Page 2 of 5 FirstFirst 1234 ... LastLast
Results 21 to 40 of 83

Thread: So you wanna grind yer own nibs...

  1. #21
    Senior Member Jon Szanto's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Posts
    6,617
    Thanks
    7,796
    Thanked 11,042 Times in 4,011 Posts
    Rep Power
    22

    Default Re: So you wanna grind yer own nibs...

    We are on the same page. How about later this spring I send you a pen to have fun with, and then I'll know, first-hand, your work? I love my stubs/italics.

    As to Mike M., I just said hi to him on Saturday and once again thanked him for the incredible grind he did at the San Fran show in August. Took a Platinum B nib down to about a 0.6mm italic, and even hesitated at first because it was rose gold plated (he said that when that plating isn't done very well, it can be thin, and come off). I watched, live, as he dialed this thing in with less than about 10 minutes work. There was almost no back-and-forth between us - it was pretty much perfect the minute he handed it to me to try.

    I even got to see him assemble his custom grinding rig, which he designed himself. Comes apart into pieces for travel. Totally slick, and he is a great guy to work with.

    Alright, pal, back to the grindstone for you.
    "When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick;
    and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."

    ~ Benjamin Franklin

  2. #22
    Senior Member dneal's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Posts
    6,001
    Thanks
    2,403
    Thanked 2,281 Times in 1,306 Posts
    Rep Power
    18

    Default Re: So you wanna grind yer own nibs...

    I was thinking more along the lines of you popping over to the Cologne pen show in March

    As a general rule, I don't grind other people's stuff. I need to order a few things, so I'll pick up some Chibi's and send you a couple to try out (in the spirit of Waski's review and the first post). PM me your address when you get a chance.

  3. The Following User Says Thank You to dneal For This Useful Post:

    Jon Szanto (February 16th, 2015)

  4. #23
    Senior Member ethernautrix's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Land of Po
    Posts
    1,064
    Thanks
    1,661
    Thanked 1,282 Times in 556 Posts
    Rep Power
    13

    Default Re: So you wanna grind yer own nibs...

    YOU ARE A HERO! Thank you for providing these instructions! Wow!

  5. The Following User Says Thank You to ethernautrix For This Useful Post:

    jde (March 7th, 2015)

  6. #24
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Chartres, France
    Posts
    1,137
    Thanks
    2,610
    Thanked 825 Times in 446 Posts
    Rep Power
    13

    Default Re: So you wanna grind yer own nibs...

    Now then, who's going to be brave enough to tell us all how to do a Spencerian grind? I have some nice cursive italics and stubs now but I want flex! I want flex!

    (I already modded my Ahab nib to make it a bit more flexy. Still have to do some tinkering with the feed, though.)

  7. #25
    FPD earthdawn's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    New York
    Posts
    2,077
    Thanks
    3,508
    Thanked 2,290 Times in 837 Posts
    Rep Power
    14

    Default Re: So you wanna grind yer own nibs...

    OK... well I have some stones... did that sound odd? ... any who since i am snowed in today I am going to grind a Varsity or 2.

    Ill report back later.

    I wonder how the pot of coffee I already drank will affect my grinding lol.


    AND thank you very much for taking what is obviously a LOT of time and care an pictures and drawings to really explain what you did and how you did it. I read it twice and it was clear as day. This thread is very much appreciated and bookmarked.

  8. #26
    Senior Member I like mango pudding's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Posts
    377
    Thanks
    95
    Thanked 143 Times in 98 Posts
    Rep Power
    11

    Default Re: So you wanna grind yer own nibs...

    Yeah I've ground nibs pretty much in the same fashion as dneal but I've done less than a handful. I use the hard rubber cylinder in the Dremel at lowest speed. The stone wheels are too abrasive and takes off too much at once.

  9. #27
    FPD earthdawn's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    New York
    Posts
    2,077
    Thanks
    3,508
    Thanked 2,290 Times in 837 Posts
    Rep Power
    14

    Default Re: So you wanna grind yer own nibs...

