Oblique nibs

[greencobra]

I'd like to try something different on my next purchase, a broad oblique. Or so I thought. I use fine nibs and wanted to try this configuration. But now I'm not sure there is such a thing since looking at Richards charts and definitions that told me an oblique won't give you any line variation or give my handwriting any unique look, which I thought it would. But rather helps the way one writes taking into account the angle one holds their pen. Hmmm...what is up with these obliques? What will it do for my handwriting? Anyone who has and uses an oblique, can you help me please.

[wykpenguin]

The notation differs from company to company, some obliques are actually oblique stubs.

[reprieve]

I have a modern Pelikan oblique broad nib. It is a very nice nib--but it produces no line variation. I have a tendency to rotate my nibs counter-clockwise, which is why I wanted to try the oblique. It works well for me, but is otherwise like a regular round nib. From what I understand, there are some vintage oblique nibs that produce line variation. I believe some modern Montblanc OB, OBB, and OBBB nibs are stubbish. Your best bet, though, if you are after line variation, is to try a stub or cursive italic. My italic nibs are my favorite (and most interesting) writers.

[gyasko]

I think it best to try the nib, but if you can't, and you're looking for variation in line thickness, it's safer to go with a vintage nib. I agree that modern Pelikan obliques aren't much for line variation, but the vintage ones give nice lines. Parker 75 OBs work for me, too.

Edited May 5, 2009 by gyasko

[Aysedasi]

In my experience (which I confess is limited), they vary greatly. I have three OBs -

 

Pelikan - for me, disappointing - more like a basic broad to my eye (and hand)

 

Lamy - superb nib which I use in my Safari. Adds style to my writing, although not line variation as such.

 

Montblanc - in my 220 - for me, as close to the perfect nib as I'm ever likely to get. Wonderful line and lots of ink laid down - I feel like a skier as I glide along the paper..... (strange analogy, but it works for me....)

 

If you have a Safari or an Al-Star, try an OB nib. They cost about £4 (here in the UK) are easy as pie to change and are a wonderful way to help you to realise just how dull and boring 'ordinary'nibs really are (IMO)

[robeck]

[Aysedasi]

Very nice Dean - I'm a leftie underwriter, also blessed by some of Oxonion's excellent work.......

Edited May 5, 2009 by Aysedasi

[Rob G]

Just my 1/50th of a dollar...

 

Obliques work if your hand tends to lean in that direction already. Otherwise you'd get the same line variation with a straight italic.

 

Case in point:

 

I received a Pilot VP for Christmas, and because the clip prevented me from taking a normal grip, I found that my hand leaned slightly to the right, compared with other pens. This caused a straight italic to dig in on the right side, while barely touching the paper on the left. Using a reverse oblique solved the problem. (It still feels a bit weird, but it writes wonderfully.)

 

If I tried to use that same reverse oblique on any of my other pens, it would dig in on the left side.

[greencobra]

Thanks for the sample Dean. Line variation may have been a bad choice of words but I see a bit of what I wanted to accomplish in your post.

 

Maybe as Aysedasi says, it adds style.

 

Thanks for the help everyone.

 

 

[RevAaron]

Except... what Dean shows *is* line variation. It ain't a sharp Italic, though.

 

The difference of style is the same as you'd get with a stub, provided you hold a stub at the 45 degree traditionally used by calligraphers. I hold all pens like that, and whether I write with a straight stub or an oblique my writing looks about the same.

 

As far as I can tell, the reason that Richard, etc say that an oblique doesn't provide line variation is that most modern obliques do not. In the case of a new Pelikan or Lamy oblique, your strokes will be the same no matter what direction the stroke is. These are called ball obliques. An exception is that Pelikan seems to give M1000 nibs a more vintage cut- obliques showing line variation, and broads writing like stubs. Other modern obliques that have some line variation are those made by Aurora and Montblanc.

 

As someone who rotates/hooks a bit, I don't see any good reason for ball obliques to exist. The only thing they're good for is having them flattened into proper obliques. Even though I rotate my pens counter clockwise, a standard ball medium nib is a lot easier to use than a ball oblique in the same size. I wonder why they even bother making them still.

 

That said, this is the case for Broad nibs as well. What we now call a "Broad" nib would've been called a "Coarse" 70 years ago; what we call a medium stub is closer to vintage Broads, at least for European pens.

