About nine months ago, I reviewed the Wacom Bamboo Stylus duo for iPad. It remains one of two favorite styluses for the iPad, and I use it almost every day. (The other one that I really like is the Adonit Jot Pro.) One of the best parts about it is the tip, the "nib" of the stylus. It feels great against the iPad screen and is a little smaller than traditional stylus tips, which makes it a little more precise.
About a month ago, West Virgina attorney Roger Lambert asked if I had tried out Wacom's new firm replacement nibs, posting the following comment on this website:
Have you tried the new firm replacement nibs for the bamboo stylus? I think that they might be the perfect solution to the mushy/durability problem people have been complaining about. In my opinion, the firm nib feels more like a real pen when writing than the soft nib that comes with the bamboo. I've seen some reviews saying that the firm nibs are not as responsive when using the stylus to tap icons, but I have not had this problem and am, in fact, typing this post on my iPad mini with the firm nib.
On February 12, 2013, Amazon was selling them for $10.58. (I see that the price has now dropped to $8.08. Who knows why.) They come in a pack of three nibs. So I decided to buy a set of three firm replacement nibs to try them out, and over the last two weeks I've been going back and forth between the original nibs and the firm nibs.
The nibs look exactly the same. You can only tell the difference by touching the top. The original nib gives more easily. The firm nib is more... well, more firm. In the following pictures, the original nib is on the left, the firm nib on the right:
Lambert is correct — the firm nib is less mushy that the standard tip. With the firm nib, you have to push down a little bit harder for the stylus to work. When I am writing in a program like GoodNotes I find that I feel like my writing is slightly more precise as a result of my exerting more effort into writing. However, the need to push extra hard makes my hand a little more tired when using the firm nib, and I also find that it slows down my writing. Also, when I want to tap on a button on the screen, I often find that the button doesn't respond when I am using the firm nib, so I have to go back and push down harder.
It may just be that I am too used to the feel of the traditional nib. Perhaps if I had started with this firm nib I'd be used to the need to apply extra pressure. But switching back and forth between the original nib and the firm nib, I always find myself preferring the original nib.
Lambert also mentions the "durability problem." I had heard about this and noted the rumors that nibs are fragile in my original Wacom stylus review. And it must be true that nibs crack for some people because Wacom sells replacement nibs. But in my own experience, after nine months of regular use, I've haven't yet seen any problem with the original nib that came with my Wacom Stylus duo. Indeed, I purchased replacement nibs nine months ago just in case I needed them, and now I'm not quite sure where I stored them — which means that when the time comes that I do need them, I'll need to go hunting in my office.
If you like the Wacom Bamboo Stylus but find the tip too mushy, follow the advice of Lambert and buy the firm replacement nibs. But I prefer the feel of the original nibs, and now that this review is written, I'm removing the firm nib and storing it in my desk. (And, in nine months, I'll probably forget where I put them. Note to self: top drawer, left side, in the back.)
Click here to get Wacom Bamboo Stylus Firm Replacement nibs from Amazon ($8.08)
