Playing with Four Italic Nib Grinds
Four nibs, four inks
I got my first nib grind in 2020. I had ordered it as a gift for myself, an architect from FPNibs.com. It made it into the US before mail was getting stopped at the border. It was a lot of fun back then as it made my print look completely different than the round nibs that I had been using since I started in the hobby. My one stub was a 1.1 nib that I’d gotten on my Kaweco Brass Sport in 2017. As my handwriting changed and I began writing in cursive more and more, I quickly discovered that stub and soft italic nibs gave me more of the experience I was looking for in a custom nib. The stub grinds work great for print and cursive. And medium size is my sweet spot for these nibs. I do have two BB nibs that have been ground to stub-style nibs, but they aren’t everyday carries for me.
So, without further ado, here are my four favorite stub grinds.
No. 1 - The Selvedge by JC at Nib Tailor on a 14K M rhodium plated Kaweco nib - currently installed on my Kaweco Liliput in copper
JC describes the Selvedge like this:
Selvedge are intended for individuals who want the smoothness of a stub at an even more forgiving variable writing angle. The stub-like line variation is consistent regardless of how you hold your pen so there is not a break point where the pen pivots off the contact patch if you have a very expressive writing style. This is also good for people that change their grip throughout the day or vary by task (such as the steep angle caused by taking quick notes while standing against a desk).
I got to sit across from JC as he worked on my nib. This nib started off as a second hand eBay nib and it is the stiffest gold nib that I own. It was really dry and not terribly exciting. I was torn at first whether I wanted a standard stub, but ultimately decided to take a chance on this nib. And I’m glad that I did. This nib can move flawlessly from my liliput pens to my Sports, which is great for when I’m being a nib swapper. It gives great line variation whether writing high or low, or shifting around. JC was even able to tweak the left side so it doesn’t catch on the paper when I have a tendency to rotate my pen to the left.
Ink: Diamine Jacaranda
No. 2 - The Journaler by Gena at Custom Nib Studio on a 14K M bicolor Kaweco nib - pretty much permanently installed on my Kaweco Liliput in Fireblue
Gena describes the Journaler this way:
The Journaler is a grind I developed for Esterbrook inspired by one of their vintage nibs. A medium nib is ground to a smooth, stubby italic. The idea is that the grind will add a little flair to your writing while being friendly enough for daily use.
While it was originally designed for medium nibs, you can get it on a larger nib by request. At the Chicago Pen Show last year, Gena modified a stubborn BB nib I had into a journaler.
This is another take on a forgiving stub that gives your writing a sort of vintage flare with the line variation. It’s not finicky about angle and is probably one of my favorite grinds. Once upon a time this nib suffered an unfortunate accident. Essentially, I was trying to help a customer at work and the pen rolled off the desk. Luckily, the bending wasn’t bad, but the nib didn’t write the same. As it was my first gold nib, I was pretty bummed out. I decided to send it out to someone and get some work done to make it write well again. The journaler grind intrigued me so off it went. When it came back, the nib was better than ever.
Ink: Colorverse SM1
This is a constant daily driver for me, it suits my handwriting incredibly well. If you like stubs but haven’t tried this yet, it’s definitely worth a shot.
No. 3 - Stub by Dan at the Nib Smith on M Kaweco nib - currently installed in my Kaweco Art Sport Terrazzo
A stub nib is pretty straight forward, it makes horizontal lines thinner and vertical lines thicker. This nib was purchased directly from the Nib Smith and was my second custom nib. I had gotten a Kaweco calligraphy set second and I was enjoying the nibs, but they were too wide. I figured a smaller nib would work much better for everyday writing.
It took a bit for this nib to grow on me, but when it did, it became a favorite. If the journaler is my favorite 14K gold nib, this is now my favorite steel nib.
While the line shape is less dramatic than the previous two nibs (and the last nib on this list), it has a smooth distinction and gives my writing some flare. I like the medium size since it’s perfect for using on all occasions.
Ink: Ferris Wheel Press Wonderland in Coral
No. 4 - Cursive Smooth Italic by Mark Bacas from Nib Grinder on M black-plated steel Kaweco nib - currently housed in Kaweco Sport Iridescent Pearl
Of the four stub grinds that I own, this one is the least forgiving for grip and angle, but has the most dramatic edges of the bunch. Paired with the stiffness of the black-coated Kaweco nib, it is a more focused writing experience. Cursive italics differ from stubs due to that sharper edge, I stick with the smooth ones because the formal ones have even more distinct sweet spots.
