Stub/Italic/Flex. Oh me oh my!

[jzuzphreek]

Friday evening, my wife and I are going out to celebrate our anniversary. We got a tuition reimbursement check that we DID NOT expect for several weeks. After catching up some important things, we decided we'd take each other shopping near the restaurant we'll be visiting. She's interested in a certain brand of purses, and right behind the mall where we'll be shopping is a neat local paper/stationary/etc store. Scriptura sells some brands like G. Lalo and Crane. Additionally they have locally made by hand wrapping paper which is AMAZING (if you're into that sort of thing... present wrapping... not tobacco). But they also have a pretty nice selection of fountain pens. They carry the whole Pilot/Namiki Vanishing point line as well as Lamy. IIRC, they have some other pens as well.

If I can find something at a reasonable price, I'm going to let my wife get me something with a Stub, Italic, or flex nib. But which should I get?! I dunno. I don't know if they'll ink any up to let me try, but I can ask right? The Vanishing point (their website says they have the 2012 Namiki VP Collectors edition, but that's probably out of our price range). I was thinking of getting something with an EF or F nib, but those are pretty easy to find for my Estie (re-new points). The Flex/Stubs are much harder to find.

 

[andrew98]

My Vanishing Points may be my favorite pens. I use them more than any other pens I have, and that's partly down to the convenience they afford. They're also excellent writers, in my opinion, especially the fine nib. The only downside is that they don't hold a lot of ink. I typically only jot short notes and lists with mine, so I don't tend to blow through a lot of ink quickly.

-Andy

 

[strop]

Your options for those nibs will be very limited if not nonexistent in most brick and mortar stores. Other than custom there aree very few flex nibs made today. Remember though that any B or BB nib can be custom ground down to what ever size profile you desire.

 

[jzuzphreek]

Your options for those nibs will be very limited if not nonexistent in most brick and mortar stores. Other than custom there aree very few flex nibs made today. Remember though that any B or BB nib can be custom ground down to what ever size profile you desire.

I'll keep this in mind Mark. I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to find a good vintage, what I like to think of as "fancy", pen (Waterman, Aurora, etc) that I keep hearing about as having almost magically flexy nibs. I'm gonna keep researching and suggest something to my wife as a Christmas/Bday/just-because-she-loves-me present.

EDIT: Not necessarily something rare (although I'd love to find an Etiopia someday), just something vintage and flexy.

 

[Dave258]

If the store carries Lamy, you may be able to pick up their stock stub nib. They offer it in 1.1mm, 1.5mm or 1.9mm. I like the 1.1 for everyday writing, and it fits all their pens except the Lamy 2000.
Vanishing Points are also great pens, the nibs are gold, soft, smooth and quite springy. I have a medium nib and broad nib and enjoy using both!

 

[syngent]

Jessy you want nibs for regular use and letter writing or calligraphy nibs for fancy stuff....

There is flex and then there is wet noodle calligraphy flex, they both do their jobs well but are not very good at the opposite... spencerian and copperplate aside as that kind of calligraphy is meant for letter writing but the big block stuff needs a nib meant to do it... at least from what I have been readinh and seeing on the youtubes

 

[jzuzphreek]

Jessy you want nibs for regular use and letter writing or calligraphy nibs for fancy stuff....

There is flex and then there is wet noodle calligraphy flex, they both do their jobs well but are not very good at the opposite... spencerian and copperplate aside as that kind of calligraphy is meant for letter writing but the big block stuff needs a nib meant to do it... at least from what I have been readinh and seeing on the youtubes

I was planning on pursuing the block stuff with my parallels. I want something that will make everyday writing/letters/etc stand out and be... awesome.

 

[syngent]

Stubs can do that... italics to but the stubs are smoother then cursive italics. .. a flex nib will do the job in a vintage pen but it takes a bit to get your hands control to get the variation if your hand doesn't do it already... the stub will just work right off the bat .

Just depends on the look and amount of control you want over it vs. The amount of effort you want to put in

 

[jzuzphreek]

Stubs can do that... italics to but the stubs are smoother then cursive italics. .. a flex nib will do the job in a vintage pen but it takes a bit to get your hands control to get the variation if your hand doesn't do it already... the stub will just work right off the bat .

Just depends on the look and amount of control you want over it vs. The amount of effort you want to put in

You've seen my handwriting... it's going to take plenty of work no matter what I get.

So what's the technical and functional difference between a "Stub" and an "Italic"?

 

[Snargle]

You've seen my handwriting... it's going to take plenty of work no matter what I get.

So what's the technical and functional difference between a "Stub" and an "Italic"?

Here's a good discussion of the various specialty nibs from Richard Binder's web site: http://www.richardspens.com/?nibs=beyond

 

[jzuzphreek]

Here's a good discussion of the various specialty nibs from Richard Binder's web site: http://www.richardspens.com/?nibs=beyond

Very concise! Exactly what I needed.... of course, it doesn't help me in deciding.

 

[Rjacklin]

I am looking for a nice pen for work. I really don't know much but I don't write in cursive, all in uppercase. The pens I currently use are the Pilot G-2 in 07 and really like these. I would just like a nice upgrade. Ideas, thoughts, recommendations? Thank you!

 

[syngent]

The simple different is, stubs have rounded corners so they are smoother, but the line variation isnt quite as harsh, where a cursive italic edges are harsher edges, so they write scratchy, but offer more line variation,

Also the grind on the flat edge on the page has a more rounded edge on the stub

 

[andrew98]

Richard Binder, along with tons of others, can grind a stub or cursive italic for you. I'll likely have my broad VP ground to a stub sometime. If that shop you mentioned has any of the carbonesque (either black or blue) models, get your hands on one of those for a minute or two. They have a nice texture and aren't cold like lacquered metal pens.

There are a number of web businesses set up by folks who restore and re-sell vintage flex pens. Some of those pens aren't all that expensive, either.

-Andy

 

[brianw]

The B&B essential is available in a plethora of nib sizes and grinds

 

[jzuzphreek]

The B&B essential is available in a plethora of nib sizes and grinds

I know. I want one. Badly. Unfortunately, it's not offered in the shop where we'll be. Alas, woe is me.

 

[Doc4]

I know. I want one. Badly. Unfortunately, it's not offered in the shop where we'll be. Alas, woe is me.

Too bad you can't make it to the internet.

 

[Doc4]

The simple different is, stubs have rounded corners so they are smoother, but the line variation isnt quite as harsh, where a cursive italic edges are harsher edges, so they write scratchy, but offer more line variation,

Also the grind on the flat edge on the page has a more rounded edge on the stub

And of course if you want to get really into it, there are the specialty Nagahara nibs from Sailor.

The Naginata Togi is the "basic" one of those, and is essentially a stub turned on it's side, so you get the line variation going the "other way" ... horizontal vs. vertical thickness, as it were. Oh, and they are fantastically smooth nibs with great feeds ... love 'em.

$200+ unless you are patient on e-Bay, though.

 

[jzuzphreek]

Too bad you can't make it to the internet.

I know right!? It's more of a "we're going out shopping together for our anniversary" thing.

Unfortunately, we found out that Scriptura closes at 6, and we won't be back in town by then (gotta leave work, pick up the kiddo, drop him off at babysitter's, go home, change, go back into town). Soooo... maybe we'll sit in the mall and check out the LE from FC. Does FC have a mobile site maybe?

 

[syngent]

I believe they do Jessy