3
Choosing the Right Nib, Part Two
A Look At Fine and Flexible Nibs
By Bob Hurford
For anyone who writes copperplate, engrossers script, or ornamental script, the category of
fine and flexible nibs will be of most interest. Knowing the types of nibs available, past
and present, will help IAMPETH members make a better buying decision for that day
when a nib comes on the market.
Establishing criteria for individual nibs is a highly subjective matter. It
boils down to ones personal writing style and the type of penpoint that
works best. Simply put, what pressure is required with the nib in the
holder to make a line of desired thickness? For writers with a light touch,
a nib with good flexibility is needed. Those with a heavy hand would
prefer a stiffer pen to achieve similar lines. The reader has to decide
where he or she falls.
The type of script one writes is also of paramount importance.
Those who prefer ornamental script (artistic writing) generally want a nib
that is fine and quite flexible for a good belly on the capital stem with
thick, dramatic flourishes. Copperplate writers might seek a less flexible
point that provides a good, even shade. Engrossers scripters, who literally
draw their letters, tend toward fine and very flexible nibs depending on
the size of their letters and desired thickness of the shades. Anyone who
engages in business penmanship will probably find pens discussed here
unsuitable for their work. They are too flexible and will likely shade a
letter on the downstroke whether the writer wants it or not.
Gillotts Big Four: left to right, #1 Principality, 604EF, 303, 170. These
pens provide a good benchmark through which we can evaluate other nibs
manufactured past and present.
Understanding your writing style and heaviness of hand is key to find-
ing the best nib for the job.
Granted, the most desired vintage nibs are difficult, if not impossible,
to find and very expensive when they do turn up. Unless one gets lucky in
antique stores or at a flea market (I have been very lucky in both.), the
main source of good nibs will be in a private sale or in some place like the
Ebay auction site on the Internet.
There are some good nibs made today to suit any script writer. Nibs
still manufactured are identified in bold type. Of the thousands of
nib makes and models marketed since the 1830s, the fine and flexible
nibs discussed below represent the smallest sector in the pen universe.
There werent that many made because the market for flexible nibs was
not large. Pen and ink artists used some, but the majority went to what
Joseph Gillott called American writing with its fine lines, bold shades
and often bolder flourishes. Spencerian style writing and ornamental
penmanship were not popular in England or any other part of Europe in
the 19th and 20th centuries. However, Gillott recognized the vast un-
tapped market on the other side of the Atlantic and manufactured nibs
for the American writing style. His four most popular fine and flexible
pens, the #1 Principality, #604EF (Extra Fine), #303, and #170, pro-
vide a fine benchmark for us to evaluate other pens here. A more de-
tailed explanation follows.
Everything mentioned in this article is the personal opinion of the
author and readers are encouraged to agree or disagree. E-mail and snail
mail information is on page two. I have reviewed every nib I could find.
However, if someone feels that a nib has been omitted, please dont keep
that a secret. There were many makes and models and it is easy to over-
look some, especially those that have not been made in a century or more.
Please send a sample for evaluation. Some readers may also feel that a
particular nib has been misplaced in a category. Be mindful that nibs
loosen up as they are used. Some that do not feel flexible at first become
very flexible with use.
You may also notice some inconsistencies among nibs of the same
make and model. Sometimes within nibs in the same box. Some may feel
softer, more flexible than others to the point where you might think that
the nib no longer belongs in the category it was assigned. You would be
correct. Penmakers were very attentive to quality control issues, but the
technology available during the age of the steel pen made tolerances for
precision work very challenging. Steel pen manufacturing required very
precise rolling of the metal, cutting, slitting and stamping during the
4
many steps toward the nib released to the public. For instance, the slight- An ad for the Zanerian
est difference in the thickness of the steel could make a huge difference in Fine Writer from the
the flexibility of the final product. 1928 Zaner-Bloser cata-
logue. The Fine Writer
I have begun the survey with the finest and most flexible nibs as they
was a Principality clone,
are of most interest to the vast majority of IAMPETH members. It was made by Gillott. The
the many conversations with members at the IAMPETH Convention in $1.75 price for a gross
Chicago last summer that sparked this series. The complaint was that represented the better
there was practically no information about nibs available. part of a days wages for
To my knowledge, the only review of useful nibs to be found anywhere the average worker in
will be in the IAMPETH Newsletter so only IAMPETH members will 1928.
have it. Hopefully, such a database will provide members with enough
information to make informed purchases as nibs, especially vintage
points, are expensive. Updates will occur whenever another nib becomes
known.
