Pilot Vainishing Point Nib Difference Question

[ArnieJB]

I have been using a medium nib that came with my VP and it writes quite well though fills in a little with my somewhat small writing. But it is very smooth with no ink skipping and feels like it could write endlessly (or at least until the ink runs out). I also recently picked up a fine nib from Goulet to see if I could write without my words filling in. But, I am finding there is a drastic difference in line width and am a little disappointed in the fine nib. It is not nearly as smooth as the medium and feels very scratchy. Will this nib smooth out as it gets worked in? Throughout the day at work, I am typically writing on 20-24# plain white copy paper.

[KrazyIvan]

You do have the chance of getting scratchier as you go a finer nib. It may be that your tines are out of alignment. It will not smooth out with time. Here is a nib adjustment guide by Ken Cavers.

Another thing to check is the slit, it may be collecting paper fibers between the nib slit. If everything checks out, it may need to be smoothed out by a professional if you cannot do it yourself. Try the tine alignment first, it is the least invasive.

[markt]

I started with a fine for my VP and experienced the same thing. I got a medium a little later and my experiences again are as you describe...the medium is super smooth but produces a broader line. I have subsequently tried my fine a few times since and I still prefer the medium. Under the scope the fine looks right, just not as smooth as other fine nibs that I have.

[fpquest]

I just recently got my first VP medium nib and it is very, very smooth factory direct without any adjustment. An extra-fine is my preference and I bought mine from nibs.com (John Mottishaw) so it was checked/adjusted and was smooth when it got to me. It's very smooth but requires a lighter touch. It is less smooth on courser paper where the medium doesn't dig into the fibers but no worse than any other XF. Another fine I got, out of the box, required some tweaking to be smooth. I didn't see any problems with it but after being adjusted by a nibmeister at a show it was definitely smoother.

[Robert]

I picked up my first VP in August when Vanness Pens offered a special deal on FPG. I opted for a broad nib, which writes very smoothly and lays down a line similar in width to a European medium nib (think Omas or Visconti).

[Kaputnik]

I've found my fine VP nib to be quite smooth, although the sweet spot is not very large. I did buy from a seller (Richard Binder) who checks the nibs on the pens he sells, and aligns them if needed.

[brewsky]

I started out with a medium nib, I couldn't stand it. It was veryy smooth though. I recently replaced it with a xf, and it is very scratchy but I like it much better.

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[SteveG]

I also have a fine that writes well out of the box, very smooth and glides across the paper.