149 Nib Comparisons - B, Obb, Obbb

[Ghost Plane]

I periodically get asked about the larger nib sizes, so I did a quick jot using today's collection on cheap office paper for a realistic comparison of what one might expect on commercially available papers as opposed to fountain pen friendly. As you can see, the OBB is one of the rare 149 testers before 146s became the standard. This is my hand at speed with no attempts at penmanship, given I'm in a hurry to get this posted before my next appointment. Cell phone shots using my iPhone on the counter.

[Ghost Plane]

Close up of the OBBB

[Ghost Plane]

The B looks pretty narrow in comparison. It is, in fact, one of the narrowest I've ever seen.

[Ghost Plane]

Another look at the OBB tester. The lines from all these pens are roughly 1/3 narrower on decent paper.

[Ghost Plane]

And a last, repeat look at the OBB nib.

[dennis_f]

Thanks for posting this. It's really helpful.

 

 

Lovely tester, by the way.

D.

[Pravda]

Thank you Ghost Plane for your post, I've been really curious lately as you know as to the difference in line variation between the oblique broads vs broads

[Nathanb]

Thanks for sharing - I am about to bite the bullet and order my first BB

[Ghost Plane]

Glad I could help.

[Tom Kellie]

~ @Ghost Plane:

 

This is truly “news you can use”.

It's a delightful surprise to see these helpful comparison images.

Tom K.

[alarickc]

I just got my first Montblanc, a 149 with red gold trim and an O3B nib. Some of your older posts are what convinced me to pick it up, and it is fantastic! Jonathan Swift Seaweed Green has never looked so good!

[Tom Kellie]

~ @Ghost Plane:

 

What I especially appreciate is how your post brings out that wider nibs are indeed suitable for daily writing.

On ordinary office paper they shine, for notes, for jottings, and for doodles of one sort or another.

Before acquiring B, BB and OBBB nibs I'd been under the misapprehension that broader nibs would be illegible or hard to handle.

After stepping over to the “broader side of the force” it was self-evident that their smooth flow is a pleasure to use.

Even an OBBB nib is practical in all but specialized situations.

B and BB nibs are effortless to use with all the nuances of calligraphy possible, as your handwriting shows.

What your images also emphasize is the uncanny way that fine inks are shown to good effect in strokes written by broader nibs.

Many hearty thanks for this unexpected mid-August gift!

Tom K.

[Tom Kellie]

~ @alarickc:

 

Really? That's great news!

Like you, it was Ghost Plane's persuasive advocacy which inspired me to acquire a 149 OBBB.

Very glad to hear that is satisfies you, especially with the Jonathan Swift Seaweed Green.

If it's ever convenient, a photo or two of your new treasure would be most welcome.

Thank you so much for telling us.

Tom K.

[alarickc]

~ @alarickc:

 

 

Really? That's great news!

Like you, it was Ghost Plane's persuasive advocacy which inspired me to acquire a 149 OBBB.

Very glad to hear that is satisfies you, especially with the Jonathan Swift Seaweed Green.

If it's ever convenient, a photo or two of your new treasure would be most welcome.

Thank you so much for telling us.

Tom K.

It might be a few days, I have to dig out the camera's charger, but I'd love to. There aren't enough photos of these beauties out there.

 

I'm thinking I'll have to save up now and get a MB with one of those bespoke music nibs I've seen around here. Probably won't happen till next year though.

[Tom Kellie]

~ @alarickc:

 

It'll be well worth waiting for any images.

I agree that OBBB photos with handwriting samples are in short supply.

When they do appear it's a treat.

A bespoke music nib? Crazy!

Having gone through Montblanc's bespoke process I know that it takes time but the results are worth it.

Again, many thanks for the excellent news of your receiving a red gold 149 OBBB.

The 149 OBBB I use will be joined within a few months by a platinum 149 OBBB which is on order.

Tom K.

