Posts filed under Nibs

Monoc Monoc Monoc

(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)

When Ian Schon first announced his in-house, titanium Monoc nib in late 2022, I rushed to pre-order it, picked it up a few months later at the Philly Pen Show, and ended up going through three converters’ worth of ink to write this Monoc review. Since then, I got a Bock Monoc with a Fine nib last year, and got the Cursive Monoc at the Baltimore Pen Show earlier this year.

*Top to bottom: Fine, Medium, Cursive Monoc.*

I won’t go into a lot of detail since that’s already been covered in the other article, but I wanted to share some writing samples since they all write differently. There is also a blog post that goes into more detail about the Monoc and has much better nib pictures than I can take.

One of the things that I like about the Monoc is that I can put them in a wide variety of pens that take #6 nib units, including Schon Dsgn Full Size and Pocket 6, Franklin-Christoph, and especially Montegrappa pens.

*Left to right: Franklin-Christoph 46 in Italian Ice (Medium), Conid Minimalistica Monarch (Fine Bock), and Montegrappa Mia Everglades (Cursive.)*

I will start with the Medium Monoc since that’s the one I’ve had the longest and used the most (in at least 7 different pens, some with multiple inkings). My Medium Monoc is a decently wet writer and produces lines that are a bit closer to a Medium-Broad Jowo, if such a thing existed. Each of these nibs are individually machined and hand-tuned by Ian (he’s the only one who tunes them) so there can be minor variations in wetness and width. I sometimes use drier inks to compensate - this time around I picked Robert Oster Viola, which is a lovely light purple ink but definitely on the dry side, even in this wet nib.

I love that all of the Monoc nibs can also be used to write on the reverse, that is, flipped around/rotated such that the feed is facing up. Some of the Monoc’s lines, as you will see, are more angle dependent. As a reminder, I am a high/steep angle writer (typically ~75 degrees) so my lower angle writing samples are a little messier. Paper and ink will also make a difference so keep that in mind when comparing writing samples.

Writing sample with the Medium Monoc, the reverse will give you a finer line. You can get more of a difference between the regular and reverse with a wetter ink. Writing angle doesn’t affect the line width much on either side.

Here is a writing sample with the Medium Monoc and Medium nibs from other brands: Graf von Faber-Castell Intuition (18kt gold), Lamy Studio (steel), Nahvalur Schuykill, Opus 88 Mini (Jowo 5 Medium), Platinum 3776, Sailor Pro Gear (21kt gold), Radius Settimo (Jowo 6 Medium), Sailor Pro Gear Slim (14kt gold), TWSBI Eco, Taccia Spectrum (Sailor steel), Kaweco Special.

The Bock Monoc has a Fine nib and is inked with a very wet ink, KWZ Monarch, in the Conid Minimalistica, which is also in a fairly wet pen. It has a smooth fine line on the regular, and a broad architect line on the reverse.

*Writing sample with the Fine Monoc. Writing angle doesn’t make much of a difference on the regular but definitely does on the reverse.*

Here is a writing sample with the Fine Monoc and nibs from other brands: Pilot Vanishing Point, Kaweco Sport, Platinum Plaisir 05, TWSBI Precision. On the reverse: Lamy Studio (steel B), Kaweco Sport (B), Lamy Accent (14kt gold M), Jowo Broad Architect, Lamy BB Architect (ground by Gena Salorino of Custom Nib Studio). The contrast of the Fine Monoc’s reverse down vs cross stroke isn’t as great as with a more traditional architect (the last two.)

Last and definitely not least, the Cursive Monoc isn’t a “regular” Monoc with a Cursive grind added to it. Ian says the Cursive Monoc starts off as its own nib shape (sorry, I can neither explain nor share the technical aspects) and then gets ground and tuned further to a smooth, “cursive italic”. I put that in quotes because Ian says it’s not a traditional cursive italic the way a nib grinder might describe it, but it’s definitely close enough to call it that. This grind makes narrow horizontal strokes and broader vertical strokes, giving noticeable line variation whether you are writing in cursive or print.

It is currently inked with an average wetness ink, Robert Oster x Vanness Pens Hemp, in a Montegrappa Mia. It has a smooth Medium to Medium Broad cursive italic line/variation on the regular, and an even broader line on the reverse than the Fine Monoc’s reverse.

