On Music Nibs

[@Calcprof]

I have the Platinum, Sailor, Pilot, Taccia, and Franklin-Christoph music nibs. My favorite is the Platinum. My Sailor music nib has 2 tines.

[@pasttenseSara]

I have a 14kt Bock 250 Music Nib, rhodium plated on my Conid Minimialistica that I had custom engraved. I got it specifically for brief correspondence (notes) as I am a watchmaker and include these in my videos I shoot for customers. It's helpful thart these notes be large and easily readable as they sit next to the watches as I discuss the repairs. Honestly the pen looks impressive in addition to writing wonderfully, The pen was a terrific opportunity to try out a music nib ... what a treat, and fairly springy.

[@dennisdelgado7350]

I have a Platinum 3776 with a music nib. I love it, and your descriptions of it are so on-point! I don’t write music, but I got it just for the different writing experience and I have been impressed ever since! I’m a fan of the music nib!

[@mavleashutosh]

Music nib on Pilot Custom 912 is nice too

[@osirisgolad]

It's really curious to me that music nibs still exist across multiple brands, as they're sort of a relic of a bygone era(and that is saying something when it comes to fountain pens). I've always been told that music nibs are ground to write when the pen is held perpendicular to the paper to allow you to write on a sheet of staff paper sitting on a piano or music stand while you're composing, so you don't need to take the sheet off the stand and lay it on a flat surface every time you want to write some notes. I imagine not many people actually use music nibs for that purpose anymore these days, or even know that's their intended use. As you said, multiple slits probably helps distribute the ink more evenly across the broad tipping, and that may also stop the nib from catching on the paper when held upright(like when you write with a piece of chalk on a blackboard holding it perpendicular to the board and it sort of stutters along).

[@Symphing12]

I've been a composer for years and a fountain pen user for years. Why don't I have one of these yet? By the way, the little bulb is called a notehead and the other part is called the stem.

[@jacobus57]

I picked up a Sailor PG lg with a music nib.(3 tine), and when she saw the order my friend Lisa Anderson called me to say, "You ACTUALLY want a music nib on that thing?!" It was on sale and I knew I'd likely never get a color I liked as much (Storm Over the Ocean) again, so I figured why not? It's great for testing and quickly using up random ink, and is a very smooth fat stub. I like using it for free form writing as well because it's so expressive. And as you mentioned, it looks cooler than "just" a broad stub. Is it practical? Not really, but it's fun!

[@adrianhughes5831]

Stephen, thank you, as always. Excellent summary, and lots of helpful links for those encountering these nibs for the first time. I love music nibs, and I am not quite sure why (!) The only additional thought would be to remind folk that these nibs can come in different sizes, as well as a variation in the width of the line they produce. So Sailor have music nibs in their smaller and medium sized fountain pens (pro-Gear slim/ Pro Gear and 1911S/1911L) , and Pilot with a size 5 or a size 10 nib. Platinum and Franklin Christoph are one size only. The larger size gold nibs tend to be slightly softer than their smaller counterparts. Of all those mentioned above the Franklin Christoph is the only steel music nib. It really is a nail, but a very smooth to writing experience. Thanks again.

[@jkatkat7950]

huh..I have an Osmiroid music nib that will fit in my Esterbrooks, never tried it...might have to ink it up? only two tines

[@randy-9842]

I have a "semi"-flex Music Nib on a Noodler's Neponset and enjoy it a lot. It's a smooth and wet writer. The other pen choices seemed a bit expensive for a try-it experience, but I'll bet the Platinum 3776 and Sailor 1911 (L or S either one) would be great (I do own those pens too, but not with the Music nib). I don't write music, but I do like how the Neponset looks on the page. --- Thanks, Stephen!

[@oldladywithacamera]

Thanks. Good to know.

[@ichirofakename]

I have a Sailor 1911s with a music nib. My experience is that it is identical in performance to a stub nib.

[@amandak.4246]

the singing at the beginning was a nice surprise

[@MrAndrew1953]

I own two platinum pens with music nibs but I can’t read or write a nib to save myself. I still enjoy using them periodically though.

[@christopherkelly9153]

Richard made three nibs into full flex nibs for me… I hope they last till I die because I doubt I will find something better.

[@KarenKarn]

Very interesting. I am tempted to buy one, for the experience… but I probably won´t be able to justify it.

[@janwilson9485]

Cheap chinese pens have them as well if you just want to try one. The Jinhao dragon pen always used to have them as well as some of the others. They are OK unless you get a duff on3, this seems to happen less these days.

[@tommcnamara3303]

I understood everything you talked about and thought your description of the music nib compared to the "stub" and the "italic" was excellent. Good job! P.S. Seems it would be better to drink your hot chocolate more slowly, to avoid accidental choking!

[@tayterlik]

My idea - buy a Music nib in an unit which can be easily replaced in case you do not like it/need it. I do not write music and never will, but I have bought a Franklin-Christoph Music Nib (1,9 mm in JoWo housing) and I do enjoy testing inks with it. Line variation is insane - this a nib which you use for fun. One day I will buy Platinum Music nib/pen.

[@MrG0CE]

I THOUGHT THE DIFFERENCE WITH A STUB NIB WAS THE NUMBER OF SLITS :O

[@criscavi19]

This kind of explanation would be successful showing the nibs and having a close up with the camera.

[@nicolasjoly1755]

one image has the value of a hundred explanations 😀

[@mosesmartinez4364]

HEY ITS SENATOR PALPATINE

[@mmzeeman]

Cough... umm... That was the marshmallow... 😱

[@santoshpal6747]

Please add "lntroduction Music" in your KZbin videos. Love from lndia.😊😊

[@rhapsodythree]

It's kinda crazy someone would write music with a *pen*. Musical composition is subject to a lot of revision. I've composed for fun (and music class), and used pencil, going through erasers quite quickly... And these days, if you are sure about what music you want to write (e.g. if you are copying out a part transposing to a different key), you would use a computer + musical notation software, so you'd get a clean typeset score. I know the old masters used quills and inks...

[@Sallysaurus]

My experience with music nibs is being stressed out by the idea of making them for people. The definition between true italic to cursive italic to stub to music nib is tiny differences and not everyone agrees on how round the edge of the rectangle gets smoothed over that then makes it a music and not just a stub

[@FrauStaenki]

Und ab Minute 3 begann ich zu weinen ... 😅

[@forgotMyUsername100]

I have a handful of music nibs. Some stub some round... some flex some firm. As you mentioned, most 3-tine, some 2-tine. seems to me, "music nib" is just any nib sold under that name with no meaningful standard

[@juliafalling9501]

Useful. Informative. Curiosity satisfied. Thanks. Not buying one.