Namiki Falcon scratchy

Just bought a Namiki Falcon Fine, and "flexible" of course. Despite
all I have seen on the Web that the Falcon fine nibs are supposed to
be smooth, mine is very scratchy---it emits a scratchy sound and feels
scratchy. But I really like the variable width of the stroke.

I sent it back to the seller and she said the other fine nibs are the
same. She suggests that I change to a medium.

Anyone with experience on Falcon---is your fine nib scratchy? Does the
medium flex well??

Thanks

ABC

Hello, I have a fine and a medium nibbed Falcon.
The fine is "noisy" as it writes, the medium is basically silent.
These are the most affordable modern flexible pens available, I think.
Enjoy the feedback the fine nib gives you as you write.
Hugh

I have a Namiki Falcon in SF (see the thread "Would a Namiki Falcon work for
me?"). It does emit a slightly scratchy sound and sends some resistance back
to the hand, but I find it more charming than irritating. To me, it has the
feel of an old fashioned dip pen in some respects. I do not know, but would
assume, that a wider nib would be smoother and perhaps more to your liking.
Perhaps someone else out there has some experience with the medium or broad
Falcon nib that they would share.

Gordon Mattingly

"ABC" wrote in message
...
Just bought a Namiki Falcon Fine, and "flexible" of course. Despite
all I have seen on the Web that the Falcon fine nibs are supposed to
be smooth, mine is very scratchy---it emits a scratchy sound and feels
scratchy. But I really like the variable width of the stroke.

I sent it back to the seller and she said the other fine nibs are the
same. She suggests that I change to a medium.

Are you wanting a more silent pen? If that's your primary desire then, yes,
by all means, switch to a medium.

Anyone with experience on Falcon---is your fine nib scratchy? Does the
medium flex well??

It sounds like you didn't understand terminology. A scratchy pen damages the
paper - my two fines don't do that. However, they write audibly which
"scritch-scritch-scritch" sounds really good to me. My two mediums are
practically silent, a different sensory experience, and don't flex quite as
nicely as my fines, IMO. I don't like that broad of a line anyway, so have
one rinsed out and stored and use the other rarely. The fines, OTOH, are
among, if not, my most favorite pens. So much so, that I brought them with
me on my current road trip and rinsed out the other medium and left it at
home.

You're going to have to decide which aspects are more important to you. The
beauty of the fine nib's line? The silence with the medium's broader line?
You can have a noisier fine or a silent medium, but aren't likely to get a
silent fine, AFAIK.

You might also try different writing papers and inks if the sound bothers
you that much because the possible combinations of pen-ink-paper also affect
the sensory experience. One of my fine Falcons did better with one brand of
ink while the other fine did better with another brand ("better" being
entirely subjective, of course).

HTH.

--
~~Bluesea~~
Spam is great in musubi but not in email.
Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply.

On Tue, 30 Jan 2007 19:03:34 -0800, "Bluesea"
wrotd:

It sounds like you didn't understand terminology. A scratchy pen damages the
paper - my two fines don't do that. However, they write audibly which
"scritch-scritch-scritch" sounds really good to me. My two mediums are
practically silent, a different sensory experience, and don't flex quite as
nicely as my fines,

By "scratchy", I only refer to the sound and the feel, i.e.the nib was
not sliding on the paper. The Falcon did not damage any paper.

So, there is really no fine nib that can slide on paper smoothly? If
that is the case, I will have to switch to medium. But I seem to have
seen somewhere that the Falcon medium does not give quite the same
variation in the stroke width.

Any input appreciated.

ABC

"ABC" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 30 Jan 2007 19:03:34 -0800, "Bluesea"
wrotd:

It sounds like you didn't understand terminology. A scratchy pen damages
the
paper - my two fines don't do that. However, they write audibly which
"scritch-scritch-scritch" sounds really good to me. My two mediums are
practically silent, a different sensory experience, and don't flex quite
as
nicely as my fines,

By "scratchy", I only refer to the sound and the feel, i.e.the nib was
not sliding on the paper. The Falcon did not damage any paper.

So, there is really no fine nib that can slide on paper smoothly? If
that is the case, I will have to switch to medium. But I seem to have
seen somewhere that the Falcon medium does not give quite the same
variation in the stroke width.

Any input appreciated.

ABC

It's called tooth and the finer the nib the more likely it is.
The tooth on my first vintage drove me away until I felt compelled to use
it to justify the price I had paid on ebay. Within a month's time it had
become my
favorite pen, after the toothiness had taught me how to write with it.

