Should I Buy An Oblique Nib?

[51ISH]

Please excuse my ignorance.... My handwriting is quite small so my nib choice tends to vary between fines and mediums.....unfortunatedly I have always disliked very thin lines......all my BP's for work now hold Broad refills (the paper is cheap, often carbonated forms, and lots of printed capitals required)

 

I have noticed when I'm using my FP's I tend to rotate my pen slightly counter clockwise...now according to all the great advice here and on Richards site, this would indicate ......if I understand correctly that I should be trying a right footed oblique, probably 30'...

 

This led me to wonder....why do I (we..?) rotate our pens in this way? Is it a subconcious effort to obtain a thinner line maybe?

 

So, back to my queation.....do I need an Oblique....or do I really need a finer nib......when my heart keeps telling me to get a broader nib?

 

Head says fine....heart says ...Stub....or B....or Med Oblique.....?

 

What does everyone think?

 

From the description I have given above what would the net result be of moving to say a Medium Oblique..would this give me a broader line...and would it be 'harder to use'

[WendyNC]

Since sometimes there can be confusion about oblique nib terms and about directionality, are you right handed or left handed? Are you an underwriter or an overwriter? And finally, do you tend to rotate your pen toward your body or away from your body?

Edited October 23, 2010 by WendyNC

[jniforat]

i suggest going to richardspens.com and do some research on O nibs to determine if it's right for you, or if you really need a CI, Stub, etc.

 

pendleton (pb2) sells really nice CI's, and some can be had for not that much.

 

also, buy a pilot 78g w/a B nib. the B nib is actually a stub, and a great entry pen. isellpens.com has them for cheap.

 

 

no aff. la de da

[51ISH]

Since sometimes there can be confusion about oblique nib terms and about directionality, are you right handed or left handed? Are you an underwriter or an overwriter? And finally, do you tend to rotate your pen toward your body or away from your body?

 

Sorry, I should have said.....I'm right handed.....and I rotate the pen towards my body...

 

Thanks for the advice from everyone else that replied.....

 

I must admit I have been looking at the 78G with a B nib for a while...think I'll just jump in with one of those....if it doesn't work out it's not the end of the world is it .......

 

I was just wondering what other 'rotators' had experienced from making the switch to obliques.

[WendyNC]

In that case, I think we're talking about a left-footed oblique.

 

I think your idea of just getting a broad nib and trying it is a good one. I know that my writing has gotten larger over the last couple of years as I have relaxed with it using FPs. I started writing on every other line and just let it evolve.

Edited October 23, 2010 by WendyNC

[mjchuang9]

Listen to your heart.

 

I used to writing with F nib, until I met a master whose BB writing is stunning. Although I still need F or M for some occasion, I use MB BB now, oblique is really harder to me since I write in Chinese and Japanese most of the time. Pens reflect one's mood. I carry MB 149 BB and two new black and white meissen M. I am in a pure classical mood.

[Possum Hill]

In that case, I think we're talking about a left-footed oblique.

 

I think your idea of just getting a broad nib and trying it is a good one. I know that my writing has gotten larger over the last couple of years as I have relaxed with it using FPs. I started writing on every other line and just let it evolve.

+1

 

My Lamy 1.1 mm italic nib (straight, not oblique) is really too wide for the way I write. It's just so much fun that I use it anyway.

[51ISH]

In that case, I think we're talking about a left-footed oblique.

 

I think your idea of just getting a broad nib and trying it is a good one. I know that my writing has gotten larger over the last couple of years as I have relaxed with it using FPs. I started writing on every other line and just let it evolve.

+1

 

My Lamy 1.1 mm italic nib (straight, not oblique) is really too wide for the way I write. It's just so much fun that I use it anyway.

 

I've heard nothing but good about the Lamy 1.1 Italic...I understand it performs way beyoond it's cost....which I like

 

Another must have to add to my list......

 

Seriously though, many thanks for all of your suggestions.

[RMN]

Back to square one.

 

What is it that makes you think you need a special nib?

 

You say you tend to rotate the pen. But with what result? Are your pens skipping?

So what is it you hope to solve with a special nib?

 

Buying an oblique just because you rotate but have a perfectly well functioning Fine or Medium is silly.

You have to know what you want to repair before you are going to buy. Otherwise you'll spend a lot of time and money with disappointing results.

 

 

D.ick

[51ISH]

Back to square one.

 

What is it that makes you think you need a special nib?

 

You say you tend to rotate the pen. But with what result? Are your pens skipping?

So what is it you hope to solve with a special nib?

 

Buying an oblique just because you rotate but have a perfectly well functioning Fine or Medium is silly.

You have to know what you want to repair before you are going to buy. Otherwise you'll spend a lot of time and money with disappointing results.

 

 

D.ick

 

D.ick......I must admit that is a very good point, I never thought of it in that light. I have had no problems with skipping etc and was not looking to solve any problems as such.....you know how it is.....you feel the 'need' to purchase a new pen....as you do...and then set about deciding which one..... Anyone know a good pen....less than $100... :roflmho: :roflmho:

[RMN]

Back to square one.

 

What is it that makes you think you need a special nib?

 

You say you tend to rotate the pen. But with what result? Are your pens skipping?

So what is it you hope to solve with a special nib?

 

Buying an oblique just because you rotate but have a perfectly well functioning Fine or Medium is silly.

