Stub O' The Day

[dcpritch]

Montblanc 138, steel alloy BB nib

 

I splurged at the Swann Auction in March and got a few pens, including the one below. This MB has the finest nib I've ever used. It is smooth beyond compare, with line variation achieved both through nib shape and flexibility. The 138 is a model seldom seen and is even less common with this nib; the turning knob is imprinted with "138" on one side and "BB" on the other.

 

 

[specialk0449]

Beautiful pen. The steel nibs on the 130 series are some my best writing nibs. You are correct about the rarity of the 138. Enjoy for many years to come.

[watch_art]

How does that new 1.5 write?

[dcpritch]

How does that new 1.5 write?

 

Which 1.5? If you are talking about the Pelikan B stub on my Newton N-E-W Pen, it is a marvel, but I don't think it is 1.5mm.

[dcpritch]

Sailor Profit 1911 (large), 21k Music/Stub by Masuyama

 

This pen came to me via FPN a couple of years ago and is a great example of how a master nib technician can take an already good nib and make it great. I loaned fellow FPNer KrazyIvan three different Sailor pens with music nibs and he reviewed all three side-by-side. One had a factory music nib, one was stubbed by Greg Minuskin, and this one was stubbed by Mike Masuyama; all three nibs are 21k with "MS" imprinted on the side of the nib. Here is KrazyIvan's review of this pen, which says far more than I could about the nib.

 

 

 

[watch_art]

The Jowo 1.5 on the Edison pen a few posts back...

or am I dreaming?

 

 

Maybe I've breathed in too much dust in the shop today. Cleaning it up to get ready for the new lathe coming in on Wednesday.

[dcpritch]

Can you tell I've been missing FPN while it was down? It is great to be back online after such a long absence!

 

Soennecken 307, 14k BBS nib

 

This is one of Soennecken's 1950s piston fillers, a little small at 129mm, but a great pen with fantastic ink capacity and an absolutely wonderful nib. As you can see from the photos, the nib has enormous flex and very consistent ink flow, neither too wet nor too dry. The nib's shape is a left oblique and it is extremely forgiving and easy to use, even for one such as me who rarely likes oblique nibs.

 

 

Here you can see the handy ink window:

 

I did not apply maximum pressure, but you get the idea how flexible this nib is:

 

[da vinci]

Montblanc 138, steel alloy BB nib

 

I splurged at the Swann Auction in March and got a few pens, including the one below. This MB has the finest nib I've ever used. It is smooth beyond compare, with line variation achieved both through nib shape and flexibility. The 138 is a model seldom seen and is even less common with this nib; the turning knob is imprinted with "138" on one side and "BB" on the other.

 

 

That is a fantastic pen DC, and it must be a pretty special nib to be given the accolade of the finest nib (& I am assuming we are not talking nib width here!) you have ever used.

[Uncle Red]

Something I got during the hiatus

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dcpritch]

Uncle Red, I'm being blinded by the glare off that shiny pen; had to put on my shades to see what you were showing us. Looks like a keeper!

 

da vinci, I wrote a reply to your comment about the MB 138 being the best nib I've used but luckily I set it aside and read it before I posted it - it sounded waaay to pretentious. Even so, it is the best nib I've ever used.

 

Shawn, better get some sleep soon, or else maybe an exhaust fan in your workshop.

[dcpritch]

Oops, its been two weeks since I posted here last. Life gets busy sometimes, eh?

 

Bexley 10th Anniversary in lemon acrylic (L.E. version), 18k Stub nib

 

Bexley's 10th Anniversary pen is one of my favorites. I once owned each version but now have only two, the lemon acrylic and chocolate ebonite LE models. Both are great pens, with a nice length and girth, and the Bexley nibs - made by Bock, I believe - are absolutely fantastic. Because they are 18k they have a little spring to them; not as much as I've noticed in larger Pelikan nibs like the M800 and M1000, but still, a little line variation can be derived by applying some pressure.

 

 

[pokermon]

Onoto Vacuum Self Filler. Has a springy/semi-flex stub with a tiny bit of oblique angle to it.

[watch_art]

I must have gotten confused with the different tabs opened up.

 

As for that Bexley 10th with stub - WOW. I had one of those - was my first bright and colorful pen ever. Loved it. BUT - selling it helped me get started in making my own pens.

[griz8791]

[Runnin_Ute]

Have a 1.1 mm in my Lamy Al Star.. No photos right now though...

[Uncle Red]

I can't remember if I've posted this here.

 

[dcpritch]

Onoto Vacuum Self Filler. Has a springy/semi-flex stub with a tiny bit of oblique angle to it.

 

Pokerman - I love flexible stub nibs! As I've said earlier, somewhere in this thread, they give the best of both worlds: line variation through nib shape and also through flexibility. The one on your Onoto is fantastic.

 

 

 

griz, thanks, I'm glad you are watching and I hope you get a chance to post a picture of something.

 

 

Have a 1.1 mm in my Lamy Al Star.. No photos right now though...

 

Get that camera out and upload - I'd love to see it!

 

I can't remember if I've posted this here.

 

 

Uncle Red, I've never used a Pelikano. Your CI F nib is changing my idea about what a stub nib should be - I've always thought wide but you still get nice line variation with that one. Is the ribbed section helpful or distracting?

[dcpritch]

To follow up on something I said to Pokermon in the post just above:

 

Waterman's piston filler, flexible 14k stub nib

 

I got this pen last year in a trade with an esteemed FPNer. I'd never heard of a Waterman's piston filler and he said that as far as he could tell they were only made for a very short time and only distributed in Switzerland. I think late 1940s or early 1950s is the best guess about date of manufacture, and if anyone has more information about this model I'd love to learn more. The nib, as usual, is the star of this pen - a very flexible (not a wet noodle, though) 14k stub nib. No markings on nib or barrel as to size, so I would guess it to be a BB in the vintage style, and indeed it behaves very much like a vintage Pelikan BB, though this nib is slightly easier to flex. Here are a couple of photos:

 

[Uncle Red]

DC, the ribbing is rubber and not distracting while I'm writing. It is a cute thing but I prefer broader nibs, I won't sell or give away this pen though.

 

Could we see more pictures of the Waterman piston filler? Is there a knob under a blind cap or is the end of the barrel the knob?

[dcpritch]

... Is there a knob under a blind cap or is the end of the barrel the knob?

 

The end of the barrel is actually the turning knob, and as you can sort of see in the second picture there are two porthole-style clear ink windows opposite each other near the section. The pen is very light and well balanced.