Writing sample with the Cursive Monoc and nibs from other brands: Franklin-Christoph Fine SIG (Stub Italic Gradient), F-C Broad Stub (Masuyama), Jowo 1.1 (14k5 gold), Pelikan Steel Broad CI (Masuyama), F-C Medium SIG, Waterman Carene Stub (or BB, depending on who you ask), TWSBI Eco Broad & Fine “In Between” (Mark Bacas’ grind that’s “in between” a stub and a CI), and for the reverse, Lamy 2000 BB Architect by Gena Salorino, Jowo Broad Architect.

The writing angle doesn’t really impact the writing of any of the Monocs on their regular sides, nor for the Medium Monoc on the reverse. But on both the Fine and Cursive Monocs, the width of the reverse side is more angle dependent, moreso for the Fine than for the Cursive. Of the 3 Monocs, it’s hard to pick a favorite, but if I could only use one, it would be the Fine because I love how differently the regular and reverse sides write.

Here are a few things that Ian wanted folks to know:

The Bock-threaded Monocs aren’t listed on the website but they can be requested.
Monoc nibs have a 5-10 day fulfillment turnaround because they are made to order. If you need something sooner, please reach out to them in case there are some in stock.
If you see one of their nibs at a show or someone’s IG post but you don’t see it online, reach out to them to ask if it can be made. Ian and team will often make special anodized colors that might not be listed on the website.
Avoid using shimmer inks because the nib isn’t disassemble-able for thorough cleaning.
Schon Dsgn is 3 people and Ian is the only one who does the fine tuning on the Monocs, so be patient, especially around pen show time when some or all of them may be traveling. Definitely send them an email if you have any questions.

The Schon Dsgn Monoc starts at $385 for polished titanium. Anodized options are also available - prices vary depending on complexity of the anodization (nib anodizing is done in-house, while anodization on the aluminum pens are done elsewhere).

As I said in my other article and will say again, yes, it is an expensive purchase, and no, this is not a nib for everyone. I value the innovation that goes behind the research and design of these nibs. I also like the stiff, nail-like writing experience that it provides, and the reversibility of the nibs is twice the fun even though I don’t take advantage of the reverse as much as I should. If you’ve been thinking about getting one and it fits your budget, definitely check them out, especially if you’re reading this during this weekend’s Chicago Pen Show!

Posted on May 2, 2025 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Schon DSGN, Nibs, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Pilot Custom 743 - Ranking the Nibs

I jumped at the opportunity to test 14 of Pilot’s #15-sized 14K gold fountain pen nibs on the Pilot Custom 743, and wanted to see which ones would be my favorites. Note that the S (Signature) and MS (Music) nibs are not available in the Custom 743, but the S nib is available on the Custom 823. The main difference between the 743 and 823 is that the former takes cartridge/converter while the latter is a vacuum filler. Both utilize the same size 15 nib and feed.

Side note: August sees the two of the largest US pen shows (DC and San Francisco), so you should try the nibs for yourself at the Pilot USA tables and let me know which ones are your favorites! But if you can’t, read on!

The Custom 743 (as well as 823) has a size 15 nib, while the 912 (and 742) have size 10 nibs. I have several pens with size 10 and 15 nibs, but I don’t have them all (nor do I want to, for now ;-) ) so I was curious to see if my favorites from the size 10 would translate to size 15. I had limited time with these pens (as they needed to be taken to different shows), which is a good thing because this would end up being a 10 page article, lol. I decided to follow a similar approach as the Bossman did in his writeup of 15 of Pilot’s nibs in the Custom Heritage 912.

A few things to keep in mind:

I am right-handed but have a “stupid steep” writing angle - 75 degrees isn’t uncommon for me, while most people have a 45-50 degree angle.
I tend to write primarily in cursive, and occasionally in print (but not like the Bossman’s block print), typewriter font and calligraphy-esque styles like Copperplate and Italic. My go-to nib size from any maker/country/region is Medium. I also prefer broader nibs as well as stubs/italics. I rarely reach for Extra Fine.
Pilot asked that I dip these pens instead of inking them up, which I don’t think is the best way to test the flow in the nibs. I dipped, then dragged the tip across the ink bottle so there wouldn’t be blobs of ink on the page.
All of the writing samples were done in the Maruman Bodoni A5 Notebook I was given a bottle of Iroshizuku Sui-gyoku, which had been dipped into with a variety of other Iroshizuku inks (it’s pretty common for tester pens to get dipped into different bottles during shows), so the ink color might not be 100% accurate.
My Chinese teachers from high school would be shuddering, but hey, it’s accurate, just not beautiful. The character means “always” or “forever”.
Thank you Pilot USA for sending these 743s so I could do a nib showdown!
Last but not least, I mostly followed Brad’s formatting but I did not read his ranking so I wouldn’t be biased.

