Oblique nibs?

[acogbill]

Can someone explain to me what oblique nibs are, and what they do? I've read about them all over the internet, and all the sources that try to describe them always end up leaving me more confused than before. So my questions are:

 

What are oblique nibs, i.e. how are they different from normal nibs?

 

What do they do?

 

And I've heard that obliques come in right and left handed variations. When you order one, do you have to specify right or left?

 

Thanks.

[DrPJM1]

http://www.richardspens.com/?page=ref_info...nel_profile.htm

[acogbill]

First of all, your link isn't to a specific article.

 

I did look around, and found something explaining nibs in general. However, it still left me with unanswered questions.

 

So, now I know that oblique nibs are for people that rotate the pen, but is there anything else? Do they write differently? And I don't really understand the left and right foot thing.

[NeoTiger]

From my understanding, oblique nibs simply are nibs that you need to rotate a bit to write properly with. This particularly suits some types of left-handed writers.

 

Oblique nibs can also be ground to have some italic properties (thin and thick lines), but instead of having thin lines on the horizontal, the thin line may be on a diagonal stroke.

[Ann Finley]

About the "left and right foot thing"--This tells you which way the nib will slant. If you look down at your left foot and note the direction your toes slant toward that would describe a left foot oblique, and the reverse of that for a right foot oblique. Since various pens companies described these obliques to mean the opposite of one another, the reference of "foot" clarifies it and you'll know which slant you're getting.

 

I am a left-handed overwriter (my hand is above the line of writing) and I use a left foot oblique or straight italic nib for italic writing. Oblique stub nibs will also give line variation, but not as much. You do NOT have to be left handed to use an oblique nib slanted in either direction.

 

Hope this helps,

Ann

Edited April 22, 2006 by Ann Finley

[acogbill]

Thanks, I think I'm starting to understand.

I have one last question, just to show my ignorance. Do oblique nibs result in any line variation, or do they make it easier to write a certain way?

Edited April 22, 2006 by acogbill

[Ann Finley]

Yes, writing with an oblique nib will give you line variation. I don't know about it necessarily making it easier to write a certain way, but if you want to do italic writing, for example, you would hold the pen a certain way (see my pinned topic on Chancery italic at the top of the Penmanship Forum). The same would be true for Hebrew characters--you would hold the pen a certain way.

 

Ann

[antoniosz]

Definition:

http://www.richardspens.com/?page=ref_info/glossary/O.htm

 

Nib Primer:

http://www.richardspens.com/?page=ref_info/nib_primer.htm

 

Beyond the basics

http://www.richardspens.com/?page=ref_info/nib_beyond.htm

 

Samples

http://www.richardspens.com/?page=exemplaria.htm

[acogbill]

Hey, thanks a lot, everyone! I'd been wondering about obliques for a while, now I'm thinking about getting one... thanks again.

Edited April 22, 2006 by acogbill