How remove scratches from gold 14k gold nib?

[InkyThoughts12]

Ok so... I am planing to get a Pelikan M1000, before buying any product I like to do a bit of research; to be on the safe side.

My question is:-

- if my pelikan M1000 has scratches on the nib, can I remove them?
Can I take it to a local jeweler for it to get re-polished? Or does it have to be a Nibmeister?

[jar]

I would definitely just accept the scratches. The nib is a plated one and any scratches would likely require replating.

[mhosea]

IThe nib is a plated one and any scratches would likely require replating.

There is a certain nuance to the use of the word "require" here, as the context is 100% cosmetic from beginning to end. The nib will function properly if the plating is polished off. However, the salient point is that removing scratches will tend to remove the plating, which will advance you rapidly towards the day when you eventually feel that the nib would look better with all the plating polished off to top surface. Thus, being set on removing scratches is a very poor policy for maintaining a nib. Consequently, the answer to "How do I remove scratches from a plated nib?" is to focus instead on removing from your mind the preoccupation with scratches on the nib.

[InkyThoughts12]

IThe nib is a plated one and any scratches would likely require replating.

There is a certain nuance to the use of the word "require" here, as the context is 100% cosmetic from beginning to end. The nib will function properly if the plating is polished off. However, the salient point is that removing scratches will tend to remove the plating, which will advance you rapidly towards the day when you eventually feel that the nib would look better with all the plating polished off to top surface. Thus, being set on removing scratches is a very poor policy for maintaining a nib. Consequently, the answer to "How do I remove scratches from a plated nib?" is to focus instead on removing from your mind the preoccupation with scratches on the nib.

So your saying. If it gets scratches, it's best to change the nib rather than polishing it?

[mhosea]

IThe nib is a plated one and any scratches would likely require replating.

There is a certain nuance to the use of the word "require" here, as the context is 100% cosmetic from beginning to end. The nib will function properly if the plating is polished off. However, the salient point is that removing scratches will tend to remove the plating, which will advance you rapidly towards the day when you eventually feel that the nib would look better with all the plating polished off to top surface. Thus, being set on removing scratches is a very poor policy for maintaining a nib. Consequently, the answer to "How do I remove scratches from a plated nib?" is to focus instead on removing from your mind the preoccupation with scratches on the nib.

So your saying. If it gets scratches, it's best to change the nib rather than polishing it?

No. I mean, sure, you could replace a Pelikan nib, no problem, but the thought never crossed my mind. The reason is that street price of an M1000 nib unit is a substantial fraction of the street price of an entire M1000 pen! This is what I'm saying:

1. Scratches do not need to be removed. Modern FP users on the whole may tend to be somewhat obsessive about their FPs, but this would be a case where that sort of thing can be destructive. Instead of replacing or polishing the nib, the absolute best solution is to replace or polish your attitude towards the scratches on it.
2. Is this theoretical or are you contemplating the purchase of a used M1000 with a noticeable scratch? I can't remember the last time I put a new scratch on any nib. Use a soft cloth to get the extra ink off the nib after filling. Wicking it off with a light touch or quick swipes with no pressure (again, relying on wicking rather than wiping action) is far and away more effective than "wiping" the nib, anyway. Or if you are really concerned even about microscratches, don't try to remove the excess ink off the nib in any manner, at all, ever. It's the advice some people give, anyway.
3. Say by some mishap the nib were to acquire unsightly scratches. In that case you would choose whichever path results in the best-looking outcome. Unfortunately, the path of removing the scratch and maintaining a crisp two-tone look is probably not available to you. Polishing will tend to remove some of the plating, and removing some of the plating would, like a scratch, detract from the appearance of the nib. So you must likely choose between leaving the scratches alone or polishing both scratches and plating off the top of the nib. Going from 2-tone to monotone is a bigger change than you might expect, unfortunately. I had a Bexley 18K 2-tone nib on a pen bought second-hand that had the plating thinned to the point that it didn't look right. Since I had the nib on a pen with entirely gold-plated trim, anyway, I opted to polish off the rest of the plating. It looks great now, but it did lose something.

[Jon Szanto]

In life, scratches happen. They are the things that show we have lived. Nibs are the same.

[Robert]

Just consider the scratches as a badge of character.

[ainterne]

Then there is just to many scratches sometimes:-)

I have just polished this one up...




And now I have




Still got some cleaning to do on the body of the pen, but it's coming along. Have to be really careful with the nib because when its out of the pen and not supported
then the nib can crack so much easier than when its in the pen and supported on the feed.

To get all the scratches out of an old nib is only going to weaken the nib, so just enough to make it look presentable is generally enough I find.

[Cob]

Just consider the scratches as a badge of character.

Or follow the example of the antique dealers and simply call the scratches "patina."

Cob

[Chrissy]

There is a difference in removing scratches from a hallmarked gold nib that doesn't have any rhodium plating on it. They can safely be wiped with a silver polishing cloth. My own experience has taught me to not try polishing a plated nib. I once decided to have a go at making a Jinhao nib into a stub, and found that even though I was reasonably careful, some of the plating came off. However, it still writes really well as a stub nib, if you can get past the fact that it doesn't look so good any more.