*Hey, Bossman! I have a new title! Can I get a raise now?*

*My aging eyes were so happy to be on #teamsticker even if the stickers didn’t all align with the front of the nib.*

*Based on writing samples of all of these nibs, do you think you can tell which ones I will like more than others? Also, sorry, I can’t seem to get my columns straight, shrug, lol.*

14. Posting

Given that I tend to dislike extra fine nibs and I have a very steep writing angle, this nib was my least favorite to use. It felt like I was writing on the top of the nib, with it almost curving backwards on the paper. The original idea behind the nib was to write on postcards, which had limited space and therefore the extra fine line allowed you to fit more words. The angle of the nib also made it very stiff, unlike their regular and soft nibs, so you could also write on multiple sheets, like with carbon paper (does anyone remember what that is?) or forms in duplicate/triplicate.

*That’s one heck of a fine line from the Posting nib.*

*You can see the downturn of the Posting nib, which gives it a firmer writing experience as well as a drier line.*

13. Extra Fine

Admit it, you knew this was coming. I don’t hate EF nibs, I just really don’t prefer them most of the time from any brand. That said, I definitely liked it more than the PO nib because I can still write with the nib at my high angle.

12. Fine

This may seem to be the next logical choice but it was a little harder than I expected it to be because of the next two in the list. The Fine is a great smooth nib if you need to make fine lines - I just don’t like fine lines as much.

11. Coarse

Goodness gracious, this is practically a Sharpie! It wrote like butter but I didn’t love it because I don’t have big handwriting. With my usual writing, the lines would end up running into each other. That said, this would be a great platform for a nib grind which is why I ranked this higher than the F.

*Of COARSE this is a fun nib if you need a thicc line.*

10. Soft Fine

I liked this more than the Fine because the slight bounce from the softer nib gives it an almost imperceptibly wider line and ever so slight line variation (more from the release of pressure than from adding pressure). That said, it’s still a bit too fine for me.

*Soft Fine, you were almost number nine!*

9. Waverly

Unlike the Posting nib, the Waverly was designed with a slight upturn on the tip of the nib, which makes it much more pleasant for folks who “push” their nibs, like lefties. As a rightie, I didn’t really notice the difference as it still wrote with a smooth, slightly broader than Fine Medium line. I’m sure I’d rank this much higher if I was a leftie, but since I’m not, I’d pick any of the remaining nibs instead of trying to hunt this one down.

*The Waverly’s upturn is more noticeable from the side.*

8. BB / Double Broad

Am I giving everyone whiplash going back and forth between the extreme nib sizes? I liked the not-quite-as-insane width of this nib compared to the Coarse but it is still too broad for my everyday use. As with the Coarse nib, this would also be a great canvas for a nib grind.

The bottom seven were fairly easy to pick but the top seven were much harder to choose from, so I used two criteria to help me decide: (1) what would be a better everyday writer for me and (2) what nib would I pick to buy next.

7. Fine Medium

This one was REALLY hard for me to put in this spot, but having owned this nib in both the size 10 and 15 sizes, I have come to accept that while it is a great writer, it is, say it with me, just a bit too fine. It is a very practical size for every day but this inkophile wants to lay down more ink, and go through fills quickly and this FM is too fine to do that.

*FM, I loved you so much, I got Masuyama to make my 823 M into an FM, but alas, you’re too fine for everyday now.*

6. Medium

Yep, my go-to nib size, Medium, barely made the top half of this list! It is such a nice and smooth writer that I wish I had more size 15 M nibs (I have had one ground to an FM and another ground to a Cursive Italic).

*Medium is 6th because I’d rather get one of the other remaining nibs first, it’s not cuz I don’t love you.*

5. Broad

I am shocked that I don’t have any Broad nibs in either the 10 or 15 size, though I do have it in a VP nib and it’s glorious. This would be a great ink layer-downer nib without having an overly broad line and as such would be a great addition.

