How Not To Adjust A Nib

[Richard]

A Waterman Le Man 100 hit the bench here at the Nashua Pen Spa yesterday, its owner complaining of flow issues. Well, in addition to being clogged, the pen had apparently been subjected to the ministrations of the good Doctor Frankenstein, who — as we all know — wields a wicked scalpel. Here's what the nib looked like. This was without question the ugliest knife job I've ever laid eyes on:

 

http://www.richardspens.com/images/ref/restoration/knifing.jpg

 

We repaired it, including cleaning actual shaved-off chunks of gold out of the slit and straightening up the slit's jaggedly scarred walls. We even burnished it down and polished it to improve the aesthetics somewhat. The pen will go home writing well, Question: how long will it be before this pen comes back with a new knife job on the nib?

[USMCMom]

Geez ... unless I picked it up very inexpensively from you-know-who-bay or a yard sale, I'd be too embarrassed to send it to anyone for repair, but then ... I don't do surgery on my pens. I leave that to those, like you, who happen to know what they're doing!!!

Edited September 21, 2011 by USMCMom

[777]

Ouch... Simply ouch...

 

Why on earth would someone do that to a nib!?

 

The words "nib" and "knife" should not appear in the same sentence... Especially not in this context.

 

Good job on fixing it Richard. I don't suppose you had any after shots of the nib?

[Nonsensical]

How...What...Come again?!?

[OcalaFlGuy]

+ pi on wanting to see the after shots.

 

I think what shocks me the most is the person's persistence in continuing to attempt to hack their way out of their predicament when at first slice it was painfully clear that continuing was unlikely to yield a pretty picture.

 

I would be embarrassed to send a nib like that to a technician myself.

 

That's about a $150 dollar nib section. It also appears to be a victim of the Waterman thin gold plating Ebola virus.

 

Considering what I suspect the repair costs AND delay were, I would have considered just biting the checkbook and going for a whole new nib section.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

[stefanv]

I'd like to see the "after" shots too, and I'd like to know what Dr. Frankenstein actually did to it. Not using a knife on your nib is one thing, but letting a toddler use a knife on the nib is even worse.

[Kelly G]

Well, I've always said the most expensive lessons are the lessons remembered longest. Hopefully this fp user will remember the lesson and stay away from nibs with anything other than ink and paper.

 

There is no sin in trying and failing, but persistently failing in the same exact manner calls one into question in all sorts of ways.

[ethernautrix]

Well... I have to admire the pen owner's willingness to fix a problem. I figure the experts are there for when I mess up the repair job.

 

 

No, it isn't my pen, but I'm sure macro shots of some of my nibs might make some of you recoil. (Not that I ever used a knife on any of my nibs.) *Hides needlenose pliers behind back*

[torstar]

thank you, Richard.

[OcalaFlGuy]

Well... I have to admire the pen owner's willingness to fix a problem. I figure the experts are there for when I mess up the repair job.

 

 

No, it isn't my pen, but I'm sure macro shots of some of my nibs might make some of you recoil. (Not that I ever used a knife on any of my nibs.) *Hides needlenose pliers behind back*

 

Don't sell yourself short.

 

I've seen what you can do to a pen. Not just *anybody* can do THAT to a pen...

 

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL-thinking of that poor poor P-51

[FarmBoy]

The words "nib" and "knife" should not appear in the same sentence... Especially not in this context.

Anyone remember Frank going at nibs with his pocket knife?

[Richard]

There are no "after" photos. The nib is still fugly — the scoring was far too deep to get rid of — but at least the top surface isn't cratered like the moon. And it writes nicely now.

[USMCMom]

Well, Richard ... even a top notch Wizard can only perform so much magic, ya know?? Surprising it survived at all.

[Garageboy]

Didn't break out the micro welder and fill in the spots with gold? :ltcapd:

[reprieve]

I can safely say that I've never held any pen at knifepoint--not even a Bic.

[Chevalier]

Ouch, I wonder what the person wanted to do in the first place.

[J English Smith]

How strange. I suppose they were trying to widen the nib slit? I have those nice little brass and plastic sheets that Tryphon sold, that I use if I suspect the slit is part of the problem.

 

I use those very carefully...as I expect the brass could make a nasty scratch if it slipped.

 

It's a shame, but at least it still writes.

[OcalaFlGuy]

How strange. I suppose they were trying to widen the nib slit? I have those nice little brass and plastic sheets that Tryphon sold, that I use if I suspect the slit is part of the problem.

 

I use those very carefully...as I expect the brass could make a nasty scratch if it slipped.

 

It's a shame, but at least it still writes.

 

Brass is less than 1 point harder on the scale than gold for nibs.

 

I think you'd have to really work at it to mess up a gold nib with brass.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL-made me look though

[edbsbc]

Good advice and...warning!

[Tiny Tim]

For the best smoothing, tine adjustment and flow modifications, I send my pens to the experts. I've sent pens to Main Street Pens and to Richard's Pens. My pens have been extraordinary writers ever since. I can paint by numbers, but I'm no artist.

 

Tim