There's a new nib wizard in town — and he's in the UK. You've seen the Cross Concord and other pricey Sailors. You've seen the monsters from Regalia Writing Labs, continents away. Now meet Jose Munuera, who is building his skills with stacked nibs right here in the UK. Let me share my experiences with … Continue reading Stacked nibs come to the UK
nibs
How do you spot a ‘bad’ nib?
It occurs to me that I have written a lot recently about 'bad' nibs, and it may not be completely clear what I mean by that. Here's what I look for when I get a straightforward F or M or B nib — one with a round ball of tipping that's designed for general use. … Continue reading How do you spot a ‘bad’ nib?
Failure is the best test
There's an old truism in business that you only really earn your customers' loyalty when things go wrong. Customers (generally) accept that mistakes happen; if you step up and solve the problem, they can actually be happier with their overall experience than if no problem had happened in the first place. This week I really … Continue reading Failure is the best test
11 phenomenal stubs and italics for any budget
Stubs and italics are taking over my pen collection. Why? Well, I like line variation and, being a lefty, flex is not easy for me. But I have a light touch and a fairly consistent writing angle, so it's easy for me to skate even the sharpest italic across the page. You can make pretty … Continue reading 11 phenomenal stubs and italics for any budget
A public service announcement about Aurora italic and stub nibs
I recently bought an Aurora 88 with italic nib. It was not what I expected. This is because Aurora does not make it easy. Over the years it's offered different kinds of italic nibs, including different widths of italics. Try to find pictures on the internet and you often turn up ten-year-old threads on FPN. … Continue reading A public service announcement about Aurora italic and stub nibs
Nine factory nibs you have to try before you die
I'm in the lucky position of having owned, borrowed or reviewed something like 135 different fountain pens in the last few years. For me, when I use a pen the experience all comes down to the nib. And wow, what variety is out there! From hairline to paintbrush, nail to wet noodle, silky smooth to … Continue reading Nine factory nibs you have to try before you die
In praise of the crazy Pelikan Italic Broad
Fountain pens are tools, but they should also be fun. And there's nothing more fun than laying down a Sharpie-sized wet line with crisp line variation too. I was getting bored and frustrated with the EF nib in my Ocean Swirl. As beautiful as the pen is, I wasn't using it much. I plan to … Continue reading In praise of the crazy Pelikan Italic Broad
The frustrating pursuit of a functioning nib… is it too much to ask?
I buy a lot of pens. All kinds of brands. All kinds of price ranges. Steel and gold. Fine and broad. From many different pen shops. I assume that most of the time, the pen arrives ready to write. But sometimes the nib lets me down. And that "sometimes" is starting to feel like "too … Continue reading The frustrating pursuit of a functioning nib… is it too much to ask?
Four reasons to love broad nibs
A while back I wrote a post mentioning that I'd gravitated toward fine and even extra-fine nibs, and the many reasons to do so. But it seems I've... diversified my collection. My 15-pen collection now has a good mix of nibs ranging from UEF to BB, but if anything I have more broads than fines. … Continue reading Four reasons to love broad nibs
Six nibs to make you go “phwoar”
Nibs are what fountain pens are all about. As far as I'm concerned, you can have the flashiest celluloid in the world, but I want my eye to go straight to the nib: it's the jewel in the crown. The best nibs are not only wonderful performers, but gracefully designed and simply beautiful, too. So … Continue reading Six nibs to make you go “phwoar”
UK fountain pens 