I love using dark inks in this grind, it makes each letter very dramatic.
Each of these nibs offers a variation on the same theme, which leads to slightly different writing experiences with each. It was very simple to mail pens away to nib grinders or to buy directly from those that offer that service. It was also really great to meet JC and watch him work on my pen in person and work out some tweaks on it. Getting a grind is a great way to customize the writing experience and I would definitely recommend getting a nib grind if you want to freshen up a pen you love. I would highly recommend testing them if you can, or considering your handwriting preferences before getting one. Some grinds work better with different writing styles. For example, I don’t go for EF style grinds because I just don’t use nibs that narrow anymore. If you’re unsure, all of the nib grinders I’ve worked with have been very nice about answering questions that I had before getting my pens worked on.
Ink: Ferris Wheel Press The Sherry Sonata
Do you have any favorite nib grinds? Or if you haven’t used any, what kinds would you want to try?
Currently Inked
Ferris Wheel Press Aurorealis - Kaweco Sport Cognac B - This ink releases on Feb. 2nd. This is a very fun shimmer purple with pink/copper shimmer. It’s a cool-toned purple underneath which makes it distinct from last year’s Poison Envy ink (which also has green sheen and purple shimmer) and from Diamine Raise a Glass which was in the 2023 Inkvent calendar (more of a grape purple with blue shimmer). It’s very pretty and I’m sure I’ll be using it again, I wrote out two Kaweco mini-converters full to test it out.
Ferris Wheel Press The Sherry Sonata - Kaweco Iridescent Pearl M CSI - Also releases on Feb. 2nd. I appreciate the non-shimmers that Ferris Wheel Press is still adding to their lineup. Following up last month’s Harlequin Dream (which I really like), is this wine colored ink. It’s a pink-leaning magenta adjacent ink. It’s very well-behaved and flows really well in this nib (which is usually super dry).
Ferris Wheel Press Knitted Nettle - Kaweco Sport Mellow Blue B ‘premium’ - Another Feb. 2nd release. This is the second entry in the Wild Swans collection based off of the old folk tale about the girl who had to save her brothers that were turned into swans. This might be my favorite green that FWP has produced. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not the biggest green ink person, but this one leans teal enough that I just really enjoy it. The pink shimmer contrasts beautifully with the base color. Very cool.
Pennonia x Amarillo Stationery Azul Frida - Kaweco Sport Burgundy M - Such a solid blue. It’s been driving a lot of writing at work this week as I get ready to transition to a different position.
Diamine Jacaranda - Kaweco Liliput Copper 14K M ‘selvedge’ - This ink didn’t get much play last week, so I remedied that this week and it’s such a delicate combo in this nib. Really enjoying it.
Colorverse Kuiper Belt - Kaweco Liliput Fireblue 14K M ‘journaler’ - After playing with Colorverse SM1 last week I decided to give a different Colorverse ink a try (is anyone else excited for the new season coming out?) and I decided to give the New Horizons set another try. I chose Kuiper Belt because I wanted something serious and dark. This ink is kind of funky, but in a good way. It’s a very dark blue-black, so dark that it looks black on some papers. However, on Tomoe River paper or Cosmo Air Light it shows off a shading property where it is easier to see the blue and it takes on just a hint of black sheen.
Colorverse Butterfly Nebula - Kaweco Art Sport Terrazzo M stub - This is the first time I’ve used this ink… and I don’t know what took me so long! This ink is super weird in the best way. In the bottle it looks almost neon green until you mix it up with the shimmer and it comes out of the pen as a pastel blue with pink shimmer. Just wild. I’m thinking this is a good candidate for a header color for February.
Taccia Black Jeans - Kaweco Art Sport Tiger’s Eye 14K B - This is a black that keeps me guessing. On some papers it shows some hints of very dark navy blue and offers a black sheen on some papers. I spent a lot more time with it this week and it’s a great black… still not sure if the sample will become a bottle though.
If you are interested in any of the pens or inks you see on my blog, you can help support my blog and get 10% off at Atlas Stationers (affiliate link) by using the code DIME10 at checkout! You can also utilize the code DIME at Ferris Wheel Press to get a free ink charger with qualified purchase. Thank you for reading!