The no nonsense is a utilitarian pen that has been around the industry for some time and still can be found in stores marketed as a calligraphy set. I found it in a shoebox full of vintage pens at a yard sale, the nib had more feedback than I hoped so I thought to use it for custom nib grinding.
Model: No Nonsense
Year: 1970's
Nib: Steel Medium (Arch grind)
Colour: Brown
Appearance & Design
There's nothing that stands out about it’s design. It is functional, practical, and simple. Not very pretty but I can appreciate the approach. It appears to be inspired from the classic flat-top styles of early fountain pens. One can also appreciate the variety of colours and patterns that this pen made possible with the design flexibility.
Construction & Quality
The pen is rugged, the plastic is thick where it should be and is of a quality that could be dropped without worrying about it breaking. The parts all fit nicely together and apart from the sharpness of the threads there is not a seam that I could find. The end of the barrel shows signs of mass production but it doesn't take away from the design.
The pen material is plastic and light. It's diameter is a little thicker than typical mid size pens. When posted the pen has a good weight to it. The threads are a little sharp for my liking though, which make it a challenge for me to shift my grip along the section. The form factor is comfortable for long sessions and would be fine for mid to larger hands.
Nib & Performance
The nib unit features a steel nib and has many options. The entire section can be taken from one no nonsense and used in another opening up many colour and pattern options for a preferred nib. The ink flow is on the wet side and I had ground the nib to an architectural/Arabic style. I have been experimenting with custom nib grinding and eventually moved up to this pen. The original medium nib was the thickness I expected but not as smooth as I had hoped. The units are easy to find so I had no issues donating it to the cause. These nibs are not easily removed without compromising the integrity of the unit. I do not recommend doing so.
This pen is a cartridge / converter type system, the Sheaffer converter isn't overly large so ink capacity is on the low side (0.6 ml). The No Nonsense can be converted to an eyedropper if you so desire. This nib unit can be flushed with ease using a bulb syringe.
Cost & Value
This Sheaffer is not very expensive at all considering the amount of nib units available and colour options to choose from. The no nonsense offers a wide range of choice when considering buying this pen.
Variety, availability, and practicality is what this pen offers. There may be a place for it in your collection too.
No comments:
Post a Comment