Bit of history: the most popular dip point of all time (to date) was the Esterbrook 314 Relief. Was the one used by JRR Tolkien to write his books. Also oblique, hence "Relief." Its fountain pen equivalent was the 2314-F and 9314-F.
I never knew about oblique nibs until I browsed at a vintage fp seller and tried a Pelikan M 140 with an OB gold nib. 😍 As it felt like it was made for me and a killer bargain (had a name engraved) it is now officially my first vintage pen. ❤
I _literally_ just got my 100th anniversary 149 back from MB with an OB nib. Fits my writing so much better but was thinking of trying to find vid of how to write perfectly with one and your vid popped up! Thanks!
@@Doodlebud I’m glad too. Their service centre is FUBAR. It all has to go to Hamburg, sadly they implemented a new software system which crashed for all of March. So a 12 week wait came to 18 weeks. Ps: haven’t seen people really talk about it, but MB are making a traveller system with a mechanism like TWISBIs refill bottle. Expensive but such a cool design! Thought you’d like to know
Oblique, architect and the newer zoom and long knife grinds are excellent for writing languages that are written from right to left as well as East Asians languages like Chinese, Japanese, Korean etc.
A year or so ago I was fortunate enough to pick up a little vintage Pelikan 400nn with a 14k gold O nib. The pen was well used but had no cracks or actual damage, but that is why it was offered at a pretty amazing price. In fact, the pen with the O nib cost less than just a used O nib. I got a neat vintage Pelikan to add to my little flock with a really interesting nib to play with.
I like how you put the oblique and stub experience together because I also feel like they are 2 sides of the same coin. I know wrist angle can make the difference with them but I have no trouble moving between the two easily. I only own one oblique, a vintage Pelikan OM, but I have several stubs of different sizes, but the one I favor the most is a Jowo 1.1 that I swapped into a Jinhao 82.
I have always wanted to learn more about oblique nibs. I am delighted that this bit of history on the subject makes me happy. Thank you for your wonderful explanation!
Great video! I have quite a few pens with oblique nibs, and I've had a few nibs custom ground. I love them. The Esterbrook obliques are fantastic. My old Pelikan OBB nib is actually *round * (not stubby at all). They all write wonderfully.
I have one pen with an oblique nib and I love it. It’s a Stipula Duetto, purchased new many years ago when they were not nearly as expensive as this now-discontinued model is currently. I sent it off to a nibmeister of that time and he expertly transformed the rather wide and bulbous medium point - more like a B, really - into a wonderfully wet and smooth oblique medium nib with just enough intrinsic line variation to be interesting. The large nib is bouncy enough for variable pressure to add some additional interest but the line is narrow enough that it doesn’t have to be reserved just for large writing. Lovely.
Learning good penmanship is probably a better idea before investing hundreds of dollars in expensive pens. To that end I'd recommend something like the Osmiroid Calligraphy Set for around $10. Writing a few words is one thing, but a whole page of consistently excellent writing comes from a lot of practice.
@@EnCwoisant Fountain pens must be a nightmare for lefties. Of all the challenges with writing left handed presents on its own, using a pen that gushes out liquid ink would be the least recommended instrument to use! 🤣
I purchased a Madison Nibus pen from Osprey Pens, with a Broad Oblique nib. I still need more practice using that nib, but it has been enjoyable to try. For the past 6 months, I have concentrated on try different nibs, rather than the standard EF, F, & M. I purchased two different stub nibs, a couple different architect nibs, and a medium Naginata Togi style nib.
A couple of years ago I got a vintage Conway Stewart which at first I thought had a damaged nib but I was very excited to realise that at some point a previous owner had had the original medium nib reground to an oblique. It's extremely smooth and adds a nice depth to the writing but does take some getting used to. It also adds character to the history of the pen too.
Great video most educational. If I had to guess I think I’d like the Pelikan the most. That said the 149 is the most comfortable pen I’ve experienced so perhaps I’d like that even more
Great comparison! Been considering an oblique nib for a while… I may just have to get one for my next pen. Dubeldood/Doodlebud enabling my impulse purchasing as always! 😅 Keep it up!
Thanks for the explanation. I tend to rotate my pens a bit to the left, and thus a left-foot oblique (right tine is longer) feels very natural for me indeed.
i've used oblique nibs with dip pens, but my shamefully fresh stub fountain pen has me wanting an db oblique on a fountain pen :'D thanks for the video !
Great Reference Video on Oblique Nibs. I learned a lot of details which I had no idea about. I have many Stubs which I favor, but I thought Obliques were for specific people rather than writing styles. I'm going to have to get one immediately to learn more. Thank you for the thorough immersion.
I can’t say I have ever used an oblique nib before, if I have I don’t remember. I think I prefer the stub after hearing you talk about how one must hold an oblique nib. Also, how about a video on italic nibs?
@@davidbyers7246 I have several videos where I grind cursive italic nibs. I'll show how to make one then write with it. You can even try at home if you want.
I’ve been told I rotate my pen when writing. I am now looking at possibly buying an oblique nib to see if they work well for me. Only oddity is that I think I hold a pen differently when I draw versus write. Pens like the Pilot Metropolitan that are uncomfortable for me to write with are perfectly fine when drawing. In the moment, I don’t notice what I’m doing differently though. Maybe I’m just a bit weird. 😅
I was inspired by your video and tried to DIY oblique on a medium size nib, the result was less than ideal and the process was frustrating , but it fun overall.
Great informational video DB. Yes, I have stub nibs and a few pens with an oblique nib. I find I prefer 1.1 mm stubs over 1.5 mm. I'm getting ready to get an oblique nib to replace the current extra fine in one of my Lamy 2K Stainless Steel pens. I guess I'm fortunate that I don't rotate my pens much when I write.
