Looking for a wide nib pen?

Hello all. As a stocking stuffer this year I received a Pilot Metropolitan Collection Fountain Pen.
My penmanship is so bad it's the stuff of legend so I thought perhaps I could use this as an opportunity to improve my handwriting.
I was disappointed to see that the lines are not noticeably wider at any point like I see i many handwriting samples. So for instance if I draw a circle it's the same wide all the way around or very close to it instead of fat on 2 sides.
The pen says it has a medium nib so I assume I want something much wider and I think "broad" is the term unless I go for a calligraphy pen which I don't think I really want.

Can someone please suggest an inexpensive pen that would allow me to write and see both thin and fat lines?
Inexpensive in this case would mean around $25 but preferably less.
I hope my question is clear.

It could be bad technique but the pen only seems to write when I hold it one way which I believe is the correct way.

Good question:

So first off - Fountain pens are just pens. I mean, way more interesting writing experience and tons of inks and combos and feels and feedbacks, but they'll write similar to most pens you've used. The line variation comes from specific nib types

Nibs: EF, F, M, B are Extra fine to Broad nibs, they tend to come to a point with the smaller nibs coming to a finer point (usually still have tipping, the roundness just at the end). However - Italic or Stub nibs will be much larger. They look flat at the end (usually 1-1.5mm). With an italic nib you'll get wide vertical strokes and thin horizontal strokes. It'll give you a more calligraphy styled handwriting (wider is more exaggerated). Flex nibs, on the other hand, come to a point but spread a lot at the tines depending on how much pressure you use. This requires slower writing, but can give you a true shot at calligraphy.

That being said, I think Italic nibs give the coolest looking handwriting, but will require you to write a bit bigger. Writing with a flex nib can be artsy, but it's intentional art (at least in my experience). I haven't look for an Italic in a while, but I'm sure you can find a #6 (it's a common size) italic nib (maybe goulet?) and swap it for another #6 in a cheapish pen. The Jinhao x750 is a pretty cheap pen that has a #6 nib (I just swapped the Jinhao nib for a flex nib for fun this weekend).

I'm not sure of many Lower cost pens that have italic nibs, but some may.

Pilot Plumix https://www.gouletpens.com/pilot-plumix/c/226
Pilot Metropolitan 1.o stub https://www.gouletpens.com/pilot-metropolitan-fountain-pen-retro-pop-orange-stub/p/PN91412

Lami Safari and Kaweco Sport have italic nibs available as well.

Didn't realize the metro came with a stub! Nice, 1.0mm would be perfect!

Doc4 said:

Pilot Metropolitan 1.o stub https://www.gouletpens.com/pilot-metropolitan-fountain-pen-retro-pop-orange-stub/p/PN91412

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Thank you both for the replies.
The Pilot Metropolitan looks to be exactly what I was looking for.

Dirk X said:

I was disappointed to see that the lines are not noticeably wider at any point like I see i many handwriting samples. So for instance if I draw a circle it's the same wide all the way around or very close to it instead of fat on 2 sides.
The pen says it has a medium nib so I assume I want something much wider

Click to expand...

Are you sure you want something broader? Or do you want more line variation (circles that aren't the same thickness all the way around)? Pilot makes a medium italic nib that would give you the same width you are getting with your medium Metropolitan but also give you more line variation. I don't know if they make that nib for the Metropolitan, but they make it for the Prera, which is not that much more expensive. Jetpens.com has the Pilot Prera in a medium italic for $28.

To be honest I don't know what I want. This is all very new to me. I do know that if I'm going to dedicate some time to improving my handwriting I want to see the nice lettering that has line width variation. Otherwise I would just practice with a ball point.
That link provided to Goulet Pens has helped me understand a some of the differences but I've only just begun.

I ordered a 1.0MM stub as suggested by Doc4 because it was fairly inexpensive, uses the same cartridges I already have and it appears to offer the variation I desire. With any luck that will satisfy me until I can decide if I want to pursue this further.

