Question Reg. Sailor Speciality Nibs

[Polanova]

Hi!

 

I have two Chinese Steel Fude nibs. One of the two writes very broad on one side and fine on the other side (DUKE).

The second nib (LANBITOU) gives a lot of different line variations (& I love it!) See picture

 

Now, if I wanted to upgrade (& spent a lotta money on one of those fancy Sailor speciality nibs), which one would you recommend?

Based on my research, most of those nibs can do Fine on one & Broad on the other side.

Which ones are the most versatile in terms of line variation???

And: Can the Fude De Mannen nib what my cheap nib can do (is it in any way better than my steel one)???

 

Thanks!

[Sailor Kenshin]

Which is that? Your Lanbitou? Niiiiice. Are they still available? I collect fude...

 

What's your price point? What do you want the nib to do? You can spend hundreds, or even thousands, on a pen equipped with a Concord, or something similar.

 

nibs-dot-com has some info on sizes and characteristics of the specialty nibs. Then, I'd look at Youtube for demonstrations of the pricier Sailor nibs.

 

Good luck!

[Polanova]

It`s the Lanbitou nib (got it for 6,50 EUR in a China-Shop).

 

I`ve researched EVERYTHING on the net regarding Sailor specialty nibs!!!

 

I assume the only really interesting ones are the Music Cross & the King Eagle, as one can get various line variations out of them (more than 2 - 3).

 

I`m looking to draw & sketch with those nibs & look for great line variations.

 

I think one can get a king eagle nibbled pen for around a 1000 (which I`m seriously not willing to pay!)

 

Other than that, as far as price point goes, it would partly depend on the nib.

 

Perhaps I`m expecting too much & my Fude nib is as good as it gets.

 

I also imagine that the Sailor 14K Fude nib is more limited than the Steel version because of the tipping material.

I`d just like to know for sure.

 

Also, living in Europe, whatever the price of a pen from the US or Japan, I can add another 100 EUR taxes on top of price + shipping

[Sailor Kenshin]

I can only speculate about the 14K Sailor fude... I own three or four of the cheap, un-tipped Sailors and they give my particular handwriting a lively variation.

 

Maybe the tipping on the Sailor would make it somehow different and better than inexpensive Chinese fude.

 

But maybe also the quality of the feed would have something to do with it. That might make a big difference. As versatile as all my fude are they write dry. And I probably have at least ten, maybe a dozen, from all different makers: Hero, Jinhao, Kaigelu, Duke, Leonardo....

[Dr.Grace]

From your writing sample, I'd guess that your Lanbitou is as good as it gets, with regard to nib performance. What I don't like about most Chinese pens is their heaviness. My cheap Sailor fude writes well but its ink flow is unreliable. My Sailor Concord is very very nice, but that's after I had it reground by Richard Binder to be less broad.

[Sailor Kenshin]

I love the way that Lanbitou looks. A quick search on fleabay only yielded all-metal versions. And get a load of those fins!

[Polanova]

Just to be clear: What you see in the picture is Not a Lanbitou pen!

It`s a Lanbitou nib on a Franklin-Christoph Pocket!! Incl. feed, which I haven`t tampered with - it keeps up well.

[Sailor Kenshin]

No wonder I couldn't find it.

 

It's gorgeous. Why look further when your treasure lies in your own back yard?

[Polanova]

No wonder I couldn't find it.

 

It's gorgeous. Why look further when your treasure lies in your own back yard?

 

Gosh I`m really sorry for having sent you on a wild goose hunt! I should have made that clear!!

 

When you say, you collect Fude: Are most Fude nibs less versatile in your experience?

As I`ve said I`ve only one other. Der DUKE nib is longer at the point and angled steeper.

I would expect those nibs to behave similarly?

 

Also, do you know of any oversized Fude nibs??

 

Maybe you`re right & I should be happy with what I have. I could use a couple more of those Lanbitou nibs, though but could`t find them on ebay.

(The one I`ve bought in the China Shop has been the only one)

[Sailor Kenshin]

Don't apologize, I got to see a gorgeous pen.

 

Ebay is showing the Lanbitou ... 608? That may not be the actual number. But it's a metal-bodied fude pen going for about 6-8 USD.

 

The Duke you mention. Is that a big, heavy pen with a sort of bamboo finish? It has a different fude nib with a couple of slits and a sharp angle that lays down a wide, wet line.

 

The fude pens I have vary in nib size. None except the Duke were over $20 USD, and they tend to have feeds without fins, so maybe that is why they are dry writers? The only ones with fins are the Sailors, especially the Profit Special Script, and they write pretty wet. I can use them for general handwriting just fine.

 

Your pen there seems to have hit on a perfect nib/feed combo. I wish I was a little more skilled at changing out nibs. I've only swapped nibs on a Safari.

[Polanova]

 

Your pen there seems to have hit on a perfect nib/feed combo. I wish I was a little more skilled at changing out nibs. I've only swapped nibs on a Safari.

 

 

It was really very easy to swap nibs with this pen! Hardly any skill needed! You just pull them out & stick `em into some other pens.

 

The DUKE was one of these standard sized all metal ones. I didn`t like the feel of it, so I put that nib on the LANBITOU pen, which is a bit better (black with silver trim).

I certainly prefer those nibs to the pens (which feel a bit cheap)

[Sailor Kenshin]

Hmmm...I'll think about nib-swapping and see if I can work up the courage! By the way, what ink did you use in your example there?

[Polanova]

Swapping nibs is elementary, my dear sailor

You can use a piece of those elastic excersise bands to get a better grip. With steel nibs you also don`t have the worry of breaking off any tipping material.

 

The ink in this case is a mixture of Diamine Sepia & Chocolate Brown.

Edited October 13, 2014 by Polanova

[Sailor Kenshin]

Thanks! Pretty color.

 

I took a look at all my fude....99% of them have the flat feed, and don't look like a good fit for any other pen. There might be one I could swap. I'll see if I feel handy later on in the week (never on a Monday!)

 

Are you at all interested in the Sailor stick fude? I think they're around $20 USD if you can get around the odd shape and that they don't have clips. To me, they seem lighter and easier to handle than the all-metal Chinese pens.

 

I have the green, clear, and blue..all supposedly different angles..

[Polanova]

 

Are you at all interested in the Sailor stick fude? I think they're around $20 USD if you can get around the odd shape and that they don't have clips. To me, they seem lighter and easier to handle than the all-metal Chinese pens.

 

I have the green, clear, and blue..all supposedly different angles..

 

I might try them.

Because I also don`t like metal pens, I`ve put mine in the F-C Pocket. The Noodler`s Flex Creeper would be a good candidate, too.

I just wonder if one can achieve that many line variations. It`s what makes this nib interesting to me.

As I`ve said, my other Fude nib can only do F and BBB, nothing in between.

[Dr.Grace]

 

I might try them.

Because I also don`t like metal pens, I`ve put mine in the F-C Pocket. The Noodler`s Flex Creeper would be a good candidate, too.

I just wonder if one can achieve that many line variations. It`s what makes this nib interesting to me.

As I`ve said, my other Fude nib can only do F and BBB, nothing in between.

 

Probably the difference has to do with how sharp the bend is. In the Condor and Concord nibs, the bend is smooth (no kink), so the line width changes gradually as you change the angle of the pen.

[Polanova]

 

Probably the difference has to do with how sharp the bend is. In the Condor and Concord nibs, the bend is smooth (no kink), so the line width changes gradually as you change the angle of the pen.

 

Good observation - makes sense!