You have to know what you want to repair before you are going to buy. Otherwise you'll spend a lot of time and money with disappointing results.

 

 

D.ick

 

D.ick......I must admit that is a very good point, I never thought of it in that light. I have had no problems with skipping etc and was not looking to solve any problems as such.....you know how it is.....you feel the 'need' to purchase a new pen....as you do...and then set about deciding which one..... Anyone know a good pen....less than $100... :roflmho: :roflmho:

 

Yeah. I have been there...

I did buy an oblique on a Waterman about 2 years ago. It was a disappointment. In their brochure the suggested it would give a linevariation. Which it did not ofcourse.

Since I have learned more about nibforms. These days I am into Italics. I am not a flex user, the pen has to glide on its own weight, so to speak. And a stub or an Italic does give a nice line variation.

 

Why not try a Lamy 1.1 italic nib on one of their many good pens (under $100) for experimenting?

And then start saving for a beautiful Stipula Etruria with their 0.9 or 1.1 italic. This is among my top 5 pens (from about 45 now)

 

Enjoy

 

D.ick

[Randal6393]

Get a lot of good advice here. What to do, what to do? My suggestion -- FWIW -- is that you research handwriting and alphabets a bit before you buy a new pen.

 

Do you use a standard printing? Are you more interested in cursive (American) handwriting or want to write like an Oxford don? Maybe you think of yourself as a Spanish Grandee or a French aristocrat. If you want, you may be a medieval monk or a poet from the Romantic Age. Or write like one.

 

I am most comfortable with Italic, it's a good point to start. My normal writing hand is Italic and has been for years. One of our resident calligraphers, Ken Fraser, has good things to say about starting with Italic.

 

Since my daughter's wedding is coming up and I have lots of invitations to write, my Copperplate has been getting a real workout. The discipline involved in this hand makes it a good bit of work. But a lot of fun.

 

I have also studied German writing, Carolingian, Irish script, Uncials, Roman Capitals, and many others. Learned a lot about pens and inks and papers along the way.

 

Whatever direction you choose to go in, enjoy and have fun,

[51ISH]

Get a lot of good advice here. What to do, what to do? My suggestion -- FWIW -- is that you research handwriting and alphabets a bit before you buy a new pen.

 

Do you use a standard printing? Are you more interested in cursive (American) handwriting or want to write like an Oxford don? Maybe you think of yourself as a Spanish Grandee or a French aristocrat. If you want, you may be a medieval monk or a poet from the Romantic Age. Or write like one.

 

I am most comfortable with Italic, it's a good point to start. My normal writing hand is Italic and has been for years. One of our resident calligraphers, Ken Fraser, has good things to say about starting with Italic.

 

Since my daughter's wedding is coming up and I have lots of invitations to write, my Copperplate has been getting a real workout. The discipline involved in this hand makes it a good bit of work. But a lot of fun.

 

I have also studied German writing, Carolingian, Irish script, Uncials, Roman Capitals, and many others. Learned a lot about pens and inks and papers along the way.

 

Whatever direction you choose to go in, enjoy and have fun,

 

My handwriting seems to have changed little over the years.....apart from 'ageing'......We were taught Italic in school...but I never really took to it....even after 2 years of learning......I have settled on a cursive.....I'm sure I could start learning....but I'm not very artistic..I could never draw.....or write Italic even ......so I guess I am stuck with what I have.....

[Bo Bo Olson]

A modern Oblique nib is a waste of money unless perhaps you are left handed. They have cement boots on the tines. Lots of folks have said so...

 

Buy your self a German '50's semi-flex Oblique. They dance. I have working OB 30 degree, OB 15 degree, KOB 15 degree, an OF.

 

Waiting for corks I have two OBB's, an OM, and another OF.

 

I also have a modern 2000 Lamy Persona 18 K OB nail. That is a waste of metal. Some day, I'll drive across town to Lamy and swap it in on a 14 K nib.

No need to regrind it, it's a nail, now and will remain a nail.

Edited October 24, 2010 by Bo Bo Olson

[cubic archon]

I recently bought a selection of different Lamy nibs, including an OM. I have to say that I think I gave it a good try, but in the end I just found it annoying. (Lamy nibs are cheap to experiment with though.)

[Bearcat]

My MB 144 Classique with an OB nib spoiled me for other nibs. If you can try one of these, I think it might be just the ticket for you.

[inkpenguin]

I am right handed and I rotate just slightly to the right. Left oblique nibs just drive me crazy because I can't seem to write at all with them.

 

However I've found that I do well with italic, cursive italic and stub nibs and they do help "train" me to write in a more rotation-neutral manner because of the tip of the nib.

 

My wife is the total opposite. She can't seem to write with some of the italic nibs I've ground, but she loves her left oblique manuscript pens which she "claims" are very smooth and I've achieved nothing but paper scratching with them!

 

I thought she would have less problems with nibs than myself due to my quirk of slightly rotating to the right.

[Bo Bo Olson]

All right...last week I discovered for a 15 degree oblique, I could set the clip of the pen in line just inside the edge of the nib and it would set the nib properly on the paper with out twisting my hand.

30 Degree cut of an oblique I set the clip on line with the out side of the nib.

 

So is it you like to write your 'quirk' or could you straighten your nib, by setting your clip a tad off of center?