One of the turning points in my fountain pen journey was realizing how important the nib is. Not simply nib material or style, but shape and size. And not only that, but specific shapes and sizes that improve my handwriting by just … existing.
My writing style is particular, but not totally unique. It’s a block-print style, which on the page translates to all-caps writing. There is no cursive, no joined up, no lower case. I truly embody the MF DOOM lifestyle.
When I discovered that there are nibs that make by handwriting better, it was open season on my wallet. What nibs, specifically? Stub nibs first, followed later by cursive italics.
The shape of those nibs is flat across the front, as opposed to more rounded nib tipping in a stock Medium nib, for example. So this is why my handwriting looked like a boss when I used chisel tip markers in the before times!
My block print looks best when the edges of the letters are sharp. Stub nibs got me there first, primarily due to their availability. I don’t recall my very first one, but it could have been a TWSBI, who offers them in 1.1 and 1.5 mm widths. The 1.1 mm is more my style, seeing as I write small to begin with. As I learned later, I could have other standard nibs modified by a nib grinder to even finer widths. I won’t tell you how narrow I’ve gone (pretty narrow!) but I will say I’m always excited to find loose stub nib options finer than the usual 1.1 mm.
That’s where the Nemosine 0.6 mm Stub comes into play. I was late to the game in picking one of these up to test, but I’m glad I’m here now. An 0.6 mm stub is nowhere near micro-sized in relation to regular sizes (again, 1.1 and 1.5 mm mostly,) but it is finer, which works even better for my handwriting.
This nib comes in the standard #6 size, and is made from steel. The nib is sold alone for $27, without a feed or housing, so you will want to have an existing pen to swap this into. Bock feeds are the natural fit, although I’ve had followers tell me they can make them work with Jowo feeds and housings with a bit of manipulation.
From Left to Right: 0.6 mm, 1.1 mm, 1.5 mm.
I went for the Bock swap out with my latest Tesori Venezia, and this nib has found its permanent home. It is wildly smooth, and provides good line variation. As much line variation as a wider stub nib? No. The finer the stub, the less line width variation you will have between your horizontal and vertical strokes. This 0.6 mm hits the sweet spot for the way I write. You may prefer wider.
You may prefer stub nibs in general if you have a mostly print-based handwriting style. Plenty of cursive writers use them, too, adding some wide and narrow line variation as they work down the page. It’s a beautiful visual either way.
That’s the stub nib benefit for me-it makes my handwriting look nice! I don’t have to write faster or slower to get the most from it. My normal pace with a normal ink on a normal page leads to better than normal results.
Thank you, stub nibs!
If you are looking try your own stub nib, these Nemosine 0.6 mm nibs are an option for a slightly more experienced user. They are simple to use, but you need the right kind of pen to fit it in to. For your first stub nib, TWSBI is one of the more widely-available options in a variety of pen models and price points. Some, like the SWIPE, are essentially the same price as the stand-alone Nemosine nib.
Testing and experimentation is the key to finding the proper nib fit for your handwriting style. Give a Stub nib a try the next time you want to change the look of your letters on the page.
(I bought this nib from Birmingham Pen Co. at regular retail price.)
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