About twenty years ago I bought a Pelikan M400 with an OM nib. I am a left handed writer, and I should have done that much earlier. Since then, I have a strong preference for oblique nibs; I even had some M and B nibs reground to obliques.
I love ef, and F nibs......and I was pleasently surprized by the CM nib on the Pilot Prera.....for $30.00, a nice small pen , and a very smooth fine stub!!!( maybe half the width of a 1.5 stub)
Doodlebud, as I've watched your videos I always figured the oblique was referring to the shape of the shoulders not the nib itself. The emphasis on it as being particularly interesting makes way more sense now that I know it actually affects the writing. Very informative! I was thinking about trying to make a stud, but I rotate way too much so you may have just saved me a frustrating experience!
Hi DB! I like stubs, of course, so an oblique might be interesting, I would be more in the price range of the Esterbrook J. Thanks for showing all the different ones!
After watching this, an oblique is probably what I need. Most specialty nibs fail to show line variation unless I'm very careful to watch how i hold the pen.
Right-foot obliques would be for lefties, I think, based on how the triangular grip on the Safari digs into my finger and makes writing with it uncomfortable. But I get along fine with my TWSBI Classic Stub.
@halfsourlizard9319 As a vintage Esterbrook fan since the 1980s: I'd look for the 9xxx nibs ("xxx" are other numbers.) They are actually tipped. But, there are some that are never a 9xxx. Mostly stubs in some sort. The most common one I have ever seen is the 2668 firm medium. Kinda the default nib sold in many pens, and even used until Lyndon Johnson by US Presidents (there's collections of Presidential pens. Most used through Lyndon Johnson were the Esterbrook Dip-Less dip pen with a 2668.) Ultimately, there's over 70 options in lists that Esterbrook either advertised or collectors have found. Some like the 3xxx and 8xxx are very uncommon, and can be quite expensive. The cheapest way to get an Esterbrook nib is find one in a pen. Regularly, they sell for the price of a nib, if you're willing to wait. (I recently got a 3968 broad. Was made from 1938 through 1942. Was gotten with a 1938 Esterbrook copper "Dollar" pen. One of the few times you can get a narrow date range from Esterbrook. Cap band is lower and only done like that the one year. Paid $20 USD, and both look like new.) Means a minimally daily hunt on eBay and passing on a lot, however. And then you can have the entire pen. Even if it doesn't work, they are durable enough to survive new restorers and super easy to restore. 5 minutes, except for dry time for the shellac to seal on the new ink sac. Plus, you might get lucky and find one that the original owner took good care of, and still works after 70+ years. (I've gotten more than a few that still worked on the original ink sac.)
I have a Lamy 2000 in OBB. It's one of my favourite pens. I have to be particular about the ink I put in it. The nib writes like a firehose and tends to blow through a lot of papers even with well-behaved inks.
Good job, you explained it correctly. Most videos/writings just repeat the age old line of "obliques give line variation that's half-way between an italic and an architect" that has been repeated so often that people just blindly accept it; even though it's false. Nice to see someone spreading some actual information for once.
It can act like an architect from a writing perspective if you rotate it to the correct angle and change your hand position. But how the grinds are actually done is a wildly different process and they look like opposites.
@@Doodlebud Of course, but by that logic anything other than an italic nib would have no reason to exist. All you'd need is a wrist made of rubber and you can get perpendicular thin and thick strokes in any orientation you may well please with a stub/italic. An oblique _can_ be half-way between an italic and an architect without changing hand position of course, but I've never seen one ground at an angle that would actually accomplish that. I think that's because with a grind like that you would be pushing right down into the paper with the sharp edge of the grind on your upstrokes, which probably wouldn't feel the greatest. I do actually have an idea for how you could make a nib grind that is half-way between an italic and an architect, but I haven't been able to find a nibmeister to do it.
Just to complicate matters , there are left handed broad oblique nibs made for us that are in our right mind..lol😊, I have a Pelican 200 with such a nib in 14k and it adds some real character to my writing. Cheers from Nova Scotia. ( lefty) MikeR.
Bud, you just made me purchase an M400 brown like the one you recently reviewed 😝 I got mine in OB and also from the same guy from Germany on eBay. I have been very curious about oblique nibs.
Great explanation of these interesting but often mysterious nibs. Mysterious because you don't often hear much about them. What's the blue ink you're using in the Pelikan? It looks amazing.
Now I know what to ask for, the next time I have a nib ground, as I've always rotated my pens. I've had to train myself to alter my writing form whilst using stub nibs. Or, I can check with Franklin Christoph as they have ALL the nibs! The closest pen I have; to this writing experience; is my Pilot Metropolitan with a CM nib.
I love Pelikans haha I have an 18k Oblique Medium on my Tibaldi Bononia Vintage in Honeycomb and it's fantastic! My only Oblique so far though. What brown ink was in the Montblanc though? I didn't catch it if you said. Awesome video once again Doodlebud!
As a left hander, I've tried to get my head round what an oblique would do in my hands. I think the easiest would be to get a nib for my Esterbrook J. Thanks for the idea.
Thanks for this video! Are you aware that the volume of your voice is going from normal to almost nonexistent at times? Are you having issues with the microphone? Other than that, I enjoy your videos and find them to be not only instructive but also fun to watch. Have an enjoyable weekend!
@@Doodlebud Thanks for your input. Maybe the volume is something from my side of the computer but I haven't had this issue with any of the other RUclips videos that I watch.
@@Doodlebud No, not all. I have noticed this volume issue only with today's video and the one immediately preceding it. Other videos from various channels don't have this issue. That's why I think it is something unique to your channel's production or playback. If it happens again I'll contact you. Enjoy your afternoon!
Very interesting information. I just got a broad oblique nib on a Kaweco Sport and did not like the way it writes no matter how I change my angle, it was scratchy. It was a special grind offered by Galen Leather on one of their exclusive pens so I thought I'd try it. An inexpensive way to check out a new nib.