4. FA or Falcon nib

Not to be confused with the Falcon pen (aka Elabo), the FA nib has cutouts on the side of the nib that gives it the ability to flex a bit. It is not like vintage flex, more like semi-flex. The size 15 FA is actually stiffer/firmer than the size 10 FA, and gives slightly less line variation than the 10. I have both and prefer the 10 FA because I do like to slow way down and write in a Copperplate-like style when using it. Even though I already have one, I wouldn’t turn down another FA if it were to cross my path.

*You can see the cutouts from the top of the FA nib.*

3. Soft Medium

I don’t have this nib and I want it. I love the slight bounce that this gives over the Medium, but it also makes the line a touch wider too. I could have easily swapped the M and SM spots but this one ranked higher because I don’t have one. Yet.

2. Stub

As someone who occasionally likes to do italic calligraphy, as well as write cursive with stub nibs, I was really curious to see how Pilot’s stub nib would feel. I absolutely loved writing with it! It is a fairly smooth stub, unlike Pilot’s sharper steel nibs like the ==CM== (Calligraphy Medium) which are more like italics. The only reason this is ranked second is because this wouldn’t be as practical for me as an everyday writer.

*Stub, where have you been all my life?*

1. Soft Fine Medium

I have the SFM in size 10 and absolutely love the nib so I wondered if the size 15 would elicit a similar response and omg, yes, it does! The slight softness of the nib makes the line a bit broader than the regular FM, which means it is the perfect width. I really enjoyed writing with this nib and am waiting for the right pen to show up with this nib in it!

*Soft Fine Medium, I knew I loved you in size 10 and now I know I love you in size 15.*

And there you have it, my ranking of the size 15 nibs from the Pilot Custom 743 collection! I can’t wait to see what the Bossman thinks when he gets his hands on the set. Size 15 nib throw down, coming to a TPA near you!

*It’s the circle of life, I mean, nibs!*

Oh, one more thing, this article also marks my 3 year anniversary of writing for The Pen Addict! Thank you so much to Brad “The Bossman” Dowdy for giving me this opportunity and not giving me the boot (yet)! And a heartfelt thank you to all of you for reading, commenting and encouraging me - it really means a lot! Onwards to more wordy articles, hahaha!

Posted on August 2, 2024 by Kimberly Lau and filed under Pilot, Fountain Pens, Nibs, Pen Reviews.

Ranking 15 Pilot Fountain Pen Nibs

I had the pleasure of testing all 15 of Pilot’s #10-sized 14K gold fountain pen nibs recently, and wanted to share my thoughts on them as a group.

For starters, I am thrilled that Pilot made these nibs available in the US market, via the Custom Heritage 912 lineup. The basics were always available here - Fine, Medium, Broad, etc. - but the specialty nibs - Coarse, Stub, Posting, and so on - were traditionally only available in the Japanese market. That changed a couple of years ago, and Pilot fans, such as myself, rejoiced.

When thinking about reviewing these, I had several thoughts. Should I do one review per nib? Should I group them in use-case batches? What about videos? Pictures? It was a lot to consider! My friend Mike Matteson at Inkdependence review this entire set a few months ago, so be sure to check out his great videos on these nibs.

For me, I decided on something different, and specific: How would I rank these nibs for my own use? Do I worry this is too specific for a broader product review? A little. In the end I think it is going to work out, as I’ll be able to discuss my specific preferences, and the pros and cons that go along with those preferences. Nibs that don’t work for me may be perfect for you, and I hope to be able to explain that throughout this list. They are all good nibs, Brad!

A few notes before we begin:

I write in a block print style, never cursive or script. I prefer fine lines, or wide lines with an edge that benefit my writing style. Needless to say, those nibs will be near the top of my list.
Pilot requested that I only dip test these nibs. I don’t believe that is the best way to give you the most accurate commentary on nib performance. That said, Pilot’s nibs and feeds are so good that I am able to get good results from only dipping the nib.
All nibs are tested on Maruman Spiral Note Basic A4 Dot Grid paper, and with Pilot Iroshizuku Take-Sumi ink.
Once I dip the nib, I wipe the bulk of the ink off on the bottle edge, then write several lines on scrap paper to even out the flow before testing the line.
The lyrics used are from the start of ODB’s verse on “Da Mystery of Chessboxin’” by the Wu-Tang Clan.
Wu-Tang is for the kids.
If you have any questions if a certain nib is for you, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment, or get in touch.
Thank you Pilot USA for loaning me these nibs!

