My Experience With Fpnibs.com (Nib Service/grinding In Europe)

[vPro]

Hello everybody.

Today I want to share my experience with FPNibs.com.

FPNibs.com is a small company based in Spain run by Pablo Gimena and Esther Duran. As far as I know, Esther handles the communication with the customers while Pablo does the nib/pen work. Pablo also creates custom pens (Gimena Pens) which are very beautiful unique. Some of the pen designs sport cap threads directly above the nib, practically allowing you to grip wherever you want on the barrel without being bothered by threads.

 

Pablo offers A LOT of nib services and customisations, including all sorts of regrinds (even the more demanding architect grinds and italics), replating, straightening of bent tines, crack welding or just a simple tine alignment if that's what's needed. The prices are amazing, I'm confident you can't find many (if any) other place(s) that offer the same wide range of services at these prices. Please notice that the prices listed are 'starting prices', and you should contact them for an exact quote. They will usually reply within a few hours (depending on which country you are in).

 

I sent two nibs for regrind. A broad nib that I wanted to be ground to a stub and a modern oblique medium that I wanted cut into a oblique cursive italic.

 

I sent the nibs with registered mail from Denmark to Spain and it took the nibs roughly two weeks to arrive to Spain. One of the reasons why it took them so long to arrive could be due to the fact that the company resides in a small town in the Southern part of Spain.

 

When they arrived, Pablo worked on them the very same day he got them and finished them that same day. He then sent me a video showing how the nibs write - and boy did they write well - and with fantastic line variation.

I paid for the service through PayPal and Pablo shipped the nibs the very next day. This time, it took 3 days instead of 14 for the nibs to arrive.

 

The nibs are good, and overall I'm pretty satisfied.

 

The broad nib - WOW. My nib used to hard start very frequently and didn't offer much line variation. Pablo ground that to perfection. Silky smooth (even though it's a stub), great line variation and remains easy to use. I'll link to a youtube video showing the result of the grind and how well it writes.

 

The oblique nib is good and Pablo showed me how well the nib writes for him. For me, however, the nib doesn't work as well. I don't know if it's because I hold the pen at a steeper angle or exactly what I do different, however I plan on sending this nib back for further adjustment to fit my writing style. Pablo has agreed to take a second look at the nib and try to adjust it to my writing style - outstanding customer service? I think so! The line variation is GREAT and the inside of the tines don't catch the paper while flexing. The tip of the nib is cut minutely, so it's most certainly just a matter of adjustment

 

Here's a writing sample of the Broad Stub nib. All I can say is 'Enjoy'.

 

Best,

 

[parthjpatel]

Sounds like a very nice company. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and also for the writing sample.

[the_gasman]

I, too, have been delighted by the service offered by Pablo and Esther. I had two nibs ground to oblique cursive italics, a B and a BB. The quality of the work took my breath away when I tried the nibs for the first time.

 

Cheers,

David.

[migo984]

I've got their 18k TWSBI Eco EF nib. It's fabulous. Fits perfectly & writes like a dream. The service from Esther is exemplary, with very reasonable shipping costs.

[the_gasman]

I think that Pablo and Esther (fpnibs.com) may be at the London pen show later this year.

[da vinci]

I think that Pablo and Esther (fpnibs.com) may be at the London pen show later this year.

That's good news. Gimena pens had a table at Bristol this year but I didn't have time to speak to the people there or properly look at the pens. Hope to rectify that in London

[Wolverine1]

vPro - to make it easier for Pablo to adjust the nib to fit your writing style, you might want to make a simple cell phone video of you writing with that pen, and send it to him. It will help him adjust the nib to suit your needs.

[shawndp]

This is more of question for people outside Europe - how do you send your pens in to get serviced? I am looking for someone to "fix" my gf's MB Mozart - it isn't as smooth as it could be and I imagine she wouldn't mind it a touch finer too.

[vPro]

vPro - to make it easier for Pablo to adjust the nib to fit your writing style, you might want to make a simple cell phone video of you writing with that pen, and send it to him. It will help him adjust the nib to suit your needs.

