I'm going to make a couple of knockout blocks for nibs. What size holes do you recommend to cover most nibs I might run into?

Thanks,

Dan

Edit: never mind, found Ron's article on making one.

Glad that you found it Dan! You're wise to make a block instead of trying to knock through any hole that's handy. The block gives you some stability as you knock out the nib and feed, which translates into less of a chance of breaking or damaging something.

If you pen repair people ever need something custom made, I am a machinist.

Good to know, but the truth is that I tend to make most of the tools that I need myself. But then I have the advantage of having two lathes.

Ron Z - I printed out the instructions from your site and gave them to my father-in-law.
Here is what he made for me:

I've already used it!

Clydesdave:
Think you could make a nib block (for straightening/re-shaping bent nibs) at an affordable price? I think a few of us would be interested...

Hi Coolpenz,
He said he was a machinist not a magician

The reason why they're so expensive is the process that they use. A number of machinists have explained it to me, but I don't remember the details. The other is that the surfaces on which you work have to be perfectly smooth. Any roughness or irregularities on the surface will be transferred to the nib. I spend nearly an hour on my first one, polishing the surfaces by hand to get it smooth.