Question on terminology?

[johnus]

I was looking at a new pen on eBay last night. The description stated that the Nib was: "NIB is reground to ITALIC CURSIVE". Exactly what does 'reground' to another style mean on a 'new' pen?

[Jon Szanto]

Very frequently people will order or buy a pen with a larger size nib, and then have it ground down to a particular characteristic. I'll give an example: I had the opportunity to order a pen just prior to attending a pen show (pen was a Platinum 3776 "Nice" model), and I ordered a Broad nib. I took the pen to Mike Masuyama, who is a well-known nib guy, and had him turn it into a cursive italic of about 0.6mm (the wide part of the stroke would be 0.6mm, the narrow would be quite fine). Had it been left a broad, it would have made thick lines in both horizontal and vertical strokes, but by carefully removing material, he was able to turn the nib into the kind (CI) that makes a wider vertical stroke, and a narrow horizontal. This line variation is a key component in italic handwriting styles.

BTW: for a good go-to reference place online, you can't find a better starting place than the Reference Pages (http://www.richardspens.com/ref/00_refp.htm) on Richard Binder's site. Be sure to check out the very first link there, the Glossopedia of Pen Terms (http://www.richardspens.com/ref/glossary/00_gls.htm). Super handy, especially if you are new to most of this.

[earthdawn]

What he said ^^^

:thumb:

[Chrissy]

Sometimes people buy pens with broad nibs so that they can be reground into a style of nib that they particularly like. Although it is unusual to buy new pens with nibs that have been reground to a different style, this does happen. As Jon says Richard Binder will supply new pens with a nib that he has ground to a different characteristic.

Look at it like it was done as a special order. So it will be quite individual, and maybe unusual for a particular pen type/style

[johnus]

Thank you, looks like it might be my next buy.

[Kaputnik]

It's worth asking who reground it. Some "nibmeisters" are well known for their fine work. On the other hand, some non-professionals try their hand at regrinding their own nibs. The results may be first rate, or rather less than first rate.

[Murfie]

It's worth asking who reground it. Some "nibmeisters" are well known for their fine work. On the other hand, some non-professionals try their hand at regrinding their own nibs. The results may be first rate, or rather less than first rate.
Good advice. Over the past five years I have had occasion to have multiple nibs reground/adjusted by 7 different "nibmeisters" - all highly renowned. Apart from just 2, I have been most disappointed with the results. But the work done by those 2 has been exceptional. I would no more mention names than fly in the air, because comments from other pen fans suggest that where one person might not like a particular nibmeister's work, others are rapt, indicating a significant level of subjectivity is involved in the assessment.

[johnus]

As there are no other bids on the pen... I'm going to take a bye on it this time around.