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writtenworlds
December 24th, 2013, 09:05 PM
Greetings everyone! I discovered something very fun about nib smoothing today. If you over-smooth a nib, it can basically turn it into a felt-tip marker where it just gushes ink. Oh well. Merry Christmas!

SFKenk
December 24th, 2013, 10:31 PM
I hope it was a suitable nib for the discovery process. I have quite a few third tier pens that are now very respectable writers!

WirsPlm
December 26th, 2013, 02:59 PM
Greetings everyone! I discovered something very fun about nib smoothing today. If you over-smooth a nib, it can basically turn it into a felt-tip marker where it just gushes ink. Oh well. Merry Christmas!

Ah, beginning nib smoothing, fun times. I ruined 3 pens (one pen was just bad, one pen I didn't know what I was doing, and one would have been fine with another ink) before figuring out how to actually get good results. One potential way to recover is to clip off the bad tip in a straight line and use the pen as an italic (smooth the edges into a stub), since there's nothing left to lose.

AnnieB
December 30th, 2013, 03:17 PM
I have an old 'Unique Junior' that someone (not I) literally clipped the ends off to try to turn it into an italic nib :jester:... I figure since there's nothing to lose at this point, I'll try to smooth it out. Use it as a learning experience ^^

Glad it wasn't a terribly expensive learning curve :)

KrazyIvan
January 2nd, 2014, 06:50 PM
I have an old 'Unique Junior' that someone (not I) literally clipped the ends off to try to turn it into an italic nib :jester:... I figure since there's nothing to lose at this point, I'll try to smooth it out. Use it as a learning experience ^^

Glad it wasn't a terribly expensive learning curve :)

That sounds like someone watched a SBRE Brown video. While I am not totally against the idea as some grinding methods basically achieve the same thing I cannot bring myself to clip a nib like that. I have no qualms in using a rotary tool instead. :crazy_pilot:

pajaro
January 3rd, 2014, 05:44 AM
Rather than using a rotary tool, you might be better served by buying some small, fine files meant for hobby detail work. I used one of these files to file a Parker Sonnet gold plated steel oblique into a straight italic, removing the oblique cut. Using the small detail file and smoothing stuff I have made this useless nib into a very nice stub, working with the tipping. Used upside down the nib is more like a cursive italic. I did smooth out the edges.

AndyT
January 3rd, 2014, 07:39 AM
... I cannot bring myself to clip a nib like that.

I've done it once - it's quite therapeutic, actually. Turned a horrible pen into a horrible but interesting one. I hasten to add that the offending writing instrument cost me £0.50 brand new.

Sailor Kenshin
January 3rd, 2014, 08:30 AM
I have an old 'Unique Junior' that someone (not I) literally clipped the ends off to try to turn it into an italic nib :jester:... I figure since there's nothing to lose at this point, I'll try to smooth it out. Use it as a learning experience ^^

Glad it wasn't a terribly expensive learning curve :)

That sounds like someone watched a SBRE Brown video. While I am not totally against the idea as some grinding methods basically achieve the same thing I cannot bring myself to clip a nib like that. I have no qualms in using a rotary tool instead. :crazy_pilot:

I did it before SB did. Found at an estate sale (for one dollar!) a no-name, chewed-on green lever-filler, and clipped it with a nail clipper, then smoothed it with nail tools. It worked so well I eventually tried it on a couple of five-dollar Stypens, one of which I cut to a nice oblique.

I do not suggest trying this on anything that cost more than five bucks, though. ;)

KrazyIvan
January 3rd, 2014, 10:32 AM
Rather than using a rotary tool, you might be better served by buying some small, fine files meant for hobby detail work. I used one of these files to file a Parker Sonnet gold plated steel oblique into a straight italic, removing the oblique cut. Using the small detail file and smoothing stuff I have made this useless nib into a very nice stub, working with the tipping. Used upside down the nib is more like a cursive italic. I did smooth out the edges.

Been there done that too but nothing has been as satisfying as a rotary tool. I am not the self proclaimed Fountain Pen Sith Lord for nothing. I know my methods in the dark arts are frowned upon by the Jedi Nib Masters. Soon, the Fountain Pen Sith's will rule the internets! http://www.millan.net/minimations/smileys/vader.gif

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8088/8522240562_0ecc7b052b_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivan_romero/8522240562/)
I have never ground a nib this fast. 5 mins flat. Writing sample next. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivan_romero/8522240562/) by IvanRomero (http://www.flickr.com/people/ivan_romero/), on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8233/8522283488_82231d7883_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivan_romero/8522283488/)
Nib on the right is stock, nib on the left is my freshly ground stub. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivan_romero/8522283488/) by IvanRomero (http://www.flickr.com/people/ivan_romero/), on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8397/8615573244_b57e205344_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivan_romero/8615573244/)
The thing is that quality time = nib grinding. An extra fine stub in the works. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivan_romero/8615573244/) by IvanRomero (http://www.flickr.com/people/ivan_romero/), on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8394/8685490530_4aed57fb80_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivan_romero/8685490530/)
The next nib grind. Platinum Glamour that has a chip on the right tine. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivan_romero/8685490530/) by IvanRomero (http://www.flickr.com/people/ivan_romero/), on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8265/8686418821_b3c7d78e3e_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivan_romero/8686418821/)
Platinum Glamour with the chipped slit now fully operational with a ~1.2-1.5 mm stub. Freshly ground nib. Writing sample to follow (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivan_romero/8686418821/) by IvanRomero (http://www.flickr.com/people/ivan_romero/), on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8254/8686433839_cc1cecd177_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivan_romero/8686433839/)
Platinum Glamour "stubification" writing sample. I modificatified it. :p (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivan_romero/8686433839/) by IvanRomero (http://www.flickr.com/people/ivan_romero/), on Flickr