Scribo Feel

[Frank C]

I like the appearance of the new Scribo Piuma. Cigar-shaped pens are among my favorites. The cartridge-converter filling system has some advantages over a piston filler. I like my other Scribos—they keep showing up on my doorstep. I can see a Piuma in my future. 

[MoriartyR]

I received the new Scribo Piuma this morning and I took pictures to share.

 

 

And here it is together with a Scribo Feel, Montblanc 149 and Pelikan M800 to show the size...

 

 

As you can see, it is still a largeish pen. Not a great deal smaller than the Feel and bigger than a Pelikan M800. I think it is a nice size and it still has a long section and similar section diameter to the Feel, which is comfortable for writing.

 

I bought my Piuma with the new 18k (non-flex) EEF nib. I think this nib is similar in many ways to a Sailor 1911 fine nib, which is a very good thing. Similar size (though the Piuma nib extends further from the section so it is longer), similar line width, similar effortless inkflow, and similarly rigid with enough softness to give some expression (a slightly heavier touch will give a darker and slightly thicker line for emphasis). It has significantly less feedback than a Sailor fine nib and feels smoother in comparison, but it still gives a good amount of feedback as you would expect for such a fine nib. The fineness of the line means you will probably want to use darker inks.

 

The overall quality of materials, fit and finish seem the same as the Feel, which is to say it’s very good quality indeed. The Piuma is a cartridge / converter filler, unlike the piston-filled Feel. It does feel lighter than the Feel, which is the main idea for this pen (piuma is Italian for feather), I guess as much due to the filling system as the reduced size. The acrylic still feels thick and sturdy.

 

I like the pen and the new nib a lot and I think the design is cool and clean. I am glad that this lighter weight model still has a very high quality feel. I think it is more pocketable and more transportable for day-to-day use.

[djm1121]

Thanks for the wonderful review, I love my Scibo 'Feel the Flex'. I assume this can be capped, based on the design? Where did you acquire the Piuma, directly from Scribo? I have been keeping an eye on Goldspot here in the States and they have made no mention of the Piuma Line as of yesterday anyway.

[MoriartyR]

1 hour ago, djm1121 said:

Thanks for the wonderful review, I love my Scibo 'Feel the Flex'. I assume this can be capped, based on the design? Where did you acquire the Piuma, directly from Scribo? I have been keeping an eye on Goldspot here in the States and they have made no mention of the Piuma Line as of yesterday anyway.

Good question. I just tried it and the cap can be posted on the Piuma but because of the rather tapered barrel the cap can sit at an angle. If you are fussy that the cap should post completely straight you will have to fiddle with the angle until it’s right. It also means the cap can be knocked loose so you would have to push it on to get a firmer grip. Hope you understand what I mean. I guess it’s not really designed to be posted, but you can do it ok if you want.

 

I never post pens. So I didn’t try it until you asked.

 

Yes, I ordered it directly from Scribo and it shipped yesterday. When I ordered the site said they would start shipping on May 10th, so it was early. I don’t think any stores will have received stock yet but I guess they will in the next week or two.

 

[TheDutchGuy]

Thanks! I’m intrigued. The pen’s clean looks and understated beauty speak to me. Scribo’s nibs are way cool. Might have to look into this pen once it arrives at Appelboom…

[Frank C]

On 5/7/2021 at 7:11 AM, MoriartyR said:

I received the new Scribo Piuma this morning and I took pictures to share.

I like the pen and the new nib a lot and I think the design is cool and clean. I am glad that this lighter weight model still has a very high quality feel. I think it is more pocketable and more transportable for day-to-day use.

Thank you for posting this. I was waiting for your evaluation of this pen, and especially the EEF nib. Pilot pens with fine nibs are my daily users, so I would guess that the EEF is similar. I also find the size comparisons helpful.

 

I do have a question for you: how do the Scribo Feel 14kt Flex nibs compare to the Montblanc 149 Calligraphy nibs?

[MoriartyR]

On 5/8/2021 at 6:02 PM, Frank C said:

I do have a question for you: how do the Scribo Feel 14kt Flex nibs compare to the Montblanc 149 Calligraphy nibs?

