Nib preference

[Kaputnik]

About the "right tool for the job" point made above, of course there's something in that. But it's not quite like picking the right wrench for particular nuts and bolts.

Some people may do many different kinds of writing jobs, from quick note taking (even shorthand) to painstakingly executed calligraphy in different styles, to drawing. I'll admit to breaking out the italic nibs sometimes, usually for birthday or Christmas cards. Almost all of the jobs that my pens have to do, though, would come under general writing. I may pause to admire the look of a particular ink from time to time, or note that my handwriting appears particularly neat yet elegant that day (not an opinion likely to be shared by many) but most of the time I'm concentrated on what I'm writing. I may be over-interpreting what the OP meant, but I took the question to be, what do you prefer for the kind of writing you do most? When it's a matter of getting words down on paper without being distracted by the tools you're using, what sort of pen works best for you (and has your preference changed)?

If that's the question, I think it's quite possible to have one favorite type of nib. You may still like to change, occasionally, but that's more from a taste for variety than it is of one nib being more suitable than another.

[ethernautrix]

I started out with Waterman and Sheaffer F... and was consistently satisfied with Western F nibs (and completely disillusioned by Parker's "needlepoint" nib; it was a blunt needlepoint!). For a while (almost a decade), my Sailor H-EF was my finest nib and used only for specific EF needs. Until Nakaya. Turned out that my preference was for Nakaya F nibs. Well, maybe EF sometimes. Wider, though, than my Sailor 1911's H-EF.

These days... my favorite nib is Pilot's PO (posting). Also a favorite is Pilot Falcon's SEF. Still very much enjoy using my Nakaya Fs and EF (only one EF).

Also enjoy using other, broader nibs. But for the bulk of my writing, it's the Japanese EFs and Fs that I prefer.

Funny that now the Sailor's H-EF is just a bit... (what?) broad. I mean, broader than before when it was my finest nib.

My Montblanc 146's EF/F is crazy broad (in comparison) and kindv italic/stub. I also enjoy a Pilot FA nib and a vintage Waterman Lady Patricia total flex (but rarely).

I love the PO nib for the speed I can write with it. Speed and legibility. It's perfect for that.

[Lloyd]

Have you (or anyone else) asked Mottishaw if he can alter a Nakaya nib to be like your beloved PO nibs?

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[Cyril]

I have come back to FP very recently. Then I have desided to work back to develop my Chicken writing.
So I had to start everything all over buying some pens and buying some Fine nibs to replace my older pens.
I had only two pens, Montblanc 146 with a medium nib and a Fiber Castle with a medium . So I was on mediums. So I have desided to go back to the Fine nibs and bought Two Pilot with F nibs, several Lamy Safaries with Fine EF and stub 1.1 That gives me chance to see all my mistakes and correct myself in all my bad habits. So I am learning how to discipline through fine nibs.
I like Italic nibs and I am hoping to add several pens with Italics and perhaps a Custom ground like a Italic on a Pelikan. I like flex nibs and they are too on my list. Perhaps a pilot with F Soft and a Platinum Soft Medium.

[Mister5]

I find I lean towards Extra Fine to Fine if not needlepoint in what I like to use day-to-day. An M200 Fine is pushing it in terms of line width but that is my favorite pen, and sometimes the M200 Fine (stock) tied with the FC Medium Stub for favorite nib. Oddly I have a "Binderized" EF M215 nib and I find that not to be as pleasant as the stock M200 Fine.

I tend to use a lot of pocket notebooks and journals and with the narrow ruling it tends to require something with a smaller line width. Add to that some shorthand, and a larger line width becomes much less readable.

I have some mediums but when I use them it's like "Aaagh! I can't write like this. What was I thinking?" When I do use a medium, I like the Franklin Christoph Medium Stub or Nemosine 0.6 mm stub. The medium Preppy I find is a little stub-like so I don't mind that. I don't have any broads other than an old Namiki Vanishing Point.

[View from the Loft]

All of my pens have edged nibs, varying from stub through to just shy of crisp italic, with two obliques. My M200 broad oblique lays down the finest line of any of my pens, and is in daily use for form filling. I have broad italics on a P75 and a modern CS100 that lay down the broadest lines (around 1.3mm depending on the ink), and these suit my writing and are in regular use. I don't use round nibs (but I will make an exception for my Dad's P61 which will come to me).

I've tried round nibs and no, not for me.

[Aurora]

I have always favored broad nibs. Fine nibs never make it for too long in my collection. I will either trade nibs or sell the pen altogether.


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[Hejhox]

I tend to favour the finer side of things but as others have noted preferences can change and indeed seem to go in cycles. It's good to have the variety to shake things up.

[Woody]

Medium, then broad and back to medium. Now I like the steel 1.1 smoothed and ground just a bit to smooth down the corners.

[RocketRyan]

Medium, then broad and back to medium. Now I like the steel 1.1 smoothed and ground just a bit to smooth down the corners.

I have a bock 1.1 and enjoy it very much. I also have a pilot 1.0 and it's not the best.

