Benefits Of The "waverly" Style Nib

[kanaka]

Hi all,

 

I'm new to Sheaffer's and am intrigued by the upturned nib. What exactly is the benefit of it?

 

Thanks!

[Beechwood]

Principally smoothness with little or no downside.

[Shaporama]

They can be lovely writers. Because of the severity of the upturn I have seen some posts complaining of nib damage when it is actually a Waverly.

[Sandy1]

Hi,

 

I'm a big fan of the Waverley shape: smooth and fast, requires the barest minimum pressure - just enough for control.

 

I will qualify my praise in that the vast majority of my pens with Waverley nibs were professionally restored, so the nib passed through the hands of one who teased & tickled the tines to perfection. Yet an out of the box NOS Sheaffer 330 was also so very smooth.

 

I tend to grasp my pens rather high on the section, so the angle of the pen to the writing surface is rather low. The Waverley shape just seems to 'kiss' the paper with sweet spot of the nib, rather than me fiddling with my grip in a dithering search for the heart of sweet spot.

 

I agree with Member Shaporama in that those who write with the pen held at a steep angle may not get the best out of a Waverley shape. Likewise for those with a heavy hand.

 

For the very narrow nibs, I much prefer a Waverley shape, rather than the nibs from Japan which seem to be at their best when used at a much steeper 'tippy-toes' angle. (Though I am learning to use those pen+nib combos as well.)

 

I've but one wide Waverley nib, but it doesn't jangle my bangles, so would like to learn of other Member's experience with B-ish Waverley nibs.

 

Bye,

S1

Edited February 9, 2015 by Sandy1

[NinthSphere]

Hi,

 

I'm a big fan of the Waverley shape: smooth and fast, requires the barest minimum pressure - just enough for control.

 

I will qualify my praise in that the vast majority of my pens with Waverley nibs were professionally restored, so the nib passed through the hands of one who teased & tickled the tines to perfection. Yet an out of the box NOS Sheaffer 330 was also so very smooth.

 

I tend to grasp my pens rather high on the section, so the angle of the pen to the writing surface is rather low. The Waverley shape just seems to 'kiss' the paper with sweet spot of the nib, rather than me fiddling with my grip in a dithering search for the heart of sweet spot.

 

I agree with Member Shaporama in that those who write with the pen held at a steep angle may not get the best out of a Waverley shape. Likewise for those with a heavy hand.

 

For the very narrow nibs, I much prefer a Waverley shape, rather than the nibs from Japan which seem to be at their best when used at a much steeper 'tippy-toes' angle. (Though I am learning to use those pen+nib combos as well.)

 

I've but one wide Waverley nib, but it doesn't jangle my bangles, so would like to learn of other Member's experience with B-ish Waverley nibs.

 

Bye,

S1

 

This. Super smooth, although I think I generally tend to hold at about 45. I have a fine & a pair of broads, a thicker stub & a thinner italic. Love all three, although the stub puts down a lot more ink than I'm used to.

Edited February 9, 2015 by NinthSphere

[Sandy1]

P.S.

 

I also wonder if the Waverley shape came about as a means to produce nibs with a different 'in-use' tipping geometry that couldn't be achieved on a straight nib with ye olde tyme materials, methods of machining and mass production.

 

Perhaps someone looked at how they could produce a wonderful sweet spot on the tipping, then bent the nib so the sweet spot was presented to the paper at the best possible angle. (?)

 

Oh, and many Waverly nibs also do wonderfully well when used inverted (feed uppermost), though I think that could be the way that Sheaffer finished their nibs, rather than an inherent property of the Waverley shape.

 

Bye,

S1

 

__ __

Richard Binder on the Waverley nib: http://www.richardspens.com/?refp=ttp/waverley

Edited February 10, 2015 by Sandy1

[saskia_madding]

I've got a bunch of waverly nibs, and they are at least half the reason I am obsessed with Triumph nibs. They make writing with F nibs way smoother, in my experience, but their charms don't stop there in my opinion. I have found that some of the wider nibs on triumphs aren't quite as obviously upturned as most of the finer ones, but still. They *are* upturned, and they are awesome.

 

http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af97/Saskia_Madding/Pens/DSC09819-1_zps6b67f271.jpg

 

 

http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af97/Saskia_Madding/Pens/DSC09739_zps238ac236.jpg

 

 

http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af97/Saskia_Madding/Pens/DSC09959.jpg

 

 

http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af97/Saskia_Madding/Pens/DSC10664_zps12ad9d11.jpg

http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af97/Saskia_Madding/Pens/DSC09918_zps9014b2b0.jpg

 

http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af97/Saskia_Madding/Pens/DSC09921_zps17ce39d9.jpg

 

http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af97/Saskia_Madding/Pens/DSC00027_zps3bd5d005.jpg

[Sailor Kenshin]

That...looks...almost like a...FUDE.