As this article will concern only fine and flexible nibs, the next issue
will look at pens that are less flexible, but still useful for some work. As flexible as the Principality was, it was not the most flexible
Following that will be a survey of nibs for business penmanship, though nib. That would be the post World War I Hunt 99, a very de-
we may only scratch the surface there. The main business of nib manu- manding pen not likely suitable for beginners. The super light
facturers was regular writing and there were thousands of different pens touch required to make this pen work takes much practice. The
made specifically for that purpose. We will survey the most popular and earliest 99s were very similar to the Gillott 170 (next page),
the most available now. sharper and stiffer than the later model. Look for the small No.
99 stamped on the nib as opposed to the later, large 99 (no No.).
Evaluating the Nibs I find the Principality class of nibs to be less than terrific for
As mentioned earlier, four Gillott nibs, the #1 Principality, copperplate.
#604EF, #303, and #170 will be the benchmark for evaluating Copperplate
flexibility. Though each will produce a fine hairline, their flex is script demands a
not the same. The Principality is most flexible by far with the longer, somewhat
604EF next followed by the 303. The 170 is very flexible, but thinner shade
finer and smaller than the others. It produces an ultra thin hair- (thick stroke)
line and is great for small lettering. than that found
in ornamental
The Gillott p e n m a n s h i p . I have found that the Principality class of nibs is more
That shade must adept at making strokes like the capital stem at left
No. 1 Princi- with its quick, but thick shade more so than the cop-
also be consis- perplate d to the right. Because of their super flexi-
pality tent in width. bility, Principality-type nibs arent easy to control with
This ultra fine, This is not an long, straight shades found in copperplate, but rarely,
ultra flexible nib easy task with if ever, in spencerian-type ornamental script. See text
was the favorite ultra flexible nibs for further explanation.
of Louis Mada- as the slightest
rasz and Francis waver in the hand and/or arm will be apparent in the thick
Courtney, to stroke. Principality-type nibs were made for the shades in orna-
name only two mental writing that are normally curved in a more forceful swing
past masters of of the pen. Nibs such as the Gillott 303 and Hunt 22 dont re-
ornamental pen-
The Principality class of nibs. Left to right: Gillott manship. With
#1 Principality, Tamblyn #7, Hunt 101 Imperial,
the Principality,
Hunt 99 Drawing.
a bold shade
could be ren-
dered with the mere flick of the wrist. So popular was the Princi-
pality that it spawned at least two clones, also made by Gillott.
They were the Zanerian Fine Writer and the Tamblyn #7.
An ad for the Spencerian Artitstic, also from the 1928 Zaner-Bloser
The Principality also spawned imitators. The Hunt 101, still
catalogue. Spencerian pens were made by Perry & Company,
made today, even copied the sword-hilt eye as did the Spencer- Birmingham, England
ian Pen Companys #14 Artistic, made by Perry & Sons of Bir-
mingham, England, and marketed in America. I hesitate a bit on spond well to the pressure required to make a really thick shade.
this last pen as I have never seen one. I rely on the 1928 Zaner- Ive destroyed more than one of each in the attempt.
Bloser catalogue which calls the #14 a pen much like the Zan-
erian Fine Writer and Gillotts Principality No. 1.

The Gillott 604EF Class of Nibs. From left to right: Gillott 604EF, Musselman Perfection, Drake Colleges of
New York and New Jersey, Esterbrook A1 Professional, Esterbrook 128, Esterbrook 358, Mark Ferth Pens #3,
Spencerian #1, Spencerian #5, Sprotts #1, Hunt 56 School Pen, Hunt 20 Century Pen.
Gillott 604EF (Extra Fine)
The 604EF, not quite as fine nor as flexible as the Principality, is
a superlative pen. It too, was quite popular on this side of the
Atlantic and spawned a few clones,
as well. Most notable were the Mus-
selman Perfection and the Drake
Colleges of New York and New Jer-
sey (no number), all made by Gillott.
Another pen of similar age and
design was the Spencerian #1, an
excellent pen probably more in sup-
ply today than the 604EF. However,
recent Ebay auctions have seen one-
gross boxes of the #1 go for over
$300. Ouch. The Spencerian line
was made by Perry & Sons, who also
made the Spencerian #5. This is
slightly less flexible than the #1, but
a great writing instrument. Similar
to the Spencerian #1 is the Sprott
#1.