On to my rankings:

15) Coarse

Someone has to finish last, and for me it is the Coarse. It is a marker tip, so if you are looking for that type of line, then take a look at this one. There is no line variation, just a bold, round, line. I will say that given the size and shape of nib tipping, the Coarse is a perfect platform for big and interesting nib grinds.

*The Pilot Coarse Nib, perfect for big nib grinds.*

14) Broad Broad

Similar to the Coarse, but with a little more ink application on the page. The Coarse nib seems to spread the ink thinner on the page, while the BB just unloads it.

*Left to right: Broad, Broad Broad, Coarse.*

13) Soft Medium

There is a group of nibs with no true home in the list, starting with the Soft Medium. I think it is the worst of the “Soft” group, offering less line variation than the other options. That’s what you want with a nib like this, but it is too similar to the Medium.

12) Fine Medium

Ditto here, but with a little more line variation. I will say that even with the Soft designation, the speed at which I can write is great. This is a fun one, but there are better choices for my style.

11) Music

This traditional two slit, three tine Music nib setup is fantastic, I just prefer the Sutab (SU, aka Stub,) so much more that I knocked this one down the list a bit. It is much wider than the SU on both vertical and horizontal strokes. Think 1.5 mm vs. 1.1 mm. I prefer the narrower on both accounts.

10) Waverly

This was my first time with the Waverly nib, and I expected more from it. The idea is that it is great for writing at any angle, so if you hold the pen in a non-traditional manner, this nib could work well for you. For me, there was no benefit to it, although I wouldn’t mind spending more time with it to see what I could sort out.

9) Medium

An excellent stock writing experience. Japanese Medium nibs are the recommendation sweet spot for every day writing. I prefer finer lines, as seen below, but there is no arguing with this one.

8) Soft Fine

It’s fine, but not fine enough. This is a good example of expectations when choosing a nib. Japanese Fine nibs are very fine, and the Soft style makes lines wider due to the tines spreading further than on a standard nib. I’d rather have a standard Fine.

7) Soft Fine Medium

But the Soft Fine Medium is great! My expectation is that it would be wider, given “Medium” in the name, and it is. It is also finer than a stock Medium, and has more character on the page.

*Pilot Posting nib, left, and Extra Fine.*

6) Extra Fine

Why so low? It’s mostly the PO (Posting) nibs fault, but maybe more so that Pilot’s Fine nib is my favorite all day, every day writer. The Extra Fine is great, but I don’t see a place for it given my fondness of other nibs. Now, if those nibs didn’t exist, this one could top the rankings.

5) Broad

Surprise, surprise, surprise! Something happened to me when I tested this nib out, and no, it wasn’t an alien abduction. I want to be able to control my lines in wide nibs, and most nibs I’ve tested in this category have been too wide, too wet, too rounded, or all of the above. I thought I would easily prefer the Medium nib over this one, but it wasn’t that close. Again, the Medium makes for a great recommendation, but the Broad is more enjoyable.

4) Fine

My favorite pick up and write nib. Yes, the line is very narrow, but not too much. It remains legible for all types of writing, and the nib feels more stable and stronger than the Extra Fine.

3) SU

I’ve owned a Sutab nib previously, but didn’t get on with it that well. Testing this one out made me wonder if there was something wrong with mine, which I no longer own. With any stub-type nib, you want to see line variation. My old SU had very little, and I found it boring. This one has a wide range from thick to thin, and I think I’m going to need to buy a new one.

2) FA

This is the most fun Pilot nib. The flexible FA nib has more bounce than most other modern flex nib pens, while retaining a great standard writing line if you aren’t actively pushing the nib. It gives my standard block print writing a ton of character. I wouldn’t mind having this nib inked and in the rotation on a permanent basis.

1) PO

Do not buy this nib without trying it first. That’s how I acquired my Posting nib. I raved about the loaner I reviewed, a reader went out and bought one, instantly hated it, and sold it to me. 10 years on, I’m still in love. PO nib fans refer to this nib as nail-like, and that is accurate. The line is finer than the stock Extra Fine, while also being firmer due to its turned down tip. I wouldn’t be surprised if Pilot sells less of this nib than any other, but it is the one nib I own that I can’t live without.

That’s a wrap! My biggest takeaway from this experience is that Pilot makes amazing nibs. I already knew that, but it is nice to have that confirmation across the board. If you have a fountain pen writing need, Pilot as a nib for you. My thanks to Pilot North America for loaning me this set of pens for review.

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