Variations of "Medium"

[QM2]

I have had many MB nibs labeled "Medium". They have varied in actual size from F to B.

Just when I thought I was prepared for anything, I get a "Medium" that is a BBB.

 

Here is a comparison of it to what I would consider a true-to-size M nib:

 

http://queenmargot.com/MB_mednibs.jpg

 

Note also, that the top sample is written in a much drier ink than the bottom sample (Herbin Bleu Nuit vs PR Midnight Blues).

I know that some size variance is to be expected, but this?..

[pankajwillis]

I have had many MB nibs labeled "Medium". They have varied in actual size from F to B.

Just when I thought I was prepared for anything, I get a "Medium" that is a BBB.

 

Here is a comparison of it to what I would consider a true-to-size M nib:

 

http://queenmargot.com/MB_mednibs.jpg

 

Note also, that the top sample is written in a much drier ink than the bottom sample (Herbin Bleu Nuit vs PR Midnight Blues).

I know that some size variance is to be expected, but this?..

 

I agree with you. I've seen their M easily vary between F and B (and touching both of those).

 

However, their B would be different from an M which writes like a B

 

Although, the sample above looks a notch thinner than a B.

 

Edited May 13, 2009 by pankajwillis

[QM2]

However, their B would be different from an M which writes like a B

 

Although, the sample above looks a notch thinner than a B.

 

The top sample is definitely wider than the typical MB "B" nib.

And I have tried MB "B" nibs that write finer than even the bottom sample!

 

At the moment I have a 146 Stainless Steel Solitaire with a B nib that writes like an M cursive italic : )

 

 

[girlieg33k]

My Dostoevsky has a "Medium" nib as well -- and to me, it writes like a true M nib, between a F and B, with a slightly stubbish quality that I happen to like. On the other hand, I have a 146R purchased NOS and stickered as a "M" which writes like a BB (or even BBB, depending on the ink) .

 

Visually, side by side, the nibs on the Dostoevsky and 146R look very different. The 146R has so much more iridium "padding" (both on the top and underside of the tip), which is what probably accounts for the BB/BBB line width. I also have modern 144 nibs with M nibs which write like B nibs. The 14K "Fine" vintage nibs on my 142 and Monte Rosa are more true-to-size fine line widths.

Edited May 13, 2009 by girlieg33k

[QM2]

Here are these samples again next to one more Medium and the Broad I mentioned earlier:

Notice how remarkably italic the Broad is and how distinctly narrower than the Regent "Medium"...

 

http://queenmargot.com/MB_nibsizes.jpg

 

 

My Dostoevsky has a "Medium" nib as well -- and to me, it writes like a true M nib, between a F and B, with a slightly stubbish quality that I happen to like. On the other hand, I have a 146R purchased NOS and stickered as a "M" which writes like a BB (or even BBB, depending on the ink) .

 

Visually, side by side, the nibs on the Dostoevsky and 146R look very different. The 146R has so much more iridium "padding" (both on the top and underside of the tip), which is what probably accounts for the BB/BBB line width. I also have modern 144 nibs with M nibs which write like B nibs. The 14K "Fine" vintage nibs on my 142 and Monte Rosa are more true-to-size fine line widths.

I wish the stubbish quality in some of MB's B and M nibs were consistent! But you just never know when a nib will write like a true stub (or even cursive italic!) and when it will be completely round and unmanageable. How fickle fate can be!

 

[Titivillus]

Is there any marking on the nib itself that tells what size it is? or is it just the sticker & box that tell the size.

 

 

[QM2]

Is there any marking on the nib itself that tells what size it is? or is it just the sticker & box that tell the size.

 

With modern MB, it is always just the sticker; the nib itself is unmarked. But in the case of each of these pens, I removed the sticker myself -- so I know they were indeed labeled as such, as opposed to the previous owner telling me. Of course, they could all be getting mislabeled at the factory... but that would be an awful lot of mislabeling!

[girlieg33k]

How fickle fate can be!

Best line I've read all day.

 

I'll try to post writing samples of the nibs that I referenced above, at [pun alert] an indefinite point.

[girlieg33k]

As promised, here are the writing samples:

 

http://girlieg33k.googlepages.com/mb-dostoevsky-writing-sample.jpg

Dostoevksy Writing Sample

 

http://girlieg33k.googlepages.com/mb-146r-writing-sample.jpg

146R Writing Sample

 

http://girlieg33k.googlepages.com/mb-dostoevsky-146r-med-nibs.jpg

Side by side comparison

 

[QM2]

It looks like your 146 puts down a 40% or so wider line than the Dostoevsky. Since my Fyodor is on the narrow side as well, I wonder now whether these variations are model-specific. For example, I know that the Fitzgerald is known for running narrow also, and Jeen reports that his 146 Stainless Steel puts down the same cursive italic "Broad" line as on my sample above. Perhaps they assign different batches of pens to individual nib-finishers, and how that batch writes reflects that master's subjective understanding of sizes and roundness vs chiseled-ness...

 

PS: What year is your 146 Bordeaux?

[Deirdre]

Is there any marking on the nib itself that tells what size it is? or is it just the sticker & box that tell the size.

MB doesn't mark their nibs for size.

[Thornton]

My Chopin "M" nib writes somewhere in between a medium and a broad. However, My mom's Greta Garbo "M" nib writes somewhere between a fine and medium. I like MB nibs but you're never quite sure what you're going to get as far as nib sizes go which can be frustrating.

[Titivillus]

Is there any marking on the nib itself that tells what size it is? or is it just the sticker & box that tell the size.

MB doesn't mark their nibs for size.

 

 

That's what I thought but figured there could be the possibility of some code that I didn't know about on the pen.

 

K

[MYU]

I'm half tempted to think that Montblanc scales the nib size relative to the size of the pen!

[Thornton]

I'm half tempted to think that Montblanc scales the nib size relative to the size of the pen!

 

Actually, you might not be far off. My 146 EF writes much wider than my Starwalker EF.

[Ghost Plane]

Nope. My gold overlay writes the same lusciously wet B line as my 149. Thank goodness!