Italic Vs Oblique Nib

[TheMajestic]

Hi,

 

Can someone explain to me the difference between an italic and an oblique nib?

 

 

[Driften]

The oblique nib is designed with the tines at a different lengths to compensate for rotating the nib.

 

An italic, Cursive Italic, or Stub is a way to get different line widths. An oblique nib can be cut to be italic or stub or left round.

[pajaro]

or right round italic.

[JakobS]

It appears that most modern stock nibs that are obliques( not modified by a nib person) are stub like in writing behavior, though there are a few rounded stock oblique nibs too I believe, or more roundish.

Edited September 26, 2017 by JakobS

[thygreyt]

The oblique nib is designed with the tines at a different lengths to compensate for rotating the nib.

 

An italic, Cursive Italic, or Stub is a way to get different line widths. An oblique nib can be cut to be italic or stub or left round.

 

I understand why people say obliques are for this ^^... But i have to disagree in the following: it is NOT made exclusively for those people. I do not rotate the nibs/ pens, yet obliques are amazing writers in my hand.

 

I see Obliques to be (when not rotated) similar to stubs, but the line variation happens differently, and in my cursive writing, i find it to be better looking.

 

TL;DR: obliques are for those who rotate their pens, or for those who dont and want another form of line variation

[Driften]

 

I understand why people say obliques are for this ^^... But i have to disagree in the following: it is NOT made exclusively for those people. I do not rotate the nibs/ pens, yet obliques are amazing writers in my hand.

 

I see Obliques to be (when not rotated) similar to stubs, but the line variation happens differently, and in my cursive writing, i find it to be better looking.

 

TL;DR: obliques are for those who rotate their pens, or for those who dont and want another form of line variation

 

 

Not all obliques provide line variation. Some are just round nibs with one tine shorter. They can also be flex nibs or italics. Just because the ones you have used also have stub like qualities does not mean all of them though history do.

 

The OP should read Richard Binders information about them. http://www.richardspens.com/?page=ref/nibs/beyond.htm

 

He also says oblique italics do just like you said.

[Bo Bo Olson]

German '50-60's Semi-flex or maxi-semi-flex are stub nibs, that give a great pattern of line variation.

I have some 13 obliques (from 26 semi& 16 maxi-semi-flex pens) in both those flexes from that era. I have them due to luck of the draw in both @15 degree and @ 30 degree of grind, in OBB, OB, OM & OF......

 

 

Modern obliques nibs give next to no line variation. I had two Lamy Nails, one vintage, one semi-vintage '90-2000.

My W. Germany 200 OM also has much less line variation than wished......having been spoiled by the earlier era's semi-flex nibs. I did have hopes that W. Germany nib with it's touch more springiness would also have nice line variation like my many '50-60's Obliques....(outside that Lamy 99 OM nail which of course had none.)

 

Some left handers can use semi-flex obliques.....others can use nail obliques only.

 

In I see no real line variation with a regular flex oblique unless heavily mashed.

It is my opinion, that a lot of folks are left eye dominant and cant the nib to see the top of the nib clearly.....this nib rotation some speak of.

There was always at least one person in class....late 50's-mid '60's when fountain pens were still popular in schools, that held their pen crooked....canted. I could never understand that until left eye dominance became a possible culprit.

My wife is very left eye dominate....really has to hold guns funny ..... but shoots well. She cant's the nib so very much that I had an :eureka: moment about left eye dominate.

Folks could say rotate the nib also. They don't say why.....could be left eye dominance.

 

I can hold a nib straight or canted depending on what I and the nib want....or if the nib allows nice line variation because it's stub, semi-flex and canted.

 

The pattern of a stiff nib italic is different, it for me draws the letters more than oblique.....the pen is held at a higher angle, before the big knuckle according to my calligraphy book....it too is canted...@ 45 degrees.

Edited September 26, 2017 by Bo Bo Olson

[TheMajestic]

 

The OP should read Richard Binders information about them. http://www.richardspens.com/?page=ref/nibs/beyond.htm

 

He also says oblique italics do just like you said.

 

Thanks a lot, I will!

 

I have a Montblanc Meisterstuck 144, with one tine shorter than the other. The penshop told me, it was an italic nib. But it doesn't have a lot of line variation.. It write's like a knife through butter! But there is not a really noticeable line variation. So i actually think it's an oblique medium. What do you guys think?

Edited September 26, 2017 by TheMajestic

[Driften]

 

Thanks a lot, I will!

 

I have a Montblanc Meisterstuck 144, with one tine shorter than the other. The penshop told me, it was an italic nib. But it doesn't have a lot of line variation.. It write's like a knife through butter! But there is not a really noticible line variation. So i actually think it's an oblique medium. What do you guys think?

 

 

In general it seems like B-BBB Montblanc nibs have a more stub like writing where M and finer are round nibs. I would think a OM would be like you said the same line as M but meant for a 5deg rotation when holding it. That is just a guess since I don't have any MB oblique nibs yet, just a M and a B.

[TheMajestic]

 

 

In general it seems like B-BBB Montblanc nibs have a more stub like writing where M and finer are round nibs. I would think a OM would be like you said the same line as M but meant for a 5deg rotation when holding it. That is just a guess since I don't have any MB oblique nibs yet, just a M and a B.

 

It indeed writes like a M, but only rotated. So i'm almost positive it is an oblique medium now.

 

(Do not mind my handwriting )

 

Edited September 26, 2017 by TheMajestic

[Driften]

A picture of the nib would tell us but I do think you are correct in thinking its an OM.

[TheMajestic]

A picture of the nib would tell us but I do think you are correct in thinking its an OM.

 

This is the best i can do at this moment.

Edited September 26, 2017 by TheMajestic

[Driften]

Yes looks oblique to me and not wide enough to be OB.

[TheMajestic]

Yes looks oblique to me and not wide enough to be OB.

 

Thank you for your input!

[Ghost Plane]

This is what an OB looks like.

[Ghost Plane]

Here is a BB stub showing the line width.

[amberleadavis]

Ghost, I'm drooling over here.

[Hegemon]

I was under the impression that a L footed oblique will produce thinner down and thicker cross strokes while an Italic has a wider stroke from top L to bottom R and narrow top R to bottom L. Correct?

Edited September 27, 2017 by Hegemon

[Bo Bo Olson]

I find the only obliques that give good line variation are the semi&maxi-semi-flex German nibs of the '50-65 era. Regular flex or nails have so little line variation it's not worth IMO buying.

 

I don't have any '20-30's obliques to add to the '50s era ones, but would expect them to give good line variation also.

I have an MB 234 1/2 Deluxe ('52-54 only), KOB, which is much thinner than modern.

 

I have a B=BB modern Woolf, that is a stubbish nib, but being only 'Springy', good tine bend but only 2X tine spread, does not offer as much line variation as a '50's semi-flex B Pelikan. (Semi&maxi along with regular flex are a 3 X tine spread set. with good tine bend.) Vintage and semi-vintage nibs are thinner than Modern be that MB or Pelikan. They also have a nice clean line.)

 

I don't really expect modern MB oblique nibs to have as much line variation as the semi/maxi ones of the '50-60's.

[jslallar]

I was under the impression that a L footed oblique will produce thinner down and thicker cross strokes while an Italic has a wider stroke from top L to bottom R and narrow top R to bottom L. Correct?

 

correct