Uh-Oh -- Weird Nib Problem

[SockAddict]

I got my pen in the mail. (No, I did not run out and assault the mailman. I waited nicely until he drove away.) It looks lovely and feels nice, but when I tried to write with it it, it was very scratchy.

 

Okay, I said to myself, you've read about smoothing. No big deal.

 

So, first thing I did was look at the pen under magnification, and this is the shape of the nib:

 

 

It looks to me like one side got tipping in the manufacturing process, and the other didn't! Is that how you experienced people would interpret it? I can try to actually get a picture of the nib, but I'm not sure my camera is that good.

 

The seller said it's a new nib and says he guarantees satisfaction. If this is a tuning issue, I'll work on it, but if it's a manufacturing issue, do you think I should ask the seller if he can replace the nib? I'm happy with the pen itself, it feels very nice.

 

I appreciate any input you can give me! Thanks.

[sirgilbert357]

Oh no, SockAddict! That really sucks. I would take the best pics you can and send them to the seller asking for a replacement nib due to the defect. He must have not checked it before sending it out...

[SockAddict]

I have sent him an email with the above drawing included and an offer of photos if he'd like. I realized *my* camera might not be able to do it, but my husband's is very nice. We just have to figure out the settings for that type of photography. I told him I'd return the defective nib if he wished. So now, fingers crossed!

 

I feel like a kid who got to the toy store just as it closed! I'll have a working Estie relatively soon in any case. If I need to just buy myself another nib, I was planning on that anyway, just not immediately.

 

*taps fingers* Patience is not one of my virtues. *pout*

[OcalaFlGuy]

Get use of a loupe even if you have to take your pen to a pawn shop or jeweler and borrow one of theirs at their (usually well lit)

counter.

 

Get the tines aligned first. It could end up still looking weird but writing nicely.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

[SockAddict]

I can get a pretty good look through my magnifier, though it's not as good as a loupe. It's not that they're not aligned. They're vastly different sizes. One has the "blob" of tipping material that you write with, but the other doesn't. Looking at the top of the nib, they seem to be just fine, and aligned normally. I could try to push the bottom of the tine with tipping material up to be in line with the other, but wouldn't that just make the slit too big for ink to flow properly?

 

I did manage a photo, but it's not great.

 

[sirgilbert357]

Hmm. I'm no expert, but even if you align the tines, I would think the nib would wear unevenly since the tipping material on one tine will hold up better than the steel of the other. And I bet the flow would be jacked up. If the seller just sends you another nib and you end up with two, I'd totally try to grind that into a stub!

[SockAddict]

I got email from the seller this morning saying he has put a new nib in the mail to me. He does want me to send the old nib back, so no stubbing it. I am very happy with how quickly the seller acted on this. So, just a little more patience. And another round of trying not to mug the mailman!

[ac12]

Another advantage for the Estebrooks. Easily changable nibs.

Most other pens can't do that, you have to knock out the nib to replace it, which can be rather difficult.

[SockAddict]

Exactly! This was what originally made me look at Esterbrooks. I didn't realize it would come into play on my first purchase, though!

[OcalaFlGuy]

Hmm. I'm no expert, but even if you align the tines, I would think the nib would wear unevenly since the tipping material on one tine will hold up better than the steel of the other. And I bet the flow would be jacked up. If the seller just sends you another nib and you end up with two, I'd totally try to grind that into a stub!

 

Disclaimer; in my wildest dreams I will never be a nibmeister.

 

I might have tried to smooth down the one uber tine. But it would probably have needed some slit massaging too (boy that Sounds bad). OTOH, I can also see it not being any good like it is now. That last pic was disturbingly illustrative.

 

I will certainly grant you that is Some weird ass tipping.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

[SockAddict]

If I had any experience at all in nib tuning, I might have tried it. But, at this point, I have literally none. I have never done anything except write with the pen as it arrived. I'm game to try, and have put the proper tools on my list of things to acquire, but that looked too rough for my first one, especially since it looked like the replacement was a valid option.

 

A cool side effect of this experience is that I dug out an old yard sale find that I'm not sure why I haven't tossed. I bought it super cheap, and when I tried to use it, I found out it was very scratchy. This was long enough ago that I'm sure I didn't even try to clean it -- I'm a ballpoint-era child and didn't know I should have -- but I also don't remember what else went on with it. Don't know what the flow was like, etc. So, I'm cleaning the nib now, and will have a go at making it work. If I screw it up, oh well. No real loss.

[ScienceChick]

 

I might have tried to smooth down the one uber tine. But it would probably have needed some slit massaging too (boy that Sounds bad).

 

Ya think?????

 

Very cool about the re-found yard sale find, SA! What a coup if you can get it writing in a way you're happy with.

[sirgilbert357]

I got email from the seller this morning saying he has put a new nib in the mail to me. He does want me to send the old nib back, so no stubbing it. I am very happy with how quickly the seller acted on this. So, just a little more patience. And another round of trying not to mug the mailman!

