n i j o m u

My little journey through the world of nibs and the tools that relate to them has come to an end (for the time being anyway). So one last post to show you what I’ve discovered. First I wrote about the nibs I usually use. Then I tried out the Esterbrook 356. Then I got the Brause 76 Rose nib and the Rubinato Silver. After getting the Rose, I saw that Brause also had smaller nibs (the Rose was bigger than what I like to draw with), so I ordered some.

But I also finally broke down and ordered from Pendemonium. I have been looking at this site for over a year at least. It has antique inkwells and pen holders. They used to have this huge glass inkwell that was mounted on a wrought iron stand that was shaped like a dragon. They still have these dual inkwells that are shaped like snail shells:

I went for something more modest, but very cool and very much in my style.

It’s an antique inkwell made from rosewood. The top screws off to reveal a glass inkwell, like the size of an eyedropper, mounted inside:

The whole thing is only two inches tall, but it fits nicely into my hand. That means I can hold it while I’m inking. Since it’s wood, it warms nicely in my palm. I can’t tell you how nice it is to draw with.

I also got some antique penholders.

The one on the bottom is really cool. You can barely make out the word “Czechoslovakia” embossed on the side. So I guess it was made in a country that no longer exists. But what’s really neat is the locking mechanism. There’s a lever on the underside that pulls out to release the nib (here a Rubinato Silver).

The nib slides into the collar, the lever gets pushed back until it lies flush with the body of the pen, and the nib is held tightly in place. The lever is attached to a metal bar in the body of the pen that presses the nib against the wood. This holder only works for larger nibs.

I also got an old Eagle pen holder (the first one in the picture above). The Eagle 1040 has a collar like one in a nib I inherited from my father (I call it the red pen holder). Basically, the nib rests between two curved pieces of metal. It’s a very snug design, and much better than the four metal tines that most contemporary pen holders use. Those tines bend quickly and soon don’t hold your nib very well. So I had been looking for a pen holder with the same mechanism as my red pen holder, especially since my red pen holder has seen better days.

Not only is the Eagle 1040 I got in better condition, the pieces of metal in the collar are longer and hold the nib better.

Nibs!
Okay. I also ordered a few nibs from Paper & Ink Arts. I received the Nikko G Pen (which many people swear by), the Brause 511, and the Brause 513.

Here’s a comparison. On the top left are a Brause 66ef and a Hunt 100. To the right of them is the Nikko G pen. Below the Hunt 100 are the Brause 511 and 513. I put a Gillott 303 and a Gillott 170 to the right of the Brause 513 to show the color similarity.

Nikko G Pen
This is a nice nib, but it’s wider and less flexible than what I prefer. It feels a lot like older nibs, like those made by Esterbrook. That’s a compliment, since those nibs are well-made and smooth. Still, I prefer a thinner and more variable line.

Brause 511 and 513
The Brause 513 is a very fine nib, and a bit scratchy. It doesn’t have as much variability as the 511. But if you’re looking for a very fine hairline, this is the nib. Though apparently Brause makes and even smaller nib, the 515. The 513 feels a lot like the Gillott nibs, especially the 303 and the 170. Maybe it’s because they are made from a similar metal.

The 511 is a really nice nib. It is strong and solid, capable of fine lines, and a good amount of variability. It has a hard feel to it, but with a bit of pressure you can get a fairly wide line for such a small nib. The firmness of the nib attests to its longevity. The 511 feels a lot like the Rose nib (the 76), but the line is much finer. The 511 seems like a very reliable nib. I need to use it some more, but I think it’ll be one of my favorites.

Hunt 100
So this brings me back to the Hunt 100. This has been my favorite nib for awhile, but it’s been a great source of frustration in my life. The nib is extremely responsive and flexible. Just the lightest pressure makes the line swell. This incredible, brush-like responsiveness makes for a smooth and expressive drawing experience, but it also has some major downsides. One, it’s difficult to get a consistent line width. Since a very small amount of pressure affects the line width, it’s hard to keep each line consistent. The second, and more major, problem, is that in order to be so responsive, the tines of the nib are very flexible, which means they get bent easily. It doesn’t take long before the tines get misaligned and the ink starts having trouble flowing freely (see picture of the red pen holder above, a Hunt 100 is mounted in it and you can see that the tines are already separating). It’s these two problems that have sent me on my little nib adventure which I’ve been chronicling here.

Conclusion
There’s no nib like the Hunt 100 for smoothness and responsiveness. Yet, the Brause 511 has a similar amount of flexibility, though requires more pressure. The Brause nibs are the best made of the contemporary nibs. They feel solid when you draw with them. The lines they give are of consistent width and the ink flow is good. Except for the 513, they aren’t scratchy.

The Hunt 100 is a sportscar that has an incredible zero-to-sixty, but breaks down at 100,000 miles. The Brause 511 is a sedan that can reach similar speeds in time, but lasts you a lifetime.

I can’t believe I just used a car analogy. At least it wasn’t to talk about sex…

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