Ah, that’s a big question. I have half a dozen Scribo 14k Flex nibs - all EF - so I know this nib pretty well. I have only one Montblanc 149 Calligraphy Flex, and have had it for maybe five months, so my experience may not be representative. Also I am not a calligraphy writer at all, only a layman who uses these nibs for expression and fun, so I am certainly not qualified to give any authoritative views on the nib characteristics and advantages. But I will share my observations the best I can.

 

The simple answer is that these are both superb, joyous nibs, and very well-made pens. They will both write a true Western extra-fine line without flexing and they will both achieve a 2mm line when flexed - they really have the same line width at both the fine and flexed ends of the scale. There is generally no major difference between the two nibs and ideally it would be best to try both and see which suits you better. I know it isn’t easy to try them, though.

 

I found that my Scribos performed at or very close to their potential immediately out of the box, whereas the Montblanc required a few months to be broken-in before it offered the same flex results as my Scribos. The biggest difference between the two nibs is that the Scribos seem to have greater and more reliable inkflow (maybe the ebonite feed is a factor). The Montblanc is more sensitive if the tines spread slightly too far, and it will stop writing (no railroading, it simply stops). The Scribos have never done this. The Montblanc has improved over time in this respect, and will now reliably match the line width the Scribos achieve, but it will still lose inkflow if the tines spread any further than this, and there is no warning. Maybe trying different inks would make a difference but, if so, I would still say the Scribos are less sensitive to different inks.

 

The other potential slight drawback of the Montblanc is that if you hold the pen at a low angle then the feed can touch the paper when you flex the nib. This doesn’t happen with the Scribo. So with the Montblanc you just have to learn to hold it a bit more upright.

 

Both pens require similar pressure to achieve flex. I think both are actually an excellent balance, allowing you to write normally without flexing while also not requiring heavy pressure to flex. That allows both of these pens to be used as daily writers with plenty of expression available when desired. Wonderful. They only require intent to flex - a gesture will do - but they don’t flex unless I want them to. If you have a heavy hand then you would have more difficulty maintaining a consistent fine line, but both nibs perform the same in this respect.

 

Both nibs seem to me to have good snap-back. The Montblanc may be slightly quicker to return to an extra-fine line but I think my impression could easily be due more to the higher inkflow the Scribos have, rather than necessarily the characteristics of the nib tines. I am not knowledgeable or skilled enough to tell for sure.

 

The Montblanc nib feels a bit scratchier than the Scribos, which are smoother. The Scribo feels somehow paintbrush-like when flexed, which is very subjective but I especially like the way it feels.
 

The Scribo nib feels more robust and the Montblanc feels lighter, but that may mean nothing at all in terms of durability and resilience. Only time will tell. But you may feel a little more confident flexing the Scribo. I have no idea which nib is actually tougher and less prone to damage - and I do not intend to find out. I never try to stress the nibs on these or any pens and I would rarely try to push the line width as far as 2mm and certainly not for a prolonged period. I feel it makes sense to stay well below that degree of flexing. I see no signs that regular flexing to, say, 1.5mm is an undue stress for either of these nibs.

Aside from the nibs the main difference between these pens is that the Scribo has a long, medium width section and the Montblanc has a shorter, fat section. Both are very comfortable but may suit different hands better. The Montblanc has a small ink window and the Scribo does not. In terms of build quality and materials the Scribo feels a bit higher quality than the Meisterstück. The Scribo sells for €710 and the Montblanc is €920 (including tax). You can judge yourself which one you prefer the look of.

 

Oh, and for those who feel they will die if they cannot post their pen, the Montblanc posts and the Scribo does not.

 

My personal opinion is that I really love both of these pens. The Scribo is a bit easier to use and less finicky, mainly because of the inkflow. And I like the feeling of writing with the Scribo nib a little more. Otherwise they perform the same. Hope this helps, and I would love to hear views from anyone else who has experienced both nibs, whether to confirm or to contradict my opinions.

 

[como]

@MoriartyRThank you so much for the in-depth nib comparison between Scribo Flex and MB Calligraphy. This is very helpful, as I don't have MB Calligraphy but have had experience with Scribo 14K Flex EF. Much appreciated.

[MoriartyR]

5 hours ago, Frank C said:

Thank you for posting this. I was waiting for your evaluation of this pen, and especially the EEF nib. Pilot pens with fine nibs are my daily users, so I would guess that the EEF is similar. I also find the size comparisons helpful.

Regarding the Scribo Piuma 18k EEF nib, you will find it to be a bit finer than a Pilot fine nib.

