1.1 Italic Nib Options For A Monteverde Invincia

[jabberwock11]

I have a rose gold Monteverde Invincia that has been sitting, unused for a while now, which is a shame because it is a nice looking pen. I am learning italic cursive and would like to fit a new nib onto this pen to use with italic cursive and chancery writing. I am having a hard time deciding between a Knox 1.1, Monteverde black 1.1, Goulet Pens two tone 1.1, and a Nemosine 0.8.

 

The Nemosine 0.8 is the least expensive and is a bit smaller, which may make it a good choice for every day writing, but it may not be as smooth.

 

The Monteverde 1.1 is the most expensive, but looks excellent, has good reviews, and has the same branding as my pen.

 

The Knox 1.1 is inexpensive and may be a good middle of the road 1.1, not too expensive or too cheap, but it has mixed reviews.

 

The Goulet Pens two tone 1.1 looks nice and has good reviews, but I have heard that it is broader than most 1.1s.

 

The Nemosine and Knox are both pretty inexpensive, and I could get both, but I would probably end up just using one or the other.

 

What do you guys think? Any other suggestions? I want to spend $25 or less, as this is a replacement nib for a pen that only cost about $50 to begin with. I have a cheap Manuscript calligraphy pen and a Lamy Safari with a 1.1 nib (which should arrive in the mail tomorrow), but I would also like a nice metal pen for regular italic use.

[Randal6393]

My favorite is the Goulet nib. In this case, though, I would stick with the Monteverda nib. Just for consistency.

 

The Knox and Nemosyne nibs are good nibs. The ones I have had required a bit of adjustment before satisfactory performance. They will work as well.

 

Best of luck,

[Gloucesterman]

As you are already getting the Lamy Safari 1.1, I would use that for a little while as you learn and practice the italic style. If you find that you REALLY like italic, consider getting the Monteverde 1.1 and using that.

 

I have and have had several of them (sold one at a pen show) and enjoyed using it. You could also post a want to buy or trade here on the FPN classifieds and may get one less expensively.

 

My basic advice is to start simple and if you find that it is something you want to persue italic more seriously then look to upgrade. A custom italic nib is not an difficult or expensive tweak to consider from a nibmiester.

 

BTW, I have both the .6mm and .8mm Nemosine (from xFountainpens.com - no affiliation) and like both of them very much. They cost$15.00 each and there was no charge for shipping.

 

Good writing and enjoy the learning process.

[jabberwock11]

Thanks for the feedback so far. It's good to hear other people's thoughts on these nibs.

 

I have been studying italic with dip pens, but I find that I prefer fountain pens for broad edge penmanship. I like italic and chancery and am familiar with their peculiarities, so this is actually just the next step in my progress with these styles of writing.

 

Currently available on xfointainpens.com is the Nemosine 0.8 for $6.99, Knox 1.1 for $7.99, and the Monteverde 1.1 for $24 (and free shipping when you order $15 or more). The Goulet Pens nib is $15, with shipping for $2.54. So, I can get both the Nemosine 0.8 and Knox 1,1 (and a sample bottle of ink to bring the total above $15) for less than either a single Monteverde or Goulet Pens nib. I have also thought about getting a Jinhao X450 for $6 (with free 2 day shipping) from Amazon. That, combined with a Knox and Nemosine would be about $22.

 

All of this brings me to the crux of my difficulty: Is a Monteverde nib really worth more than two other italic nibs and a Jinhao pen? Is the Goulet Pens nib twice the performer of either the Knox or Nemosine? If the Monteverde or Goulet Pens nibs are significantly better performers then I have no problem going that route. I just want to make sure that those nibs are really worth it before I commit to anything. I have no desire to have a bunch of extra nibs running around, unused, and unloved.

Edited October 13, 2015 by jabberwock11

[Gloucesterman]

All of this brings me to the crux of my difficulty: Is a Monteverde nib really worth more than two other italic nibs and a Jinhao pen? Is the Goulet Pens nib twice the performer of either the Knox or Nemosine? If the Monteverde or Goulet Pens nibs are significantly better performers then I have no problem going that route. I just want to make sure that those nibs are really worth it before I commit to anything. I have no desire to have a bunch of extra nibs running around, unused, and unloved.

 

Ultimately only you can determine the answer to that. In fact, the only way do do it would be to buy all of the stuff and compare it. Make your choice based on your personal experience and sell off the stuff you don't want to keep.

 

Whatever you choose I see it as a win/win situation. Good writing - or printing!

[jabberwock11]

I really like the looks of the Monteverde black 1.1 nib, and as ridiculous as it seems the nib being of the same branding as my pen really appeals to me. In the end I decided that if I am going to make my Monteverde a truly useful item then I may as well go all in, so I got the Monteverde nib...but I also decided that the Jinhao was too good to pass up (I settled on the X750 rather than the X450), so I also got a Nemosine 0.8 to try out with the Jinhao. I am excited to have a coupe of nice metal pens for my italic writing efforts, and I can't wait for all of the bits and pieces to arrive.

 

I really appreciate all of the feedback and will let you fine folks know how it all turns out. Having other people with similar interests to bounce ideas off of and to offer opinions is always a helpful thing.