My pen envy grows, Scott! I largely fall on the fine to extra fine spectrum though I do find that if the nib isn’t generous enough with flow, they can be too scratchy. I have a couple medium nibs, one of my gold plated nib Pelikans, which is a buttery river as you describe but have never had the guts to go with a broad nib. But you’ve given me some research ideas. And a reminder that I am overdue for some basic maintenance on my fleet.
Pia! Pelikan’s nibs run on the wide side, and yes, they are wet and wonderful writers! My dream is a Pelikan M1000 with a stub nib. I do hope you will set aside your fear of broad nibs try a 1.1 stub. TWSBI makes very good ones on most of their models, including the affordable Eco. It will make your writing look like a Jane Austen manuscript. I guarantee you’ll love it, and if you don’t, I’ll eat my fedora.
It’s painless. Most TWSBI pens are under $100 and are almost all piston or vacuum fillers. Clean, beautiful demonstrator barrels. Though I don’t own one, the Eco is around $40. I have the Vac 700R and two Diamond 580 ALRs and all are wonderful writers. Let me know if you get one!
Ordered a diamond 580 stub AND and an eco broad (plus a F nib for the diamond just in case) and some fresh inks. You’re a bad influence 😂😂😂 I’ll let you know how it goes.
That’s thrilling! Obviously, you’ll get the best use out of the stub with cursive. TWSBI is the best pen of its kind at its price point. Please do let me know how it goes!
Great post, Scott. Happy you are so enjoying the Nemosine stub and Inky Pen ink and the like.
It's fun to enjoy the variety of nib grinds. Stubs are my favorite, but the Architect or Scribe are also favorites. Otherwise I usually go for an EF or F or even sometimes the UEF. :)
It was great to see you and the KONA WINDS mss at our Honolulu Fountain Pen Club meeting on Saturday. We were lucky that we all beat the bad weather. It's fun to learn together as a hui.
If you want to write really broad, Shak MD often has some nibs that are stacked nibs (https://shak-md.com/collections/all) Of course you can get cheaper ones too at AliExpress. It is like using a sharpie :)
Oh my god, the Shak MD offerings made me drool! A Quadruple broad and the #6 Jowo Predator?! This is another rabbit hole.
Thanks for the wonderful time at the HFPC on Saturday! It was great meeting everyone there who speak the same language. I may be getting my very first Parker 51 with Walter’s help!
PS I thought you might enjoy Shak MD's works. He's a real MD who enjoys flexing nibs after a rough day operating. Fun to watch on IG and YT. I think he was practicing Urdu or Farsi calligraphy one day too. Many talents.
Walter is a good person to guide you down the 51 rabbit hole. I have one from my grandfather. It's a great writer if you don't need to flex.
If you want an affordable EDC. I'm a fan of the Wing Sun 601 "flighter" (with all steel). It can take a lot. Unlike many pens from the PRC, it has some legitimacy, as Parker tried to establish a factory there and seems to have given permission to make Parkers since they had tried to make a factory there during the Nixon-Mao rapprochement. Check out this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xb6Dp4ESlxo).
In any case, we were happy to have you at the Honolulu Fountain Pen Club.
There's something very romantic (to me) about your first novel draft having been inked by your wife's thoughtful gift. What an interesting, and hopefully rewarding, quest: "I am seeking to have my disappointingly over-polished Montblanc Meisterstück 149’s 14kt nib ground to a cursive italic by a good nib meister."
Yes, that pen is my favorite and still one of my best writers. It’s seen duty on every novel since, though with more of a break since I’ve expanded my pen collection. I have met with others here in Honolulu just this past weekend who can recommend a good nib meister. Unfortunately, none are here on island, so I’ll have to send my pen via post or courier and cross my fingers.
My pen envy grows, Scott! I largely fall on the fine to extra fine spectrum though I do find that if the nib isn’t generous enough with flow, they can be too scratchy. I have a couple medium nibs, one of my gold plated nib Pelikans, which is a buttery river as you describe but have never had the guts to go with a broad nib. But you’ve given me some research ideas. And a reminder that I am overdue for some basic maintenance on my fleet.
