Is a Solid Gold Pen Nib Worth the Extra Cost or are or Modern Alloy Nibs Just as Good? For most people, including myself, the goal is an amazing writing experience rather than simply having a beautiful pen. I’m always excited about writing a new article for our blog because it gives me the opportunity to clarify misconceptions and address common issues that fountain pen users often confront when choosing the right pen. This article …
This special vintage pen is a 1930 Waterman #7 “Yellow Banded” lever-filler in Red Ripple with the “Yellow ” cap band and corresponding nib. The Yellow nib is described as: medium “rounded, writes smoothly in any direction, suits southpaws” and right-handed writers as well. Waterman used a color-coding system so buyers could select their style of nib by ‘color’ – identifiable by the color-coded band on the cap and the label on the nib. It …
This special vintage pen is a Sheaffer 1980 Targa #1003 cartridge/converter-fill in Black Matte, including the cap top (later versions had a gold-plated cap-top). The trim is gold-plated, and the pen features an inlaid 14K nib (medium). New-old-stock. A little wear to the finish where the cap is posted onto the barrel, otherwise near mint in box with papers and cartridges. Converter included. Item #196 in Catalog #83
The vintage pen here is the 1950 Centropen/Rippet Barclay 1304/809 in a #4 size Vac-fill, in 835 Coin Silver with alternating wave-chased and Barley panels. CP clip. This is a high-quality pen made in Czechoslovakia, with Czech. control marks on cap and barrel. Removing the blind cap reveals a hollow clear acrylic plunger which is pressed several times to fill the pen. The hollow plunger also actually fills with ink, allowing the user to monitor …
What does 750 on my nib mean? Last week, we answered this question with regards to 585 on a nib, so this makes sense to follow with! This is the gold content of your nib – it is 75.0 % gold, which translates to 18 karat gold. An 18 karat gold nib is not “pure” gold, which would be 24 karats, and too soft for a nib.
What does 585 on my nib mean? This is the gold content of your nib – it is 58.5 % gold, which translates to 14 karat gold. The 14 karat gold is not “pure” gold, which would be 24 karats, and too soft for a nib.
Can italic nibs be flexible? I like the variation but I also like flex nibs. Yes they can be, and you can find several examples in our Catalogs. Catalog #79 has a stunning Parker Red Giant in Cardinal Hard Rubber, with a broad flexible italic nib!
I saw one of your previous On Point questions where someone asked about a semi flex nib. What’s the difference between a semi flex and a rigid nib? A stiff nib is a nib that doesn’t feel soft – when you write with it, it doesn’t yield with any pressure. It remains rigid against paper as you write. Semi flex or any flexible nib has a varying degree of softness, and the tines will spread …
Oblique, stub, round… broad nibs are not always just giant nibs that can’t be written with! I suppose that depends on your handwriting, but oblique double broad nibs, or stubby double broads can be a lot of fun to write with and can make your handwriting look very interesting and fun. The amount of tipping that is often found on broader nibs often makes them very suitable for nib modification, should you wish to have …
What is an oblique nib? An oblique nib has a tip that is cut or ground at a slight angle, and the pen must be rotated slightly to achieve proper contact on the page. If you’re unfamiliar with this, it can look and feel funny, and it may take some practice to get the hang of it and become comfortable with using your oblique nib.
