How/why Do You Use Your Nib Size

[kl005]

I'm a great of F and EF nibs, although I occasionally experiment with soft/flex nibs for fun. My handwriting is of a decent size and overall quite legible, yet somewhat messy and cramped. It's my own spin on cursive writing, btw. I find that using F or EF nibs helps to reduce that cramped feeling, because with finer nib sizes, my loops don't close up. Also, the paper commonly encountered here is the rubbish copier paper, and ink bleeds through like crazy. My EF Preppy (0.2mm) still causes bleedthrough if I leave it touching the paper for more than a second.

[Honeybadgers]

Most of my writing is mathematical/chemistry in nature, so I prefer EF and XXF. A nib must, must, MUST write without hard starting, because a hard start for me means an entire number didn't write, not just the tip of a large, otherwise legible letter.

 

If I'm writing a lot of normal longhand, I tend to prefer flexible nibs with as fine a base line as possible. And if I'm on duty, I need a rigid, very fine nib that can write on carbon paper as well as make fine notations on patient charts.

Edited April 7, 2019 by Honeybadgers

[A Smug Dill]

Like others, I have spent most of my fountain pen years with European fines and extra fines, because my writing is so small. But I have always wanted to use broader nibs.

Can you give us an idea of how small? What's the approximate x-height (the height of your lowercase x or a)?

 

My writing still is more legible with the medium fine Sailor nib, but the medium KOP feels so wonderfully responsive on paper that I don't mind sacrificing a bit of legibility in the product for the luxury of the process.

I'm sure handwriting with x-height of 3mm or even 2.5mm done with a broad nib can still be perfectly legible. I'm more concerned about the aesthetic; the thicker the line, the worse my handwriting looks at my normal handwriting size; and it seems stupid for me to take the view that shading (or sheen) contributes positively more than the shapes of the marks themselves.

 

[ENewton]

I've never measured my handwriting before, but it turns out that my lowercase "a" measures about 1mm when I use a Japanese fine nib and 1.5mm when I use a European fine nib.

[A Smug Dill]

I've never measured my handwriting before, but it turns out that my lowercase "a" measures about 1mm when I use a Japanese fine nib and 1.5mm when I use a European fine nib.

 

Wow. You mean this small? (That's not my normal handwriting size.)

[Inky-Republic]

I generally prefer either a stub or cursive italics (depending on who's making the nib).

 

With my preferred styles of handwriting, I really like the variation in line width the above nibs provide.

 

That being said, I've recently become interested in the concept of a flex nib, since it would theoretically give you more control in the transition between thick and thin line widths. Unfortunately all the flex nibs I've tried to date have not delivered on the promise, but for now I'm staying on task!

 

I used to also keep a pen with an EF nib for handling small notes on tech drawings, but a couple of years ago I purchased a super fine roller ball whilst in Japan - and I haven't found anything else that can touch it for midget text. EF nib therefore now replaced with a Bock stub.

[gyasko]

It depends on what i'm doing. I generally prefer broad stubs or broad obliques because i write most legibly with stubs and obliques. An italic works, too, but i write pretty fast.. I'll use a vintage German broad most of the time but i have some vintage Parker, Sheaffer & Eversharp stubs, too.

 

The narrower widths don't give as much line variation and don't hold my interest quite as much. If I'm editing, i like an extra-fine. My two favorites are a Sailor and an old bead band Sheaffer.

[kl005]

Most of my writing is mathematical/chemistry in nature, so I prefer EF and XXF. A nib must, must, MUST write without hard starting, because a hard start for me means an entire number didn't write, not just the tip of a large, otherwise legible letter.

 

If I'm writing a lot of normal longhand, I tend to prefer flexible nibs with as fine a base line as possible. And if I'm on duty, I need a rigid, very fine nib that can write on carbon paper as well as make fine notations on patient charts.

About fountain pens that write on carbon paper, did you have any recommendations? I'm afraid to try it, because although I'm using a platinum preppy, it's loaded with baystate blue and I don't want that to bleed all over.

[ENewton]

 

Wow. You mean this small? (That's not my normal handwriting size.)

 

 

Yes.

[Autiflip]

I like to use extra fine nibs because my handwriting is incredibly small. An 'a' in my handwriting is usually about 2mm tall, so yeah, thats why. A medium or even fine makes my handwriting next to unreadable, but with an extra fine it is actually pretty nice.

[Dont_Flexme]

My preference depends on what I'm doing. I love big stubs or broads for headers and either a fine to medium for notes or long writing sessions. I've also just entered a love of cursive italics, but I'm still working on which line width works for me for a long writing session- that perfect fit close to a medium line width.

[silverlifter]

The older I get, the smaller the point. In the last couple of years, I seem to have acquired an <EF>. In my twenties I would have shuddered at the thought...