I have always liked a big, wet, soft nib. Give me a huge double broad monster any day. I want ink on the paper.
That’s all well and good if one is typing a letter and adding a flowery signature. However, if one is actually writing the letter longhand, then such a firehose of a nib brings challenges.
- Big nib, big writing. A page of a letter becomes ten lines of four words, and the finished page needs to be treated like dynamite, lest it smudge.
- Bleed through: Most paper will struggle with wet big nibs, meaning that I write on one side only, or use Tomoe River paper or similar. That, of course, means waiting an age for the ink to dry.
All in all, big nibs are great fun, but they are not necessarily the right tool for every job. They are impractical.
I have compromised, and do own several medium nibs. Better. -Ish.
I recently purchased a couple of notebooks from Paper Republic, including their fountain pen friendly refills. These are to be my #edc notebooks. Ones that I have with me, out and about. The Paper Republic pen loop demands a thin barrel, and my thin-barrelled pen is a Montblanc Heritage Rouge et Noir, with a stub nib - not ideal for a quick note.
As a boy, my writing was tiny. Neat script that filled the page. Not particularly stylish, but compact and legible (at least from close up). My writing with big nibs is messy and inconsistent.
I need to try fine nibs.
A friend had mentioned Tom Hessin to me. Perhaps they might have something?
Enter the Garrison Green fountain pen. Is that a sneaky Peaky Blinders reference? It might just be.
What they say:
“Writing in a Modern Age is the Ultimate Rebellion
The Rebel Garrison Green Fountain Pen captures the strength and style of Birmingham’s industrial roots, with a candescent military-inspired finish that makes a subtle yet striking statement. Smart, confident, and effortlessly cool.
Backed by a two-year mechanical warranty, the Tom Hessin Rebel Collection is designed to elevate your writing and your style.”
I got the Extra Fine.
The working end is a JoWo number five. Good, solid, steel nibs. There’s a tiny bit of give - but essentially the nib is like a fork tine. It’s great. Absolutely spot on for the intended purpose. It is quite fine - whether a true “extra”, I couldn’t tell you, but I suspect some might find it a mite chunkier than extra fine. I’m delighted to find it does feel smooth and wet, not scratchy at all. A great writer.
The barrel and cap are, as the description says, cool. The closure is magnetic, providing a satisfying thunk like chambering a round in a Lee Enfield 303. Blimey! Where did that come from? Suddenly I’m Siegfried Sassoon. The power of marketing eh?
Unposted, the pen is “Steinbeck”, the end resting on the hammock of skin between thumb and forefinger. (Technically, the hammock is called the purlicue, but who carries that word around in their head?) Posted, there is of course more weight at the back, but it’s not dissatisfying either. I’m not sure what my preference will be with this pen.
It came a converter and a standard short cartridge, which is what I loaded. I suspect the pen is made and assembled in the Far East somewhere, having been designed in good old Blighty. Shopping from the EU the pen ships at 55 Euro, which is a bargain by any standard.
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