    Well it went ok for the first time. I mean I ground it down and it still wrote lol

    I rinsed and flossed it with a brass shim and used a razor blade to trip a tiny piece off the feed that I nicked on the stone. The final 12,000 grit pad really made it smooth. It does not have as much line variation as I would like BUT it did create a bit of a stub and like I said it writes.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  10. #28
    Senior Member dneal's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Posts
    6,001
    Thanks
    2,403
    Thanked 2,281 Times in 1,306 Posts
    Rep Power
    18

    Default Re: So you wanna grind yer own nibs...

    Not bad for a first go, and it looks like you got some variation out of it.

    It looks to me that you have too gentle and consistent of a radius from the tip of the nib to the bottom.



    Focus on this angle next time. After you square off the end (Cut 3), repeat the same process (dragging the pen across the stone at a consistent angle) but hold the pen at a 45 degrees and create a facet there. Grind a little, write with it and see how thin the horizontal is, grind some more and see how it gets thicker (it'll be sharp and scratchy).



    The smoothing process after that (Cut 4 in the first tutorial) is just smoothing off the two sharp edges at the top and bottom of the 45 degree facet.
    Last edited by dneal; February 17th, 2015 at 11:47 PM.

  11. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to dneal For This Useful Post:

    earthdawn (February 17th, 2015), elaineb (February 17th, 2015)

  12. #29
    FPD earthdawn's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    New York
    Posts
    2,077
    Thanks
    3,508
    Thanked 2,290 Times in 837 Posts
    Rep Power
    14

    Default Re: So you wanna grind yer own nibs...

    Ya know ... I skipped that part. I did not realize it until you said it.

    Thats pretty impressive that you knew right away where I goofed up.

    Ill have a second go for sure as it was fun and using a $1.50 pen was an easy decision. The fact that I was able to do what I did and still have it write well and smooth made the challenge seem less challenging.\

    Thats again for the thread and the help!

  13. #30
    Senior Member dneal's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Posts
    6,001
    Thanks
    2,403
    Thanked 2,281 Times in 1,306 Posts
    Rep Power
    18

    Default Re: So you wanna grind yer own nibs...

    You can try to correct what you've got now, and it'll be good practice.

    First - Square off the end (cut 3) just a little bit.

    Second - Put a little bit of a back cut on the top (you'll have to decide the angle for yourself). Don't cut it to a knife edge, and leave just a little bit of the squared off tip.



    Last - Gently smooth out those new sharp edges.
    Last edited by dneal; February 18th, 2015 at 12:30 AM.

  14. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to dneal For This Useful Post:

    earthdawn (February 18th, 2015), elaineb (February 18th, 2015), Sailor Kenshin (February 18th, 2015)

  15. #31
    Senior Member Quantum Sailor's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    Colorado
    Posts
    312
    Thanks
    34
    Thanked 259 Times in 105 Posts
    Rep Power
    10

    Default Re: So you wanna grind yer own nibs...

    I'm a bit late to the thread but I would like to express my thanks as well. The information is laid out in a very easy to use manner and very informative. I felt like just hitting a thanks wasn't enough.
    My Pinterest Feel free to add me on Facebook as well.

  16. #32
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Mostly Frozen Alaska, USA
    Posts
    215
    Thanks
    27
    Thanked 113 Times in 38 Posts
    Rep Power
    12

    Default Re: So you wanna grind yer own nibs...

    Thanks for this. I really wish I'd had such a tutorial available back when I tried my hand at grinding nibs! I've since moved on to different things (and can't say I've had problems with the professionals that has been mentioned here...that seems like pretty bad luck!) but I can only imagine how much frustration having something like this available would have saved. Nice work!
    http://katexic.com/clippings/
    Love interesting words? Curious links? Great writing? Subscribe to the free, thrice weekly Katexic Clippings newsletter!

  17. #33
    Senior Member dneal's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Posts
    6,001
    Thanks
    2,403
    Thanked 2,281 Times in 1,306 Posts
    Rep Power
    18

    Default Re: So you wanna grind yer own nibs...

