Problem with japan founten pen

[008]

Hello everyone,

 

I’m reaching out to seek your expertise, as I’ve been struggling to find fountain pens that truly meet my expectations. Here’s a summary of my situation:

I’ve owned several pens considered among the best on the market:

    •    Sailor 1911L (Broad, MF, M)

    •    Pilot Custom 74 B and Custom 743 B

    •    Platinum 3776 (Broad, M)

    •    Platinum President B

Unfortunately, I’ve never experienced the “perfect smoothness” and generous ink flow that many fountain pen enthusiasts describe. On the contrary, I often found these nibs scratchy, especially the Sailor ones. I’ve realized this could be due to my writing style: I hold my pen at a slightly steeper angle than normal and apply fairly strong pressure. Tilting the pen more has improved the smoothness somewhat, but it’s still not enough, particularly with Pilot nibs.

In comparison, my Lamy Safari pens (much more affordable) seem to perform just as well, if not better, in terms of smoothness. However, I do have a special appreciation for two pens that suit me very well:

    •    Montblanc 146 (Medium nib)

    •    Pilot 742 WA, which provides excellent smoothness regardless of the writing angle.

 

I’d like to emphasize that this isn’t an ink issue (I’ve used high-quality inks like Pilot Iroshizuku), nor a cleaning problem (all pens were thoroughly cleaned beforehand).

Based on your experience, could you help me understand why these pens haven’t worked for me? And could you recommend a pen that might better match my writing style (steep angle, firm pressure) and preferences (smooth flow, perfect glide)?

 

Thank you in advance for your help and suggestions!

[whichwatch]

I'd suggest that if possible logistically for you, before trying all different pens just take one that you like to a nibmeister and let him work on it with you right there until you are quite happy with the performance.  This is quite easy (and not very expensive) to do if you visit a pen show.  

 

[Lithium466]

So...you don't like Japanese pens, except for the specialty WA nib. Why then just not focus on pens you like? There are plenty of other manufacturers that will deliver the writing experience you are looking for.
Maybe I'm missing the point here? Sometimes with pens, like with many things in life, if you have to force it...it's probably...not for you. Maybe not now, or maybe you haven't found the right one. 
 

I would try a Graf von Faber Castell next, if you can, or maybe a Lamy with a gold nib, to stay on the more affordable side, or a Waterman. Or try applying less pressure

[Dillo]

I'm not sure if I like the "best in the market" talk so to speak. You have to find something that works for your writing style.

 

I think you're probably going to need to get the pens adjusted for your style by someone. If you are pressing so hard that the tines splay, you will have to adjust your writing style to use less pressure because this is too much pressure for the design of the nib.

[davisgt]

Some of my smoothest nibs are my Waterman pens. One of the very first pens I ever purchased was a Waterman Expert.  Still one of the best writing pens I have in my collection.  I have the Sailor 1911L, the Platinum President,  and the Pilot Custom 823, and I love using those pens, but if I wanted a smooth nib with no feedback, I'd still reach for one of my Watermans. 

[mke]

5 hours ago, 008 said:

I hold my pen at a slightly steeper angle than normal and apply fairly strong pressure

 

My recommendation is "change your writing style" - then the world is your oyster - with so many fountain pens.

[Harold]

I think some extra research and expectation management may be in order. Firstly, Platinum and Sailor are known for their distinct feedback, the exact opposite of smoothness, so those brands are simply not for you if that's what you want. Platinum also has relatively dry feeds, so you're certainly not going to get generous ink flow from their pens either. Even Pilot still prioritises proper function of the nib over smoothness, though they would be the best candidate out of the three and you can get glassy smooth nibs from them if you're lucky. Western manufacturers seem to be more willing to risk overpolishing the nib to chase a higher degree of smoothness, which just isn't how the Japanese manufacturers operate. The upside of that attitude is that your newly bought pen will write 99.9% of the time, whereas with Western manufacturers you have a much higher chance of receiving a dud that you then have to go exchange or get worked on by a third party.

[008]

Thank you for your responses. I’ve already had a nib customized by a nib master (a Sailor 1911L broad), but I ultimately didn’t like it. Perhaps they misunderstood my request since it was done remotely. Maybe I should indeed visit fountain pen shows in person. I’ve ordered a Pelikan M800, and I hope the experience will be different. Why not try a Waterman in-store to se.

 

Reading feedback from others about these pens, I’ve seen people describe them as gliding like butter, which is surprising because it contrasts with what I experienced. I’ve also read that the 3776 is said to have a normal flow rather than being dry

[Dillo]

You really should see someone in person to get them tuned because with tuning, you may be able to get what you want. They can also advise you on ways to get the most out of them. In my experience, if you want to get the "gliding like butter" experience, you really need to release the force in your hand and let the weight of the pen take over for you instead. Let the weight of the pen take over. With these pens, you should be able to hold the pen by the end and the nib should be able to make marks by the weight of the pen alone.

 

Sailor nibs aren't what I would consider nibs that out of the box have that "gliding like butter" feel. Platinum nibs aren't either. Pilot's are smooth, but I'm not sure if I'd describe them that way either. That said, they are generally reliable and good writers out of the box with a feel that many people seem to find pleasant. They shouldn't be scratchy unless you are applying too much pressure.

 

Any nib can generally be adjusted and ground accordingly, but writing technique is also important and you may need to adjust yours.

[008]

Ok I understand tank you 

[Chimera01]

On 1/3/2025 at 9:57 PM, 008 said:

Unfortunately, I’ve never experienced the “perfect smoothness” and generous ink flow that many fountain pen enthusiasts describe. On the contrary, I often found these nibs scratchy, especially the Sailor ones.

Sailor nibs [as mentioned above] are famous for their feedback. Having said that, I have a Sailor KOP [King of Pen] Demonstrator that has just about the smoothest and wettest nib you'd ever want to write with. As far as Pelikan goes, I would consider the nib on my Pelikan 805 a 'nail'. It writes smoothly but it has absolutely no give. But it might suit a writing style that employs a fair amount of pressure. 

 

You might like to try a Visconti Homo Sapiens. Mine wrote very smoothly out of the box. It can reportedly be a bit of a tricky beast - mine wasn't - I've found it an easy to use daily writer. It's also a fairly heavy pen which might lend itself to your writing style. Happy hunting!

[effrafax]

I'd have to agree with MKE: if you apply a lot of pressure when writing with a fountain pen, you're always going to have issues.  Learn to lighten up a bit, and you will find pens much smoother to write with.

[Mark from Yorkshire]

Like most have already said, a fountain pen is not an instrument for a heavy hand a light touch is all that is needed to write with them. I’ve just tried in last couple of days my Pilot MR, Pilot Kakuno and Sailor fountain pens and have found them smooth writers. The sailor being a Japanese fine did have a little feedback and noise but was actually writing really well. I’ve not tried the El Cheapo platinum PGB yet. But that is on the dry side so needs either a wet lubricating ink or Platinum own ink.