Gold Nibs Vs. Steel Nibs

[tricnomistal]

Hello fellow fountain pen addicts!

 

So I've been at this hobby for a little better than a year, and I find that I'm still learning a lot. I did a search of the forum, but I guess I still haven't mastered the art of using the search tool, becaus eI didn't really find waht I was loooking for.

 

Here's my question: I have to know once and for all, do you think that gold nibs actually write better than steel nibs? Or is it all just for show?

 

If you've tried lots of both types, what's your take?

 

Thanks!

[jar]

Better made nibs write better than poorly made nibs.

[kcoen52]

Better made nibs write better than poorly made nibs.

 

+1

 

I bought my girlfriend an Estie J with one of the normal M steel nibs, nothing special, but the nib worked beautifully, super smooth couldn't ask for more. My Waterman Harmonie has a 14k M nib, though it is nice I actually like the Estie J's nib more. However, I also have a Sailor 1911 with a 21K MF nib, and don't know if I will ever find a nib nicer than that! So it all depends on the quality and what you want from your nib (a lot of people really want flex in their nibs, and there is typically much more flex in the steel nibs). I know this post doesn't definitively answer your question, but if anyone has an answer that does they are most likely wrong. Like most things in the fountain pen world it depends on what you want and how you write; it is all a matter of opinion.

 

Edited for spelling

Edited January 28, 2012 by kcoen52

[AltecGreen]

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/188042-stainless-steel-nibs-vs-gold-nibs/

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/21814-gold-nib-or-steel-nib/

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/202645-gold-vs-steel-nib/

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/68192-nib-doesnt-have-to-be-gold/

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/185256-luxury-pens-with-steel-nibs-your-thoughts/

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/76242-super-flexy-nib-why-not-spring-steel/

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/153628-is-a-gold-nib-worth-it/

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/153628-is-a-gold-nib-worth-it/

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/144493-in-praise-of-steel-nibs/

 

 

It's not worth over thinking the issue.

 

For vintage pens, you really don't have much of a choice. It's going to come with whatever it comes with. This will mostly be 14k gold unless it's from France then it's 18k. Although you do find 18k, 21k, 22k, and 23k pens in 70's Japanese pens. Wartime pens from several Axis countries will have steel nibs. I'm a big fan of the wartime steel Italian and Japanese nibs. Again there is no choice.

 

For modern pens, sometimes you have a choice but usually you don't. For me this is such a non-issue since there are very few modern pens that offer a choice of steel or gold that I care about. It's not like Nakaya offers steel nibs on their pens. If there is a choice like say an Edison, I will usually go with a steel nib unless there is some compelling reason to choose a gold nib.

[Glenn-SC]

Here's my question: I have to know once and for all, do you think that gold nibs actually write better than steel nibs? Or is it all just for show?

You need to search again.

This question has been asked a lot and answered a lot.

 

Better made nibs write better than poorly made nibs.

Yes but that doesn't answer the question does it.

That's like being asked if fish or beef is better and answering "Well prepared food is better."

 

IMHO

A bad gold nib is better than a bad steel nib.

A good steel nib is better than a bad gold nib.

A good gold nib is better than a bad steel nib.

A good gold nib is better than a good steel nib.

[Joshua J.]

Hello fellow fountain pen addicts!

 

So I've been at this hobby for a little better than a year, and I find that I'm still learning a lot. I did a search of the forum, but I guess I still haven't mastered the art of using the search tool, becaus eI didn't really find waht I was loooking for.

 

Here's my question: I have to know once and for all, do you think that gold nibs actually write better than steel nibs? Or is it all just for show?

 

If you've tried lots of both types, what's your take?

 

Thanks!

 

The tipping material is the same on both, the material used in the nib is irrelevant, how well a pen writes is entirely determined by the level of quality control.

[wnclee]

Here's my question: I have to know once and for all, do you think that gold nibs actually write better than steel nibs? Or is it all just for show?

You need to search again.

This question has been asked a lot and answered a lot.

 

Better made nibs write better than poorly made nibs.

Yes but that doesn't answer the question does it.

That's like being asked if fish or beef is better and answering "Well prepared food is better."

 

IMHO

A bad gold nib is better than a bad steel nib.

A good steel nib is better than a bad gold nib.

A good gold nib is better than a bad steel nib.

A good gold nib is better than a good steel nib.

 

I'm with Glenn on this one...Depends on the pen, the maker, whether it's gold-plated or solid gold...I've got some steel nibbed Waterman's that writed better than some gold-plated Pelikans and some solid-gold nibbed Mont Blancs that don't write as well as some stainless Lamy's...Nothing is written in stone...Too many factors and variables to work with...I just know one truism: if the nib has some flex to it, it writes better for me...I even like some pens that have a small amount of "scratch" when put to paper...Don't know if this helped or confused, but am snipping Glenn-SC's info for future reference...Sorry to step on ur toes here Glenn!!! WNCLEE

[jar]

Here's my question: I have to know once and for all, do you think that gold nibs actually write better than steel nibs? Or is it all just for show?