    Thanks for all the thanks! A couple of things:

    - Keep in mind that this is just the groundwork. The most important thing here is to try to get an understanding of the mechanics of how a stub/italic works. At the end of the day it's just that one specific angle on the nib. The rest is largely aesthetics (but not completely). As you practice and experiment, you'll find what's best for you. Is line variation more important than smoothness? How much of one are you willing to sacrifice for the other?

    - I didn't address wetness. It will affect your results. The Kaweco nib pictured has Sailor Miruai in it now. Holy crap that stuff flows easily. I had to reduce the flow / make the nib drier when I switched to that ink from GvFC Moss Green, because the horizontal lines were a lot thicker than they should have been otherwise.

    - JetPens Chibi - I would have bet cash money that they made them in other nib sizes, but all I see is F nibbed ones. I looked at my last orders, and they've been F as well (even though I was sure I bought EF's this last go-round). Maybe JetPens is playing tricks on me, maybe I'm getting senile a little early or my TBI is acting up... I'll still recommend them for learning nib adjustments, but the F nib isn't suitable for grinding (unless you want to experiment with needlepoints).

    - I saw Fouez's thread about nib buying HERE, and I had never heard of Knox nibs or that site/vendor. Not dirt cheap, but not terribly expensive for when you think you're ready to move up from Varsities. It's what Jon Szanto is going to get in the mail from me... He'll have to tell you if they're any good or not.

  18. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to dneal For This Useful Post:

    ceebert (September 18th, 2019), Chrissy (July 9th, 2018), Jon Szanto (March 9th, 2015)

  19. #34
    Senior Member jde's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    A Person in the World
    Posts
    347
    Thanks
    856
    Thanked 517 Times in 180 Posts
    Rep Power
    11

    Default Re: So you wanna grind yer own nibs...

    Quote Originally Posted by dneal View Post
    Thanks for all the thanks! A couple of things:

    - Keep in mind that this is just the groundwork. The most important thing here is to try to get an understanding of the mechanics of how a stub/italic works. At the end of the day it's just that one specific angle on the nib. The rest is largely aesthetics (but not completely). As you practice and experiment, you'll find what's best for you. Is line variation more important than smoothness? How much of one are you willing to sacrifice for the other?

    <snippity snip>
    Another belated thanks here! Earlier this year, I got a bunch of Heritance nibs to practice grinding stubs. Italics came out fine, but it's the STUB I'm after. Not having a good go there.

    However, I've found your post, and will give it all a go again. I just want to be able to stub my own nibs, and feel good about 'em, ya know?

    I will post more once I can find a hunk of time to concentrate on these again, because you or someone might be able to tell me what I'm not understanding thus far.

    Thank you, thank you, all the way to infinity. I've read the usual two articles people refer to about nib grinding, but your post is current, and well-detailed. Many people say they grind nibs, but don't want to share how because they're afraid we'll ruin our pens. So really, very happy about this thread.

  20. #35
    Senior Member dneal's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Posts
    6,001
    Thanks
    2,403
    Thanked 2,281 Times in 1,306 Posts
    Rep Power
    18

    Default Re: So you wanna grind yer own nibs...

    Do you want the thicker horizontal line of the stub - or the smooth, forgiving characteristic (or both)?

    You get the thicker line by repeating step 4. The more you wear away, the larger the surface area and the thicker the horizontal line. Smoothness comes from making sure you include all the edges / shoulders during the smoothing step. I think the buff sticks do a better job than mylar sheets.

  21. The Following User Says Thank You to dneal For This Useful Post:

    jde (March 8th, 2015)

  22. #36
    Senior Member jde's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    A Person in the World
    Posts
    347
    Thanks
    856
    Thanked 517 Times in 180 Posts
    Rep Power
    11

    Default Re: So you wanna grind yer own nibs...

    Quote Originally Posted by dneal View Post
    Do you want the thicker horizontal line of the stub - or the smooth, forgiving characteristic (or both)?

    You get the thicker line by repeating step 4. The more you wear away, the larger the surface area and the thicker the horizontal line. Smoothness comes from making sure you include all the edges / shoulders during the smoothing step. I think the buff sticks do a better job than mylar sheets.
    Um.... both! Is that hubris? Definitely am going to, uh, carve out some time to apply your steps.

