Results of the nib grind on that Nakaya Piccolo I reviewed

[dannzeman]

In my review of the Piccolo I mentioned I reground the nib. It came to me with a stub grind already on it, but Lisa wanted a finer, more cursive italic grind to it. The result turned out to be about a 0.45mm cursive italic that's actually smooth enough for daily writing.

This image shows three writing samples. The top two, in Noodler's Walnut and Black, were done with the original grind. My regrind is at the bottom of the page in Noodler's Walnut.
lisa_nakaya_regrind_writing_sample.jpg


Here's a copped and rearranged version to really show off the difference. The original grind writing samples are in the more orangish colored ink while my regrind is in the more brownish colored ink.
lisa_nakaya_regrind_writing_sample_crop.jpg

[KrazyIvan]

Very nice Dan. It looks like you squeezed a bit more definition out of the line variation.

[earthdawn]

Yea it looks great. More definition in the line variation.

So is it wetter now and thats why the darker ink?

AND... your review was and is awesome! I read it twice

[AndyT]

That's much more lively and distinctive, nicely done. Frankly, the writing samples from before the regrind suggest a rather nondescript nib.

I'm curious about the colour change too.

[dannzeman]

Yea it looks great. More definition in the line variation.

So is it wetter now and thats why the darker ink?

No, the flow didn't change between grinds. What I think is responsible for the color change is that the writing sample from the original nib was done soon after I filled the pen. The writing sample for the reground nib was done after the ink had been in the pen for almost 3 weeks. Somehow, the ink changed while in the pen. It could have been because I didn't clean the converter well enough or I didn't flush the pen well enough before I used it.

AND... your review was and is awesome! I read it twice

Thank you! I was happy to finally get one published. It'd been too long since the previous one!

[snedwos]

Possibly when you filled the pen there was water in the feed?

[dannzeman]

Yeah, that could be it, too.

[ethernautrix]

The regrind looks PERFECT!

I tried to enjoy writing with that pen (the nib), and it was almost there but... not there. I'm looking forward to giving this one a go. Looks like you got the line variation spot on. *Giddy*

[ethernautrix]

Internet burp.

Excuse YOU, Internet!

[jjlax10]

What tools did you use to do the grind?

[dannzeman]

Dremel and MicroMesh.

[KrazyIvan]

Dremel and MicroMesh.

What stone did you use on the Dremel?

[ethernautrix]

Hi! The Nakaya owner here, reporting back having had the pen for several days.

Dan did a beautiful job turning the nib into a silky smooth F/EF italic.

Here's the funny part. I am hopeless writing with italic nibs - because I hold the pen at a high angle, an angle more appropriate for technical pens (a factor I had not mentioned to Dan; I said that I wanted a thinner horizontal than vertical line, and the nib had already been reground to a stub fine (but not really "stub"). In other words, this was a challenge.).

I adjusted my grip to write with the pen, and I can attest to how wonderfully smooth and crisp the nib wrote. I have tried many italic nibs -- have tried to adjust my grip to accommodate the nibs, have tried them out of curiosity or because Pen Posse pals have put their pens with italic nibs into my hand to push me along the Exalted Road of Italic Nibbery -- so I know, despite being unable to write with italic nibs over a sustained period of time, a good italic nib when I'm struggling to write naturally with one; I can recognize a gorgeous italic nib.

And this italic nib, again, is smooth and crisp -- in what I imagine is a difficult-to-achieve F/EF line.

In the interest of full disclosure -- and in no way a commentary on Dan's exemplary nib grinding -- I had to round the edges of the nib to accommodate my high angle. I know I could have sent the pen to Dan again, but it was late one night and I had my pens and inks out... and, well, you know how it goes when you start fussing with your pens. And bright ideas tend to strike after midnight. If you knew how smooth and perfect the F/EF italic nib was, you might want to stone me.

Before you pick up your rocks, though, just send your own pens to Dan. He can give your nibs the smooth and crisp italic cut. Then you'll forget I ever mentioned what I did to mine.

Smiley face.

Long live the heki tamenuri Nakaya Piccolo Writer!