Anyone Tried A Pilot Waverly Nib?

[bizhe]

I've been looking into the pilot custom series, and the contemporary Waverly nib has caught my attention for seeming to have good flow. What about its other characteristics? Does it have any downsides? I read about it in the "field guide to japanese nibs," which had this to say:

 

[begin quote]

The Waverly Nib.

For left handed people or people who needed to write on very rough paper, Pilot developed a medium length, medium point pen. The tines were curved in a wave shape to increase the smoothness. Pilot officially named this the Waverly nib. However, to everyone who worked for Pilot the nib was known as the Mantis Tummy, because the curved rounded shape resembled that part of the insect. The pen is a medium to broad nib point with a unique curvature and an extra large ball of iridium that is ground to be perfectly smooth. The nib is similar to the Waterman Yellow Nib. This nib type was more expensive than the others, and I have never seen one on a vintage pen except for those in early Pilot advertisements. Pilot makes this nib available for their modern Custom pens, but I haven’t tried it yet. [/end quote]

 

Sounds fascinating to me and I'd be grateful for any Waverly owners to share their honest appraisal of the nib. If I don't get that I'd get a M nib.

 

Thanks!

[Jezza]

I have a Pilot 743 with a waverly nib. It's extremely smooth--perhaps the smoothest nib I've ever written with except a Sailor Naginata Togi, and the Pilot waverly is considerably finer than the Sailor. Flow is also excellent. There is no downside to this nib, as far as I can tell. It writes about the same thickness as a Pilot medium--which is odd, because the waverly looks like it has a smaller tip. At any rate, the waverly is a great nib, extremely smooth, great flow. I don't have any experience with the smaller #10 size waverly nib on the Pilot Custom 742, but I would expect it to be the same.

[John Cullen]

There are some interesting reviews on this nib under the Namiki Pilot section of the pen reviews.

 

Some people have said the pen may have trouble keeping up the flow with Western handwriting. Other than that, most people seem to like it.

 

Let us know how it goes. I keep looking at them but I have not purchased one.

 

j

[bizhe]

Thanks for the reply. Is there any (noticeable) difference in stroke width between horizontal and vertical strokes?

[Jezza]

Not much. The nib has a. Little bit of spring to it, but it's minor. Nowhere near the line variation one can get with a falcon nib, or even one of Pilot's soft nibs.

[sessyargc]

Tried the nib in a shop. Still getting funds for the purchase.

You should be able to get some kind of line variation by changing the angle of the pen relative to the paper

[hari317]

I have a 742 WA. It is a smooth nib, monoline, no flex. Medium wet flow. Nib width is equal to the Pilot medium.

[DanF]

The only Pilot medium nib I've used is a Vanishing point, and it's at least as wide as the typical western medium. Is the Waverly similar to the VP, or more like a western fine?

 

Thanks,

 

Dan

Edited June 26, 2013 by DanF

[Harlequin]

Be careful, you may get sued for using that term.

[DanF]

???

[Harlequin]

"Waverly nib"

[DanF]

Guess I still don't get it.

 

For the record, according to Wikipedia, the Waverly nib was created by the Scottish firm of Macniven and Cameron back in the 1800's, as a dip pen. M&C branched into fountain pens eventually, but went out of business in 1964 driven out like so many others after the invention of the ball point.

 

The name Waverly was derived from the Waverly novels of Sir Walter Scott, which were quite popular at the time.

 

I actually have a few of the Waverly dip pens.

 

Dan

Edited June 26, 2013 by DanF

[Harlequin]

Refer to this thread...

 

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/241903-well-this-should-be-interesting/?hl=%2Bwaverley+%2Bbinder&do=findComment&comment=2627997

[DanF]

Refer to this thread...

 

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/241903-well-this-should-be-interesting/?hl=%2Bwaverley+%2Bbinder&do=findComment&comment=2627997

OK, now I get it!

 

Dan

[bizhe]

Also do the pilot WA nibs write well upside down? My custom 74 Med does an excellent fine upside down.