 

Hooray for the new nib! Booooo for having to send the old one back!

 

Glad you found that other pen! I actually just tuned up my first nib the other night. A 9555 Estie nib that was kind of scratchy. The flow was also somewhat dry. I'll spare you the story, but I got it writing better and it was quite satisfying. Just go slow and if you don't have a loupe, get one...a decent one is less than 15 bucks and it will help quite a bit.

[inkstainedruth]

At least you seem to have dealt with an honorable seller. Sorry you had to return the other nib, but at least the seller had a replacement available. What was the nib on the pen you bought, and are you able to get the same one? And yay! -- that's part of the reason I like Esties too; I have more nibs than pens, so once I get the pens all re-sacced as needed, I can play around and see which nibs I like best and have a range of widths available (from flexible EF to broad relief stub to manifold M, with lots of others in between).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[SockAddict]

Yes, I am lucky I had a good seller. I did check him out a bit before I made a bid, but on somewhat small amounts of money, I wasn't too worried if it didn't work out. I'm very glad it did. The nib is a 2556, a firm fine, and the seller didn't say he couldn't give me the same nib. He sells several restored pens, including restored Esties and also sells Estie nibs, so I'm fairly confident he had a supply of the nibs. That is a pretty common size, right? Anyway, I'm guessing it'll be here Tuesday, judging by how long the pen took. *fingers crossed*

 

My main thing with pens is fine nibs, the finer the better, so I'll be looking to get an XF pretty soon, I think, but I love that I can actually try out some of the larger sizes without having to commit to a whole pen I won't use often! And I really want a couple of stubs, and an italic if I can find one.

 

The yard sale pen nib is now on it's third round of soaking in water. It's turned two glassfuls completely black so far. I might not get to play with it for a while!

 

The pen itself is a mystery. I can't really find any info on it online. It seems to be a cheap imitation of the lovely celluloid marbles. I know I won't be ruining anything of actual value if I mess it up. I do plan on picking up a loupe soon, but money is not abundant right at this moment, so for now my crafting magnifier will have to do. I'm sure it's not as good as a loupe, but it's much better than the naked eye.

[CraigR]

Some times those garage sale, no name, lower tier pens turn out to be excellent writers and keepers. I have a couple that I wouldn't part with and use regularly. They took a lot of cleaning, servicing and tuning, but well worth it.

[inkstainedruth]

Some times those garage sale, no name, lower tier pens turn out to be excellent writers and keepers. I have a couple that I wouldn't part with and use regularly. They took a lot of cleaning, servicing and tuning, but well worth it.

+1 on that.

I got a tip awhile back from a friend not to dismiss the no-names out of hand because they might have relatively nice nibs -- the nibs might even have some flex to them.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[SockAddict]

Just a quick message as I'm about to run out the door to an appointment. The new nib arrived today and works beautifully. It's a 1555, not a 2556, but I'm okay with that as they're both firm fine, which is what I wanted, and I'll play more with other nibs over time. I DID take a good look at this one under magnification before I inked it, just in case!

[sirgilbert357]

Just a quick message as I'm about to run out the door to an appointment. The new nib arrived today and works beautifully. It's a 1555, not a 2556, but I'm okay with that as they're both firm fine, which is what I wanted, and I'll play more with other nibs over time. I DID take a good look at this one under magnification before I inked it, just in case!

 

Yay!! Glad it worked out!

[sirgilbert357]

Yes, I am lucky I had a good seller. I did check him out a bit before I made a bid, but on somewhat small amounts of money, I wasn't too worried if it didn't work out. I'm very glad it did. The nib is a 2556, a firm fine, and the seller didn't say he couldn't give me the same nib. He sells several restored pens, including restored Esties and also sells Estie nibs, so I'm fairly confident he had a supply of the nibs. That is a pretty common size, right? Anyway, I'm guessing it'll be here Tuesday, judging by how long the pen took. *fingers crossed*

 

My main thing with pens is fine nibs, the finer the better, so I'll be looking to get an XF pretty soon, I think, but I love that I can actually try out some of the larger sizes without having to commit to a whole pen I won't use often! And I really want a couple of stubs, and an italic if I can find one.

 

The yard sale pen nib is now on it's third round of soaking in water. It's turned two glassfuls completely black so far. I might not get to play with it for a while!

 

The pen itself is a mystery. I can't really find any info on it online. It seems to be a cheap imitation of the lovely celluloid marbles. I know I won't be ruining anything of actual value if I mess it up. I do plan on picking up a loupe soon, but money is not abundant right at this moment, so for now my crafting magnifier will have to do. I'm sure it's not as good as a loupe, but it's much better than the naked eye.

 

Check out Osmiroid nibs on ebay. They are plug and play for Estie sections -- just screw right in. I just got a sumgai deal on some, which I plan to post about later when I have more time.