Pia! Pelikan’s nibs run on the wide side, and yes, they are wet and wonderful writers! My dream is a Pelikan M1000 with a stub nib. I do hope you will set aside your fear of broad nibs try a 1.1 stub. TWSBI makes very good ones on most of their models, including the affordable Eco. It will make your writing look like a Jane Austen manuscript. I guarantee you’ll love it, and if you don’t, I’ll eat my fedora.
😂 Scott, I’ve been TWSBI curious for some time. I may finally take the plunge.
It’s painless. Most TWSBI pens are under $100 and are almost all piston or vacuum fillers. Clean, beautiful demonstrator barrels. Though I don’t own one, the Eco is around $40. I have the Vac 700R and two Diamond 580 ALRs and all are wonderful writers. Let me know if you get one!
Ordered a diamond 580 stub AND and an eco broad (plus a F nib for the diamond just in case) and some fresh inks. You’re a bad influence 😂😂😂 I’ll let you know how it goes.
That’s thrilling! Obviously, you’ll get the best use out of the stub with cursive. TWSBI is the best pen of its kind at its price point. Please do let me know how it goes!
Great post, Scott. Happy you are so enjoying the Nemosine stub and Inky Pen ink and the like.
It's fun to enjoy the variety of nib grinds. Stubs are my favorite, but the Architect or Scribe are also favorites. Otherwise I usually go for an EF or F or even sometimes the UEF. :)
It was great to see you and the KONA WINDS mss at our Honolulu Fountain Pen Club meeting on Saturday. We were lucky that we all beat the bad weather. It's fun to learn together as a hui.
If you want to write really broad, Shak MD often has some nibs that are stacked nibs (https://shak-md.com/collections/all) Of course you can get cheaper ones too at AliExpress. It is like using a sharpie :)
Oh my god, the Shak MD offerings made me drool! A Quadruple broad and the #6 Jowo Predator?! This is another rabbit hole.
Thanks for the wonderful time at the HFPC on Saturday! It was great meeting everyone there who speak the same language. I may be getting my very first Parker 51 with Walter’s help!
PS I thought you might enjoy Shak MD's works. He's a real MD who enjoys flexing nibs after a rough day operating. Fun to watch on IG and YT. I think he was practicing Urdu or Farsi calligraphy one day too. Many talents.
Walter is a good person to guide you down the 51 rabbit hole. I have one from my grandfather. It's a great writer if you don't need to flex.
If you want an affordable EDC. I'm a fan of the Wing Sun 601 "flighter" (with all steel). It can take a lot. Unlike many pens from the PRC, it has some legitimacy, as Parker tried to establish a factory there and seems to have given permission to make Parkers since they had tried to make a factory there during the Nixon-Mao rapprochement. Check out this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xb6Dp4ESlxo).
In any case, we were happy to have you at the Honolulu Fountain Pen Club.
Walter just sent me an email full of Parker 51 resources! Very exciting. I’m probably going to cave in eventually and order a bib from Shak MD!
Enjoy the 51. It's a classic, but so many were made that it is not so expensive... and many will last a long time.
Walter is a good guy too. I've learned much from him, including about Nemosine/Birmingham.
There's something very romantic (to me) about your first novel draft having been inked by your wife's thoughtful gift. What an interesting, and hopefully rewarding, quest: "I am seeking to have my disappointingly over-polished Montblanc Meisterstück 149’s 14kt nib ground to a cursive italic by a good nib meister."
Yes, that pen is my favorite and still one of my best writers. It’s seen duty on every novel since, though with more of a break since I’ve expanded my pen collection. I have met with others here in Honolulu just this past weekend who can recommend a good nib meister. Unfortunately, none are here on island, so I’ll have to send my pen via post or courier and cross my fingers.