comparing my fude fountain pens

On my previous post, I was asked how my new Lamy modified fude nib compares to other fude pens I have used. I’m rewriting my answer as a new post in case anyone else is curious about this.

My first fude nib pen was a Hero M86, a gift from my dear friend Kate (Cathy Johnson). The nib is wonderful to draw with, but the body of the pen is not balanced very well, clumsy to hold. Kate used this nib in her “Frankenpen”, modifying a Noodler’s Creaper with this nib. I’ve tried the same with my Creaper but I’ve never been crazy about the Noodler’s filling mechanism.

Next I tried a Sailor Fude de Mannen. It feels awkward in my hand and when I try to make the widest line, the feed makes an extra underline below my line. Tipping the pen for the finest line seems awkward as well.

Larry D. Marshall suggested I try a Duke 209 pen and I LOVE how this one performs! But it’s a metal barrel which seems to slip through my fingers. That’s why I prefer Lamy Safari pens over their higher priced pens — the plastic barrel is easier to maintain my grip.

This new Lamy fude modification is easy for me to hold and performs as well as the Duke. When I want a very fine line, tipping my hand feels very natural and I can smoothly transition to a wide line without awkwardness.