The Aurora nibs are coupled with ebonite feeds, and were on these really pretty pen bodies! The nibs themselves are not labeled, but the underside of the feeds are. The nibs are very pretty - in this case, all are solid 14kt gold nibs, rhodium-plated. Top to bottom: fine, medium, broad, italic, and stub. More details below!
FINE
The fine nib was a solid, reliable performer, just like all the other nibs tested here. To my eyes, it wrote a little finer than the average Western fine nib (ie. a German Pelikan fine nib) would. It was not too wet, drying times were on the faster side, and it offered a little bit of line variation with some pressure. However, it was a firm nib overall, so don't expect much in the way of bounce of a yielding, cushioned feeling. It offered a fair amount of feedback but did not feel scratchy or unpleasant to me.
MEDIUM
The medium nib was also a solid, reliable performer. It also looked a little finer than the average Western medium nib. It seemed a bit more wet than the fine, but that's not surprising. Drying times were average, and it offered a little bit of line variation with some pressure. However, it was a firm nib overall, so don't expect much in the way of bounce of a yielding, cushioned feeling. It offered a fair amount of feedback but did not feel scratchy or unpleasant to me.
BROAD
The broad nib looked like it wrote a medium. This is the second broad Aurora nib I have used that felt fine and dry. It wrote well, it was just not the kind of broad I like, which is juicy, wet, and soft. It felt dry, drying times were fast, and it was also a firm nib with just a touch of line variation. Not my favorite of the bunch so far. It offered a fair amount of feedback as well.
ITALIC
As I said in my Aurora Optima + Italic nib review - the italic nib is a wet writer and it's no different here. Definitely on the juicy side with longer than average drying times as a result. There is some feedback, but it does not feel scratchy, it's just that Aurora feedback. It's not a super smooth writer, but it's properly aligned and tuned, so it writes well. No skips, no hard starts. Without any pressure, the nib writes with the weight of the pen. Adding a small amount of pressure adds a little more line variation to the wide down strokes, and offers a touch more shading of your ink, however, it won't last too long. Believe it or not, this italic works quite well for reverse writing, although it's still wide! It is quite smooth with the same line variation as with regular writing, but it's a little less wet. The italic nib produces wide downstrokes and clean, crisp cross strokes without feeling sharp. This italic is forgiving in that it doesn't cut into the paper as I write, but line variation is precise and crisp enough to give you a fun and functional nib.
STUB
I am torn between the italic and stub nib. I don't know which is my favorite! The stub was a little more dry than the italic and could not be used for reverse writing, but it's a little wider and is surprisingly smooth. So far, my experience with Aurora stub nibs has been very pleasant and this one is quite enjoyable. With no pressure, it was on the firm side, and it offered a little line variation with pressure. It performed well - no skipping or hard starting, but if the nib is misaligned, it can skip. It's a lovely writer with some very nice line variation.
COMPARISONS
Fine, Medium
Broad
Stub
Stub, Italic
I love the stub for writing, and I love the italic for calligraphy practice as it is not too wide, it's juicy enough to offer some ink shading, and it is forgiving enough to not cut into the paper as I learn.
Which one would you pick?
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