#nib size

[bookmarksandbrushpens]

sorry if you've answered this before, but do you have fountain pen recommendations for fountain pen newbies? I've just started getting into journaling and would love a smoother writing pen that has a finer point. I prefer .3 or .5 writing pens, since my handwriting is fairly small, but they're so hard to come by; I have only found .3 in art pens! I absolutely love your posts and seeing all the different colored inks you use, btw! thank you in advance~

Hi! And yes I do! I would recommend:

Pilot Metropolitan in Fine (you can buy this one at Staples)

Pilot Penmanship in Extra Fine

TWSBI Eco in Extra Fine

Platinum Balance in Fine 

These pens are in the .3 to .5 nib range and are generally easy to use. The Metropolitan and Eco are often recommended to fountain pen beginners and are probably the easiest to come by. I also have small handwriting and I’ve used all of these pens and think they work fairly well for my handwriting. Hope this helps and as always feel free to message me if you have more questions!

[bookmarksandbrushpens]

Hi! I'm really tossing up between the Falcon SEF or SF for daily journal writing. I love a finer nib but apparently the SEF is sharp and feedbacky? I have a Lamy Safari EF currently and I've heard that a Japanese F is the same as a Western EF so I'm hesitant to spend >$200 on a same width pen with line variation you feel? Do you wish you had gotten the SF or are you happy with your purchase? Thanks!

Hi! I’m very happy with my SEF. As a rule I always go for the finest nib available because my handwriting is just so small. I think the nib is rather smooth actually, but my tolerance for scratchy is very high because I’ve always used fine and extra fine nibs. I actually think the Pilot SF will still be a bit thinner than the Lamy EF but the distinction will definitely be clearer if you go with the SEF. Message me if you want to know more!

[bookmarksandbrushpens]

Hey! Just curious how the Lamy Safari EF would compare to the TWSBI Eco EF nib?

From my personal experience, I would say that the Lamy EF is a tad bit wider than the TWSBI EF, which is fairly typical of European vs Asian made nibs. Overall I have had better long form writing experiences with the TWSBI Eco EF, I’ve found it to be smoother, thinner, and better with colored inks. The Lamy EF and I didn’t get along at first, but recently it has grown on me. It’s too wide for me to really use for journaling in my Leuchtturm, but its line is thinner on Traveler’s Company notebook paper so I can use it in my bullet journal. I actually use my Lamy Safari frequently when I’m serving because I use a Traveler’s Company grid notebook to take orders and I feel like the Sarafi is durable enough to use. What kind of fountain pen geek would I be if I didn’t use one at work?