Matt & Lizt - I'm going to stand by my suggestion to get a Copperplate sampler, but given that you're both interested in exploring nibs from the perspective of the Hunt 101 and maybe you also don't want to buy 15 nibs in one go, I thought I'd give a little more detail. It also occurred to me that my last post might have been more generally encouraging than strictly practically helpful. Mind you, I'm not as much of a copperplate expert as some folks around here, but I'm a teacher by trade, so this information is pedagogically oriented and intended to respond to your specific queries about trying something OTHER than the Hunt 101, and I'll say again: there isn't such a thing as "best" - only "better for particular context/activity/project," and there's nothing wrong with the Hunt 101 (except that I personally think it's kind of a difficult nib to learn on, because it's SO sharp and flexible, people get frustrated).
The Leonardt Principal is quite similar to the Hunt 101/Imperial (and I find that it lasts a bit longer for me than the 101/Imperial before wearing out). If you're looking for something a little firmer, the Hunt 99 feels less fidgety, is slightly less sharp, and might help you in developing confidence, especially with hairlines & flourishing.
Two very popular "bowl-shaped" nibs, the Brause Arrow/EF66 and the Blue Pumpkin, hold a little more ink than the straight sided nibs like the Hunt 101 & Leonardt Principal, so they might give you a longer run before re-dipping (but it also might be that you're over-flexing the nib for those swells or that you haven't gotten all the factory oils off the nibs). The Blue Pumpkin/Steno is also a little stiffer than the Hunt 101, and less sharp, so it gives less dramatic hairline to swell variation; but if you're maybe over-flexing your nib, causing it to dump its ink in a few strokes and/or railroad, then that might be a feature. It's also a nib that helped me get more confident in my flourishing, because its very slightly rounded point doesn't catch on the paper fibers quite as readily as the really sharp ones. The Hiro 40 with its leaf shape is also a little stiffer and less sharp.
For another extremely popular, and stiffer, option, you might try the Nikko or Zebra G nib. They are sharp (seriously, I accidentally stabbed myself with one and got a tiny tattoo from it this week), but the stiffness gives you more control. Work at getting all the oils off, or they won't hold onto the ink. I use them with sumi ink to correct and add details to broad edge calligraphy, and can say that they can hold a very good amount of ink, if that's the priority for you.
If you want things MORE sharp, try the Gillott 303 or 404. They're smaller, so they hold less ink, and don't produce swells quite as wide, but you get the most delicate hairlines. It's very easy to snag them on a paper fiber though, so I'd say, at first, only use them on the smoothest paper.
I hope this is more like the practical perspective you were looking for!
--yours, K