[Cyril]

I got into pen with medium nibs and suddenly discovered if I use a fine nib then I can find my mistakes and improve my writing.

Then I started to look into how others write and learn that I must change my nib in to fine. I added some fine and extra fine and I am learning Spensarien. It was my best turning point and I have compleately changed my writing. I know now I can use any size and controll my writing very soon.

[Driften]

I tend to like western F nibs (Japanese FM/MF), but I also like medium stubs. It's funny... after writing with my fine nibs I pick up my Pilot VP with its medium nib that is wet enough to write like a western medium and marvel at how smooth it writes and wonder why I don't use it more. I don't care for my pens with Japanese Fine nibs. They are just too fine.

I am really shifting to liking medium CI's and B's. Just sent a Montblanc 146 B to be made into a oblique broad cursive italic The fine nibs I liked back in July and before are not getting much use now.

[wingwiper]

fine-medium crisp CI

[Amanda]

I prefer fine or extra fine Japanese nibs for writing, or a small crisp italic for a change, but I just took delivery of a Platinum #3776 with a broad nib. No one is more surprised that me.

One of Mr Brown's reviews prompted the purchase - he demonstrated it to be bold and wet when used normally, but a very nice smooth fine when reversed. It works! For drawing it is wonderful - luscious and wet one way or delicate and fine the other - so much variety of line depending on how I hold it. And ever so slightly springy so it's even bolder and wetter with a little pressure. I think I'm in love.

[rluka]

Practically, fine or even extra fine. Anyway, anything up to fineliner's 0.5 because it's mostly for note taking and in limited space.
But some inks just don't look like it without broader nib.

I do feel like switching my FC's M nib with F. It's much wetter than I expected, although reverse writing can help.

[Miller6457]

My first pen / nib was a medium. After playing with a few cursive italics I fell for them. At one point every pen in my collection was a cursive italic. I've since diversified again. A friend gave me a pen as a gift and it has a medium nib. It writes well, I like it. I have also accepted that a medium cursive italic is still too broad for writing on the shit copy paper at work, so I have a few XF/F nib pens for that. I still prefer line variation and like a European medium or Asian broad as a cursive italic.

Scooby921 I looking to try cursive italic for the first time. I was wondering what size nib to try it on. I write with a EF, F, M sailor nibs on my cross peerless's. Your statement that the medium cursive italic is too broad but like a European medium or Asian broad. So is a broad or thin line better. Could you post an example of C.I. in thin and broad nibs?

Thanks

[wingwiper]

My first pen / nib was a medium. After playing with a few cursive italics I fell for them. At one point every pen in my collection was a cursive italic. I've since diversified again. A friend gave me a pen as a gift and it has a medium nib. It writes well, I like it. I have also accepted that a medium cursive italic is still too broad for writing on the shit copy paper at work, so I have a few XF/F nib pens for that. I still prefer line variation and like a European medium or Asian broad as a cursive italic.

Scooby921 I looking to try cursive italic for the first time. I was wondering what size nib to try it on. I write with a EF, F, M sailor nibs on my cross peerless's. Your statement that the medium cursive italic is too broad but like a European medium or Asian broad. So is a broad or thin line better. Could you post an example of C.I. in thin and broad nibs?

Thanks

A Japanese fine or fine-medium will give you more line variation than an XF for sur; Western XF probably not so bad.. I don't see the point from experience spending $ for an XF CI as you will recognize little in vertical/horizontal strokes unless you get some flex. John Mottishaw did a .7/CI on a Pelikan for me, which to me is the sweet spot between being to fine or to broad, great vertical and horizontal variances. He started with a Pelikan medium I believe to end up where he finished? I've ground my own using Goulet Fine and XF nibs where the fine just provides the right variance. My XF even though I even ground somewhat crisp still acts more like a stub in appearance?

Of course it is all a matter of preference and everybody likes what they like

[KrazyIvan]

anything 1.1 mm or smaller.

[Miller6457]

Thanks WingWiper it's a starting point for me.

[ethernautrix]

Have you (or anyone else) asked Mottishaw if he can alter a Nakaya nib to be like your beloved PO nibs?

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Hi, Lloyd.

I ordered two PO nibs from fpnibs.com (I know I mentioned this somewhere else -- elses -- but I don't know where those are), one from an F nib and the other from an EF nib, both Jowo steel #6.

I like them very much, although I favor the EF nib (cos... extra... fine).

Side note: I also ordered a fude nib, and I enjoy writing with that very much, too.

Then, I ordered from fpnibs an EEF nib (straight-up EEF), and I stopped using the PO nib(s), cos the EEF nib is finer, and I like that. It is very, very hard. The Pilot PO nib is hard, too, but... I guess smoother. I don't perceive the EEF as not smooth, but when compared to nibs that definitely are smooth, then... I suppose the EEF is not as smooth. But I really, really like it. I put it in the Danitrio Komori (I'm using the fude nib in the Danitrio Fellowship).

I think I'd like the Nakaya UEF, but I have all the Nakayas I want (so far so good).