Best Extra Fine Nib Pens

[MrClyfar]

Hi there.

 

I'm a big fan of using fountain pens, but find that I'm a bit picky about the ones I use! :ltcapd: I prefer to use extra fine nibs, which isn't as easy to find around where I live. Having looked at varioud online shops, I've noticed many types of pens with EF nibs available, but I was wondering what some of the FPN users recommend?

 

Do you have any favourtie EF pens that you have used, or are using?

 

Are the Japanese pens on this page http://www.stutler.cc/pens/sales/pkb2000_ef.html worth a look?

 

Many thanks.

Jas.

[DrPJM1]

Personally, I like Sailor nibs. They come in XF at .23mm.

 

Stutler has many fine pens. He's in Japan, hence the shipping charge. Platinum pens are quality pens but I do not know the dimensions of the XF nib tip. You may want to e-mail him.

[*david*]

EF is an interesting category because some are much finer than others.

 

Lamy 2000 is a great pen, but its EF writes quite a wide line.

 

I have a Rotring Initial EF that is very nice, but that kind of heavy pen seems to be unpopular. To me, that one is a nice balance between a fine line and a very smooth nib.

[HesNot]

I recently added two vintage Pilots to the mix (a Murex and what is apparently called the Black MYU or Brother of MYU), both with <f> fine nibs. I also have a fine Vanishing Point. Both vintage fine nibs on the Pilots are narrower than the fine Vanishing Point which is pretty fine in its own right. From what I recall they are all finer than the EF Pelikan 200 nib I once owned but I don't have that pen any longer to compare, and all are finer than my EF Parker "51" and finer than my Lamy Safari EF (just to give some more common data points).

 

Nib width is something of an inexact science and, as we see with pens manufactured in Japan for the Japanese market, cultural influences also play a part in the definition (based upon the character set in use).

 

If my pens are any indication, a japanese extra fine would as mentioned on the website be more of a needlepoint by western standards.

 

I had a Sheaffer Triumph with an extra fine nib that was a delight to use (but the thin model never really did it for me).

 

As for the pens you linked, my "Black MYU" is my first long/short and it really is a clever and convenient design. I really didn't get them for a long time and was still iffy when I bought this one but wanted to give one a try. They are pretty cool and very useful. But I'd lean toward a fine rather than an extra fine unless you really want a super super fine line.

 

However, what I can say is that all of my Pilots have pretty nice and smooth nibs for their width - and I would recommend them all without reservation if you're looking for a good extra fine nibbed pen.

[klccpa]

Namiki VP with a fine nib actually writes like an XF.

 

Just rec'd a Hero 237-1 Accountant yesterday. At $10 it's a cheap pen. And it looks cheap. But it certainly writes itty bitty letters like an XXF! Funky colors too.

 

[OldGriz]

Any pen you purchase from Richard Binder, who will make sure it writes the way it is supposed to write....

Even the somewhat touchy Pelikan XFs come from Richard real nice...

[Shelley]

Of course if you want really tiny Richard Binder does do regrinds down to XXXXF (yes that 4X), so you can get a customed nib from him, say slap it in a VP, and you can order the whole thing from him and not have to wait the usual 12 weeks to get it done in (yes that 12 not 1-2).

[FrankB]

I do not generally use EF nibs, although there are times and places when an EF is necessary. I will agree with the others that a custom nib from Richard is a great way to go.

 

If you don't mind going vintage, there are many excellent Parker 51 EF nibs still alive and well that might suit you. I have a P-51 with an accounting nib that writes the most amazing tiny, razor sharp line while being smooth and flowing ink very well.

 

The only current production pen I have with an EF nib that seems to me to write a true EF is a MontyB 146. (For the MB bashers, this is just a statement of fact.)

[TULIP]

In my limited experience, XF nibs are hit and miss if you're buying a stock, unmodified pen. I currently use a Sheaffer Sentinel Snorkel with an X5 nib that's very nice, but it took me a long time to find a vintage pen with an XF nib that I liked. If you'd rather not go through that hassle, Richard is the way to go.

[southpaw]

Sailor's are great OOTB, from what I've heard. Tibaldi EFs are nice. If you really wanted to get one perfect, ordering one from a nibmeister like Richard Binder, among others, is a great choice.

[RayMan]

I'm a big fan of using fountain pens, but find that I'm a bit picky about the ones I use! :ltcapd: I prefer to use extra fine nibs, which isn't as easy to find around where I live. Having looked at varioud online shops, I've noticed many types of pens with EF nibs available, but I was wondering what some of the FPN users recommend?

 

Do you have any favourtie EF pens that you have used, or are using?

 

Like you, I prefer extra-fine nibs. My favorites are:

 

1. My Waterman Expert II. Unfortunately, the nib width designation appears to be partially obliterated, so I can't tell if it is actually designated EF. I only know that it writes much finer than my Lamy Safari fine nibs.

