Nibs: The CONDOR, a Nib for Brushwork

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Not all calligraphers use nibs.

In some cultures, the standard writing instrument for calligraphy is a brush. For those of us who would like to simulate brush calligraphy with a fountain pen, there is a nib especially designed for this purpose. Master nib designer Nobuyoshi Nagahara invented it, and I have adapted it to my own style. Like my ItaliFine, this nib is a two-sided design. Held normally, it has an ordinary fine point; and when you flip it over so that the nib’s upper surface faces downward toward the paper, it draws a stroke similar to what you might get with a brush, even including the characteristic fei pai, or “flying white” where the brush skips. Here is an example of its writing:

To do this, a nib needs to be shaped with its tip in a “drooped” position so that a long surface contacts the paper when the nib is flipped. The Pelikan M800 nib shown here illustrates the design.

Names and Places

Sailor, the Japanese pen company for which Nagahara-san designed his nib, calls his creation the Concord nib. Not wanting to call my version the same thing, I polled a group of pen collectors and users, who offered many suggestions. Of these, the most appealing was Raptor, in recognition of the nib’s resemblance to the bill of a predatory bird such as the eagle. I had decided to go with this visually appealing name when one more suggestion arrived.

From a longtime client and friend, I received an email message that included a link to a page describing a legend of the Quechua people of the Andes, who are believed to be the direct descendants of the Incas. As explained by the Old Man of Machu Picchu, this is a “teaser” for the legend:

We Inkan people have a prophecy that when the Eagle of the North joins with the Condor of the South when the Inti Stone casts no shadow, then is the time to reveal the Teachings held secret by the Inkas for the last 500 years.

Upon reading the legend itself, I decided to name my nib in honor of this beautiful ancient American tradition: not for the Eagle, but for the Andean Condor, the largest flying bird in the Western Hemishpere:

Off and Flying!

The first CONDOR, made from a Pelikan M200 nib, went to the client who had asked if it was possible. The client was pleased enough to order a second CONDOR, and I have added this excitingly different nib to the range of specialty nibs I can create.

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