 

With which I am obssessed.

[Sandy1]

I've got a bunch of waverly nibs, and they are at least half the reason I am obsessed with Triumph nibs. They make writing with F nibs way smoother, in my experience, but their charms don't stop there in my opinion. I have found that some of the wider nibs on triumphs aren't quite as obviously upturned as most of the finer ones, but still. They *are* upturned, and they are awesome.

 

<snip>

 

Hi,

 

Many thanks for the show & tell!

 

A most attractive and inspirational collection - especially the wide nibs.

 

I hadn't thought the Stub-Italic shape would suit a Waverley nib, but after seeing your examples, perhaps I will send my wide Waverley off to be reshaped.

Or might it be better to seek-out a factory Stub?

 

Bye,

S1

[NinthSphere]

Personally, I would seek one out. They pop up from time to time on the bay.

[saskia_madding]

I've got a bunch of the factory stubs, and I have to say that they are really hit and miss. Not all are waverly, and not all are wonderfully wide and wet. I've got a few thinner factory stubs that are quite dry and kind of blah. So if you've got a nib you really love (PLEASE SHOW PICTURE! ), then it might be better to just get it ground to the stub you want.

 

Or you could try getting a factory one, see if it's good, and if it's not, *then* get your current nib ground.

[checkrail]

Dear All,

I hope you don't mind if I point out for the sake of accuracy that the name is Waverley always with a capital. It comes from Waverley Abbey in Surrey in the south of England, was commandeered by Sir Walter Scott, the C19th Scottish novelist for the hero of the novel of the same name. Scott used the name because he saw it as archetypally English, as was the hero. The novel became famous and its successors became known as the Waverley novels and the name underwent the ironic transition thereby of becoming thought to be archetypally Scottish. Macniven & Cameron, the Edinburgh stationers also active in Birmingham later, used Waverley, for its Scottishness and high recognition value, as a trademark and it became associated particularly with their distinctive nib, but they used the trademark more widely on their products. The main railway station in Edinburgh is still called Edinburgh Waverley for all its rich associations.

 

The use of the name Waverley generically for turned up nibs belongs to our era and it was not used by other companies who made them in various forms, as it was a Macniven and Cameron trademark for their products.

Kind regards

Timothy

 

Edited for additional information.

Edited February 12, 2015 by checkrail

[kestrel]

Dear All,

I hope you don't mind if I point out for the sake of accuracy that the name is Waverley always with a capital. It comes from Waverley Abbey in Surrey in the south of England, was commandeered by Sir Walter Scott, the C19th Scottish novelist for the hero of the novel of the same name. Scott used the name because he saw it as archetypally English, as was the hero. The novel became famous and its successors became known as the Waverley novels and the name underwent the ironic transition thereby of becoming thought to be archetypally Scottish. Macniven & Cameron, the Edinburgh stationers also active in Birmingham later, used Waverley, for its Scottishness and high recognition value, as a trademark and it became associated particularly with their distinctive nib, but they used the trademark more widely on their products. The main railway station in Edinburgh is still called Edinburgh Waverley for all its rich associations.

 

The use of the name Waverley generically for turned up nibs belongs to our era and it was not used by other companies who made them in various forms, as it was a Macniven and Cameron trademark for their products.

Kind regards

Timothy

 

Edited for additional information.

The original MacNiven and Cameron Waverleys can usually be found on eBay for a relatively low price. They are remarkably smooth for a nib with no tipping and are a lot of fun to write with. The shape gives a large sweet spot and most of mine write medium to broad lines. I bought them for the historical connection but they are too much fun to not use.

[Vintagepens]

Much more on the Waverley nib here: http://vintagepensblog.blogspot.com/2013/11/what-is-waverley-nib.html

[Sandy1]

Much more on the Waverley nib here: http://vintagepensblog.blogspot.com/2013/11/what-is-waverley-nib.html

 

[roygbiv54321]

I've got a bunch of waverly nibs, and they are at least half the reason I am obsessed with Triumph nibs. They make writing with F nibs way smoother, in my experience, but their charms don't stop there in my opinion. I have found that some of the wider nibs on triumphs aren't quite as obviously upturned as most of the finer ones, but still. They *are* upturned, and they are ...

Thank you! This was very helpful.

[amk]

Some gorgeous nibs in the pictures here. I adore Triumph nibs, and don't have enough of them (one, and it's not a Sheaffer, it's a Ratnamson!)

 

Does anyone know how the Waverley nibs are made, at what stage in the process the little 'lift' is imparted? Is it something you could do as a retro-fit on a straight nib, like grinding down a broad to a cursive italic, or does it have to be done before the tipping is added?