Author Topic: My Favorite Nibs for Pointed Pen  (Read 135476 times)

Offline Erica McPhee

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Re: My Favorite Nibs for Pointed Pen
« Reply #210 on: April 15, 2023, 02:24:44 PM »
I LOVE the Brause Rose nibs! With that said, they are a bit temperamental. Sometimes it takes a bit of finesse to get them going. But once they do, they create beautiful shades and nice hairlines!

Handmade paper is always a challenge because by its nature, it has more loose fibers. I like to use the Zebra G or Nikko G because the nib is a bit stiffer which means less splats. However, they are pretty sharp points so I try to break it in a bit first before going to the hand made. And then go very slowly with a gentle touch.

Hope that helps!
Warm Regards,
Erica
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Offline USNavyVet

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Re: My Favorite Nibs for Pointed Pen
« Reply #211 on: April 15, 2023, 06:18:33 PM »
As far as making the nibs goes, standard nibs anyway, they are relatively simple. It's tempering the metal after rounding that is where the real science comes in. The nibs need to be flexible but also strong. It's a fine balance to temper metal to that point.

Offline AnasaziWrites

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Re: My Favorite Nibs for Pointed Pen
« Reply #212 on: April 16, 2023, 05:34:54 PM »
I do like the thins of the current Leonardt Principal EF but it is rather inconsistent in quality. God Bless Brian Walker (Rest in Peace) for his efforts on our behalf.
I would venture to say Brian would be appalled at the quality level of these nibs. I've resisted buying these for years, mainly because almost every review contains the "but" about their consistency. Having heard over and over that "It's my favorite nib," six months ago I bought a ten pack of these (in a nice decorative tin), and gave them a close look and test.
Of the ten nibs, nine were either splayed or had misaligned tines or both. That makes the one good nib pretty expensive. Not to say you can't get some adequate results from the ones with uneven tines, but if that's all you're using, you might not realize that better results are possible.
Quote
I do hope one of these days one of the go-getters develop a nib that is of the quality of ‘back in the day.’
Sadly, I agree with others that the economics are against it.



Offline Erica McPhee

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Re: My Favorite Nibs for Pointed Pen
« Reply #213 on: April 16, 2023, 09:27:28 PM »
Well that stinks!  >:(  So frustrating. It is one reason I stick with Zebra G most of the time. You don’t get the delicate hairlines but they really are quite reliable. Although I have been loving my Hunt 101’s recently. And once you get past the breaking in point, they can be rather hardy.

Have you tried the vintage Blanzy 2552? Delightful little thing. Just wish they weren’t so darn expensive.
Warm Regards,
Erica
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Offline AnasaziWrites

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Re: My Favorite Nibs for Pointed Pen
« Reply #214 on: April 19, 2023, 05:53:45 PM »
Well that stinks!  >:(  So frustrating. It is one reason I stick with Zebra G most of the time. You don’t get the delicate hairlines but they really are quite reliable. Although I have been loving my Hunt 101’s recently. And once you get past the breaking in point, they can be rather hardy.

Have you tried the vintage Blanzy 2552? Delightful little thing. Just wish they weren’t so darn expensive.
Can't know if you're responding to me or not, but here goes.
@Erica McPhee

I have a couple of boxes of those--a decent nib.
Right now on eBay there are ten boxes for sale here for less than $50/box--very cheap for such a good nib.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/165630090278

Offline Erica McPhee

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Re: My Favorite Nibs for Pointed Pen
« Reply #215 on: April 19, 2023, 09:18:54 PM »
Yes, I was responding to you @AnasaziWrites ! Good find! Thanks!
Warm Regards,
Erica
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Offline lizt2

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Re: My Favorite Nibs for Pointed Pen
« Reply #216 on: February 26, 2024, 05:49:05 PM »
The first nib I ever bought was a Hunt 56 and I didn't know anything about nibs.  It was a vintage brass nib - which are still available on E-bay.  They aren't cheap but the brass/hand ground ones last for such a long time if we remember to care of them properly.

I also love a Zebra G that is very hard to get -   It looks like a regular Nikko G nib, except that there is a blue dot on the back side.  This dot is ink and it comes off when you wash your nib.  Then, the only way to tell it apart from the regular Nikko G is to use it.  You will see that it has a medium flex instead of a stiff flex.  It was much easier for me than the regular Nikko G.  But, you can only get it from Japan or from someone who got them in Japan.  I wish there was a way to get more.  I even sent an email to Jet Pens telling them about the nib and they seemed excited about the information but I never heard anything back.

Like you said, Erica, the Blanzy 2552 is really nice as well.

Offline Erica McPhee

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Re: My Favorite Nibs for Pointed Pen
« Reply #217 on: February 27, 2024, 12:12:59 AM »
Kismet! Love the Hunt 56! I have a small stash of vintage ones and whenever I use one I am reminded of how much I like them.

Do you think the Zebra G you are talking about is different from the regular Zebra G? I look on Amazon Japan and they have Nikko G, Zebra G, and the Tachikowa G. But I didn’t see any with a blue dot.

I find the Zebra G to be more flexible than the Nikko G anyway. You can get them on Amazon affiliate link .
Warm Regards,
Erica
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Offline Vintage_BE

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Re: My Favorite Nibs for Pointed Pen
« Reply #218 on: April 28, 2024, 07:34:39 AM »
We are blessed to have the https://www.vintage-nibs.com/ site here in Europe.  I bought a selection of vintage nibs through that site, including the 2552 cementée and the Perry 27. Very fine and flexible indeed, and much more difficult to control than the Zebra G and the Nikko G. I use the 2552 mostly for Copperplate practice (because all downstrokes are executed with pressure, that makes it easier to control the nib). My favorite vintage nib, though, is one that my mum found lying around in a drawer. She gave it to me thinking that I would throw it out; it was badly stained with black ink residue, which after lots of (gently) rubbing I managed to partially remove.  The nib is  marked “Manufacture belge, Floreffe”. From what I could find on the web (http://lescockersdemaryse.centerblog.net/m/8153-plumerie) this was a small nib manufacturing plant that operated between 1907 and 1930. The 120 model that I am using is just as fine and flexible as the 2552 but (in my neophyte hand) feels easier to control. Too bad that I have just one of these… I am hoping that with TLC it will last me another while, until I have reached the level at which I can get crisp and steady lines out of the 2552.

Offline Erica McPhee

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Re: My Favorite Nibs for Pointed Pen
« Reply #219 on: April 28, 2024, 02:06:00 PM »
Nice! I have never seen this nib before. A similar thing happened to me. I was rummaging around in my nib drawers and found a random silver Esterbrook that I had never used and had no idea where it came from. So I threw it in my pen and lo and behold, it was not only a GREAT nib with excellent balance between shades, hairlines, and control, but also seemed to last FOREVER! Sadly, it got thrown away before I could find out the number on it.  :-\
Warm Regards,
Erica
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