Music nibs

[Claudel Xerxes]

How do you feel about them? I almost ordered a Lamy 2000 last night, but then I started looking around a few sites and remembered how intrigued I used to be about music nibs. Do any of you own one or have ever tried one? From what I've read, the Sailor, Platinum, and Franklin-Christoph nibs are all pretty stiff, and a vintage Waterman nib will flex and make a mammoth line width.

What are your thoughts on music nibs?

 

[jar_]

Some vintage Waterman nibs flex. many do not. That is true of nibs from most every older fountain pen company. Sheaffer as another example made a whole range of different flex nibs.

On music nibs I love them. But they are not all equal. My Sailor music nibs require really slow, writing while those from Platinum and Nakaya can keep up with any speed.

Sailor Music nib on right (note single slit):

Nakaya Music nib (note dual slit):

Platinum Music nib (it has two slits too):

 

[nemo]

Funny what you say about the Sailor nibs, all three of my music nibs are like stubs and can be used by me at speed. They're very smooth and forgiving of more than slight angles and twists. A little too broad for my pocket notebooks and forms at work so they generally stay home and are used for signature type duties.

They're big and juicy, especially the three tined ones (haven't tried the Nakaya), so get some good paper ready!

One of my favorite pens is a solid burgundy Sailor (not the pic above!) that I picked up in the late nineties. The nib is engraved MS, I asked a friend in my pen club what it meant and he replied, "Medium stub". That isn't what it means.


Check this post--> FPOTD Week August 15 - August 21

 

[Traveling Man]

I've been intrigued by the Noodler's Neponset for a while but haven't pulled the trigger. My favorite sit-down writing pen is my Ahab. I just haven't justified the price for what may or may not be a major difference.

 

[tetraodon]

i have a noodlers neponset, i like it, can write nice and fine, or very broad. the idea is that the nib can write both thin and thick lines, for writing music with minimal effort. the three tined nibs have nice wet flow for keeping up with a mad musician. they are a specialty stub, so treat them as the same. the noodlers is unique among music nibs for being three tined AND flex. while i love the pen the nibs middle tine likes to pop out of place but doesnt affect writing other a hard start here and there.

 

[bald1]

I've had a Platinum Composer #3776 (Black w/twin tine 1.5mm “Music” 14kt nib) bought new in 1998. Quite wet and not much flex. Writes like a similar width stub and can be very expressive if used with it's "sweet spot."

 

[Claudel Xerxes]

Thanks, for all of the input so far, guys! At the moment, I'm leaning towards getting a Sailor 1911 demonstrator with the MS nib (Doug, from what I understand, it just denotes music, since "M" is medium), and a Franklin-Christoph Christoph (music) nib to put on my Model 02 for the time being.

@jar_ & @nemo, beautiful pens, as always! Thank you, both, for the examples.

Doug, that burgundy fisnish goes well with the style of the pen. I was thinking about that color, but since it'll be primarily for leisure writing, and maybe some sheet music every once in a while (I usually just make my own form of crude musical notaion), I figured that the demonstrator might be a bit more fun.

 

[Claudel Xerxes]

I've had a Platinum Composer #3776 (Black w/twin tine 1.5mm “Music” 14kt nib) bought new in 1998. Quite wet and not much flex. Writes like a similar width stub and can be very expressive if used with it's "sweet spot."

Judging by your picture in your Ink Inventory thread, it's definitely a gusher!

 

[bald1]

Erik,
To be honest that lower wet line is an aberration. I had mentioned my lack of success in trying to use an empty Platinum cartridge for the Herbin Caroube de Chypre. I had also dipped the nib which I cleaned. It hadn't dried more than 90 minutes or so, so I'm sure there was moisture in the feed when I proceeded to use the Platinum Composer with the converter filled with the glitter ink. Had trouble starting the pen (which in and of itself was VERY unusual for this pen/nib) and had resorted to hitting my desktop with my fist while holding the pen and shaking it to try a throw a "blob" of ink. When I finally started to get some lines I also used much more pressure than normal when writing. Bottom line, all of this conspired to create not a wet line but a deluge of ink you cite as a "gusher." LOL Much more normal was the line also created with the same pen and ink on the paper positioned at the top of that image. Muisc nibs are great and a lot of fun!