 

Pilot fine nibs are a bit wider than Sailor fines, which are really very fine. Platinum fine nibs are finer than Pilot too. I found my Scribo EEF to be equivalent to a Sailor or Platinum fine, and the slight springiness of the nib was more like a Sailor than a Platinum. That’s how it seems to me.

 

[Frank C]

@MoriartyR, Thank you for your in-depth comparisons and evaluations of these fine pens. Based, in part, on this and other topics I have ordered a Scribo Feel and an MB 149 Calligraphy. I ordered the latter from Corsani at your suggestion. It arrived very quickly, well-packaged, and included a little gift. I'm still trying to learn the idiosyncrasies of the Montblanc. It sounds like it will evolve with time. The 14kt Extra-Fine Flexible Scribo Feel with Scribo ink is a pleasure to use. I look forward to purchasing a Piuma in the near future. 

[Calabria]

@MoriartyR Nice blue colors.

[lehi53]

Cool packaging.  

[pedrosette]

I have to say, I've been coming back to this page a lot. There are mainly two things preventing me from getting one of these pens: a real-life comparison of the Scribo EEF and a Japanese F nib (even though what @MoriartyR said is quite promising, it's a lot of money to spend on a pen... And I only use Japanese F and EF nibs, mainly Platinum / Nakaya) and being able to decide on a colour. I like them all so much.

 

And the pen looks so ergonomic.

[peroride]

Thank you @MoriartyR for sharing all your experiences with Scribo 😊 

 

Have you experience any ink starvation or flow issues with the c/c Piuma?

[MoriartyR]

18 hours ago, pedrosette said:

I have to say, I've been coming back to this page a lot. There are mainly two things preventing me from getting one of these pens: a real-life comparison of the Scribo EEF and a Japanese F nib (even though what @MoriartyR said is quite promising, it's a lot of money to spend on a pen... And I only use Japanese F and EF nibs, mainly Platinum / Nakaya) and being able to decide on a colour. I like them all so much.

 

And the pen looks so ergonomic.

In case it helps I took a quick picture with writing samples for my Scribo Piuma EEF and a Sailor 1911L F nib. The Scribo has Scribo Blu Capri ink and the Sailor has Sailor Souboku, I think.

 

[MoriartyR]

14 hours ago, peroride said:

Thank you @MoriartyR for sharing all your experiences with Scribo 😊 

 

Have you experience any ink starvation or flow issues with the c/c Piuma?

Peroride, I haven’t experienced any flow issues so far. Have you heard of any problems from others?

 

[pedrosette]

Thank you very much, @MoriartyR. Much appreciated.

 

The picture gives me the impression that the Scribo is still ever so slightly thicker than the Sailor.

[peroride]

21 hours ago, MoriartyR said:

Have you heard of any problems from others?

No, I have not read any reports yet. I'm glad to hear your positive experience. I just recall the CEO replying in the Appelboom interview the desire to have a different filling mechanism and wondered if this is it. If the Piuma can achieve the same equivalent wet paintbrush feeling I have with the Feel (with Quink or stock Verde Bosco i use) then this would be a win because I do not see any difference between the nib units and yet there is the added convenience of maintenance of c/c. Given a recent poor experience with a Leonardo piston, Piuma is definitely on my radar. ☺️

[MoriartyR]

3 hours ago, peroride said:

No, I have not read any reports yet. I'm glad to hear your positive experience. I just recall the CEO replying in the Appelboom interview the desire to have a different filling mechanism and wondered if this is it. If the Piuma can achieve the same equivalent wet paintbrush feeling I have with the Feel (with Quink or stock Verde Bosco i use) then this would be a win because I do not see any difference between the nib units and yet there is the added convenience of maintenance of c/c. Given a recent poor experience with a Leonardo piston, Piuma is definitely on my radar. ☺️

Understood. I only have the Piuma with 18k EEF non-flex nib so I can’t comment on whether the converter filler has any effect on inkflow to the feed compared to the piston filler on the Feel model.

 

[pedrosette]

Thank you once again, @MoriartyR. Today I got my Piuma with an EEF nib. Indeed it writes like my Platinum 3776 fine nibs! I am very glad. To be honest, I think no pen has ever made me so happy out of the box. I chose the Utopia model, which is a dark greyish blue.