Hey Doodlebud, very nice video. I'd say that like you I write naturally with the pen unrotated, however I much prefer the line variation with oblique nibs than with stubs, CI are ok but I prefer oblique and holding the pen at a different angle is not too much of an issue for me, especially if I have to go back and forth.. I own several pens with oblique, a few vintage Pelikan with OB nib, and also vintage MB with OM and OB (series 1X/2X and 2XX) and I like them less because the line variation is a bit less extreme than the vintage Pelikan. Finally my big disappointment is a 146 with an OB and really it is not for me, I'll have to grind it to a crisper oblique. For the Watermann Carene I bought (for too high a price) a new section with an OF nib and it is extremely nice to use, lovely line variation and very smooth. Finally, thanks to you, I ground a few nibs to oblique (I tend to go relatively extreme at 20-30 degrees) including my beloved MB 149 which I ground to an OM and is smooth as butter while giving me a nice relatively crisp oblique. Thanks for sharing this, I'm sure that will help many to understand better what oblique is. I'd wish I would have had it when I started collecting, I would have tried oblique much earlier :) Cheers
Wow good for you grinding some oblique nibs yourself. Its so much fun doing that stuff. I haven't used that huge Kiwi pen for a while, but after doing the video I messed around writing with it for some time and I really enjoyed it. I think I might need to do some more oblique grinds!
For me I need to find the nib I 100% on before splashing big money on one perfect life time pen 🖊️ I went to look at some mont blanc pens at one shop a year or so ago and they wouldn’t even ink up the pens to test. I’m not spending that much and not knowing what I got.
Thanks again for such a informative video, a little bit about history and a little bit of ink-cleaning ☺️ It was so interesting to see the different nibs and how they perform and for which handwriting they will be best. I use and grind a lot of mini-stubs (or EF/F-CSI) for my small writing. I‘ve never heard of oblique nibs smaller than OM. Is there a reason why it won’t work on a EF/F stub?
@@MrsAlchemist it can work on them but since the tipping is so small it's tough to do and even if you do it will be very hard to notice a diffence. Nibs that make a wider line can also create greater line variation.
I was looking into oblique nibs after reading the little blurb on Lamy's website that it's useful for people who lean when they write, because I have trouble with the grip forcing my nib to be the wrong angle and getting no ink out. But I'm going to try the Sailor Tuzu instead. The ink looks so wet on the page there, it looks like it'll take an hour to dry
1. My impression is that with practice and a reasonably flexible wrist, you can get the same results from a stub as from an oblique, granting that the latter will make it easier. Agree? 2. Is there any way in which a stub is preferable to an oblique? 3. Thanks for another thorough and informative video.
1) Sorta true. However there are some things I find easier to do with an Oblique. Its much easier to switch between line variation types with an oblique. You can have your writing look like you used a stub or an architect with only minor adjustments in pen and hand position. Doing that with a stub requires you to turn things almost 90deg. If I want to switch to architect style printing with an oblique its very simple and I can maintain neat printing. Not as easy to do with a stub. I'll talk about this more when I review the vintage Pelikan 400 OBB I showed. 2) Stubs are more forgiving than an oblique I would say. If you've never used a stub you can figure it out in seconds. With an oblique, unless it naturally fits your writing style, takes a little practice. If I haven't used one for a while I have to "warm up" with the pen first as I mentioned in the video. 3) 👍
Thank you for this review; I always wondered what they were for... Question: wpuld you have any suggestion for an inexênsive italic nib+pen combination? Many thanks! In Peace and Friendship, Pierre Pagé
Dooooodlebud! You know someone would ask, and that someone is me. What is the ink in the 007 pen and that lovely brown in the MB? I need a bottle of whatever is in that -Montev- Montegrappa.
@@Rgmekanic maybe... I can't remember. I'm terrible at keeping track of ink colors. I think there's even an app to keep track but I'm just not the type who finds that information important enough to keep track of 🤣. I always forget to mentioned what ink I'm using. I'll deep dive with a microscope to show a thread, but I completely forget to mention the ink.
I am always looking for nibs that provide line variation. I just got a stub nib. I am anxious to see how it works. However, these oblique nibs may be what I am looking for. I understand that there is two types of Oblique - Oblique Left and Oblique Right. I am guessing you demonstrated Oblique Left as the angle is slanted on the left. I am guessing again Oblique Right may be for Left anded writers like me? Also, it there such a thing as an Oblique Medium or Fine nib?
I forgot to mention the left and right. Left obliques are for right handed folks, and right obliques for left handed. There is OM nibs out there but I haven't seen any OF.
The "left/right oblique" is short for "left/right foot oblique", and it refers to how your feet look when you look down at them. So a left foot oblique for example is shorter on the left and longer on the right, just like your toes are shorter on the left and longer on the right when you look at your left foot. If you keep that in mind it's much easier to remember which is which.
I purchased Lamy 2000 with an oblique broad some time back. It writes very wet and broad, but without much line variation. I do get some squeaking sound with it at times. I try not to use a writing slant as I find them less readable.
@@AlejandroPato-Fuego I didn't get into right obliques as all of mine are left oblique nibs since I'm right handed. If you're a lefty you'll want a right oblique
As long as there is enough tipping material you can convert it to an oblique. I don't think you could make much of an oblique grind on a F or XF nib, especially a Japanese XF/F. Inks: 007 - No idea | MB 146 is a mixed ink the owner of the pen did themselves, outside of those the rest used the Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue.
I've heard of obliques coming in 'left' and 'right'. Which where the ones you used. I print left handed which oblique would be the best for me? Left or right. Thanks,
@@Doodlebud Blend is a fitting term, my first thought was ''Coffee Crema'' I could taste the color as the ink was laid down. If you ever do Ink recipes videos this one could be a nice one to share. It got me sidetracked from the Oblique nibs.