An fp needs no pressure to write, just contact, so you may try lightening
up to
see if that makes a difference. Secondly the angle of contact may make a
difference,
as well as the rotation of the nib.

Pens are personal and you'll have to decide for yourself.

"ABC" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 30 Jan 2007 19:03:34 -0800, "Bluesea"
wrotd:

It sounds like you didn't understand terminology. A scratchy pen damages
the
paper - my two fines don't do that. However, they write audibly which
"scritch-scritch-scritch" sounds really good to me. My two mediums are
practically silent, a different sensory experience, and don't flex quite
as
nicely as my fines,

By "scratchy", I only refer to the sound and the feel, i.e.the nib was
not sliding on the paper. The Falcon did not damage any paper.

Then, the term you want is "bite."

So, there is really no fine nib that can slide on paper smoothly?

Not as smoothly as the same pen with a broader nib. Same goes for medium;
broad nibs are typically more so by comparison just as mediums are to fines.
If you jump from a fine nib to a broad nib...HOLY COW!

If that is the case, I will have to switch to medium.

It's all a matter of personal preference.

But I seem to have
seen somewhere that the Falcon medium does not give quite the same
variation in the stroke width.

I found this to be true for me, also.

Any input appreciated.

Did you buy your Falcon from a local store where you can go and test a
medium? If so, take a few sheets of the paper you use the most and, maybe
your ink. You or the sales person will dip the nib, not fill it, unless the
store already has one filled as a demo.

--
~~Bluesea~~
Spam is great in musubi but not in email.
Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply.

"JP" wrote in message
news53wh.3593$li4.25@trndny08...

On Tue, 30 Jan 2007 19:03:34 -0800, "Bluesea"
wrotd:

It sounds like you didn't understand terminology. A scratchy pen damages
the
paper - my two fines don't do that. However, they write audibly which
"scritch-scritch-scritch" sounds really good to me. My two mediums are
practically silent, a different sensory experience, and don't flex quite
as
nicely as my fines,

It's called tooth

Err...sorry, no. "Tooth" applies to paper. "Bite" applies to nibs.

and the finer the nib the more likely it is.

Yes.

An fp needs no pressure to write, just contact, so you may try lightening
up to
see if that makes a difference. Secondly the angle of contact may make a
difference,
as well as the rotation of the nib.

Excellent suggestion.

Pens are personal and you'll have to decide for yourself.

Yes. I'm glad yours worked out for you.

--
~~Bluesea~~
Spam is great in musubi but not in email.
Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply.

"Bluesea" wrote in message
...

Did you buy your Falcon from a local store where you can go and test a
medium? If so, take a few sheets of the paper you use the most and, maybe
your ink. You or the sales person will dip the nib, not fill it, unless
the store already has one filled as a demo.

Sorry, I forgot that you "sent" it back to the seller. You might ask if
she's willing to let you try a medium and return it if you don't like it.
Assure her that you'll only dip the nib and won't fill the pen and stick to
your promise (after testing, rinse the nib with plain water and wick dry
before returning, if you don't want to keep it).

Otherwise...hmm...

I perceive that you're between a rock and a hard place. All I can do at this
point is say, "Try the suggestions already posted." After that, you need to
figure out what is most important to you.

Or buy a second Falcon with a medium nib so that you may go from one to the
other at will?

--
~~Bluesea~~
Spam is great in musubi but not in email.
Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply.

"Bluesea" wrote:

[...] "Tooth" applies to paper. "Bite" applies to nibs.

It would seem that even experts use "tooth" when speaking of nibs -
as well as of paper.

| *tooth* The microscopic surface roughness of a nib's tip that
| allows ink to cling to the tip. A tip lapped to perfect
| smoothness will not write.

http://www.richardspens.com/?page=ref_info/glossary/T.htm

| *tooth* This is the slightly rough texture on the surface of
| paper that provides a degree of friction. It is desirable when
| one is working with charcoal or pastel. Fountain pen users are
| recommended to avoid papers with tooth.

http://www.richardspens.com/?page=ref_info/papergloss/T.htm

| Writing with a stylo is a bit like using a wet rollerball, with
| a bit more tooth but without any need to press down on the
| paper.

http://www.vintagepens.com/stylos.shtml

| A little scratchiness, or "tooth" on an extra-fine flexible nib
| should be acceptable.

http://nibs.com/newsletter/newsletter1.1/VintageFlex.html

--
Steve

My e-mail address works as is.