M205 Nib Adjustment Question

[Calabria]

Hi - short question. I just got an M205 Pelikan with an M nib. The tip is a kugel, slight baby bottom (no problem), glassy smooth. I find the nib "skates" a bit on smooth paper and would like to give it a bit more traction.

 

My idea is to use the finest micro mesh and then liquid polish to slightly flatten the writing surface on the tip - what do you think?

[OCArt]

I have a question for you, when the nib "skates" does it still lay down ink or is it skipping? If it forms a good line I don't think you have a problem. Another paper or even a different ink could change the feel.

[Calabria]

OC - it's a bit slippery. No problem, just a matter of preferences. Slightly over polished perhaps.

 

I noticed that the nibs I like most have a distinct flat spot on the tip which somehow "guides" my hand when writing. I think some people call that the "sweet spot." The M205 nib doesn't have that - it's round.

 

I agree though, if it ain't broke don't fix it.

 

- Derek

[Bo Bo Olson]

Flat spot and sweet spot are not the same......flat spots are a polishing error (lack of nib rotation)...unwanted.

Sweet spot is you get the widest smooth area of the nib when writing. Some folks cant their nib so end up with a smaller sweet spot.

 

To rough up the butter smooth tip to the the next level lower of smooth, good and smooth.

You can take the middle roughness of a nail buffer, and do a couple circles, for a second. Check, do the circles to the other side for a second. While constantly rotating the nib. That should do it. Polishing with the most smooth micro-mesh will not bring the nib down from butter smooth.

The nib should be roughed up enough....won't need up/down, left/right squiggles in you are not polishing.

 

Or take a good quality brown paper bag, and do one15 second set of circles left and right, squiggles up and down and left and right. While constantly rotating the nib. One should do the trick, not the three if removing 'iridium' rust.

 

I use to use the Brown Paper bag to take the micro-corrosion/'iridium rust off of pens that sat in the dark of the drawer for two or so generations, bringing the nib up to 'good and smooth', in a Brown Paper bag will never take a nib to butter smooth.

 

If you want a flatness to guide you, you could go to the stub nibs of the '50-65 era or make that a 200 nib stub. I would do a practice run on a cheaper nib to start with.

Try 'good and smooth' first.

[Calabria]

Just to follow up - I did adjust the nib by drawing some letters with no pressure on 12K micro mesh. Just 3 or 4. Then put some liquid micro polish on a board and "wrote" in it a bit. Very pleased with the results - the nib now makes better contact with the paper and has a less "blobby" feel. This was a minute adjustment to a pretty good nib, which turned it into a very good nib.

[minddance]

I wouldn't touch the nib. A simple and cheap solution might be to change papers. And explore different inks.