Most Beautiful Nib

[Madeline]

Inspired by kdv and a mysterious pen without a name (but with a lovely bird gracing its nib), I have wanted to ask what is the most beautiful nib that you own or have seen? (Photos would be terrific, and brand names or histories if you know them.)

 

Obsessed as I am with birds, my own entry for the most beautiful nib right now is the one on kdv's mystery pen: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/335275-identification-of-a-vintage-fp/

 

It seems there are few books on this subject (or none that I can find). Given that the nib may indeed be the soul of a pen, I wonder why there are so few illustrated books about this. Maybe we can "write" one here. Hope you will post your own beauties!

 

Madeline

 

[7is]

I don't think I own any particular beauty but there is one nib which I guess deserves to be listed here. It's a Macniven & Cameron's Waverley nib from the 20s.

 

Cameron Self-filler Waverley nib

 

A bit of history on Waverley nibs can be found on the David Nishimura's blog

 

Thank you for starting this thread Madeline!

[7is]

And since you're obsessed with birds, here's my favourite:

 

Mabie Todd Blackbird S.-F. T. Late 20s

Edited May 7, 2018 by 7is

[Uncial]

The Montblanc Poe has a raven on the nib but I think the most beautiful nib probably belongs to the Dumas.

[NinthSphere]

Some of my favs...

 

Pelikan nibs

 

Parker's arrow nibs

http://vacumatic.parkerpens.org/bilder/lockdowns/nibs-2.jpg

 

Sailor

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A3fLoXHrmu8/UD9_vuOhmEI/AAAAAAAADwU/BYQRrqbv3-c/s1600/IMG_0294-blog-WM.jpg

 

Pics lifted from Google, so credit to their respective owners.

 

I'm fond of several of Montegrappa & Montblanc's special imprint nibs also. Too many to track down individually.

Edited May 8, 2018 by NinthSphere

[mitto]

Any nib that writes beautifully is beautiful.

[7is]

Any nib that writes beautifully is beautiful.

Absolutely!

[Bo Bo Olson]

725 Geha semi-flex F....picture with permission of Penboard.de

 

 

My eyes only bling of a MB Virginia Woolf. With permission of Pentimes. Normal modern MB 'Springy' 2x nib. Mine is a B..

[Madeline]

All gorgeous nibs! From anchors to birds to trees. I have a Pelikan which I love but, alas, no engraved bird on its nib. NinthSphere--thank you for this remarkable range of Pelikan nibs--one immediately wants more birds in one's flock as a result.

 

And I will pay more attention now to the Dumas. Uncial, do you have one? Given the origins of fountain pens, it does make sense that so many are named after birds (or carry their engravings on their nibs).

 

Bo Bo Olson, I'm guessing that your safety pen would also qualify... though this 725 Geha must surely win for pure elegance.

 

Thanks, 7is, for posting a Blackbird. I also love the ones with the blackbird perched on the nib itself. Of course engravings aren't necessary for beauty as that Waverley nib surely demonstrates; it looks as graceful as the script it produces. (Also I am indebted to you for identifying the Caw! It seems to be an elusive pen and I don't think I would ever have discovered its identity without your addition to the ID thread. Now I'll be on the lookout for just that bird.)

 

Thanks for sending so much inspiration, all. (and your reminder about what really counts, mitto!)

Really gets the week off to a great start! Maybe we'll see a few more...

Edited May 9, 2018 by madeline

[Bo Bo Olson]

Thank you Madeline, but the nib of the Fendomatic, is rather 'normal'; which I think is sort of normal for '30's pens. Top of nib; Warranted; Around the bottom of the top of the nib it says 1st Quality. In the middle 14 Ct.

Hummmm, just checked the #1 sized nib....vs two 52 wet noodles....it falls between them in flex. I had thought it an Easy Full Flex. Just love it when I stumble across another Wet Noodle.

Two more Wet Noodles found ....one a no name War pen, a Pewado, with a steel Degussa nib, the other my 14 k, Barley corn overlay Pfortzheim pen, with the 14 K-585 standing Buffalo...I think a nib maker from Pfortzheim. I have three silver overlay chased pens with the 'Pfortzheim Clip'. (Different nibs, nice but not superflex.)

I knew they were Superflex, but thought them Easy Full flex, in I had them before I got my two 52 Wet Noodles.

Thank you Madeline........I'd not realized that had I not checked the Fendomatic, then the other two.

 

Permission from Penboard.de...........mine is just a tad different with the chasing.

 

 

Edited May 9, 2018 by Bo Bo Olson

[Madeline]

Thank you Madeline, but the nib of the Fendomatic, is rather 'normal'; which I think is sort of normal for '30's pens. Top of nib; Warranted; Around the bottom of the top of the nib it says 1st Quality. In the middle 14 Ct.

Hummmm, just checked the #1 sized nib....vs two 52 wet noodles....it falls between them in flex. I had thought it an Easy Full Flex. Just love it when I stumble across another Wet Noodle.

Two more Wet Noodles found ....one a no name War pen, a Pewado, with a steel Degussa nib, the other my 14 k, Barley corn overlay Pfortzheim pen, with the 14 K-585 standing Buffalo...I think a nib maker from Pfortzheim. I have three silver overlay chased pens with the 'Pfortzheim Clip'. (Different nibs, nice but not superflex.)

I knew they were Superflex, but thought them Easy Full flex, in I had them before I got my two 52 Wet Noodles.

Thank you Madeline........I'd not realized that had I not checked the Fendomatic, then the other two.

 

Permission from Penboard.de...........mine is just a tad different with the chasing.

 

Thank you BoBo. I have seen a buffalo only once before. Beauty or not, I rather think that the nib of a fountain pen is as interesting as the rest of the pen... sometimes more so. By the way, your Fendograph post a few months ago inspired me to pursue the Fendograph I discovered on eBay. Once it arrived I started researching it a bit more. With the help of another FPN member, I discovered that it probably was not a Fendograph at all but, instead, a pen made by ABC, probably in Turin. Either way, it was a beauty and I was so happy to have it. It needed some work so I sent it off for new seals. I did not dip test the nib before mailing it off and now I am so very wishing I had—just to know what it was like! It will be months before it returns. Its 14 KT nib looked very solid and it sported the name "Stile" which I think means "style" in Italian. But I'll have to wait to see what kind of flex it exhibits. Thank you, again, for the wonderful photos, nib descriptions... and inspiration!

[Bo Bo Olson]

Thanks, on the props, that I gave you a new grail pen.......I did tell that, when I opened the cap, at the auction house, I'd thought someone had stolen the feed and nib? I got it for @ E-130 or so. For a while I thought I'd get it for 90.

 

I had seen a plain blacked chased '20's MB Safety pen, with a Weak Kneed Wet Noodle, that needed re-tiping, go for E360 at that Auction house I haunt.

 

Don't over smooth the tipping; pre WW2, tipping was lumpy and chunks fell off. Tipping was perfected in WW2.

Edited May 12, 2018 by Bo Bo Olson

[Madeline]

Yes, I loved your story about the first time you opened the Fendograph! (And thank you for the "tip" on tipping... I'll remember that!)

[eidola]

Not sure if beautiful, but Montblanc Charlemagne is distinctive.

 

Cartier's 'Louis Cartier' model was also pretty (superb writers too).