An interesting new acquisition

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The Japanese pen makers, principally Pilot and Platinum, have, from time to time, come up with some novel nib solutions.

As one who likes a bit of line variation in a fountain pen, either through nib form (stub, italic, oblique etc.) or nib flex, I'm always on the lookout for a pen that offers this.

My new acquisition is a Pilot Justus, with Medium nib. This has the ability to vary the hardness or softness of the nib, and thus the ink flow and line variation, by means of a collar on the section, which rotates from H(ard) to S(oft). This in turn moves a part of the 14K gold nib which alters the way the nib works. It's a converter or cartridge pen, but the converter is the push-button CON-70 model, with plenty of capacity.

In use, with a wet Pilot Iroshizuku ink, it gives good line variation, more semi-flex than real flex, but does so without pushing the nib too hard. It's also a nice long pen to handle, at a capped length of 6" or 150mm.

exIMG_1018.jpg
 
That's a nice looking pen and a very interesting concept.
It certainly is that, and the cap and body are guilloche, which adds to the look of it. It's a bit of a consolation prize, from me to me. I knackered my writing wrist (on my birthday, as it happens), and it's taken some time to get back to near-rights. A new pen seemed just the thing to practice with, and more fun than finger-waggling and similar exercises, although my handwriting still has a bit of an unusual "chicken-track" look.
 
Now I've studied it a little more, the nib etc. is a clever idea. Very basically, the gold nib is quite soft, and the slit goes all the way back to the section. Over the top of the nib is a smaller gold "pseudo-nib", which slides back and forth, with the turning of the collar on the section. When this does so, it exposes more or less of the slit in the nib below. The effect then is to allow the nib tines to open and spread further in the "S(oft)" when more of the slit is exposed, and vice versa for the "H(ard)"; the more open, the greater line variation possible if pressure is applied, and a wetter flow, and, again, the reverse when the opening is restricted.
 
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