You're not lowering the quality. You have to ensure you don't grind past the tipping is all. An EF nib isn't lower quality than B nib because it has less tipping. Grinding is just reshaping the tipping to a desired shape. Nibmeisters have 3month+ wait lists of people wanting them to grind their nibs. It's a really fun part of the hobby
I think Lamy stopped selling Obligque nibs :( -- You can get them ground from nibsmiths. My favorite is Kirk Spir. BTW you can get Obligque Right or Left foot grinds as well if you know your writing habbits -
Is there a proper way to write with a stub nib? I keep telling myself there must be, as every now and then I can get an effect I like…but not on purpose, and definitely not consistently. I can’t seem to find any video tutorials on the matter either. Help? 🙏
@tiffanybluetarot I've found that you basically have to keep the nib tines flat against the page. Any tilting and it will cause issues. Jowo stubs are easier to use than Bock as well since Bock stubs don't have any tipping material, making Jowo a little more forgiving.
Actually I think that for lefties "over writers" as myself, this kind of Oblique nib (for right handed) would work. As opposed to the "under writers", who would need a right oblique. Unless upside down means something else? @salemstrange2091?
These left obliques are suitable for hebrew, arab, japanese and chinese calligraphy. Right oblique is suitable for occidental calligraphy in a flat table. In an inclined table you will have better results with an italic or stub nib, preferably a italic that is more crisp than stubs. For me left obliques are useless because I do not write hebrew. Right oblique could be usefull because I write a lot Italic, Uncial, Old English, Quadrata, Schwabaches, Fraktur, Sûtterlin and other styles; but, normally I can do them confortably with italic nib even on flat table. On inclined table italics are just the correct way to execute most of writing styles.
SORRY TO SAY THIS, BUT SOME OF THE WRITING LOOKS LIKE IT WAS DONE WITH AN ARCHITECT NIB. NICE INFORMATIVE VIDEO BTW, I'M ONE OF THOSE WHO ROTATE THEIR STUBS HAHA, BUT I HAVE NO PROBLEM DOING THAT ;)
THAT IS THE FUN THING ABOUT OBLIQUES. DEPENDING UPON THE NIB ROTATION & HAND ANGLE IT CAN WRITE LIKE A STUB OR ARCHITECT AND IT'S EASY TO SWITCH BETWEEN. AND IT'S GREAT FOR WRITING IN ALL CAPS WHICH SEEMS TO BE YOUR STYLE....
If you hold a regular nibbed pen the logo on the nib is usually pointing straight up or rotated slightly towards you. With the oblique you rotate the pen back so the logo on a nib is more towards you. Since the nib is ground at an angle you need to have it so the full edge of the nib is in contact with the page. This is done by rotating the pen in the hand.
@@Doodlebud thanks so much for that! That’s really helpful. Sometimes I write and it’s smooth as butter. Sometimes there’s a tiny bit of scratching and sometimes downstrokes won’t register. I’m presuming because of what you described above. I’ll try your suggestion! Thanks again.
Bit of history: the most popular dip point of all time (to date) was the Esterbrook 314 Relief. Was the one used by JRR Tolkien to write his books. Also oblique, hence "Relief." Its fountain pen equivalent was the 2314-F and 9314-F.
I never knew about oblique nibs until I browsed at a vintage fp seller and tried a Pelikan M 140 with an OB gold nib. 😍 As it felt like it was made for me and a killer bargain (had a name engraved) it is now officially my first vintage pen. ❤
Great pen for your first vintage. Hope you enjoy it
Vintage Pelikans with those soft nibs are great 👍!
I hope you never get tired of writing. Your handwriting is amazing. Dont improve it. it's just the right amount. Cheers to your right hand. 🎉❤
@@mechomics thanks buddy 👍
I _literally_ just got my 100th anniversary 149 back from MB with an OB nib.
Fits my writing so much better but was thinking of trying to find vid of how to write perfectly with one and your vid popped up! Thanks!
Good to hear you're enjoying the grind on your MB149
@@Doodlebud I’m glad too. Their service centre is FUBAR. It all has to go to Hamburg, sadly they implemented a new software system which crashed for all of March. So a 12 week wait came to 18 weeks.
Ps: haven’t seen people really talk about it, but MB are making a traveller system with a mechanism like TWISBIs refill bottle. Expensive but such a cool design! Thought you’d like to know
Oblique, architect and the newer zoom and long knife grinds are excellent for writing languages that are written from right to left as well as East Asians languages like Chinese, Japanese, Korean etc.
A year or so ago I was fortunate enough to pick up a little vintage Pelikan 400nn with a 14k gold O nib. The pen was well used but had no cracks or actual damage, but that is why it was offered at a pretty amazing price. In fact, the pen with the O nib cost less than just a used O nib. I got a neat vintage Pelikan to add to my little flock with a really interesting nib to play with.
Great catch!! Wowza!!
I like how you put the oblique and stub experience together because I also feel like they are 2 sides of the same coin. I know wrist angle can make the difference with them but I have no trouble moving between the two easily. I only own one oblique, a vintage Pelikan OM, but I have several stubs of different sizes, but the one I favor the most is a Jowo 1.1 that I swapped into a Jinhao 82.
I have always wanted to learn more about oblique nibs. I am delighted that this bit of history on the subject makes me happy. Thank you for your wonderful explanation!
Oblique... totally new to me. I appreciate you making such a video to teach new comers like myself.
Great video!
I have to say that as Lefty Overwriter a custom Right Foot Oblique by Mark Bacas has made miracles for me!
Great video! I have quite a few pens with oblique nibs, and I've had a few nibs custom ground. I love them. The Esterbrook obliques are fantastic. My old Pelikan OBB nib is actually *round * (not stubby at all). They all write wonderfully.