You need to search again.

This question has been asked a lot and answered a lot.

 

Better made nibs write better than poorly made nibs.

Yes but that doesn't answer the question does it.

That's like being asked if fish or beef is better and answering "Well prepared food is better."

 

IMHO

A bad gold nib is better than a bad steel nib.

A good steel nib is better than a bad gold nib.

A good gold nib is better than a bad steel nib.

A good gold nib is better than a good steel nib.

 

I agree with all but the last one. I have found many steel nibs that are every bit as good as any of my gold nibs.

[professionaldilettante]

Here's my question: I have to know once and for all, do you think that gold nibs actually write better than steel nibs? Or is it all just for show?

You need to search again.

This question has been asked a lot and answered a lot.

 

Better made nibs write better than poorly made nibs.

Yes but that doesn't answer the question does it.

That's like being asked if fish or beef is better and answering "Well prepared food is better."

 

IMHO

A bad gold nib is better than a bad steel nib.

A good steel nib is better than a bad gold nib.

A good gold nib is better than a bad steel nib.

A good gold nib is better than a good steel nib.

 

I agree with all but the last one. I have found many steel nibs that are every bit as good as any of my gold nibs.

True. I can't agree with the first or last statement. I good nib, made with care, will write better than a poorly made one. Other than that, it really depends on what your writing preference is, as that will guide you to a nib with that "feel" be it made of gold, steel, or even palladium and others.

[jimhughes]

Brian Grey, of Edison Pens, gave a very enlightening presentation on this subject with in the last year on this subforum IIRC. Google Edison Pens. I believe his web site has that article. Or you can EMail him so he can send you a copy. My Edisons are equally good, Steel vs Gold XF nibs on Edison Pens. I have 2 JEB's pens which have F nibs from Edison's nib store. Also great writers. I have scratchy steel Esties in the 1XXX and 2XXX series with folded tips. My 9XXX series Steel Esties are quite smooth even in the Gregg Shorthand and other XF Firm width. On any given day any pen can show up with a good or scratchy nib be it gold or steel. The nib, ink, paper combination or variances can change a bad nib into a useable one. YMMV, Jim

[JonB55198]

I once asked this question of richard binder because I was interested in getting some of his custom made nibs for Pelikans. He responded that the tipping material is indeed what matters most and that a gold nib will be indistinguishable from a steel one in terms of writing performance. That being said, the gold pelikan nibs look much nicer than the steel ones... but that's another issue

[tricnomistal]

Thanks everyone for your opinions! I have some good information here to go off of now. I guess it will really get down to how I personally feel when I write with either one. I tried a steel nib once and had a terrible experience. So I guess I was biased for a while. Perhaps I will try another steel nibbed pen of higher quality. The only real difference (from what I've read her and elsewhere) is in flexibility and in looks. Personally, I like the look of a gold nib better, but I'm more interested in writing quality than looks.

 

Either way, I always feel more enlightened about the subject of pens when I ask these questions and here the great answers that I get in response. Perhaps soon I will be one of the bright people answering young pen enthusiast's questions instead of one of the people asking the questions.

[dadoody]

One of my best writing and looking fountain pens was a steel nib fine pen with a art deco design, I loved it so much that I carried it everywhere with me. It broke when I was at a bar though, and the nib caught on fire.

 

 

[georges zaslavsky]

MB during the years preceding the 2nd world war made some nice steel nibs and also made palladium nibs. Not sure if Osmia or Soennecken made ones.

[Muncle]

One of my best writing and looking fountain pens was a steel nib fine pen with a art deco design, I loved it so much that I carried it everywhere with me. It broke when I was at a bar though, and the nib caught on fire.

 

 

 

This sounds like a story worth sharing. Please elaborate.

 

 

The NIB caught on fire? Was this at Smelter's, the new steel factory-themed nightclub that just opened up in Soho?

[Bo Bo Olson]

I chase vintage pens. Living in Germany, German pens.

As noobie I didn't chase the steel ones...the more fool I was.

 

In Germany the semi-flex and maxi-semi-flex/'flexi' nibs lasted a generation longer than in the US and Swan started dieing in 1955 when they last made good nibs with various flex.

 

Smooth nails and smooth regular flex can be had in steel and gold.

 

14 K gold is on the whole better, more springy or easier made flexible than 18 K gold. Though Richard said he has had an occasional 18 K gold nib that was as fine a noodle as one could wish for.

 

I have some vintage gold and steel nibs. Some of my vintage steel nibs are 'second class for then', which would be with spring and flexibility more than first class today, in there is no factory pens with flex. MB, the Pel 1000 and the Japanese Falcon have springy nibs.

 

I have Osmia nibs in 14 K gold and in Steel, I can not pick which is better. One particular nib set; the Supra (maxi-semi-flex/'flexi'), one steel is a bit less flexible than the gold, which was not quite as flexible as the third F nib of the Supra set.

