Need Recommendations/advices For Obliques

[MGLX]

Hello,

 

since I have a pen with a Rotring Renaissance with an OBB-Nib and love it, I was hoping for getting some recommendations for right obliques for a change. They seem unusual and rare, but seem to be a good choice for block letter-style handwriting with wide downstrokes (well, in my theory at least)

 

I’m also planning to get another left oblique in Medium or Broad, since Double Broad is a bit too hefty sometimes.

And is it worth it to invest in a gold-nib for oblique grinds?

 

I’m thinking about getting one of the older Pelikans (like the 140 for example) with an OM-nib, since I can get them for under 100€ or an used Montblanc 146 with an OB-nib since I read some good things about them. I also think I found an auction with a cheap UK-made Duofold International where the owner has troubles to determine the nib, but it looks like an Oblique Broad on the pictures.

 

Since Obliques are offering line variations already, I’m mainly looking for a smooth writing experience without skips and not too costly options.

 

Some recommendations or advices would be much appreciated

[Carrau]

Mr. Pens offers a remarkable array of steel nib choices for many of his Italix pens, including obliques in most if not all of his nib sizes. I believe they dmay do right obliques as well. While many arent fans of the weight of his pens, I have three, and find all comfortable and excellent writers, especially a medium oblique that I have from them. Their prices are very reasonable, you can buy different nib units, and they have outstanding customer service. Stephen Brown reviews a number of their pens on his YT site, and in one review he does writing examples with nearly every nib they offer.

Edited February 7, 2020 by Herrjaeger

[iveyman]

I own a Montblanc 144 green striated pen with a wonderful left OBB nib. It is one of the best nib in my collection. It

cost me a bit of change to get it but it is well worth the $ because of the nib.

[MGLX]

Thanks, I didnt know Mr. Pens yet. Seems so be a good opportunity to get some interesting nibs.

[Driften]

Or you could have someone regrind the nib of your choice to be oblique.

[jmnav]

Hello,

 

since I have a pen with a Rotring Renaissance with an OBB-Nib and love it, I was hoping for getting some recommendations for right obliques for a change. They seem unusual and rare, but seem to be a good choice for block letter-style handwriting with wide downstrokes (well, in my theory at least)

I find them very nice exactly for what you say: easy wide downstrokes on "natural" cursive.

 

I’m also planning to get another left oblique in Medium or Broad, since Double Broad is a bit too hefty sometimes.

And is it worth it to invest in a gold-nib for oblique grinds?

 

I’m thinking about getting one of the older Pelikans (like the 140 for example) with an OM-nib, since I can get them for under 100€ or an used Montblanc 146 with an OB-nib since I read some good things about them. I also think I found an auction with a cheap UK-made Duofold International where the owner has troubles to determine the nib, but it looks like an Oblique Broad on the pictures.

 

Since Obliques are offering line variations already, I’m mainly looking for a smooth writing experience without skips and not too costly options.

Right obliques come with a nice side-effect: they also naturally align the tines perpendicular to the downstroke so a semiflex also comes to naturally spread them on the downstroke, multiplying its effect with no thinking about it. IMHO, if you feel comfortable with a right oblique, it pays greatly having a semiflex one.

 

I'd start, i.e.: with a Pelikan 140 (since you say you are comfortable both with price and size) with a nice semiflex B nib and I'd send it to regrind as RM. Remember that when regrinding a straight point into oblique, it gets wider, so take it into account.

 

To avoid innecessary risks, instead of regrinding and old gold nib, I'd start with the modern steel ones, since they are cheap and are still produced (don't exactly know about the 140 size, but if not, the M200 will be for sure). That way you can try first which angle you find yourself more comfortable with. You only need to remember -or let the nibmaister know, a modern nib will most probably be a "blob" and you'd want it with a more "stubby" shape. That's also why I consider starting with a vintage B instead of M: B's tend to be originally grinded more stubish, while M's are more like niddle-points.

[OMASsimo]

Vintage oblique nibs have a wonderful character and I love them. The Pelikan 140 is a great, affordable pen for having different nibs and the vintage Pelikan oblique nibs are excellent. I like them considerably better than Montblanc. Two other outstanding vintage makers of oblique nibs were Osmia and Kaweco. The problem with vintage is that it's almost impossible to find a right oblique because they were made for left-handed writers and left-hand writing was abolished in school for a very long time. I'm not sure that a vintage nib can be reground to oblique because often the tipping is not as profuse as for today's nibs.

[Carrau]

THis is a link to Stephen Brown’s YT demonstration of many of the available Italix/ Mr. Pens nibs. The obliques begin at about 6:35.

[awa54]

I should soon have a 1980s Sheaffer Oblique on hand, I'll report back when I've had a chance to write with it a bit...

[MGLX]

I’m really happy about all the answers and input so far. Really a great community.

 

Sorry, that I didn’t answer earlier. There is currently a lot going on.

 

The Montblanc 146 I saw is out of question now. The price went too high and I’m not sure I’m going to pay so much for a cartridge-converter pen again.

 

I set my eyes on an old-style Pelikan M400 with a left OB-nib now. I really dig the design with the green stripes and green logo and I’m really excited about the gold OB-nib.

Does anyone know whether the old Pelikan nibs are also in the wider side? Since I already have a OBB, I don’t need another pen that comes too close to it. Would OM be a wiser choice here, ending up more on the broad side of things?

 

Regarding the right oblique I think I’m going with Italix, although I’ve not yet settled on which model to choose from.

[OMASsimo]

There is quite a bit of scatter in the widths of vintage (oblique) nibs widths even within a single brand like Pelikan. I have several Pelikan OM, OB, and OBB nibs, even an OF one. The difference from one to another is noticeable, so an OBB is considerably wider than an OB. If you aim for significant line variation, I'd stick to the realm of OB/OBB nibs rather than OF/OM ones.

[jmnav]

The Montblanc 146 I saw is out of question now. The price went too high and I’m not sure I’m going to pay so much for a cartridge-converter pen again.

No 146 that I know of was a cartridge-converter ever. May it be a Traveller?

 

I set my eyes on an old-style Pelikan M400 with a left OB-nib now. I really dig the design with the green stripes and green logo and I’m really excited about the gold OB-nib.

Does anyone know whether the old Pelikan nibs are also in the wider side? Since I already have a OBB, I don’t need another pen that comes too close to it. Would OM be a wiser choice here, ending up more on the broad side of things?

If it's indeed an M400, that is, post 1980's, it will be "blobby", maybe not as much as post 2010-ish, but certainly far from the way they grinded nibs back in the 50's.

[awa54]

Sheaffer oblique update:

 

All I can say so far is that the Sheaffer oblique is closer to an italic than a stub; crisp line edges and a very definite required angle, but polished in a way that it doesn't feel sharp while writing... unless you roll the pen off of its requested angle.

[MGLX]

Yesterday I received a Pelikan M400 Old-Style from the 80s with a gold OB-Nib. I got it for a good price and in mint condition with a respective box in mint condition as well. It was apparently part of a collection and probably hardly ever drew a line until yesterday. For an item that’s about 30 to 40 years old, it feels like it just hit the shelves the day I unpacked it. Incredibly smooth-running piston mechanism. From just the looks and feels I couldn’t tell the difference to my M200 from last year.

 

I know now what jmnav meant with it being “bloopy”. It’s tipped and barely a stub at all. It doesn’t offer a crisp line variation in that regard, but adds a bit flex to the game. Nevertheless I can’t believe how incredibly smooth that nib is and it is a perfect daily writer in my opinion.