Doc4 said:

Pilot Plumix https://www.gouletpens.com/pilot-plumix/c/226
Pilot Metropolitan 1.o stub https://www.gouletpens.com/pilot-metropolitan-fountain-pen-retro-pop-orange-stub/p/PN91412

Click to expand...

I would think the Metropolitan 1.0 stub would be perfect for your request.

Dirk X said:

I ordered a 1.0MM stub as suggested by Doc4 because it was fairly inexpensive, uses the same cartridges I already have and it appears to offer the variation I desire. With any luck that will satisfy me until I can decide if I want to pursue this further.

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Good choice ..... this will be an inexpensive way to figure out what you may be looking for or not.

If you are brand new to fountain pens, stay with round (standard) nibs for awhile. What you want to do is improve your handwriting first. How? Write. Just write. A lot. Try a stub nib later on.

Another thing to consider - a Medium nib from a Japanese maker (Pilot, Platinum, Sailor etc) will be almost a full width NARROWER than a Medium nib from a western nib (Pelikan, Parker, Waterman, etc) Oh, and there is only a standard within a single manufacturer. A medium Pilot will be different than a medium Platinum - at least a little. A Pilot or Platinum Broad will be similar to a Medium from a Western company.

Dirk X said:

Hello all. As a stocking stuffer this year I received a Pilot Metropolitan Collection Fountain Pen.
My penmanship is so bad it's the stuff of legend so I thought perhaps I could use this as an opportunity to improve my handwriting.
I was disappointed to see that the lines are not noticeably wider at any point like I see i many handwriting samples. So for instance if I draw a circle it's the same wide all the way around or very close to it instead of fat on 2 sides.
The pen says it has a medium nib so I assume I want something much wider and I think "broad" is the term unless I go for a calligraphy pen which I don't think I really want.

Can someone please suggest an inexpensive pen that would allow me to write and see both thin and fat lines?
Inexpensive in this case would mean around $25 but preferably less.
I hope my question is clear.

It could be bad technique but the pen only seems to write when I hold it one way which I believe is the correct way.

Click to expand...

as everyone has said a stub is the best bet, but to get good line variations it does take practice. get confident with the supplied nib, then go for the stub. fountain pens have a sweet spot to write with and you have to train yourself to adjust the pen as you write. goulet has nibs, pick up a stub and maybe another round tip, they can get addicting. so look out.

buy a lamy safari with a EF nib and buy an additional 1.5 stub nib.

Nemosine has a .6 and .8 stub. The singularity is only a $20 pen. I like mine a lot. Replacement nibs can also be purchased separately. Worth a look.

Yeah thats basically what I did as well. Instead of buying new pens that subsequently i wouldnt use, I just got a few extra nibs from Goulet and tested them out. I find that I very much enjoy using a 1.1 stub in my Monteverde Intima.

+1 on Nemosine Singularity. Really like their stub nibs and they will accept any #6 nib. Knoxx brand nibs are very economical and come in a variety of styles.

I received the Pilot Metropolitan 1.0MM Stub and now I see the line variation that I wanted. So it was worth the purchase and it's not much harder to work with. I do get the pen going dry while writing from time to time because I have allowed it to slightly rotate. It's a little pickier than the round point but easy enough to keep using. Practice, practice, practice.

I've already starting making wish lists for a Monteverde Invincia and various inks and paper.
I can see this easily getting out of control in a hurry...

My thanks to all for your help and advice.

Dirk X said:

I received the Pilot Metropolitan 1.0MM Stub and now I see the line variation that I wanted. So it was worth the purchase and it's not much harder to work with. I do get the pen going dry while writing from time to time because I have allowed it to slightly rotate. It's a little pickier than the round point but easy enough to keep using. Practice, practice, practice.

I've already starting making wish lists for a Monteverde Invincia and various inks and paper.
I can see this easily getting out of control in a hurry...

My thanks to all for your help and advice.

Click to expand...

out of control? That's exactly what we were aiming for...