I have one pen with an oblique nib and I love it. It’s a Stipula Duetto, purchased new many years ago when they were not nearly as expensive as this now-discontinued model is currently. I sent it off to a nibmeister of that time and he expertly transformed the rather wide and bulbous medium point - more like a B, really - into a wonderfully wet and smooth oblique medium nib with just enough intrinsic line variation to be interesting. The large nib is bouncy enough for variable pressure to add some additional interest but the line is narrow enough that it doesn’t have to be reserved just for large writing. Lovely.
Learning good penmanship is probably a better idea before investing hundreds of dollars in expensive pens. To that end I'd recommend something like the Osmiroid Calligraphy Set for around $10. Writing a few words is one thing, but a whole page of consistently excellent writing comes from a lot of practice.
My daughter was the happy recipient of an entire set of Osmiroid nibs, which my son in law found in a thrift store.
Doooodlebud!
Serendipity! I bought an oblique Pelikan just this morning. I use ‘regular’ obliques even though I’m a lefty
Ooh, I'm a leftie too! I've just commented about how they might/might not work for us. How do you rotate the pen to make it work for you?
@@archivist17 I side-write and over-write in general. I have to find the right angle for each oblique I own!
@@EnCwoisant Fountain pens must be a nightmare for lefties. Of all the challenges with writing left handed presents on its own, using a pen that gushes out liquid ink would be the least recommended instrument to use! 🤣
I purchased a Madison Nibus pen from Osprey Pens, with a Broad Oblique nib. I still need more practice using that nib, but it has been enjoyable to try. For the past 6 months, I have concentrated on try different nibs, rather than the standard EF, F, & M. I purchased two different stub nibs, a couple different architect nibs, and a medium Naginata Togi style nib.
A couple of years ago I got a vintage Conway Stewart which at first I thought had a damaged nib but I was very excited to realise that at some point a previous owner had had the original medium nib reground to an oblique. It's extremely smooth and adds a nice depth to the writing but does take some getting used to. It also adds character to the history of the pen too.
Great video most educational. If I had to guess I think I’d like the Pelikan the most. That said the 149 is the most comfortable pen I’ve experienced so perhaps I’d like that even more
Great comparison! Been considering an oblique nib for a while… I may just have to get one for my next pen. Dubeldood/Doodlebud enabling my impulse purchasing as always! 😅 Keep it up!
Thanks for the explanation. I tend to rotate my pens a bit to the left, and thus a left-foot oblique (right tine is longer) feels very natural for me indeed.
For me as a left handed writer, oblique nibs feel the most natural, since I also rotate my pen slightly.
i've used oblique nibs with dip pens, but my shamefully fresh stub fountain pen has me wanting an db oblique on a fountain pen :'D thanks for the video !
Great Reference Video on Oblique Nibs. I learned a lot of details which I had no idea about. I have many Stubs which I favor, but I thought Obliques were for specific people rather than writing styles. I'm going to have to get one immediately to learn more. Thank you for the thorough immersion.
I can’t say I have ever used an oblique nib before, if I have I don’t remember. I think I prefer the stub after hearing you talk about how one must hold an oblique nib. Also, how about a video on italic nibs?
@@davidbyers7246 I have several videos where I grind cursive italic nibs. I'll show how to make one then write with it. You can even try at home if you want.
I’ve been told I rotate my pen when writing. I am now looking at possibly buying an oblique nib to see if they work well for me. Only oddity is that I think I hold a pen differently when I draw versus write. Pens like the Pilot Metropolitan that are uncomfortable for me to write with are perfectly fine when drawing. In the moment, I don’t notice what I’m doing differently though. Maybe I’m just a bit weird. 😅
I love my GvFC Guilloche with a medium oblique. Super smooth and great character.
I have a GVFC with a gold medium nib I was thinking of making into an OM
@@Doodlebud I’d love to see more grinding content! 😌
I was inspired by your video and tried to DIY oblique on a medium size nib, the result was less than ideal and the process was frustrating , but it fun overall.
Great informational video DB. Yes, I have stub nibs and a few pens with an oblique nib. I find I prefer 1.1 mm stubs over 1.5 mm. I'm getting ready to get an oblique nib to replace the current extra fine in one of my Lamy 2K Stainless Steel pens. I guess I'm fortunate that I don't rotate my pens much when I write.
About twenty years ago I bought a Pelikan M400 with an OM nib. I am a left handed writer, and I should have done that much earlier. Since then, I have a strong preference for oblique nibs; I even had some M and B nibs reground to obliques.
I love ef, and F nibs......and I was pleasently surprized by the CM nib on the Pilot Prera.....for $30.00, a nice small pen , and a very smooth fine stub!!!( maybe half the width of a 1.5 stub)
Doodlebud, as I've watched your videos I always figured the oblique was referring to the shape of the shoulders not the nib itself. The emphasis on it as being particularly interesting makes way more sense now that I know it actually affects the writing. Very informative! I was thinking about trying to make a stud, but I rotate way too much so you may have just saved me a frustrating experience!
Hi DB! I like stubs, of course, so an oblique might be interesting, I would be more in the price range of the Esterbrook J. Thanks for showing all the different ones!
After watching this, an oblique is probably what I need. Most specialty nibs fail to show line variation unless I'm very careful to watch how i hold the pen.
Interesting, thank you!
Since all you showed are Left Obliques, I wonder who Right Obliques would be for and what kinda line variation you would get.
Right-foot obliques would be for lefties, I think, based on how the triangular grip on the Safari digs into my finger and makes writing with it uncomfortable. But I get along fine with my TWSBI Classic Stub.
I completely forgot to mention that! Left obliques are for righties, and Right obliques are for lefties
Woah! Did not know that the modern Esties can take the old nibs ... will have to give that a go.
Its a really cool idea they came up with making that adapter
@halfsourlizard9319 As a vintage Esterbrook fan since the 1980s: I'd look for the 9xxx nibs ("xxx" are other numbers.) They are actually tipped.