[cellardoor04]

Wonderful comparison. I had the pleasure of owning a 149 with a stubbish BB nib, but sold it as ultimately I preferred other pens. The O3B nib looks absolutely delicious, and has got me drooling over here!

[Ghost Plane]

I'm drooling over the notion of a bespoke music nib. I've sort of promised myself something special in the event I ever achieve a certain life goal and that's something I'd strongly consider.

 

If I had to write on standard office paper, I would tend to switch inks to something in the MB line as they seem designed to perform on bad paper, much as Waterman inks shine on thin or absorbent.

 

R&K inks are decent, if you can live with the feathering. On nice paper, I really enjoy them as an alternate to more popular brands. Sailor inks are a delight, if you can afford them (I'm sticking to the Kobe line to spare my wallet). Private Reserve behaves well for me in general. Herbin original (NOT the sparkly) and Waterman are "safe" inks if somewhat muted or dull in color. Just decant Herbin into something deep enough for your nib as the bottles are useless. I found a bottle of Omas I have to try next time I open a new bottle. Visconti ink behaves well if rather limited in choices. I've got gallons of it lying about thanks to my pen hoarding, er, multiple purchases. The non-scented DeAtramintis blues and purples are nice, but it seems the redder/browner the ink, the dryer and draggier the performance.

 

Other popular ink brands here have fabulous colors, but are so finicky and uneven in performance for my needs that I tend to save them for pens easier to clean than my high end piston darlings. These are my personal preferences as I seek the wettest inks for speed. My pens are either continuously filled or rinsed and put away. None of this obsessive disassembly and sterilization for me as I've been using some of my pens since Dad first closed my tiny fist around them as a child. If rinsing alone is sufficient to keep some family pens writing happily since World War II (I'm using some military clip lever-fill family pens with new sacs installed as they tend to petrify every 50 years or so ), then I'm sticking with what works. I tend to send my own pistons to MB for maintenance every decade or so when the pistons get draggy or the seals have accidents. Well worth the price to keep a precision tool working at maximum performance.

 

In short, experiment until you find the nibs that work for you. My father was a needle nibber and I hated the draggy feel of his desk pens. Now that I've found the nibs suited to my hand, I can go eight hours at a time with minimal discomfort.

 

If you remind me after things calm down with work and the move, I'll try to add a shot of my OB Carnegie. The smaller WE/146 nibs have their own personalities and can be more precise in line. I sold a Boheme a few years ago that had the best OBB I ever experienced (almost an italic) because it simply proved too small for my hand over the years. Beautiful line, but the hand cramps simply weren't worth it.

[Ghost Plane]

As promised, here is the OB Carnegie. I fished the sheet of paper out of the waste can, so you get an accurate comparison to the other pens. The narrow B and the OB lines are pretty much the same width.

[Ghost Plane]

I have no idea why the photographs get rotated and trying to on my Mac doesn't seem to change anything when I upload.

[Ghost Plane]

This is as close as I can get with the cell phone. The pen doesn't skip normally. I'm afraid that's me going with the lightest touch possible to keep this paper from absorbing the entire contents of the pen.

Anyway, I hope this gives anyone considering a large nibbed MB a fairly good idea of what they're going to get.

 

I also want to disabuse anyone from the loudly held and often repeated notion that such nibs are ONLY for people who rotate their pens. With all due respect to the "experts" who pontificate loudly, it's perfectly normal for many of us to move back and forth easily between obliques and standard nibs on a daily basis. With these nibs becoming more and more rare as "experts" and accountants make the marketing decisions for companies rather than users, I'd try them while you can get them.

 

Caveat: I speak as a shoulder/arm writer. If you're a finger writer who wobbles your pen at multiple angles around an axis to write and/or gouges the tip into the paper under pressure, you will not get on with these. Obliques are designed for those who let the pen write under its own weight without forcing it to do gymnastics. If you grew up on ballpoints, I'm not blaming you for your style. Just don't expect a Ferrari to perform like a dune buggy. Neither of you will be happy with the other.