First Attempt At An Italic Grind

[Ebarbaric]

After receiving an italic ground Frontier from Pendemonium, I was hooked. So... after some research and digging through all the posts here on FPN, I decided to give this nib grinding business a shot.

 

The process itself was actually pretty easy, as I followed instructions from http://www.marcuslink.com/pens/aboutpens/ludwig-tan.html and the threads on this board.

 

Finding the "tools" in Calgary was a bit of challenge, but I picked up regular sandpaper in 1000, 1500, 2000 and 2500 from a local autobody supply store and then went to Lee Valley tools to pick up a Micro-Mesh set and a 10X eye loupe.

 

Overall the process was:

 

- wet the nib and take it to the sandpaper using the instructions above.

- 1000 grit to get the nib down to a chisel,

- Work up through grades until the edges were smooth-ish and toothiness was mostly gone.

- I would dip-test the pen often until I felt it was smooth enough to write with and had some line variation (without grinding it into a BBB stub hahaha)

 

Pretty happy with the result, although a bit more line variation would have been nice. Maybe next time? Would love to hear your thoughts and if you would have any suggestions on how to make the horisontal line even finer?

 

Also... I know my handwriting is terrible... I'm slowly working on that as well (thanks to the great threads here)

 

Cheers,

 

Ernest.

[Lince]

terrible.....

NO WAY, your handwriting is very nice. Congratulations you ended up with a swell nib.

I did my grinding and was very happy with the result (following the same standard method).

To get thinner horizintal I also took metal from the top of the nib and a lot from the bottom. The contact is now made from the "side"of the nib.

To try to explain this. Get a pencil write a lot without rotating the pencil.

The carbon will be used more in one side and you will end up with a clear representation of your angle of attack to the paper.

Try to replicate this same angle on the nib. The thinner the "slope" the thinner the horizontal.

 

That wa a dificult explanation without pictures, hope you can imagine.

[classicelegancepens]

I'm just curious what kind of nib it was that you ground? Steel? What kind of pen?

[fabrimedeiros]

Ernest,

 

I've been following the same website with good results too. I started training on cheap (almost free) chinese nibs. However broad nibs (B, BB) are the best to achieve more line variation. At the end, I used to polish the nib with a piece of smooth leather (for ex. a leather belt). The pen must be loaded to lube. The results are great: an extra smooth nib. It'll look like a micro mirror. If you want add flex, you have to reduce the nib thickness, so usually, I use a dremel. Take care, some nibs can't be added flex, like 18k nibs, some "Stainless Steel" nibs etc. I added flex on a Pelikan SS and a 14k nibs with good results. Another problem: If your pen has a dry flow, and you add flex to nib, it'll skip everytime. I suggest try on a cheap nib at first time.

 

Enjoy!

 

Fabricio

 

 

[Ebarbaric]

Thanks for the feedback

 

@classicelegance - this was a Lamy Fine nib, so steel I think.

 

and another update... I figured I'd get a sharper edge, so I went at it a bit more... and now have a medium italic hahaha... I guess lesson of the day is: STOP when it's good the first time around.

 

Cheers,

 

e.

Edited January 27, 2011 by Ebarbaric