 

2. Esterbrook 9550 (Firm Extra Fine).

 

[trencherman]

I also use extra-fine nibs only for my normal writing:

 

1. Sailor 1911 with XF nib is a smooth and uniform writer.

 

2. Sailor Professional Gear with Saibi XXF, is even finer in certain positions and presents just enough resistance so it does not slip and slide on the writing surface.

I picked this up from Pam Braun over the week-end, one of the nicest and most courteous service I ever experienced.

 

3. Even finer and smoother than the Saibi that I use for my letter writing at home is a Niko G nib, chrome plated so it does not corrode and loose its sharpness, smooth and never catches and splatters ink like most dip nibs. Holds three to four lines of ink too per dip and less than ten dollars mounted on a Ko-I-Noor pen holder with cork section.

 

[rroossinck]

Great question, and one that comes up frequently. I'd agree with no hesitation to all of the posts above.

 

I had the opportunity to write with a Sailor Sapporo with a factory XF this morning over coffee with one of the FPN members here in Minneapolis, and I was really impressed with it.

 

I've got a Hero 237-1 that writes an exceptionally fine line for a pen that's called an "XF"; as others have noted, it's a true needlepoint, in my book. Great writer!

[KenS]

My three best EF nibbed pens are:

All time favorite; Stipula Nevecento black & red ebonite. Big Smiles with this one.

My most used pen; Pelikan M 1000. The nib is not as smooth, but the overall pen experience makes it worthwhile.

The smoothest EF nib I own is on a Montegrappa Symphony.

Long Live the EF nib!!

Ken.

[Escribiente]

I would say that there are four categories of EF nibs you can get.

• Vintage EF nibs, which write in the neighborhood of 0.23 mm. These are the best, because they were manufactured for people who wrote small and legible hand for pages and pages. I would say that vintage Pelikan, Parker and Sheaffer are the ones to get.
• Modern "Western" EF nibs. With some exceptions, these are a gamble. Some write as wide as a Medium, some are dry, and a few hit the mark. The problem with most of them is that for some modern manufacturers the idea of a EF nib is to make a Fine or Medium nib narrower; the resulting nib gives a line that has a narrow vertical stroke, but a wide horizontal stroke. The big exception, in my experience, are the Tibaldi (second generation) EF nibs.
• Modern "Japanese" EF. Which are very consistent, especially Sailor and Platinum. I prefer Sailor because they have a bit of flex and add some shading to small handwriting.
• EF nibs ground by a nibmesiter (John Mottishaw and Richard Binder, in my experience, do excellent work). You can have any nib reground according to your specs; so your EF really writes like the EF you imagine. This is the best route if you don't want to experiment too much, or have exacting specs.

Good luck finding a true EF nib.

[MrClyfar]

Hi again.

 

Many thanks for all your suggestions.

 

I have bitten the bullet and gone for a PKB-2000 Japanese EF pen from Russell Stutler. It looked just the ticket and hopefully I will find out sometime next week what it's actually like to write with.

 

As I do have a keen interest in EF pens, I will also have a look at the suggestions you have posted on this topic. I never knew about getting custom nibs done (by John Mottishaw or Richard Binder), I'll enquire about that too.

 

Many thanks.

Jas.

[PelikanPenman]

Once you get your pen, post a review and let us see how you like it.

 

I love EF pens also, and have over a dozen Pelikan EF's in various sizes. Nice thing about them is the piston filler, added with the EF nib, you can write forever with them, due to the amount of ink in the pen.

 

I just received a Sailor Professional Gear with the Saibi nib (XXF) and need to give it a little time to see if this going to work out for me. It is very scratchy, but am willing to give it chance. Besides the nib, I was inpressed with the pen, except for the filler system.

 

Cheers.

[Lloyd]

I've used Sailors but I am am still amazed at the smoothness of the Hero 237-1 given its fineness and cost ($12 shipped).

[Opus]

I like xtra fine nibs too. I don't have to reink the pen as often and I've found that I'm not as careless with my writing. I'm having to learn to write all over again almost. I've not used fountain pens since grade school. I've used medium and fine nibs. I prefer fine and/or extra fine because I don't have to problem of ink staying wet for a long time. I like the Lamy pens to some extent because they're more affordable and they are a good quality writing instrument. I've also tried the Pilot Vanishing nib pens and I like them too. I'm alittle leery of 'off brand' pens. They're lower in price but the quality control can suffer as well.

[Leftytoo]

I have a Sailor Sapporo EF and a vintage Eversharp Skyline with an unmarked 14 K nib. Both are about the same width. The Sailor is wetter, the Eversharp is drier. The Sailor starts instantly, the Eversharp needs to write a few words before it comes to life, but when it does, it is a really sweet experience, with lots of delicate precision.

 

I prefer the vintage Eversharp: some flex to the nib, and the nicer quality of construction/materials.

 

Neither pen holds much ink.

 

Bob