I don't fully agree with your statement because a video can only tell so much. I used to think the same thing and I even recorded a video and sent it thinking it would help - it tells a little, but not enough best would be to show up physically (ie. at a pen show) but that's really not possible.

[the_gasman]

... best would be to show up physically (ie. at a pen show) but that's really not possible.

 

It was going to my first pen show that changed my nib preferences for ever. I had never thought to want anything other than the default medium nib whenever I bought a fountain pen until John Sorowka watched me write and commented that I rotate my nib. He told me that a nib with an oblique grind might suit me (I had never even heard of oblique nibs). He gave me a Parker 75 with an OBB cursive italic nib to try and it was the most eye-opening writing experience I have ever known. Needless to say, I bought the pen, and have since sought many pens (new or old) with OB or OBB nibs with stub or cursive italic grinds.

 

I still entrust my expensive nibs to John but my high satisfaction with Pablo's nib grinds and his low prices make that an extremely tempting alternative. If fpnibs do come to London I think that I shall be ordering some nibs and grinds in time for them to bring them with them to London.

 

Cheers,

David.

[blumunchie]

I too, would like to chime in on my experience with FPnibs. I wanted true Japanese-equivalent EF and Super EF nibs in a Jowo#6 nib unit, and ordered their Stainless Steel PO/XXF/XXXF nibs. All three nibs wrote beautifully on the first ink, and I am definitely a customer for life. The line width for the PO/XXF nibs were equivalent to a Japanese EF, and the XXXF nib is what the Saibi Togi should have been if it wrote. The only difference between the PO nib and the XXF nib is the writing experience. Due to the "eagle beak" shape of the PO nib, it has a bounce to it when I write. It's a very interesting writing experience.

 

If you enjoy Japanese EF and Super EF nibs like I do and want to try it out in pens that take Jowo #6 nib units, give them your monies. I cannot be more pleased with the quality of the nibs that I bought from FPnibs.

[BayesianPrior]

Can I add my experiences too?

 

I'd like to make the community aware (if they are not already) of the phenomenal job done by fpnibs.com grinding two nibs for me.

One was a stainless steel Pelikan M205 B ground to an arabic/hebraic (commonly known as an architect) nib, and the other was a Lamy Z50 with the same grind. Total cost for the nibs, regrinds, and shipping was about €40.

Yes, €40 for two custom ground nibs. Amazing.

Anyway, the nibs arrived today. My Lamy's are all at work so I'm not able to test the Z50, but I have been able to test the Pelikan in my M215. I couldn't be happier. My new favourite nib? Quite possibly!

And to satisfy my CDO (that's OCD in alphabetical order), they even granted my special request to grind the Z50 from an Anfaenger (A) nib so that the designation on the nib would match the Arabic grind.

Can't recommend fpnibs.com highly enough!

[Angel91]

I rely on them often, not only for grinds but also for nibs that didn't work so good out of the box, like a pilot custom 74 that's right now being worked by Pablo, their nibmeister.

I haven't tried any of the American nibmeisters, but I can say fpnibs work is excellent.

[Inksomnia]

I bought custom twsbi eco needlepoint nib from them and it is now one of my favorite. Really great for writing math and drawing. Nib is quite smooth and fits perfectly to my eco. So, happy customer here too.

[Angel91]

By the way they're offering right now a great discount on lamy products, in case any of you is interested in adding items to a regrind.

[skeskali]

Can anyone comment on your experience with shipping? I've been waiting almost a month for a package to be shipped to Canada, and it hasn't arrived yet.

[Angel91]

Well, everything works slowly in Europe during summer time. It will arrive, be patient!

[Mulrich]

I don't remember exactly how long it took to ship since I didn't pay for tracking. It was well within what I expect for basic shipping from Europe, which ranges from 2-4 weeks. There are a lot of factors that could slow a package down. I've seen a parcel arrive in the US in a few days only to get stuck in customs for a couple weeks before taking another week for US delivery.