But, there are some that are never a 9xxx. Mostly stubs in some sort.
The most common one I have ever seen is the 2668 firm medium. Kinda the default nib sold in many pens, and even used until Lyndon Johnson by US Presidents (there's collections of Presidential pens. Most used through Lyndon Johnson were the Esterbrook Dip-Less dip pen with a 2668.)
Ultimately, there's over 70 options in lists that Esterbrook either advertised or collectors have found. Some like the 3xxx and 8xxx are very uncommon, and can be quite expensive.
The cheapest way to get an Esterbrook nib is find one in a pen. Regularly, they sell for the price of a nib, if you're willing to wait. (I recently got a 3968 broad. Was made from 1938 through 1942. Was gotten with a 1938 Esterbrook copper "Dollar" pen. One of the few times you can get a narrow date range from Esterbrook. Cap band is lower and only done like that the one year. Paid $20 USD, and both look like new.) Means a minimally daily hunt on eBay and passing on a lot, however.
And then you can have the entire pen. Even if it doesn't work, they are durable enough to survive new restorers and super easy to restore. 5 minutes, except for dry time for the shellac to seal on the new ink sac. Plus, you might get lucky and find one that the original owner took good care of, and still works after 70+ years. (I've gotten more than a few that still worked on the original ink sac.)
I have a lamy 2000 OB and an extra nib in OM. Love it!
I want to get either the OB or OBB on my L2K. Looks like fun
@@Doodlebud do it! Very fun. I will also throw in a vote for a regular lamy nib in 14k in OB. I have mine on a lamy studio and it is rad.
I have a Lamy 2000 in OBB. It's one of my favourite pens. I have to be particular about the ink I put in it. The nib writes like a firehose and tends to blow through a lot of papers even with well-behaved inks.
Yeah I've seen that they write stupid wet. I'm planning to grind it further if I get one.
Good job, you explained it correctly. Most videos/writings just repeat the age old line of "obliques give line variation that's half-way between an italic and an architect" that has been repeated so often that people just blindly accept it; even though it's false. Nice to see someone spreading some actual information for once.
It can act like an architect from a writing perspective if you rotate it to the correct angle and change your hand position. But how the grinds are actually done is a wildly different process and they look like opposites.
@@Doodlebud Of course, but by that logic anything other than an italic nib would have no reason to exist. All you'd need is a wrist made of rubber and you can get perpendicular thin and thick strokes in any orientation you may well please with a stub/italic. An oblique _can_ be half-way between an italic and an architect without changing hand position of course, but I've never seen one ground at an angle that would actually accomplish that. I think that's because with a grind like that you would be pushing right down into the paper with the sharp edge of the grind on your upstrokes, which probably wouldn't feel the greatest.
I do actually have an idea for how you could make a nib grind that is half-way between an italic and an architect, but I haven't been able to find a nibmeister to do it.
Just to complicate matters , there are left handed broad oblique nibs made for us that are in our right mind..lol😊, I have a Pelican 200 with such a nib in 14k and it adds some real character to my writing. Cheers from Nova Scotia. ( lefty) MikeR.
Bud, you just made me purchase an M400 brown like the one you recently reviewed 😝 I got mine in OB and also from the same guy from Germany on eBay. I have been very curious about oblique nibs.
@@Guairenito that pen with an OB would be fantastic! Hope you're loving it 👍
@@Doodlebud I hope so too, I just purchased it today, I have to receive it yet.
Great explanation of these interesting but often mysterious nibs. Mysterious because you don't often hear much about them. What's the blue ink you're using in the Pelikan? It looks amazing.
@@JohnBarrow1961 Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue
Now I know what to ask for, the next time I have a nib ground, as I've always rotated my pens. I've had to train myself to alter my writing form whilst using stub nibs. Or, I can check with Franklin Christoph as they have ALL the nibs! The closest pen I have; to this writing experience; is my Pilot Metropolitan with a CM nib.
I love Pelikans haha I have an 18k Oblique Medium on my Tibaldi Bononia Vintage in Honeycomb and it's fantastic! My only Oblique so far though. What brown ink was in the Montblanc though? I didn't catch it if you said. Awesome video once again Doodlebud!
That ink is a blend the owner made themselves
@@Doodlebud Nice shade anyways! Thanks Doodlebud!
Nice, informative video. Thanks!👍
As a left hander, I've tried to get my head round what an oblique would do in my hands. I think the easiest would be to get a nib for my Esterbrook J. Thanks for the idea.
Use a reverse oblique (sometimes called a "right foot" oblique). It is ground towards the right and works well for left-handers.
you can get LH oblique nibs from Lamy as well.
Right hand people should use left oblique, often called just oblique. Left hand people should search more to find a right oblique.
I have the Lamy 2000 EOB very pleasant
Thanks for this video! Are you aware that the volume of your voice is going from normal to almost nonexistent at times? Are you having issues with the microphone? Other than that, I enjoy your videos and find them to be not only instructive but also fun to watch. Have an enjoyable weekend!
sounds fine to me.
Thats very odd, I would notice that during my edits and haven't had anyone else comment on that before
@@Doodlebud Thanks for your input. Maybe the volume is something from my side of the computer but I haven't had this issue with any of the other RUclips videos that I watch.
@@NauzerMistry so wasn't just this video, but all my vids?
@@Doodlebud No, not all. I have noticed this volume issue only with today's video and the one immediately preceding it. Other videos from various channels don't have this issue. That's why I think it is something unique to your channel's production or playback. If it happens again I'll contact you. Enjoy your afternoon!
have the same pelikan but OB, i rotate my pens but i never knew till i tried an oblique
I now want one!!! 😀
Very interesting information. I just got a broad oblique nib on a Kaweco Sport and did not like the way it writes no matter how I change my angle, it was scratchy. It was a special grind offered by Galen Leather on one of their exclusive pens so I thought I'd try it. An inexpensive way to check out a new nib.
