Lamy Rounded And Straight Nibs

[carlos.q]

I was checking out an advertisement for a Lamy 2000 at the UK Amazon site and it included this interesting description of their nibs:

 

 

 

Surprised by this description I went over to the Lamy site and found a similar one:

 

 

 

 

We've all read the commentaries in various threads: my "Lamy nib is smooth" says one. "My Lamy nib is awful" says another. To which someone invariably comments, "Lamy has a terrible QC problem with their nibs." Could it be that at least some of these differences of opinion can be attributed to the fact that the nibs are shaped differently according to the size? And that these different shapes require the user to hold and use the pen in a different manner? ("Your local retail shop offers you the opportunity to try a fountain pen before buying it. This helps you to find the nib that suits your handwriting most.")

In other words, maybe it's a feature and not a defect?

Could someone with more experience with Lamy nibs (maybe one of our German friends) comment on this subject?

Edited January 15, 2015 by carlos.q

[OakIris]

I would like to hear about this, too. Here in the USA, we don't seem to get these nib choices, mostly all that is listed are broad, medium, fine and extra fine and, for some models, italic stubs are also available - haven't seen anything labeled as an oblique stub.

 

I don't really know what Lamy (or UK Amazon) means by saying their medium nibs are "rounded" while their "narrow" and broad nibs are straight; they all have tipping material and seem "rounded" to me. I hope someone can interpret their nib differentiations for us!

 

And what do they mean by "the pen has to be held upright, not tilted" - upright, like at a 90 degree angle to the paper, or are they talking about rotating the nib, or...? I am sure they think their explanations are helpful, but I only find them confusing! (And, yes, could this be their way of blaming any perceived quality control issues as actually being due to the end user not holding the pens correctly?? )

 

Holly

Edited January 15, 2015 by OakIris

[PabloAU]

Interesting. The two images below are both F nibs. I'd put the difference down to quality control (or lack thereof), but perhaps not...

[elevennx]

I was tossing around the idea of getting the new limited edition when it comes out next month. This, along with other QC threads I've read, is making me think I might be better off saving the money and putting it toward another pen instead. Although if the difference is by design....

 

Does anyone who has both the medium and another standard nib size notice any difference in feel compared to the medium's supposedly rounded tipping? I'm pretty sure I'm prone to rotating my pen a bit as I write, so it'd be good to know if the info shown above really is true. I'd think the difference should be visible under magification. Can anyone confirm?

[risingsun]

All I know is that my BB nib that came on my new L2K stainless last year doesn't have ANY line variation like that first image of the OP would seem to indicate. It's just a big ol' super-wide line. Is it possible that this is a new direction with Lamy for 2015? I've never seen either of those nib difference discussions before, and consider myself a pretty hardcore Lamy fan...

[Inkysloth]

I've seen these nib diagrams before, so I don't think it's a new thing. It may be Europe-specific, but I can't see Lamy producing ball-type nibs for the US market and flat nibs for the European market.

 

If it wasn't such an expensive experiment I'd buy a BB nib from a UK shop to check it out. Though I do have penlust for a BB Lamy 2000, I don't have a need. *willpower running at 100%*

[brunico]

It wouldn't be the first time a marketing department hasn't known its a*** from its elbow.

 

Since the descriptions are correct - allowing for oddities of translation - I'm guessing the illustrations are wrongly captioned and positioned.

[RMN]

If I read the description from the website right, that would mean the F and B nibs are flat, and the M rounded. That would mean that the F and B would have stub quality.

AFAIK I have only M nibs and calligraphy nibs which are as the German text says: Bandzugfeder, which we would translate to crisp Italics, I guess.

 

 

BTW, interesting to read is that they say your shop can change steel nibs, but they advise to leave changing a gold nib to one of their repair centres.

 

 

D.ick

[Ethereal Winter Wind]

I was going the say that Lamy also made a MK which was a rounded medium nib, but doing some research: http://thewritingdesk.co.uk/reference.php?id=5

 

 

MK (rounded medium). A special nib made by Lamy with a more rounded point such that the orientation of the pen relative to the paper is less critical than a standard point and therefore easier for beginners. The designation is no longer used but the current Lamy medium nib is made to the same specification as the MK.

 

It appear that they no longer make the old medium and all the current mediums are MK nrounded nibs, interesting.

[Anne-Sophie]

Most European students use the Medium nibs, it makes sense that the more rounded nib is now standard.

 

I love rounded nibs and wish the B would be round as well and would love a BB steel round nib.