  23. #37
    Senior Member Flounder's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    Scotland
    Posts
    374
    Thanks
    285
    Thanked 402 Times in 161 Posts
    Rep Power
    11

    Default Re: So you wanna grind yer own nibs...

    This series of posts has been so terrifically, serendipitously helpful. You're a champ, dneal.
    Latest pen related post @ flounders-mindthots.blogspot.com : '70s Pilot Elite pocket pen review

  24. #38
    Senior Member Jon Szanto's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Posts
    6,617
    Thanks
    7,796
    Thanked 11,042 Times in 4,011 Posts
    Rep Power
    22

    Default Re: So you wanna grind yer own nibs...

    Ok, I am never above learning new things OR saying I'm wrong. DNeal has whipped my head around WRT how much an individual can do on their own - with all caveats in place, obviously - to nibs that goes well beyond basic adjustment and smoothing.

    He graciously sent me two pens, each identical save for the nib grind he did on them. I've put pretty much what he put in a note in the package regarding each of the nibs. Neither of the nibs themselves are exotic, and he even made some remarks to their lesser quality, but... it didn't affect the use of them. Both look very similar to the naked eye (save for one being monotone and the other duotone), with the differences to the actual tip most noticeable under magnification.

    In a word: NICE! I would not throw either of these nibs out of bed, they could have crackers and wine and smoke sausages and guacamole and gummy bears, for all I care. These are very usable, very smooth grinds. The first *does* have a little more feedback, and they don't have training wheels ground into them, so I am a tad more attentive to nib/pen/hand orientation to the page. They are no less, and no more, easy to use as a left-hander than any of my other stub/italic nibs.

    I will be doing this myself, with this thread as a guide. While I may come off as a skeptic, I consider that part of my personality a reflection of my "anti- snake oil salesman" bent, and I try to always make public note of when my reluctance has been turned 180 degrees to enlightenment.

    This is one of those times, in gold. Thank you, DNeal, for your gracious gift, for the time you took in documenting this, and for opening another mind and pair of eyes. I leave with a scan of the two pens in use, on a Rhodia Bloc No. 16 pad.

    (Don't worry, I'm going to show my gratitude to him somehow...)

    dneal.jpg
    "When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick;
    and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."

    ~ Benjamin Franklin

  25. The Following 8 Users Say Thank You to Jon Szanto For This Useful Post:

    Ahriman4891 (September 17th, 2018), Bogon07 (March 15th, 2015), Chrissy (July 9th, 2018), dneal (March 15th, 2015), Mayacamas (July 6th, 2017), Murfie (March 16th, 2015), reprieve (March 16th, 2015), Sailor Kenshin (March 15th, 2015)

  26. #39
    Senior Member dneal's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Posts
    6,001
    Thanks
    2,403
    Thanked 2,281 Times in 1,306 Posts
    Rep Power
    18

    Default Re: So you wanna grind yer own nibs...

    Thanks for the kind words Jon.

    Some comments on the Knox pens / nibs...

    - $15 for the pen and $8-9 for each nib isn't terribly expensive. I see that the Bulow nibs are $2, and work with the $12 Bulow pens. A little more cost effective for practicing.

    - I noticed that the (Knox) nibs aren't set very well on the feeds. Everything looks fine until you push in the nib/feed. One had a gap of almost 2mm that had to be corrected.

    - The nibs run a little fine compared to the labeled width. If you really want a broad, get a BB.

    - I bought 2 pens and 2 extra nibs. All 4 nibs had one tine slightly wider than the other, as if the slitting saw was a bit off-center.

  27. The Following User Says Thank You to dneal For This Useful Post:

    Jon Szanto (March 16th, 2015)

  28. #40
    Junior Member Lamyrada's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Posts
    8
    Thanks
    1
    Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts
    Rep Power
    0

    Default Re: So you wanna grind yer own nibs...

    Wonderfully illustrated. and so, so helpful. With care and some God given ability, practice should give some usable results. This is so good.

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •