Do Nibs Smooth Out Over Time?

[C-town]

I understand it wont be an extreme difference, but will just writing with a nib smooth it out over time?

 

Has anyone ever had this happen? I would love to hear opinions and experiences and anything else you can think of!

[piter22]

Yeah, the nib is getting smoother if you write a lot. In my opinion you can see it after writing for 2 weeks in school or university if the nib is a little bit scratchy

[PAKMAN]

If the tines are aligned properly then the pen will probably smooth over time with usage. A few seconds of proper use of a smoothing stick or micromesh will speed up the process and make it smooth right away.

[Notgatherox]

I would assume yes.

 

Paper isn't smooth so to say. At the microscopic level, there are small bumps, fibres around on the paper. So yeah, the nib will probably smoothen out after a while.

 

 

 

~Epic

[bayindirh]

I also experience the same thing on my pens. They start out somewhat sticky and skippy, but over time (in 1-2 months), they start to write a bit wetter and much smoother. There's a noticeable change happens in 1-2 days during this smoothing period.

 

I'm a very soft writer and the nibs I mention are Lamy steel mediums in general.

[the_gasman]

They certainly smooth over time. In fact, it is said that you can write figure 8s on brown paper, like used business envelopes or packaging, instead of micromesh to smooth a nib. That is because brown paper is more coarse than fine-grade white writing paper, with more and bigger bumps and fibres than Lord Epic described for white paper.

 

Cheers,

David.

Edited March 28, 2017 by the_gasman

[bayindirh]

They certainly smooth over time. In fact, it is said that you can write figure 8s on brown paper, like used business envelopes or packaging, instead of micromesh to smooth a nib. That is because brown paper is more coarse than fine-grade white writing paper, with more and bigger bumps and fibres than Lord Epic described for white paper.

 

Cheers,

David.

 

Yes, coarser papers take the tooth and smooth nibs faster, but smoother papers buff the nib better in the end IMHO. I personally prefer a nib to evolve naturally, rather then being forced to evolve on brown paper, mylar, sanding paper, etc. except to repair and adjust a nib.

 

Mine is a completely personal preference BTW, so I acknowledge that they are perfectly valid ways to smooth a nib faster.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Yes a good quality brown paper bag is rougher than good paper...but not having a microscope really don't think of it as 'Lumpy'. There are smoother good brown paper bags...best are the smooth thin ones that are doubled at the factory. Heavy rough feeling paper bags are not good quality. A good paper bag has a smooth feeling.

 

Note I being from back in the day of the lever pen, also know my paper bag....and my whiskey.

I don't like modern folks know my plastic bag.

 

...I used the brown paper bag trick for ages.....and good brown paper is not lumpy, nor hairy. It or the cardboard back of paper pads will help smooth your nib....to good and smooth and no higher. It will not make a nib butter smooth. Is not for making stubs, or CI either.

 

The tines must be aligned just like with micro-mesh.

It will take a toothy nib and make it non-toothy. Drag is not quite toothy.

Brown paper bag requires @4-6 fifteen second sets, of rotation. Any more than that you require micro mesh.

Use Micro-mesh only a couple of seconds, of circles and squiggles.... so be very, very careful when learning to use micro mesh. Richard sends you two cheap pens to destroy with his learners kit.

 

It is good to learn out to rotate a nib while removing drag of it having sat in the dark of the drawer for two generations.

Rotate the nib constantly while doing large circles left, right....squiggles up/down - left-right.

It's easier to learn that on the good quality brown paper bag. Older ancestors or long time old folks home survivors can help with choosing a high quality bag over low quality.

 

Old Grizz (RIP) said figure 8's lead to baby bottom. So I stopped doing them.

 

The brown paper bag is less drastic in 'iridium' removal, but if done wrong can make flat spots.

If one has learned to rotate one's nib on a brown paper bag, it is easier to go to the mini-wide buff stick; where the same stroke and movement are used but real tiny.

 

After enough practice, on the brown paper bag, you should be able to use a small buff stick with out eating too much tipping.

 

I do now tend to use buff sticks and micro-mesh instead of the brown paper bag....but 7-8 years ago, micro-mesh was harder to find in Germany than a then scarce brown paper bag. The Germans went from carry your own bag or basket to plastic so were never big time paper bag users. The greens made stores carry paper bags....so I have to thank the greens for having a brown paper bag to use instead of using my knife stone.

[Sasha Royale]

Probably. However, increased "smoothness" also comes with familiarity, as you find the "sweet spot". Altering a nib destroys it. The results might be better, but the old nib is gone. Don't be in such a hurry to destroy your nib. Give yourself time to bond, to meld, to fall in love.

[CheesyWalnut]

My metropolitan definitely got smoother after a month of use. Using a brown paper bag might speed up the process, but I'm not sure how effective it is. Make sure your tines are aligned first though.

[welch]

It depends on why the nib is scratchy. If the tines are uneven then writing (or "the paper bag trick" or micromesh) will not help.

[bayindirh]

Bo Bo,

 

Thanks a lot for the long long post. I will copy and save it to my fountain pen notes.

 

Regards

[bayindirh]

Probably. However, increased "smoothness" also comes with familiarity, as you find the "sweet spot". Altering a nib destroys it. The results might be better, but the old nib is gone. Don't be in such a hurry to destroy your nib. Give yourself time to bond, to meld, to fall in love.

 

I think you're right. This is why I only write with my pens, and do nothing else.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Thanks, when I started out here I must have copied 3 megs of info........too bad I don't go back and read it....but if I did, I'd not be here BS'ing.

 

7-8 years ago, the brown paper bag trick was common on the com. Then micro-mesh became cheaper and common.

The professionals were dead set against brown paper bags....well most grew up with plastic bags.

(Well I did have to tell one guy....don't use Hairy brown paper bags....he had fuzz caught in the tines. )

 

After one has learned how to rotate the nib, with out thought on a paper bag, one can think hard while using micro mesh, in while doing a better job, allows few mistakes. What is gone is gone.

 

The brown paper bag is only good for removing drag and bringing a nib up to good and smooth.

For butter smooth or making stubs or CI you need harsher micro-mesh and buff sticks. Take your time and test very often.

 

Yes, one can remove tooth...but toothy is not drag. I'd be slow to remove tooth, in one can buy a slick paper for a pen with tooth. Lots of folks like the toothy pencil feeling.

It's not good on Laid paper though....IMO.

 

One can always stop a tad short of 'perfect' butter smooth and come back to it, when starting out. With enough experience one can go for the goal with one sitting.

I seldom try for butter smooth, preferring good and smooth. I will admit to have gone back and touched up good and smooth, to a bit smoother. That was only with a few nibs, not many.

 

No matter what one uses, don't use the figure 8....Ol'Grizz was one of our experts, so I took his word. I didn't want baby bottom.

[jar]

The "brown paper" trick was common but certainly not reasonable. Until they start selling standardized and graded brown paper it is not something I will or have advised.

[bayindirh]

Thanks, when I started out here I must have copied 3 megs of info........too bad I don't go back and read it....but if I did, I'd not be here BS'ing.

 

7-8 years ago, the brown paper bag trick was common on the com. Then micro-mesh became cheaper and common.

The professionals were dead set against brown paper bags....well most grew up with plastic bags.

(Well I did have to tell one guy....don't use Hairy brown paper bags....he had fuzz caught in the tines. )

 

After one has learned how to rotate the nib, with out thought on a paper bag, one can think hard while using micro mesh, in while doing a better job, allows few mistakes. What is gone is gone.

 

The brown paper bag is only good for removing drag and bringing a nib up to good and smooth.

For butter smooth or making stubs or CI you need harsher micro-mesh and buff sticks. Take your time and test very often.

 

Yes, one can remove tooth...but toothy is not drag. I'd be slow to remove tooth, in one can buy a slick paper for a pen with tooth. Lots of folks like the toothy pencil feeling.

It's not good on Laid paper though....IMO.

 

One can always stop a tad short of 'perfect' butter smooth and come back to it, when starting out. With enough experience one can go for the goal with one sitting.

I seldom try for butter smooth, preferring good and smooth. I will admit to have gone back and touched up good and smooth, to a bit smoother. That was only with a few nibs, not many.

 

No matter what one uses, don't use the figure 8....Ol'Grizz was one of our experts, so I took his word. I didn't want baby bottom.

 

I'm never obsessed with baby bottom nibs or exotic pens. All I want is a good writing pen with reasonable smoothness. I'm probably a Lamy fan, because I mostly use their pens, and they are pretty smooth and well made for my standards, also they are very practically built (user changeable nibs, toughness, ink compatibility, minimal design).

 

I also like some drag because it allows me to control my writing. When the nib glides on the papaer like it's smooth ice, my writing starts to distort and I don't like that.

 

I have some pens with some drag, but instead of polishing them I just try to use them more. They are all steel and some are sleeping for more than ten years, but as everything I'm not super picky on paper. Some papers I use are white, but with the smoothness of "smooth brown paper", so I buff my nibs slowly, surely and with my own writing. As I said before I'm a very soft writer, so new nibs sometimes skip since they are not wet enough.

 

I can understand people though, who expects an FP to be baby bottom smooth and people who treats these mechanic properties as quality or a badge of honor. That's all OK with me. These are my choices and they are theirs.

 

So while it's good to know, and I really respect your knowledge a lot, I would prefer to know this information to rescue, or repair a nib; not to modify a perfectly good one.

 

For me, a pen is a writing instrument. We all use FPs because of various reasons (for me, I like things that last, and lives with you and shapes with you. I also like the personal ritual of FPs. It's something between me and the pen, not a show for other folks), and these reasons are more than all sand particles on earth. When I uncap my trusty Al-star and write my daily journal or my daily-to do, or jot about the job, I'm the most satisfied person on earth, because I did what I needed to do, and with satisfaction and joy.

 

Best regards.

 

P.S.: I tried to make this post not sound like a rant, because it isn't. I just tried to share my POV

[bayindirh]

The "brown paper" trick was common but certainly not reasonable. Until they start selling standardized and graded brown paper it is not something I will or have advised.

 

We have a grade which we call "Kraft paper", drawing and sketching notebooks are made with those. They are not hairy, but not too smooth. Just perfect if you need to polish some nibs.

[jar]

 

We have a grade which we call "Kraft paper", drawing and sketching notebooks are made with those. They are not hairy, but not too smooth. Just perfect if you need to polish some nibs.

Don't believe that. Not all Kraft paper is equal.

[bayindirh]

Don't believe that. Not all Kraft paper is equal.

 

Of course, but most of the ones at my local stationary is produced by the same company, with the same paper. Heck, even the smoothness doesn't change too much between producers, since the kraft paper required for drawing with graphite requires that texture and hairy kraft paper doesn't sell well as "professional art supply". So the specs are fairly tight if you buy it as a bounded notebook.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Butter smooth.....not baby bottom smooth. Baby bottom is the nib skips, often on the first letter...or if one pauses.

No one wants baby bottom....which can come from too smooth, when not done properly. Sometimes certain pen companies have baby bottom nibs, in so many folks want butter smooth at all costs.

 

Standardization of paper bags is not really the question...nor even something that sounds like an answer. One is not professionally working nibs. One is cheaping out to get rid of drag. Works fine!

It unlike a buff stick or micro-mesh don't eat the nib tipping enough to make stubs or CI or butter smooth.

 

The brown paper bag is for those with an obstinate wallet, to remove drag from old 'cheap'** sat a couple generations in the dark of a drawer pens. For those in The Pen of the Week in the Mail Club and or the Pen of the Month Club, whose money is all locked up waiting for a postman.

 

**Works on expensive cheap vintage pens....in vintage pens are on the whole cheaper than new, which should not have any drag...in it's new and has not had time to develop 'Iridium-rust'.

 

I will admit not to have used the brown paper bag for a couple of years. I'm in the pen of the quarter club, and some my resent pens were used often enough they they don't have drag.

 

It is though a limited option readily available and cheap. Not everyone knows he's going to continue to buy old cheap draggy pens.

 

Any one who wants 'butter smooth' has go to spend the money for it.