 

And a BB gold nib standard with all the professional pens (Studio, 2K and the slim metal ones)

 

My B nibs have always been smooth and round.

 

 

What is the idea of changing regular round nibs for stubs?

 

I don't like crisp italics at all and this is why I don't have calligraphy nibs.

 

Does anyone knows the difference between crisp italics and stubs?

 

I do not want to loose the smoothness of my round Lamy nibs.

[arcadeflow]

What about the A (anfanger) nib of the Lamy ABC? Is the rounding even more pronounced?

[Inkysloth]

Most European students use the Medium nibs, it makes sense that the more rounded nib is now standard.

 

I love rounded nibs and wish the B would be round as well and would love a BB steel round nib.

 

And a BB gold nib standard with all the professional pens (Studio, 2K and the slim metal ones)

 

My B nibs have always been smooth and round.

 

 

What is the idea of changing regular round nibs for stubs?

 

I don't like crisp italics at all and this is why I don't have calligraphy nibs.

 

Does anyone knows the difference between crisp italics and stubs?

 

I do not want to loose the smoothness of my round Lamy nibs.

Certainly the B gold nibs for the Studio are rounded rather than cut straight. I bought one to fit to an ABC and it doesn't have a hint of straightness.

 

Crisp italic nibs are very very straight & have no rounded edges, whereas stub nibs can have gently rounded edges so the nib is less likely to catch on the paper when writing "normally."

[provis]

The nib sizes posted by the OP pertain more to the Safari/Vista/Al-Star/JOY lines. Today's Lamy 2000 nibs are different in construction and they only normal rounded nibs or oblique-cut nibs.

 

Older Lamy 2000 nibs, from 80s before, will have a flatter grind so they are more "stub" like in character compared to today's Lamy 2000 nibs.

 

These older Lamy 2000 nibs (which are similar to Lamy 27e nibs) are sometimes flexible too!

[Algester]

Another round nib that people now was the K nib or the kugel nib...

And the missing LH nib for the lefties who like lefty nibs...

Beyond that I just noticed that my M nib has a foot... Not sure if thats notmal I know I havent tinkered with the nib yet

[pearlfection]

What about the A (anfanger) nib of the Lamy ABC? Is the rounding even more pronounced?

 

It is very round. Like the "old" MK, but also very stiff. Students use it in the first grade, so they are 5 - 7 years old and most of them would destroy a normal nib because they learn to write and to handle a fountain pen.

 

I took a look at my old medium steel nib (Safari from the early 90s) and it looks straight. My new medium steel nib looks really round.

[OakIris]

Interesting, so perhaps the nib description information listed on those sites in the original post is outdated, includes nibs that Lamy no longer produces as well as those that they still do? Confusing, though, isn't it?

 

I certainly would love to get one of the older Lamy 2000 nibs that provis told us about - stubbish nibs are some of my favorites, perhaps because they are so forgiving of my not-so-good handwriting, plus they are - usually - wonderfully smooth. And a flexy Lamy nib?!? Didn't know they ever made such a thing; I need to do some "vintage Lamy" research.

 

Holly

[carlos.q]

The nib sizes posted by the OP pertain more to the Safari/Vista/Al-Star/JOY lines. Today's Lamy 2000 nibs are different in construction and they only normal rounded nibs or oblique-cut nibs.

 

That's what I thought originally and the first illustration seems to support this theory. However, this illustration was included as part of a Lamy 2000 ad on Amazon UK. The second illustration, from the Lamy site makes no distinction...

[pearlfection]

I tried today the nib of my Lamy ratio. (From the 60s.)

It really has a little flex. From EF to BB. Really nice for a steel nib.

[OakIris]

I tried today the nib of my Lamy ratio. (From the 60s.)

It really has a little flex. From EF to BB. Really nice for a steel nib.

I would think that a nib with that sort of range would be considered as having more than a "little" flex, but then I don't have any experience with flex nibs, other than having the chance to try out such nibs at a pen posse meeting. I would say that nib was a keeper, though!

 

Holly

[pearlfection]

I would think that a nib with that sort of range would be considered as having more than a "little" flex, but then I don't have any experience with flex nibs, other than having the chance to try out such nibs at a pen posse meeting. I would say that nib was a keeper, though!

 

Holly

 

You are right. It is just a little flex.

The nib is the same as in the Lamy 2000 but made of steel. So I think it is quite amazing. My Lamy 2000 ef has no flex at all and is made of gold.