In my estimation, one of the fin-
Old Hunt No. 99 (left) and
later, ca. 1930, Hunt 99. est pens in this class was the Hunt 20
The later nib has the large 99 Century Pen, the best nib Hunt ever
whereas the earlier pen has the made. Its flex and snap rivals the
smaller No. 99. The earlier Gillott 604in every way. The present
pen is less flexible, but sharper, day Hunt 56 is another fine pen to
probably in the Gillott 303 look for.
class. Later 99s are super flexi- Another pen of exceptional qual-
ble and belong with the Princi- ity was the Esterbrook A1 Profes-
pality-type pens. sional. For me, this was the late Es-
terbrook Pen Companys finest effort
and that is saying something about a firm that made outstanding
pens of all shapes and sizes. It also rivals the 604EF though may
be slightly less flexible. Other excellent Esterbrook pens in this
class are the #358 Art & Drafting Pen and the #128 Extra Fine
Elastic. These latter two appear to be far more available than the
A1, but still in the $1.75-$2.00 per nib class.
One more pen to look out for in the 604 class is the Mark
5
Ferth Chilled Steel #3. I dont know
much about Mark Ferth Pens, as the
company was called, but this pen is a
dead ringer for the Esterbrook 128.
Gillott 303
The Gillott 303 (modern 303s are
blue) is a pen that will produce a finer
hairline than the 604EF, but the tines
are not designed to spread as wide. As
noted in the last IAMPETH Newletter,
the 303 underwent some transforma-
tions after World War I that put the
nib closer to the Gillott 604EF (though
not as durable for thick ornamental
penmanship shades) than to the pre-
sent day pen which is closer to the 19th
century design, so be careful in any pur-
chase you make.
Many fans of copperplate script find these pens ideal. Head of
the class for most is the venerable Esterbrook 357, another in
their Art & Drafting series. Nearly every copperplate scripsit I
know covets this nib above all others. It has a superb fine point
with excellent snap (Snap: the point quickly returns to shape af-
ter spreading.) and a great overall feel. The 357 is one of many
reasons to mourn the passing of the Esterbrook Pen Company.
One more excellent nib is the George Hughes 964, a rival to
the 357 and 358 in every way. Hughes, once a Birmingham, Eng-
land, company, merged into British Pens, Ltd., in 1961 along
with Gillott, William Mitchell, Perry, and a few others. Only the
Mitchell and Gillott names survive.
The Hunt 22 is another fine pen in this group. At this writ-
ing, a slew of vintage 22s (ca. 1930) have come onto the market at
fairly reasonable prices.
The Gillott 303 class of nibs. Left to right: Gillott 303, Gillott 404, Ester-
brook 357, George Hughes 964, Hunt 22, Mark Ferth #4
Gillott has another nib in the 303 class, the 404. The latter is
not as fine, but a good nib for copperplate. Like the 303, the
modern 404 is blue.
Another nib to consider is the Eagle Pencil Company #E370
6
College Pen. It is somewhat stiffer than the 303, but its extra Crow Quills
fine point is an asset in small, delicate script. As with all pens, it This is an interesting class of pens. The tubular
will soften with use. crow quills can perform most, if not all, the
One last nib is the Mark Ferth #4, a pen similar to the Eagle functions of a mapping pen. However, they
E370. hold more ink and have a nice point that allows
for good albeit tiny script in their traditional
Gillott 170 straight holder. To add to my interest in crow
Ultra fine, very flexible, and smaller than the Principality, 604EF quills, last year Paper and Ink Arts introduced
or 303, the 170 and others in this class are excellent for small its own Paper & Ink Arts Adjustable Oblique
copperplate and engrossers scripts. All require a delicate touch Holder based on the Bullock design. Both the
and are effective, but arent quite up to the challenge of the bold PIA and Bullock holders can handle virtually
shades of ornamental penmanship. It will break. Modern Gillott any size nib including the crow quill. Hereto-
170s are blue. fore, the only holders available for the crow
This is a small group, but quill (aside from custom holders) was a straight
another superb pen is the penholder, but with the Paper & Ink Arts
Esterbrook 356, part of the holder, the tiny crow quill was in a position to
companys Art & Drafting write as other nibs in an oblique angle and thus
Series. I recently wrote over needed a fresh look as a script writer.