Hey Doodlebud, very nice video. I'd say that like you I write naturally with the pen unrotated, however I much prefer the line variation with oblique nibs than with stubs, CI are ok but I prefer oblique and holding the pen at a different angle is not too much of an issue for me, especially if I have to go back and forth..
I own several pens with oblique, a few vintage Pelikan with OB nib, and also vintage MB with OM and OB (series 1X/2X and 2XX) and I like them less because the line variation is a bit less extreme than the vintage Pelikan. Finally my big disappointment is a 146 with an OB and really it is not for me, I'll have to grind it to a crisper oblique. For the Watermann Carene I bought (for too high a price) a new section with an OF nib and it is extremely nice to use, lovely line variation and very smooth.
Finally, thanks to you, I ground a few nibs to oblique (I tend to go relatively extreme at 20-30 degrees) including my beloved MB 149 which I ground to an OM and is smooth as butter while giving me a nice relatively crisp oblique.
Thanks for sharing this, I'm sure that will help many to understand better what oblique is. I'd wish I would have had it when I started collecting, I would have tried oblique much earlier :) Cheers
Wow good for you grinding some oblique nibs yourself. Its so much fun doing that stuff. I haven't used that huge Kiwi pen for a while, but after doing the video I messed around writing with it for some time and I really enjoyed it. I think I might need to do some more oblique grinds!
Hmmm maybe an oblique is what I need? Interesting 🤔 I will hunt for one to try.
For me I need to find the nib I 100% on before splashing big money on one perfect life time pen 🖊️ I went to look at some mont blanc pens at one shop a year or so ago and they wouldn’t even ink up the pens to test. I’m not spending that much and not knowing what I got.
Thanks again for such a informative video, a little bit about history and a little bit of ink-cleaning ☺️
It was so interesting to see the different nibs and how they perform and for which handwriting they will be best.
I use and grind a lot of mini-stubs (or EF/F-CSI) for my small writing. I‘ve never heard of oblique nibs smaller than OM. Is there a reason why it won’t work on a EF/F stub?
@@MrsAlchemist it can work on them but since the tipping is so small it's tough to do and even if you do it will be very hard to notice a diffence. Nibs that make a wider line can also create greater line variation.
@@Doodlebud thanks a lot for your expertise! 🙏I think I will stay by my EF-Stubbies and look for an OM then.
I was looking into oblique nibs after reading the little blurb on Lamy's website that it's useful for people who lean when they write, because I have trouble with the grip forcing my nib to be the wrong angle and getting no ink out. But I'm going to try the Sailor Tuzu instead.
The ink looks so wet on the page there, it looks like it'll take an hour to dry
1. My impression is that with practice and a reasonably flexible wrist, you can get the same results from a stub as from an oblique, granting that the latter will make it easier. Agree?
2. Is there any way in which a stub is preferable to an oblique?
3. Thanks for another thorough and informative video.
1) Sorta true. However there are some things I find easier to do with an Oblique. Its much easier to switch between line variation types with an oblique. You can have your writing look like you used a stub or an architect with only minor adjustments in pen and hand position. Doing that with a stub requires you to turn things almost 90deg. If I want to switch to architect style printing with an oblique its very simple and I can maintain neat printing. Not as easy to do with a stub. I'll talk about this more when I review the vintage Pelikan 400 OBB I showed.
2) Stubs are more forgiving than an oblique I would say. If you've never used a stub you can figure it out in seconds. With an oblique, unless it naturally fits your writing style, takes a little practice. If I haven't used one for a while I have to "warm up" with the pen first as I mentioned in the video.
3) 👍
What’s the ink in the 149?
i do find i constantly ride the right hand tine of some my nibs, so I'd like to try some right footed obliques.
Worth a try for sure. Obliques are becoming my favorite nib style lately
Thank you for this review; I always wondered what they were for... Question: wpuld you have any suggestion for an inexênsive italic nib+pen combination? Many thanks! In Peace and Friendship,
Pierre Pagé
Dooooodlebud! You know someone would ask, and that someone is me. What is the ink in the 007 pen and that lovely brown in the MB? I need a bottle of whatever is in that -Montev- Montegrappa.
No idea on the 007 pen. The MB 146 has a blended ink the owner put together. All others had Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue
@@Doodlebud awww, I'ma have to watch a bunch of your videos now to find that ink. You devious Canadian, not telling me the ink to get more views 😉
@@Doodlebud Robert Oster Deep Sea in the 007?
@@Rgmekanic maybe... I can't remember. I'm terrible at keeping track of ink colors. I think there's even an app to keep track but I'm just not the type who finds that information important enough to keep track of 🤣. I always forget to mentioned what ink I'm using. I'll deep dive with a microscope to show a thread, but I completely forget to mention the ink.
what ink did you use in the pelikan?
Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue
What ink is that in the modern Montblanc? I really like that color with that pen.
I am always looking for nibs that provide line variation. I just got a stub nib. I am anxious to see how it works. However, these oblique nibs may be what I am looking for.
I understand that there is two types of Oblique - Oblique Left and Oblique Right. I am guessing you demonstrated Oblique Left as the angle is slanted on the left. I am guessing again Oblique Right may be for Left anded writers like me?
Also, it there such a thing as an Oblique Medium or Fine nib?
I forgot to mention the left and right. Left obliques are for right handed folks, and right obliques for left handed. There is OM nibs out there but I haven't seen any OF.
The "left/right oblique" is short for "left/right foot oblique", and it refers to how your feet look when you look down at them. So a left foot oblique for example is shorter on the left and longer on the right, just like your toes are shorter on the left and longer on the right when you look at your left foot. If you keep that in mind it's much easier to remember which is which.
I purchased Lamy 2000 with an oblique broad some time back. It writes very wet and broad, but without much line variation. I do get some squeaking sound with it at times. I try not to use a writing slant as I find them less readable.