 

I can never resist an excuse to make handwriting samples... Here are a few obliques and a single stub. All of them show line variation to one degree or another. The only modern in the bunch is an OB Aurora, and it keeps up with the oldies...

 

 

(edit: man, I never realized how illegible my handwriting is. apologies for that!)

Edited May 6, 2009 by RevAaron

[FrankB]

I have been writing with FP's for over 50 years. I never (bar none, never) caught onto oblique nibs, nor will I ever. If you do not turn your pen in a peculiar manner when writing, chances are you have no need of an oblique nib. If you want line variation, try a formal italic or cursive italic nib. The name "oblique" sounds ever so interesting, but its applications are limited. You can't be an innocent babe in the woods. Get to a pen show or a B&M store and physically handle an oblique nib. You will know very quickly whether you need one or not.

[piembi]

As far as I can tell, the reason that Richard, etc say that an oblique doesn't provide line variation is that most modern obliques do not. In the case of a new Pelikan or Lamy oblique, your strokes will be the same no matter what direction the stroke is. These are called ball obliques.

+1

 

There is a significant differrence between a vintage oblique German nib (Pelikan, Lamy, Geha ....) and a modern oblique nib. The vintage nibs are oblique stub or oblique italic nibs and show a significant line variation. Modern obliques are nibs for writers that tend to rotate the pen anticlockwise.

 

 

[jimk]

An edged nib cut at an oblique angle will change the look of one's writing. I made a little diagram to make it easier to describe what's going on:

 

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/writingangles-1.jpg

 

The oblique cut changes the angle CD. If one holds AD fixed, this means that AC will change. An edged pen makes its thickest line when C is perpendicular to F, and the thinnest line when C is parallel to F. So changing AC will change which strokes are thin and which are thick. Of course, one can always control that by changing AD. But that can be awkward.

 

I have never understood the business about tending to spin the pen about its axis D one way or the other. The barrels and sections of most pens are cylindrically symmetric, so spinning makes no difference. With and OMAS 360 or anything like that, then obliqueness gets a lot more complicated!

[archie001]

An edged nib cut at an oblique angle will change the look of one's writing. I made a little diagram to make it easier to describe what's going on:

 

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r6/kukulaj/writingangles-1.jpg

 

The oblique cut changes the angle CD. If one holds AD fixed, this means that AC will change. An edged pen makes its thickest line when C is perpendicular to F, and the thinnest line when C is parallel to F. So changing AC will change which strokes are thin and which are thick. Of course, one can always control that by changing AD. But that can be awkward.

 

I have never understood the business about tending to spin the pen about its axis D one way or the other. The barrels and sections of most pens are cylindrically symmetric, so spinning makes no difference. With and OMAS 360 or anything like that, then obliqueness gets a lot more complicated!

 

The diagram speaks for itself; nice illustration for most inquiries.

[greencobra]

You can't be an innocent babe in the woods.

Well...on this subject I am. :embarrassed_smile:

 

[RevAaron]

If you do not turn your pen in a peculiar manner when writing, chances are you have no need of an oblique nib. If you want line variation, try a formal italic or cursive italic nib. <...> You can't be an innocent babe in the woods. Get to a pen show or a B&M store and physically handle an oblique nib. You will know very quickly whether you need one or not.

 

+1 Good advice!

 

For the record, I didn't mean to imply that an oblique nib was the best way to add line variation to your writing. If you don't tend to rotate a bit, I really don't see any reason to get an oblique over a straight-cut stub.

 

I have never understood the business about tending to spin the pen about its axis D one way or the other. The barrels and sections of most pens are cylindrically symmetric, so spinning makes no difference.

 

For me, part of it is when a nib appears to be straight on, to my eye, it's actually rotated anticlockwise 10-15 degrees. That, and compensating for the pen ending up rotated some clockwise, which leads to catching and scratchiness.

 

Edited May 6, 2009 by RevAaron

[jimk]

For me, part of it is when a nib appears to be straight on, to my eye, it's actually rotated anticlockwise 10-15 degrees.

 

This does make sense to me - it really is hard to look at a edged nib to see if it's lying properly in the plane of the page. I almost have to work with my eyes closed, to feel my way around the sweet spot, when I am getting to know a new pen. The sight of the pen can be deceptive.