On the whole the next grade lower the regular non-Supra nibs are only semi-flex...yet I have one that is 'flexi'.

Degussa bought up Osmia's nib factory in 1932, so some Degussa nibs are first class, if that is what the company wanted, like Osmia, Osmia-Faber-Castell.

 

 

Bock makes very good steel and Gold nibs, in vintage and modern.

They could make semi-flex nibs...I have enough in gold and steel....but the company's who buy the nibs from Bock do not want Bock to make the 'good' nibs like that.

 

 

My best modern nib right now is at #15, when I get some my pens re-corked that Modern MB Woolf nib will fall to #18.

All it is is a nice smooth springy nib. Really it is not a bad nib....it just is not as good as I have including some 'second tier' nibs from yesteryear.

 

I want a bit more than smooth and springy. I do have a couple of nibs that are as smooth, but they have more flex, and narrower....so that makes a difference.

 

I have to admit some of the nibs I rate higher, are not quite so smooth, but they are not fat modern B=BB type of nibs. They are sharper ground, and a tad thinner than modern.

I am willing to give up ultra smooth, for nib action; and relatively smooth or a tad of tooth...depending on the ink and paper.

 

If you want just smooth...all good modern nibs are good and smooth...they have big blobby tips, are wider than they once were so they can be smoother.

They are stiffer in regular flex than they once were, so folks can't damage the nib.

I have a Cross M nail in Steel that is real smooth. I have a modern nice 'no name' that is smooth. My two modern gold nibbed pens the MB Woolf and Pel 605 are Smooth. And ????

 

 

It is not that steel can not be made as nice as gold, it can be....if the book keeper wants to spend the pennies.

 

A Good steel nib can be as good as a Good gold nib, if that is what the company wants.

Yep, Gold ain't as well worked as back in the day of US Morton; then the best nib maker in the world and Kaweco companies. Kaweco bought the machines and imported US workers from Morton to train it' work force, April 1914.

 

You just don't have any modern Good Gold or Steel nibs.

Hell, you could not pay for the hand labor of annealing and hand forging required, even in China today.

I now tend to doubt that nibs made after 1930's are near as good those made in the 10's-20's.

 

The tipping was better after the war though.

[dadoody]

One of my best writing and looking fountain pens was a steel nib fine pen with a art deco design, I loved it so much that I carried it everywhere with me. It broke when I was at a bar though, and the nib caught on fire.

 

 

 

This sounds like a story worth sharing. Please elaborate.

 

 

The NIB caught on fire? Was this at Smelter's, the new steel factory-themed nightclub that just opened up in Soho?

 

I was at Pulse in Downtown LA. I think it was called Pulse anyways...

 

I had a lot to drink, and was signing the receipt for the rum I had just ordered. The flow was getting inconsistent, and, in my inebriated state, I believed that the ink might have needed to be warmed up a little, so I stuck it into a nearby candle. The place was dimly lit and full of candles and drunk people. I was one of them.

 

Anyways, the nib caught fire and the plastic feed pretty much disintegrated. Maybe it turned into part of the candle. I don't really remember. What I do remember is waking up next to a korean girl, the heavy and pounding headache I had in the morning, and how much sunlight hurt. On the brightside, I had some of the best coffee that morning from a place called "Urth Cafe."

 

When I was to sign my bill, my pen wasn't flowing and I realized that all I had was the body and the nib. The feed was no longer there.

Edited January 28, 2012 by dadoody

[andybiotic]

Its funny how this discussion pops up about every three months...

 

Even though it is true that a good steel is as good as a good gold nib, i still prefer a gold one for the emotional satisfaction of using something of higher value.

 

Plus, where am I gonna get a true flex nib (on a fountain pen) that is not made of gold?

[tanalasta]

I agree with Jar.

 

My steel TWSBI nib easily writes as well as many gold nibs and I have also tried some Edison steel nibs that write just as good as the gold.

 

Given the complexity of alloys available, nib design and shape etc... even arguments on stiffness and flex are varied. I will happily argue that a good steel nib is as good as a good gold nib. Gold nibs are prettier, look like gold (not plated), can be retipped and usually but not always reflect the quality of the pen also. In general, nicer pens and more expensive pens have gold nibs.

[Narcosynthesis]

If I have read it correctly elsewhere on the forum and internet, the nib material is essentially irrelevant - the tip of the nib will be made from a high quality metal from the platinum family, which is the bit that will actually be doing the writing, and as such the gold or steel used is entirely to support that tip and feed it ink, of which any effect on the writing experience is so dependent on all the other factors of the nib (size, flex, etc...) that no clear conclusion can be made.

 

There are obviously aesthetic differences - whether you prefer gold or steel in colouring, and I believe steel may stain slightly more than gold from the ink, but this is purely aesthetic and has no difference on the writing.