Did I miss where you discussed differences between right and left obliques?
@@AlejandroPato-Fuego I didn't get into right obliques as all of mine are left oblique nibs since I'm right handed. If you're a lefty you'll want a right oblique
Could you please list the inks used. In theory, could any regular nib be turned into an oblique?
As long as there is enough tipping material you can convert it to an oblique. I don't think you could make much of an oblique grind on a F or XF nib, especially a Japanese XF/F.
Inks: 007 - No idea | MB 146 is a mixed ink the owner of the pen did themselves, outside of those the rest used the Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue.
I'd like a comparison between an quite tall and narrow Architect nib and those obliques (o:
I can include that in my Pelikan 400 OBB review
@@Doodlebud That would be cool (o:
So off topic, but what is the brown ink in the Mont Blanc?
I've heard of obliques coming in 'left' and 'right'. Which where the ones you used. I print left handed which oblique would be the best for me? Left or right. Thanks,
If you're a lefty you buy a right oblique. Right handers buy left obliques
Is there a brand that offer a decent selection of left-handed oblique nibs? I'd love to have one.
Do a google search for left oblique nibs and you should find a few
What is the Ink in the Mont-Blanc?
It's a custom blend the owner put together
@@Doodlebud Blend is a fitting term, my first thought was ''Coffee Crema'' I could taste the color as the ink was laid down. If you ever do Ink recipes videos this one could be a nice one to share. It got me sidetracked from the Oblique nibs.
when your doing a nib grind arn't you lowering the nib quality because your removing the nib's tipping material (like on your lamy 2000 grind?)
You're not lowering the quality. You have to ensure you don't grind past the tipping is all. An EF nib isn't lower quality than B nib because it has less tipping. Grinding is just reshaping the tipping to a desired shape. Nibmeisters have 3month+ wait lists of people wanting them to grind their nibs. It's a really fun part of the hobby
I think Lamy stopped selling Obligque nibs :( -- You can get them ground from nibsmiths. My favorite is Kirk Spir. BTW you can get Obligque Right or Left foot grinds as well if you know your writing habbits -
In the UK my usual pen supplier offers the Lamy 2000 in Medium and Broad Oblique. Some other Lamy models likewise. They're "Left Oblique".
If you search around you can find them, just not as common. I want to get either a OB or OBB for my L2K
@Doodlebud I have the OM in Gold for my Safari and I love it. It's probably one of my best writers in the OM category.
Don't forget Lamy 27 OB
Can anyone ID the ink DB used in the Montegrappa writing sample?
I've always wanted to try an oblique nib, but now that I've corrected my writing to work with stub nibs I'm not sure it would be a good idea lol
Is there a proper way to write with a stub nib? I keep telling myself there must be, as every now and then I can get an effect I like…but not on purpose, and definitely not consistently. I can’t seem to find any video tutorials on the matter either. Help? 🙏
@tiffanybluetarot I've found that you basically have to keep the nib tines flat against the page. Any tilting and it will cause issues. Jowo stubs are easier to use than Bock as well since Bock stubs don't have any tipping material, making Jowo a little more forgiving.
I’m a lefty and write “upside down” so a pen like this would sadly not work for me, they write so bloody pretty
Use a reverse oblique grind that is made for left-handed people.
Yup, right obliques are for lefties. Not as many options out there unfortunately.
Actually I think that for lefties "over writers" as myself, this kind of Oblique nib (for right handed) would work. As opposed to the "under writers", who would need a right oblique.
Unless upside down means something else? @salemstrange2091?
Now I have to pay attention: am I rotating my nib?
the squeeky nib is called a singing nib 😂
These left obliques are suitable for hebrew, arab, japanese and chinese calligraphy. Right oblique is suitable for occidental calligraphy in a flat table. In an inclined table you will have better results with an italic or stub nib, preferably a italic that is more crisp than stubs.
For me left obliques are useless because I do not write hebrew. Right oblique could be usefull because I write a lot Italic, Uncial, Old English, Quadrata, Schwabaches, Fraktur, Sûtterlin and other styles; but, normally I can do them confortably with italic nib even on flat table. On inclined table italics are just the correct way to execute most of writing styles.
Pelikan discontinued their oblique nibs, and now O3B nibs for M800 are crazy expensive on the second hand market :(
SORRY TO SAY THIS, BUT SOME OF THE WRITING LOOKS LIKE IT WAS DONE WITH AN ARCHITECT NIB.
NICE INFORMATIVE VIDEO BTW, I'M ONE OF THOSE WHO ROTATE THEIR STUBS HAHA, BUT I HAVE NO PROBLEM DOING THAT ;)
THAT IS THE FUN THING ABOUT OBLIQUES. DEPENDING UPON THE NIB ROTATION & HAND ANGLE IT CAN WRITE LIKE A STUB OR ARCHITECT AND IT'S EASY TO SWITCH BETWEEN. AND IT'S GREAT FOR WRITING IN ALL CAPS WHICH SEEMS TO BE YOUR STYLE....
@@DoodlebudTHANKS FOR UR REPLY DOODLEBUD
I was with you until you said “rotate back”. Do you mean make the angle more shallow?
If you hold a regular nibbed pen the logo on the nib is usually pointing straight up or rotated slightly towards you. With the oblique you rotate the pen back so the logo on a nib is more towards you. Since the nib is ground at an angle you need to have it so the full edge of the nib is in contact with the page. This is done by rotating the pen in the hand.
@@Doodlebud thanks so much for that! That’s really helpful. Sometimes I write and it’s smooth as butter. Sometimes there’s a tiny bit of scratching and sometimes downstrokes won’t register. I’m presuming because of what you described above. I’ll try your suggestion!
Thanks again.
you take an OB pen,start to write - not writing - not for you - easy simple