Note Broad and fine Italic is created from a medium nib blank and is marked 'M')

Medium italic 1.0 mm approx on the broad stroke, Broad italic 1.3mm approx on the broad stroke. We now offer a fine italic at about 0.85 mm on the broad stroke also The Fine Italic is slightly cursive as it is cut at the tip of the pellet.

from here: http://www.mrpen.co.uk/contents/en-uk/d184.html -- about a third down the page, in the section on the burgundy Essential Fountain Pen

This is about the italic nibs, but the cursive stub is probably not that much different; perhaps a little narrower. Mr. Pen has a Live Chat function where you can ask them directly.

[victordomingos]

This is from the Mr. Pen website, under the Parson's Essential section:

Italic or conventional nib options (Note Broad and fine Italic is created from a medium nib blank and is marked 'M')

Medium italic 1.0 mm approx on the broad stroke, Broad italic 1.3mm approx on the broad stroke. We now offer a fine italic at about 0.85 mm on the broad stroke also The Fine Italic is slightly cursive as it is cut at the tip of the pellet.

from here: http://www.mrpen.co.uk/contents/en-uk/d184.html -- about a third down the page, in the section on the burgundy Essential Fountain Pen

This is about the italic nibs, but the cursive stub is probably not that much different; perhaps a little narrower. Mr. Pen has a Live Chat function where you can ask them directly.

I will probably get in chat with him one of these days, if I happen to find him online. Thanks.

[cpt000]

That would be a useful resource. I haven't found any samples to compare, beside a few video reviews or some handwritten reviews. A side-by-side sample comparison seems to be missing, as far as I know...

Look up the massdrop page for the Parson's Essential - there's a handwriting sample of every nib. The gold looks flexy.

[victordomingos]

That would be a useful resource. I haven't found any samples to compare, beside a few video reviews or some handwritten reviews. A side-by-side sample comparison seems to be missing, as far as I know...

Look up the massdrop page for the Parson's Essential - there's a handwriting sample of every nib. The gold looks flexy.

Thanks for the tip!

[KBeezie]

That would be a useful resource. I haven't found any samples to compare, beside a few video reviews or some handwritten reviews. A side-by-side sample comparison seems to be missing, as far as I know...

Look up the massdrop page for the Parson's Essential - there's a handwriting sample of every nib. The gold looks flexy.

If it's a Jowo made gold nib they're typically firm and shouldn't be intended for line variation (they say 'springy flex' on the drop, but springy and flex aren't the same thing and they may actually be pushing it harder than they should).

https://www.massdrop.com/buy/italix-..._open&r=HP76ZF

[victordomingos]

This is from the Mr. Pen website, under the Parson's Essential section:

Italic or conventional nib options (Note Broad and fine Italic is created from a medium nib blank and is marked 'M')

Medium italic 1.0 mm approx on the broad stroke, Broad italic 1.3mm approx on the broad stroke. We now offer a fine italic at about 0.85 mm on the broad stroke also The Fine Italic is slightly cursive as it is cut at the tip of the pellet.

from here: http://www.mrpen.co.uk/contents/en-uk/d184.html -- about a third down the page, in the section on the burgundy Essential Fountain Pen

This is about the italic nibs, but the cursive stub is probably not that much different; perhaps a little narrower. Mr. Pen has a Live Chat function where you can ask them directly.

I will probably get in chat with him one of these days, if I happen to find him online. Thanks.

Mr. Pen has recommended a stub medium nib. I will probably go for that one.

[TSherbs]

This is from the Mr. Pen website, under the Parson's Essential section:

Italic or conventional nib options (Note Broad and fine Italic is created from a medium nib blank and is marked 'M')

Medium italic 1.0 mm approx on the broad stroke, Broad italic 1.3mm approx on the broad stroke. We now offer a fine italic at about 0.85 mm on the broad stroke also The Fine Italic is slightly cursive as it is cut at the tip of the pellet.

from here: http://www.mrpen.co.uk/contents/en-uk/d184.html -- about a third down the page, in the section on the burgundy Essential Fountain Pen

This is about the italic nibs, but the cursive stub is probably not that much different; perhaps a little narrower. Mr. Pen has a Live Chat function where you can ask them directly.

I will probably get in chat with him one of these days, if I happen to find him online. Thanks.

Mr. Pen has recommended a stub medium nib. I will probably go for that one.

love mine