Best Extra Fine Nib Pens

[Tsujigiri]

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

 

Interesting.. I have a Platinum President in extra fine and an Eversharp Skyline in the same width. The Skyline writes much wetter than the Platinum. Could it be that your pen is drier because it doesn't have the breather tube intact? I've heard that's fairly common among Skylines...

[John Cullen]

MrClyfar---You might also look at the reviews of the Pilot 78g and the Pilot Prera (sp?). These are not large pens but they have been reported to write nicely and are inexpensive to boot. With smaller pens like these you will need to post the cap on the body but then you will have a full-sized pen. I have a 78g with a Medium nib that writes a very smooth full fine line. The fine nib might be XF?

 

 

 

good luck

[jack852]

I have two that stand out. A sailor pro gear and a pelikan. The Sailor is the finest by far. Both are smooth. I prefer the sailor because the nib has a great feel, it gives a slight flex and it is smooth.

[muralidr]

Richard Binder's custom ground nibs are the best and with him yu can go from XF to XXXF and he makes his nibs Waverly that increases smoothness at same fineness. Many times his nibs write both, normally and with feed on top side (upside down). For example, an XXF writes XXF normally and XXXF on reversing it.

Second best in my opinion are Pilot custom (models 74, 742 and 743) that yu can buy from engeika in ebay. I have never had problems with Pilot nibs. Sailor Saibi nib (XXF) is also in this category and an incredible nib. Again yu can gey on ebay from engeika or pensgallery.

Platinum XF and XXF are excellent too. So after Richard, Japanese options are good.

Good luck

Murali

[nemesiz]

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.

 

The Japanese manufacturers Platinum, Sailor, and Pilot have superb quality control that a standard unmodified pen should write immediately without any adjustments or modifications. From experience I've used fifteen to twenty Japanese pens with Fine to Extra-Fine nibs without a major fault or problem.

 

I have two that stand out. A sailor pro gear and a pelikan. The Sailor is the finest by far. Both are smooth. I prefer the sailor because the nib has a great feel, it gives a slight flex and it is smooth.

 

Sailor have a reputation for producing the finest nibs including the specialised Saibi Togi nib (UEF / XXF nib), but due to their fountain pens being very wet writers, the line width can be thicker than their rival Pilot and Platinum nibs. I've now owned and used a couple of Sailor Fountain Pens with extra-fine nibs all were very smooth writers, but my preference are Pilot pens. The Custom range (FK-700-RB, 74, 98, 74, 742, 743, 823, 845) and the Grance) from Pilot are much drier and finer pens and all come with a superb extra-fine nibs that write immediately without need for modification.

Edited August 29, 2009 by nemesiz

[lovemy51]

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).

my estie 9555 is very nice. i also like the pilot elite (not sure if it's EF, but sure writes like one!) i bought from speerbob's ebay store.

[johnr55]

I have several XF nibs on Pelikans, have never had an issue with any of them.

 

Years ago (25+) I bought a Sheaffer Triumph 444 in college with the finest nib I ever had. Great for note taking in school because it used so little ink! However, quite scratchy compared to their broader nibs. I have an XF on my Lamy 2000 and have enjoyed it, but as others have said, it might be equivalent to an F on other brands.

[Artie]

Everyone's opinion of what is an ideal line is different, even if the terms are the same. I like fine lines and am happy with the F that comes on the Sheaffer Balance II. Some might consider it an XF and compared to some pens it is. I have a Pelikan XF from Binder and am not happy with it at all. Nothing wrong with the pen, it just isn't anywhere near what I'd call XF. It barely qualifies of F in my opinion. I do have Sailor and Pilot pens with F nibs that I think are fine enough. Richard has a stroke width chart on his site so you can see what kind of line he will grind for you if you want to go with a speciality nib.

Edited August 29, 2009 by Artie

[indyshaq]

I pretty much only have EF nibs (F Japanese manufacturers) and have found my S.T. Dupont Orpheo EF to be the smoothest most accurate EF. My second favorite is the Alfred Dunhill AD2000 F nib which is made by Namiki. I also have a Caran d'Ache which was an F reground by a nibmeister to an EF. While it is now a very precise EF it has a considerable amount of drag. I enjoy buttery smooth nibs so had I known that it would result in such a rough stroke I would have just left it as a factory F.

[Neill78]

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?

 

I love my Lamy 2000 EF, but it's not really an EF.

I love my Pelikan M150 EF, but it's not really an EF either

 

If you want a real EF I suggest checking out Japanese pens. Pilot and Sailor both make great EF nibs and they are SUPER FINE compared to Western brands. Platinum makes a very fine EF too but I haven't tried one that's as smooth as Pilot or Sailor (but I have only tried the sub $50 range).

 

The Myu on the site you showed is somewhat of a collector's item and its nib may not be representative of other Pilots. Really cool design though. I recommend a Pilot Custom 74 if you want to try an EF without breaking the bank. The demonstrator version is really gorgeous.

 

Neill