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Nib Block Usage Hints


markh

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I have a nib bloc (the heavy metal version) and burnishing tool, and can mostly straighten out the occasional tweaked nib successfully, if not perfectly.

 

But I sometimes I run into nibs that I can't get straight enough for me. In particular I'm currently having a problem with a vintage Duofold nib with a bend that doesn't belong. I've had the same problem with vintage Sheaffer Balance or flattop nibs.

 

Both of these are extra thick, very stiff and tough nibs. The bend (in the current case) is in one of the tines. I can smooth the nib to make it write, but it's obvious to my eye that there was a bend.

 

Is there a trick to making these really tough nib obey??

 

thnx,

 

.

...

"Bad spelling, like bad grammar, is an offense against society."

- - Good Form Letter Writing, by Arthur Wentworth Eaton, B.A. (Harvard);  © 1890

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i have the metal block from cathedral pens and their burnisher. It is very good. Some times a different burnisher might work well depending on the shape/type of deformation. I bought a double sided burnisher from pentooling a few years back which I recently used effectively to straighten a fairly stiff duofold maxima nib. I suggest look into burnishers. Mind the tipping. Also post straighten polish works well to restore appearance. HTH.

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Thanks. My burnisher is a handle with several different tool shapes that can be inserted, apparently intended to put decals on models. But I will look into the one sold by Pentooling.

 

Those old nibs are sure tough...

,

 

...

"Bad spelling, like bad grammar, is an offense against society."

- - Good Form Letter Writing, by Arthur Wentworth Eaton, B.A. (Harvard);  © 1890

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not an area that I'm particularly good at, but quoting from the Marshall & Oldfield Pen Repair Manual they say that Arthur Twydle's advice was to work on one tine at a time - and start from the vent hole.

These authors also suggest purpose shaped smooth jawed pliers with a cut-out so you don't mangled the tip, but perhaps these aren't so easy to find.

Also - ball bearings (of suitable diameter) as dent removers ............. you lay the nib on a flat engineers plate or similar, and roll the bearing (captive) along the nib under pressure from a domed-out end of a stick. With a particularly thick nibs it might be possible to hit the ball bearing gently if there was a particularly stubborn kink - using a small plastic headed hammer.

 

As a final effort to remove imperfections, they suggest a very fine file (on the upper surface), followed by polishing using decreasing grades of abrasive - alright for thick nibs but perhaps risky otherwise.

Have to say I've never tried an 'Eternal' or 'Imperial' - can't be easy to straighten such thick nibs.

Edited by PaulS
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Get a bunch of CHEAP nibs and CHEAP pens with bent nibs and practice.

Bend the nib and then straighten it.

Sometimes you have to work the opposite side from what may seem intuitive.

Try different things (tools and methods) and see what works. That is how I learned.

AND KEEP NOTES, because you WILL forget details.

 

Unless you are a master, you will sometimes have to settle for "good enough."

And there are sometimes that the bend is beyond my ability to straighten, then I punt the nib to a master to straighten.

San Francisco Pen Show - August 28-30, 2020 - Redwood City, California

www.SFPenShow.com

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