:bunny1: Well, I just smoothed my first nib, and it was complete success! :bunny1:


I ordered the Tryphon kit (thanks Giovanni!) and got started this afternoon. I looked around for a proper pen to begin with and pulled a Javelin that was lying around. It was smooth to begin with, but I just wanted to get a feel for the whole process - no big deal. Then, came the real deal. I had a Snorkel that is in beautiful shape but with a scratchy non-Triumph nib. I very slowly went about working it over some of the Mylar sheets, and about 20 minutes of working and checking, working and checking my nib is SOO smooth. It's gliding across the page and leaving a beautiful, wet line behind it. WOW!

I just wanted to share my glory and thank both Wimg for his article on nib smoothing and The Noble Savage for all of his pen reviews where he talked about making so-so nibs into perfect writers in a matter of minutes - they were my inspiration!

Okay, I'm stepping off the pedestal...just had to get some of the excitement out. Maybe this will encourage someone else to give this a shot - it really isn't too hard, especially if you follow Wim's advice.

Woot!

Hi Ryan,

Good on yer for giving it a go. Did you start with the rougher mylar first and progress to the fine stuff ?.

I really must give this a go sometime.

Gary

You are more than welcome. Smoothing nibs becomes an addiction because you want all of your nibs to be smooth, or at least that is the case for me!!!

Congrats

TNS

Hi Ryan,

Congratulations, and like TNS says: it is incredibly addictive!

BTW, thank you for your kind words!

Warm regards, Wim

Do you need a loupe for smoothing?

Yes, I started with 9 micron and worked down to 1 micron. I hope that is correct, but either way, I've had amazing results. I just smoothed a Parker 51 vac, and it's writing better than any 51 I've ever owned.

Chupie - I understand that a loupe is advisable, but admittedly, I don't have one. I've just kind of been going by feel, which is probably not the best idea.

On that note: anyone know of a good, affordable loupe for nib smoothing? What is the best magnification rating for nibs?

Thanks,
Ryan

Congratulations! The important thing when smoothing nibs is to know when to stop! Looking for perfection cal lead to disaster (I speak from experience!). Glad you found our kit useful and, yes, you did right, starting with the 9 micron sheet and working up (or down) to the 1 micron one.
As for a loupe: we have an excellent 30X loupe (incidentally, the picture shows an older model: the new one is of even better finish and optically excellent!) which is what I use for nib work! Check it out in the Tryphon catalog!
Thanks and well done!
Giovanni

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Congrats!

Congrats on your success! Just a few comments.

I suggest starting with a bunch of throw-away pens to practice. If not, at least a bunch of pens that you could either get nib replacements for, or ones that you wouldn't be upset over if they were ruined. Ryan's experience with success on the second smoothing is not common. (Just ask any nibmeister)

Always use a loupe! Many times (if not most), a nib problem is due to mis-alignment. Fixing the alignment issue often solves the problem.

Happy smoothing

I agree completely with Elaine. My early experiments at nib smoothing were quite disastrous! As I said before, the trick is to know when to stop!

Hi Ryan,
Congrats on your successfull smoothing process.Soon to be I'll be buying some smoothing kits too.Does anyone know where can I get them on Europe?Thanks

Take Care,
Emrecan

Congratulations!

We ship all over the world and the kits are flat and light. We charge actual post office shipping costs.Tryphon Pen repair and pen care supplies

You are one brave guy Ryan!

Well done on your smoothing, doing it without a loupe is truely without a safety net!

Jim

Hmm, dunno, Jim.

I never smooth without first checking tine alignment with the loupe. Little use to smooth misaligned tines. Once that's done, though, I smooth by feel until I have accomplished what I set to do. When satisfied, I go back and recheck the tine alignment just to be sure that in the process I didn't change them. Highly unlikely because of the barely perceptable pressure used to smooth.

Remember that we're smoothing here, not grinding. Smoothing, to me, means that I'm attempting to maintain the original conformation of the tipping material and when done, there may be a different look to the surface of the ball, but the ball should still be shaped as it was previously.

Grinding...that's a whole nuther story!

Giovanni,

So do you find the 30x loupe better than the mini-microscope you sell?

Thanks!

John

Yes. The loupe is more practical to use.

Hi Giovanni,
I think I would be buying a kit from you.Which one would you offer?Which kit is perfect?Nib smoothing kit Lg. std.?or micro mesh sticks?and what would the shipping price to the Turkey?

Take Care,
Emrecan

Buy the small kit. You can smoothen hundred of nibs with it! For maximum flexibility, add the small MicroMesh kit, but you'd be well served anyway just with the small Nib Smoothing Kit (Mylar backed). Shipping to Turkey (I love your Country and enjoy Pidhe' -sp?.) should be about 5 dollars by air. I take VISA and Master Card.

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