100 small table place cards Crow quills had a
with the 356 in ornamental variety of uses and,
script and it was terrific. I ironically, writing was
was careful not to tax the pen way down on the use
with ultra-thick shades. scale. They were used Gillott 659 crow
The final nib in this for drawing, fine re- quill in a Miller
group is the modern Brause touching, etching on Brothers straight
66EF. This is what used to limestone printing holder (left) and
The Gillott 170 class. Left to right: be called an arrow nib for plates (early litho- the same nib in the
The Gillott 170, Esterbrook 356, its unusual shape. Most ar- graphic printing PIA holder at right
Brause 66EF. row nibs were larger and plates, before photo- from Paper & Ink
much stiffer. The 66EF is a Above: The Gillott 659 crow lithography, were Arts.
wonderful nib, well made with great snap and an extra fine quill, left, fits into the rounded made from limestone
point. slot of the head of the PIA and very heavy). Architects and engi-
Oblique Penholder. Open neers found them very useful. It is not
and close the adjusting bolt. If unusual to find crow quills with the
Mapping Pens the nib is a little loose, a layer
Mapping pens are very, very small, smaller even than the Gillott names of technical firms such as Keuf-
of masking tape will secure it.
170 class. As their names imply, they were used in fine drawing, Below: A penholder designed fel & Esser stamped on them.
particularly cartography. They are mentioned here because by the late penman, I.W. They are very flexible with little
there are some who like to write with them. I am not one. (For Bullock, innovative years ago variation between brands and all have
any time I could use a mapping pen, Id prefer a crow quill. See as it held a crow quill as well extremely fine points. I have found
following.) Besides being very as a conventional nib. Photo them easier to use than mapping pens
courtesy of Dr. Joseph Vitolo. in every instance.
small, they are incredibly flexible
and dont hold much ink. When The major nib manufacturers all
I use them at all, I put them to made crow quills and they are all of
work in touch up or fine cross fine quality. The Hunt 108 and Gil-
hatching. Mapping pens can ren- lott 659 are still made today.
der an unbelievably fine hairline.
Excellent mapping pens were
the Esterbrook 354 and 355.
The 355 has a much stiffer ac-
tion. They are black in color and Mapping pens. Left to right:
are of typically good Esterbrook Hunt 100, Hunt 103, Ester-
quality. At this time, there seem brook 354, Esterbrook 355.
to be a lot of them available on Write with a crow quill? Why
the open market. Hunt also made good mapping pens, the #100 not? Crow Quill was written
and #103. Paper and Ink Arts (www.PaperInkArts.com, 800-736- by the author with a Keuffel &
7772) and John Neal (www.JohnNealBooks.com, 800-369-9598) Esser 3200. Dr. Martins Bleed-
have both in their catalogues. proof White on Canson Black.
The x-height of letters is 1/16.
 7
82EF counterpart, but just as flexible. A terrific pen.
Spencerian Pen Company No. 6 Flourishing Pen. A fantas-
tic pen, very flexible. It is similar to the Goode 82EF.
Spencerian Pen Company No. 9 Bank Pen. Very similar to
the No. 6, perhaps a little less flexible. The difference is negligi-
ble. This is a great pen.

Long and Lean

This is a category reserved for nibs 1 inches and longer. By con-
trast, the Principality and 303 are both 1 5/16 long and the
604EF 1 long. Not long ago, such a grouping would be unrea-
sonable because long nibs did not sit well in ordinary holders.
They forced the writers hand too far from the paper and could
not be centered on the axis of the pen staff. Such pens were very
awkward to use. The only hope was that a particular nib could be
forced through the flange and the back end trimmed with a
Beak nibs, so called for their long points that somewhat resemble the shape
of a birds beak. Left to right: Brandauer 342 Oriental Pen, Goode & Dremel-type tool if it interfered with the hand on the penholder.
Company 110EF, Goode & Company 82EF, Spencerian Pen Company In the last few years, there have been a number of thick-
#6 Flourishing Pen, Spencerian Pen Company #9 Bank Pen. All of these handled nib holders created for those with large hands. They
nibs were made by Perry & Company. also help to reduce fatigue while writing for long periods of time.
The short Carrot Oblique, Turn of the Century (a thick version
of the Century Oblique), and a thicker version of Mike Sulls
Beak Nibs holder have suddenly made long nibs very viable. They allow the
Beak nibs are characterized by long, stiletto-like extra fine points point of most nibs to be centered along the axis of the pen staff
that resemble the shape of a birds beak. They range from flexible and are a pleasure to write with.
to very flexible and are quite good for a range of scripts. Their The Esterbrook Pen Company made two very good long nibs
long tines and flexibility can create a super thick line that rivals worthy of consideration. The #135 Double Elastic is a medium
even the Principality. There werent many made and I am not point, flexible as the name implies and a superb nib. I have had
aware of any manufactured today. success sharpening long nibs by running a piece of crocus cloth
Five excellent beak nibs to look for: along each tine to narrow the point. It is a slow, painstaking
The Brandauer No. 342 Oriental Pen has probably the least process that is very rewarding as it turns a medium point into a
fine point in this group and is the most flexible. A well-made nib, fine point. The other Esterbrook long nib is the #14 Bank Pen.
but takes some work to master. This longalmost 1 penis of a uniform length so that the
Goode & Company No. 82EF, an extremely fine point and back end may be forced through the penholders flange to center
quite flexible. I like this pen and use it frequently. the point. It has a finer point than the 135, but it just as flexible.
