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Does anybody know places from which micromesh can be bought for reasonable price? I have searched online in the usual locations but it is either not available or it is being sold for ludicrous prices. @K Singh

Greetings everyone , This is my first post in this forum and I need your help. I want to learn hot to properly smooth a nib, without creating any flatspots, sharp edges etc. My issue is that most of the tutorials online recommend methods such as drawing figure 8's which often lead to flatspots. My goal is to learn how to remove material, in a way that the nib gets a well rounded shape. I did refer to Mr. Wim Geeraets's which was excelent and very informative. However no matter how smooth the nib turned out there was, always a spot that was scratchy and when i managed to smooth that spot another one (scratchy) appeared. If anyone would be kind enough to share any information or methods of smoothing nibs in way that no flatspots or edges corners appear, It would really help me and perhaps other members of this forum. Thanks in advance, Nestor

I have a Pilot EF that I think needs a bit of smoothing, but I am scared to death of ruining it. I bought a micro-mesh pad and decided to have a go at a Platinum Preppy that is in a color I don't use. Then I decided since I was already messing around with the pen that I might as well try to eyedropper it, something I have never done before. I used silicone grease and all seemed to be well except later on I noticed some ink spots on my hands, so I think it is leaking somewhere. I do hold my pens fairly close to the nibs. I can't find an o-ring in an appropriate size so I have temporarily added some plumber's tape but that is unsightly and makes it harder to cap the pen. Below is a photo, minus the plumber's tape. I think the smoothing went well but was not excessive, but I still need to come up with a better seal for the eyedropper; I'm trying to work up the courage to smooth out the Pilot EF a bit. The ink is Diamine Oxblood, which I'm testing out and seems quite nice. Do people add a ball to their eyedroppered pens to help keep the ink from drying up?

I have really gotten myself into fountain pen repair, in the last two years. I have spent money on books, tools, parts etc. But what fascinates me the most is nib tuning and repairing. What I mean by that is any work that is done on the nib, such as crack welding, retipping, polishing, smoothing and grinding. Especially grinding. However I struggle to find any information, regarding nib grinding. No videos, guides on what machinery is used, where can one get such machinery, what polishing compounds or wheels are used, nothing at all. I am truly desperate because I really want to learn how to do this (I consider it even as a profession) and I have no access to any useful information at all. Does anyone know any books, websites, pdf's, anything that has information on how to do various grinds. What wheels-bits are used, what compounds, where can one get these...Anything at all would help me a lot ! P.S. I am not interested in using stones etc, these I know how to use them, plus I find them inconvenient . I am talking about methods that require power tools, such as dremels, or other custom (or not) grinding machines, that get the job done fast.

I have seen many professional nib grinders such as Mike Masuyama, John Mottishaw, Nobuyoshi Nagahara (Rest In peace), use some kind of rotary bench machine that has various attachements (diamond wheels etc). I would like to know where can one buy a similar machine, how is it called and what attachments are they using. The reason I am asking, is because I want to upgrade me nib grinding-smoothing setup from a simple (and dangerous due to high rpm) dremel tool, to something a bit more professional and perhaps safer. Here is Mike Masuyama with the machine that I am reffering to Thanks in advance, Nestor Vassiliou

I was smoothing a few nibs today, some from modern fountain pens and some from vintage. I did notice that the final result favored the modern fountain pens and not the vintage ones, despite the fact that the same polishing method was used. Specifically I got much more buttery effect out of a plain parker IM fountain pen with a steel nib, compared to a parker 51 with a gold nib. This got me thinking whether this had to do with the tipping of the nibs and the slit cut. I imagine that modern pens take advantage of new technology which has provided better methods to apply tipping at the nib and to cut open slits for the ink to flow. Is this something that may explain the difference between the smoothness of the nibs? Meaning the parker 51 having a more "rough" (with air pockets) tipping or inner tines, due to inferior manufacturing process, compared to the one we use today.

I just recently got into fountain pens so the only pens I have are a Pilot Metropolitan with a Medium nib and a Jinhao x450. I just bought a Goulet nib for the x450 because I wanted a fine nib on that pen.. Well dumb me also bought some 12000 micro mesh with the order which turned out to be a bad idea.. Even thou the nibs on both my pens the Pilot and the goulet nib were smooth I wanted them smoother.. So i decided to try to smooth them myself.. I quickly realized that I made a mistake after smoothing both pens just a tiny bit I had somehow made them both worse than they originally were..I didn't think that 12000 micro mesh would do much at all guess I was wrong.. So I've been trying to get them back to being atleast as smooth as they were but they are scratchy now like the edges of the tines are too sharp but I am afraid to wear too much tipping material away do anything else to them. I've gotten them decent but they are scratchy now when you go on diagonals. I know that a $15 Goulet nib and $15 metropolitan doesn't sound like much but I just went back to school at 30 and haven't been able to work so that $15 Goulet nib and metropolitan were like high end Mont Blanc pens to me since I'm broke lol. Argh so now I'm depressed and mad at myself for even fooling with the nibs. Anyone have any idea on how to smooth the edges between the tines so they are not scratchy without taking off anymore tipping material. Also does anyone have any experience with FPR #35 nibs vs Knox #6 K35 nibs vs Nemosine #6 nibs vs Goulet #6 nibs ? I want to buy some more nibs preferably Goulet nibs but at $15 a piece they are like 4 times the cost of my Jinhao even though they are pretty great nibs it seems. Thanks!

Hi everyone, This is my first proper post, so please go easy on me Personally, I love that feel of feedback in a nib. However, the nibs I've smoothed always end up being too smooth for my taste. Sometimes even buttery smooth. I can't seem to find the balance between scratchy and super-smooth. I recently bought a Kaweco AL Sport with a Fine nib and this had precisely the level of feedback I like. My goal is to create a similar feel of feedback in my other nibs, but am not sure how to do this. Can anyone advise on how to create feedback, without making it scratchy please? Warm regards, Al.

I have just recently bought a Sailor Profit with a medium 1911 nib and it feels really scratchy for the price I payed. I bought it brand new and expected a little better performance from the nib. It's pretty toothy and I'm wondering where the best place to send it to get it smoothed out a little bit would be. Anybody know a great person to smooth out my nib? Parker