Can writing on paper on top of rough surface damage the nib?

[Arts11]

Okay weird question, but can writing on like a single sheet of paper that's on top of a somewhat rough surface [like a textured "grainy" table top or like on top of one of those cardboard notebook covers] damage or affect the nib? I was recently thinking about how some people use the brown bag method to try and smooth their nibs, and I was wondering if something like that could happen unintentionally if you were to say write on a piece of paper on top of said material? I hope that made sense.

[jar]

It is possible but unlikely.

[Possum Hill]

Okay weird question, but can writing on like a single sheet of paper that's on top of a somewhat rough surface [like a textured "grainy" table top or like on top of one of those cardboard notebook covers] damage or affect the nib? I was recently thinking about how some people use the brown bag method to try and smooth their nibs, and I was wondering if something like that could happen unintentionally if you were to say write on a piece of paper on top of said material? I hope that made sense.

 

I think that the brown paper of the bag is slightly more abrasive than writing paper, and that is what makes the smoothing technique work.

 

Unless you're pressing very hard on writing paper, I don't think a rough surface under a single sheet will damage the nib. It just won't be pleasant writing.

[Arts11]

Okay weird question, but can writing on like a single sheet of paper that's on top of a somewhat rough surface [like a textured "grainy" table top or like on top of one of those cardboard notebook covers] damage or affect the nib? I was recently thinking about how some people use the brown bag method to try and smooth their nibs, and I was wondering if something like that could happen unintentionally if you were to say write on a piece of paper on top of said material? I hope that made sense.

 

I think that the brown paper of the bag is slightly more abrasive than writing paper, and that is what makes the smoothing technique work.

 

Unless you're pressing very hard on writing paper, I don't think a rough surface under a single sheet will damage the nib. It just won't be pleasant writing.

Ah, that's good to know. I was writing on such a surface and it definitely wasn't that pleasant and I was afraid it would affect my nib if I kept writing on it.

[I am not a number]

Try to cushion the paper, you should want to get the best writing experience that you can!

[ZeissIkon]

I can see one way a rough supporting surface could lead to severe pen damage: if the nib catches on a push stroke, it's possible to bend a tine under before you realize what's happened. This is damage one usually sees on needle-point flexible nibs, though, and the bigger the tip the less likely this is to happen (not to mention the damage is likely to be much less with modern rigid "nail" nibs).

 

If you write with a light hand and use a medium or larger nib, this kind of thing is very unlikely.

[FrankB]

I always cushion the paper I am writing on, even if that cushion is just a couple more sheets of paper. But in the circumstances you mention, I don't see any problems. I agree with Zeissikon that it can depend on how hard a person pushes on the nib.