Goode & Company No. 110EF may be a little finer than its A great pen.
The best known of this group is
probably the Spencerian #2 Counting
House Pen and it commands the most
money on Ebay. It is flexible with a me-
dium point that sharpens well and was a
mainstay of the Spencerian Pen Com-
panys considerable line of quality nibs.
There are two excellent modern
nibs still made today. Both are very fine
and quite flexible. They are similarly
spoonshaped with widely cut side slits
that increase flexibility. The Brause 361
is 1/8 longer (1 5/8 overall) and is
slightly less flexible than the Hiro 40,
made by Leonardt of England. Leo-
nardt is the last of the independent pen-
Long and lean pens. Left to right: Esterbrook #14 Bank Pen, Esterbrook 135 Double Elastic Pen, Spencerian Pen makers who did not merge into British
Company #2 Counting House Pen, Blanzy-Poure Conte Gilbert 2552 Cemente, Perry 27 Extra Fine Elastic Pen, Pens in the 1960s. Both are great pens.
Brause 27EF Elastic Pen, Leonardt #40 Hiro, Brause 361.
Ive saved my two favorites for last.
First is a French nib from Blanzy-Poure
 8
The 1-inch Perry 27 is too long
for the Zanerian Style holder at
left. The point sticks out beyond
the right side of the shaft making
it a very awkward combination
to write with. However, the
same nib fits comfortably in the
much larger Turn of the Century
penholder at right.
Conti Gilbert, the #2552
Cemente. It is a super
fine, super flexible pen
that can render the small-
est hairline with a shade to
challenge a Principality.
At 1 inches, it centers
easily in a large penholder.
This nib was made into at
least the 1950s and it
shows up on Ebay from
time to time.
My favorite of this
group and one of my favor-
ite nibs, period, is Perry &
Companys No. 27 Elastic
Pen. I found a box of
these on Ebay about three
years ago and a photo of
the nib with its long tines
and extra fine point
looked promising. As the
only bidder (long nibs tend
to scare bidders), I got a steal. With this nib it was love at first
write and I contacted the seller to inquire about more. He had a
Japan
Penmanship
Association
Anyone wishing to join the Japan Penmanship Association
should send a check for $15.00 made out to:
Irene Calendo
74 Anytrell Drive
Webster, NY 14580
Indicate on your check that it is for the Japan Penmanship Associa-
tion. Four newsletters per year are included with your membership.
considerable
supply and I
bought what I
could. The
Perry 27, which
dates at least to
the 1880s, has
an extra fine
point that I
sharpen to an
even finer point.
The long tines
make that an A close-up view of the large Perry 27 in the two holders
pictured on the left side of this page. The tip of the long
easy task. It is nib centers much easier over the axis of the pen shaft.
not quite as The right combination is a pleasure to write with. Any
flexible as the portion of the pen protruding from the back of the flange
B l a n z y - P o u r e should not affect a proper grip.
Cemente
above, but its close. It can still render an incredibly thick shade.
It may seem less than elastic at first, but loosens up considerably
with just a little use.
There is an imitation (Imitations of top selling nibs were
very common among penmakers.) of the Perry 27 by Brause,
which is coincidently called the #27EF Elastic Pen. It is identical
is nearly every way except for a slight difference in the eye. Brause
no longer makes their #27 and it may date from pre-World War
II. Brauses version of the #27 is an excellent pen.
I hope that this survey of fine and flexible nibs is helpful. As you can see,
there were quite a few different makes and models. The problem is, as
always, availability. The universe of useful vintage nibs is definitely fi-
nite and the challenge is to find a nib you like and obtain enough of them
to last. Hopefully, this survey will provide some knowledge to make an
informed buying decision. Please feel free to write and ask questions at
any time. Bob Hurford
Member News
Rich and Vivian Mungall have
moved. Their new address is:
12310 Wenonga Lane
Leawood, Kansas 66209